Need Help: Just learned that we brought a new RV

pnichols wrote:
Well .... floor plan may be king when you first look and buy .... but later on after owning it for awhile in a variety of situations you may wish that some other things had been more kingly at purchase time, such as:

an excellent place to start. but I would add one more item,
"don't fall for eye candy".
bumpy

Ability to store the unit at home I think is a very big deal. Doing such things like exercising the generator monthly, checking battery water every several months, or just running out to get a special tool, or kitchen utensil is very handy.

Well .... floor plan may be king when you first look and buy .... but later on after owning it for awhile in a variety of situations you may wish that some other things had been more kingly at purchase time, such as:

1. Do the cabinet drawers have all steel slides and gravity locks?
2. Are the outside storage cabinet doors drop-shut, or do you have to bend down and push them shut?
3. Does it come with a spare tire and a lug nut wrench?
4. Are the outside mirrors heated and remotely adjustable?
5. Is the propane tank large enough to not need filling very often?
6. Is the fresh water tank large enough to not need filling constantly?
7. Is the black water tank large enough to not need emptying constantly?
8. Is the grey water tank large enough to not need emptying constantly?
9. Is the water pump easy to get at?
10. Does it have at least two coach batteries (best), or only one (not so versatile)?
11. Is the shower tall enough so all users can stand up in it fully?
12. Is the roof one piece fiberglass and crowned?
13. Is the built-in generator installed quiet enough and vibration-free enough to actually be usuable?
14. Are the bed mattresses pretty top notch for your comfort as delivered, or are you going to have to replace them shortly after purchase?
15. Does the fuel tank hold enough fuel for at least a 400 mile range?
16. If it has a propane refrigerator, does it have adjustable temperature settings?
17. If it has a propane refrigerator, does it's rear ventilation flue go straight up vertically (ideal) or does the flue have angles in it (not good)?
18. Are it's fresh, grey, black water tanks heated?
19. Does it have a rear ladder for access to the roof anywhere, anytime - especially if something needs checking or roadside repair up there during a trip?
20. Does it's air conditioner have distributed ceiling duct outlets (best), or just one central ceiling outlet (not so good)?
21. Does it's propane furnace have several outlets throughout the coach (including the bathroom), or just a few?
22. Is the bathroom ceiling ventilation fan's switch on the wall, or up high on the fan frame and thus hard to reach?
23. Are there plenty of 12V outlets throughout the coach interior?
24. Are there plenty of 120V outlets throughout the coack interior?
25. Is there a least one 120V outlet on an exterior coach wall?
26. Are there several outside storage bays, or just one big one -> thus wasting space behind coach lower walls that could have also contained small bays?
27. Are there at least two roof vents at each end of the coach, with one of them being reversible so as to provide versatile coach ventilation choices?
28. Does the cab passenger seat swivel to face the coach living area?
29. Is the exterior coach step automatic?
30. Did the dealer throw in a free installation of vent covers over all roof vents at purchase time?
31. Is there an emergency boost button in the cab for starting the engine with a dead starting battery?

Having the proper floor plan is important, but there are a whole bunch of other best-practices things - that if insisted upon when shopping - can sure make RV'ing more enjoyable and less work or less expensive later on in the ownership cycle!

live life. enjoy the spontaneity of surprise, go out and drive the wheels of the thing, most of all have some fun

Owner of a 24ft Coachmen, with slide out here. For the last 13 years. So admittedly some bias toward smaller rigs.

My comments 1) price seems decent 2) what is it you want to do, that in my opinion is as, or more important than the floor plan. Do you want to road trip with it? If so it will be excellent for that. No need to have a toad and you can get it into most any campsite, attraction or restaurant. Or 3) do you want to go someplace and just stay for days or weeks? If so you may want to go larger.

Deprecation is all relative, if you drive it till the wheels fall off as we will, then depreciation means nothing.

13 years ago we bought ours, one of the best decisions we ever made, been all over the western US, and AK. Have had wonderful times.

But as a caveat, have also been across the pond three times, enjoyed that very much also. So 60K if you can afford it still do other things, and trips and go out to dinner, seems fine to me

Thank you for all the advice and welcome messages.

The marriage is strong. She did get something that I would most probably like and is perfect for 2 people and our unique needs and limitations. And she did negotiate an out in case I did not agree. I only wish I had more time to research the make's reliability/reputation and price.

As several people have pointed out, floorplan is king and she says this is the only floorplan among the dozens she looked at that works for us without having to go to a much bigger C which will increase the cost significantly by adding storage costs and inconvenience of not being stored at home.

I know I will take a bigger hit the first year buying new vs used. 22C is a new model for 2017 so older units are not available to price compare. But early 2017 models (sold in 2016) with 10K or less miles seem to be listed for far more than $60K. None of the websites list actual sale price like eBay does, so I have no idea what the actual selling price is or if they are even selling. I called around to some of the dealers around the country with used 22C and 22J but they are all starting the negotiation at much more than $60K, which gives me the sense that I am unlikely to hit $50K for a used 2017 22C or 22J.

Thank you for all the help. We will make a decision later today. Any more thoughts in the mean time are appreciated.

Will you be happy with a short Class C lacking good sleeping accommodations , very limited storage/cabinet space, and little "elbow" room? Beginners often want a short rig and regret it after a few trips. It is expensive to trade up to a larger rig so now is the time to back out of the deal if your spouse will go along with it. I recommend a 27-28 footer with a rear queen bed, spare tire, no slides, and popular name brand. Dealer reputation for after sale warranty fixes is very important. 4 or 5 feet longer makes a big difference in enjoyment and not much difference in maneuvering/driving. Take your time choosing and buying a new or slightly used rig.

SOME women tend to get excited and buy things on impulse, being used to returning things that don't fit, etc. The excitement of buying a new RV may diminish after the hassles of getting proper and quick warranty fixes by the dealer of factory defects that can delay the first trip.

tobydad wrote:
Welcome to the forum. I am amazed at the negative comments. You were rushed into the purchase, but that might be a good thing. Many people talk themselves out of something that they should not. You have a spouse that wants to RV and that is a big plus. You bought a good unit and seems right for both of you. Be positive there is a lot of enjoyment on getting on the road and seeing new things and meeting some new people and enjoying a campfire.

x2! Go for it!! You may enjoy it more than you ever imagined.!!!

Re: the hit if you sell it in it a year. Whether you take this RV or buy another RV, the chance that you might sell it in a year is going to result in a similar hit.

You indicate that you agree that the floorplan is just about perfect for both of you and that is often the most difficult decision.

So, as naturist says, this is just a case of buyer's remorse. Breathe in, hold it. Now as you breathe out, say to yourself : this is just another purchase. It's not going to ruin my life.

Now go pick up your RV and start enjoying it. If in a year, if you both decide it's not what you want, then call it a learning experience and move on.

MobileBasset wrote:
I would say open your mind to adventure.
Happy travels to you.

I would say that if your have a wife that goes out and buys an RV ($60,000) without consulting you....SURPRISE....you most certainly are already living the, "adventure," and better have an, "open mind."