Forum Discussion

Explorer

Jul 28, 2017

My experience trying to buy a motorhome

So its been 3 months and I have yet to find a motorhome (maybe). I feel like $20k to $26k for a motorhome under 25ft, under 75k miles, newer than 2003 is possible because ive seen the ads for them. Unfortunately, buying one seems next to impossible.

Initially I thought I could drive to one of the many motorhome sales places around northern colorado to test drive motorhomes and decide what I liked. I looked at the ads online and locally and spent a day driving around to the different places that had listed some motorhomes I thought might be worth looking at. Every single place had already sold that motorhome.

Not one of the places I stopped at asked for my information so they could contact me when they got something in. A few of the places had rude sales people, one told me I was looking for the end of a rainbow, at Lazydays a front desk person asked me to wait and a sales person would be out soon - it was 20 minutes before I saw one. Another local place had no personnel in sight, not in the office, and not one I found while walking around the lot looking at and going into the motorhomes for sale.

So from then on id call to check if the motorhome was still available and have actually had people tell me it is only to go in and be told it just sold - BUT at NO POINT did anybody ask for my information so they could contact me, NOR did they even offer to sell me another unit. I took off work early twice to look at a motorhome I was told was available.

I went to a dealer in my town that had a 26 footer I was very interested in - it is STILL ON THE LOT today - I didnt want one that long but would consider it because it had nice features but I wanted to test drive it to see if i was comfortable enough with it. The sales guy said I couldn't because the tires were cracked from sitting, he had to change the tires and he would call me when that was done. I gave him my card - 3 weeks later no call....

I decided to broaden my search nationwide, id travel for the right deal. I discovered there were HUNDREDS of scams for motorhomes - scammers using phone numbers provided by some "TEXTNOW" app. People who were out of the country on military assignment and wanted to use the ebay program (but the rv wasnt listed on ebay), poor widows who lost their hubby/wife and could text or email but couldnt bear to talk on the phone about the motorhome xyz loved so much.

Even locally on craigslist or rvtrader or rvt - I would call people. One guy sounded drunk, I could barely understand him so I kept asking him to clarify - general questions about maint records, other conditions, and after about 2 minutes of asking him to clarify he declared "ITS SOLD ITS SOLD". Other people wanting to sell but they happened to be out of town every time I wanted to see it. Another guy who sounded just fine when I initially called but when I started asking about maint records he responded "Ill ask my grandfather then immediately hung up as I asked another question, didnt answer any calls after that, nor when my boyfriend called from a different number.

Decide to check out the rentals for purchase - El Monte has been great to talk to - only positive experience - but there isnt one where they sell them in CO. So I go check out Cruise America in Denver. Take a Saturday to go down there and test drive a 23A four winds. The sales guy had no interest in helping. Told me to look around but he couldnt leave as long as there were other customers there since he was the only one there. Everyone else eventually left and he took his time doing a few things, gave me the keys - then more people showed up. 2 hours wasted. The motorhome smelled like cheap chemicals and the upholstery they use in those Cruise America rentals is awful. Ended up leaving without getting to test drive anything and he never even asked for my information - never once apologized.

Finally, I think I found a motorhome in vegas, I have to travel to see it so I want it inspected by a 3rd party prior to me going out there. First rv mechanic in vegas I called - $450 but didnt have the time to do it. Second, sounded great, very nice like he really wanted to help me but was a day late in going to inspect the motorhome. After $250 he calls me back to pretty much say its in good condition - he did diagnostics on it & its good. everything looks good. Yeah the glue on the overcab detached on one spot from the sun but its not a big deal, no water damage anywhere..... so $250 and all I get is "its good" - no data - no report saying xyz was checked etc..... He didnt even disconnect the motorhome from the electric to test how the generator ran with everything on.

I want a motorhome. It s looking like Im going to vegas next week to buy but If I have to walk away from the deal because I was mislead then I will. At least there is an El Monte in vegas, so thats my back up plan.

Im not a rude person. Im polite, and I have cash to pay.

Anybody else have a similar experience?

Class C

IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2017
Pretty much my experience,I ended up at El Monte RV and have been very happy with my decision :B
Good Luck !
Hank85713
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
there are some consignments here locally a little above the price range you want, look at craigslist for tucson. But be advised when looking at dealers remember everything they have is platinum coated or made of gold, so also look at private sales. Thats how we got ours.
WILDEBILL308
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2017
Interesting I found 12 B/C's in that price range at PPL for fun they have 20 class A's in that price range and 9 diesel pushers in your price range. http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/class-c-motorhomes.php
What's the problem?
Bill
Isaac-1
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Ok, here are my thoughts, first of all you are shopping during prime summer travel season, if you wait another month prices will likely start dropping. Also you tend to get a lot more bang for your buck on used motorhomes with private sellers. Most dealers have no maintenance history on used motorhome they sell, and don't care to take the time or effort to inspect them, much less fix anything (see tires mentioned above). As to the budget, it can be done, but short motorhomes are in demand these days, so they don't stay on the market long. I bought my 2002 Safari Trek 28 ft class A last November after 5 or so months of serious shopping for just over $20,000 from a private seller on craigslist, yes you must wade through lots of scammers, (initial asking was $25,000) with 74,000 miles on it, in what I consider overall good to very good condition (though this has not stopped me from spending another $4,500+ on maintenance and upgrades, including $650 to get the dash air conditioner working right, $650 on new shocks, down to numerous $5-$10 items, just today I installed $200 worth of new spark plugs and spark plug wires) of course it was 1,100 miles away for retrieval cost added another $1,200 or so, half of which was airfare. As to your $250 report, I would not expect much more detail for the price, a proper RV inspection should take 8-10 hours or longer to just check all the basic stuff, much less write up a detailed report even on a small coach, typical RV repair shop rates run in the $100 per hour range, though you can find inspection services for less $$$ per hour.
ron_dittmer
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2017
lfrese wrote:
The motorhome smelled like cheap chemicals and the upholstery they use in those Cruise America rentals is awful.
Your comment about the smell of chemicals brings back a memory I had in early 2007 when visiting a local RV center having a big tent sale. They actually had a really big tent with two rows of brand new motor homes parked inside it. I had just decided on purchasing a Phoenix Cruiser but wanted to make sure there wasn't something else to consider. There were a few brand new class A's with price tags on the wind shield at $48,000. I thought "Wow" I should check them out. I wish I could recall the brand but I cannot.

I stepped inside and immediately noticed a "new construction" smell, but it was a bit different than I am familiar with. Checking out the interior, I quickly noticed the inferior construction in materials and workmanship. As I was strolling around inside, I noticed my breathing was getting strange and my head getting a bit dizzy, but I continued to tour inside. At one point I held my breath and ran out gasping for air. I had wondered what was inside there doing that to me.

A few years later, we attended a family wedding down in Kentucky where my cousin was kind enough to put us up at his home. He owned a 5th wheel at the time which was over 5 years old, maybe closer to 10 years. Parked in his driveway, he offered it up to us as our bedroom. That night laying down for bed, I noticed that smell again. Though much less, my body was starting to get that same feeling. We immediately turned off the a/c and opened all the windows and all was well because there was a nice breeze coming in. But I woke up the next morning with a very very bad headache.

I generally don't get headaches so whatever is inside some motor homes, it's life-threatening to me. And whatever it is, it doesn't go away as a new construction smell because my cousin's 5th wheel was a number of years old.

I understand chip board is made with a lot of formaldehyde which is hazardous if exposed to in quantity. There was some concern in news reports a long time ago that houses made with a lot of chip board, can be a health hazard. Google "chipboard formaldehyde Emissions". I wonder if that was the cause of my experience. I understand formaldehyde by itself has no odor which has me perplexed about those two experiences.

All the wood inside our Phoenix Cruiser was plywood with one exception. There was one sheet of chip board used as the bed platform but I soon replaced it with a smooth sheet of maple plywood. I didn't have any chemical reaction, just being overly cautious....and the mattress doesn't snag on smooth maple.

This picture of our Phoenix Cruiser taken soon after we purchased it, still shows the chip board on the ceiling of the outdoor compartment. With it replaced, I think we are down to 0% chip board.
OldRadios
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
I looked for six months before I found the one we wanted in the next State (in January). Five years old with 17K miles, under $30K from a dealer. Keep looking. One will turn up. Just be ready with cash and when you find it go ASAP.
Bordercollie
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Used short class C's are probably harder to find because they are not as plentiful as somewhat longer rigs. We bought a 2004 Fleetwood Tioga 26Q ( 27 feet long bumper to bumper. 26-27 footers are more plentiful used. They usually have a rear bedroom with RV queen sized bed and considerably more rear cargo and cabinet space. Sleeping in the overhead is for kids and occasional guests. Driving and maneuvering a 27 footer is not much different than with a 22-24 footer, they are all about the same height. 27 footers will fit in 99% of RV park and forest campsites. Another source is RV's parked in driveways. Stop and ask if owner is interested in selling. Don't make extreme "low-ball" offers to private sellers. Don't expect complete maintenance records. Learn how to look for water leak damage and strange noises etc., when inspecting and test driving. Learn how to start RV generators and test appliances and dash and roof air conditioning systems, etc. your self. Fridges must be turned on and left to operate overnight to get cold. RV generators are usually connected to the house battery for starting. If the won't turn over and start, 12 volt house battery(s) and/or converter charger may need replacing. Tires older than 5 years old may have sidewall cracks and need replacing. It is probably worth it to pay a pro truck mechanic to check engine, transmission, cooling system, brakes, lights
and get written estimates for parts and labor needed. Check awning fabric.Expect to spend some serious money on a ten year old rig to get it safe and fully functional with "all the comforts of home".
toedtoes
Explorer III
Jul 29, 2017
ron.dittmer wrote:
lfrese wrote:
The motorhome smelled like cheap chemicals and the upholstery they use in those Cruise America rentals is awful.
Your comment about the smell of chemicals brings back a memory I had in early 2007 when visiting a local RV center having a big tent sale. They actually had a really big tent with two rows of brand new motor homes parked inside it. I had just decided on purchasing a Phoenix Cruiser but wanted to make sure there wasn't something else to consider. There were a few brand new class A's with price tags on the wind shield at $48,000. I thought "Wow" I should check them out. I wish I could recall the brand but I cannot.

I stepped inside and immediately noticed a "new construction" smell, but it was a bit different than I am familiar with. Checking out the interior, I quickly noticed the inferior construction in materials and workmanship. As I was strolling around inside, I noticed my breathing was getting strange and my head getting a bit dizzy, but I continued to tour inside. At one point I held my breath and ran out gasping for air. I had wondered what was inside there doing that to me.

A few years later, we attended a family wedding down in Kentucky where my cousin was kind enough to put us up at his home. He owned a 5th wheel at the time which was over 5 years old, maybe closer to 10 years. Parked in his driveway, he offered it up to us as our bedroom. That night laying down for bed, I noticed that smell again. Though much less, my body was starting to get that same feeling. We immediately turned off the a/c and opened all the windows and all was well because there was a nice breeze coming in. But I woke up the next morning with a very very bad headache.

I generally don't get headaches so whatever is inside some motor homes, it's life-threatening to me. And whatever it is, it doesn't go away as a new construction smell because my cousin's 5th wheel was a number of years old.

I understand chip board is made with a lot of formaldehyde which is hazardous if exposed to in quantity. There was some concern in news reports a long time ago that houses made with a lot of chip board, can be a health hazard. Google "chipboard formaldehyde Emissions". I wonder if that was the cause of my experience. I understand formaldehyde by itself has no odor which has me perplexed about those two experiences.

All the wood inside our Phoenix Cruiser was plywood with one exception. There was one sheet of chip board used as the bed platform but I soon replaced it with a smooth sheet of maple plywood. I didn't have any chemical reaction, just being overly cautious....and the mattress doesn't snag on smooth maple.

This picture of our Phoenix Cruiser taken soon after we purchased it, still shows the chip board on the ceiling of the outdoor compartment. With it replaced, I think we are down to 0% chip board.

Formaldehyde is bad. I once had bought a chipboard bookcase and installed it in my bedroom, set it up and went to bed. When I woke up, my eyes were glued shut. I had to have my underage cousin drive me to the doctor's where they unglued my eyes and gave me drops. The doctor said it was the bookcase and that I should take it outside and paint it. Then I shouldn't have a problem. I just realized as I wrote this that I still have the bookcase - it's been almost 30 years. It has many coats of paint.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Jul 29, 2017
OP. I would slow down and take some time. As others indicate, you should have an easier time after the summer season when the demand slows down. Under 25ft have not been that popular in production the past 10 years. They are starting to pick up again, but it will be a while before the used market sees that uptick.

While you wait, do a bit of hindsight and see if you can identify some "red flags" with your prior experiences. Then use those red flags to help wade through the next batch. When you do find the right rig, you'll just think back on all this as an experience.
Chum_lee
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Check your local Craigslist. I found exactly what I wanted, well below market retail, low miles, lightly used, perfect condition, 10 years old, garaged inside most its life. Bought in early February from a motivated seller, after 2 weeks looking online. It was the second RV I went out and looked at after viewing photos of maybe 50 online. Ebay just didn't work for me. IMO, too much chance of flim flam buying in an online auction environment without being present or at the RV dealers.

Good deals on RV's are out there everywhere. You have to look in the right place, be clear about what you want, and, how much you want to spend. If you aren't comfortable buying from a private party, as is, with no warranty, have the potential vehicle inspected by someone you trust prior to purchase. Look around, and research, research, research, before you act. Chances are you'll do better on your own than talking to any smiley faced, glad handing salesperson who surely takes a major commission out of the deal. (guess who pays their commission?)

Oh yeah, I bought a 30' Class A RV on a Ford F-53 gasser chassis with 31,000 original miles, ten years old for $12,000 US dollars from a private party. Expect to pay a little more for a Class C in your size range.

Chum lee