Hello to all!I am new to this forum. I have been doing quite a bit of research on Roadtreks, and am almost certain I'm going to be buying a used one in the near future. (I'm interested in the 190 Popular.) I went to a local dealer and looked at two, but it was close to closing so I didn't actually get to drive one.I'll be retiring in April and plan to do a lot of solo traveling/camping. I'm not terribly mechanical, but willing to learn what I need to. I have a bit of a budget re. the purchase, and I'm wondering what advice is out there re. the advisability of buying older models. Normally when I buy I car, I go for one that is 4-5 years old. But buying a Roadtrek that is that age is pretty pricey. I see ones that are 10-15 years old, but wonder if I'd be buying a lot of problems to go with something that old. I was originally hoping to keep the purchase at around $25,000, but I'm beginning to wonder if that is realistic. It's not that I couldn't pay more if I needed to, rather that I'm retiring and trying to be reasonably frugal. Plus, I want to be sure that this is a lifestyle that I can have some longevity with before I sink an inordinate amount of dough into it.Of course I have other specific questions, like Chevy vs. Dodge, etc. But I've learned a lot of specifics already pouring through stuff on the internet. But this question about age/value/reliability has me stumped a little bit. What's the right way to think about this? Is there a "golden mean" with respect to age/value, etc.? Is there a specific year where certain improvements were made that makes it advisable to go with something that year or newer?Thanks in advance for any and all help.Best,Keith

I have GM's so Chevy was a preferable to me...I know where most of the parts are and the van shares oil filters with my truck etc...so less stuff to keep in the garage.My van is a Pleasureway- similar but..no dropped floor like an RT..this adds headroom, but also cost to a new unit...I kept tripping on the transitions up/down.we are only 2 so only 2 seats ( which swivel) so more room in the back for moving around...we also have less cabinetry hanging over the bedand lastly check the bed- are you tall where you can;t sleep sideways? that would rule out some modelskick tires as much as you can- some dealers have great videos on youtube demoing models where you can judge how the layout would work for you...watch how easily the salesguy moves around.you need to separate the chassis from the coach build- a well taken care of chassis and the coach build was executed well- AND taken care of.an inspection by a mechanic and an RV tech could save you a bundle if you are insureMike

Thanks, Mike... this is helpful. Interesting thought about the two seats... The reason I like the Popular vs. the Versatile is I didn't want the 4th seat of the Versatile... would rather have more storage. Wonder how hard it would be to replace the 3rd seat in the Popular with another cabinet...Keith

I could write a lot on this, but need to be brief for the moment, since I have a dinner appt. Not only did I look for Class B RV's for a year, but I know vintage cars relatively well and have shopped for and bought those as well. The older model year you go, the more you need to know if it was used or driven in the winter at all. Also, the State of origin is critical for an older model, an remember that truly garage kept is a gem. Also, a beach location can be a lot of salty air which is bad. Super hot weather for 15 years can cause other problems. Dry, moderate climate and garage kept are the best goals for vehicle history, but you can still find gems otherwise. Remember that multiple owner vehicles, or snow bird ownership, could mean multiple locations. Try to determine service records and care given, the older you go.By the way, to get below $10,000, I got a 96 Coachmen on a CHevy, and am as pleased as I could be, but did have a few repairs. I got in the 59,000 mile range, which is great. Note that Youtube is full of RV repair and maintenance videos. So those are the most important things about age.I noted different plateaus in price ranges. $10K or less were all older, but some low mileage models could be found. Up to $20K you get get slightly newer, into the 2000s but mileage closer to 70 to 100K miles. There were some good buys around $25k to $30k, mileage that left a lot of life in the vehicle, and models only about 10 years old. Trying to get real low mileage and more recent model, you are getting to $45K and higher. Of course there are variations to all this, but that is about what I found. You might search long enough to find a gem in the $25k range that belongs a little more in a higher price range. It CAN be done. Decide how many miles you would put on to decide your mileage range, but my sweet spot was about 60K miles, NO MORE than 70K miles for me. I watched ebay, RV trader, craigslist, and dealers, made a hobby out of it so I enjoyed the search, and learned, learned, learned. I watch sales videos, and ready some articles on quality and repairs. I already knew most of what I needed to know about vehicle quality and components. Good thing about these vans, they made a bazillion of them and many parts are good for many model years, so the Chevy, Ford, and Dodge vans will be easy to find parts for, although many do have their preferences for vehicle make.About B's. You probably know this, but you can't have it all with a B. We found the tradeoffs were in # of beds, shower features, storage, something else that is escaping me. We got extra beds with the coachmen, but have no interior shower, and only a curtain around the toilet. Decide also on twin beds or double. Storage needs, etc. Then you know which models to key in on, but learn about all of them.There is my brain dump. I hope you get lots of input.oh yeah, the other variable trade off factors were extra seating for passengers, and table space and quality (for example, the Travato has an actual dinette, while our Coachmen has a tiny pedestal surface)

Thanks so much for this... really helpful. Like you I'm headed out the door for some Christmas dinner, so I had to read quickly, but later I will read it much more carefully... really appreciate your kindness in taking the time to write all this when you need to scoot.Best,Keith

3rd seat on the Pop is in front of your side door which you will use all the time when parked....try to picture yourself in the space and what type of use you will wantfor instance we don;t much dry camp...we get shore power and a place with showers 90% of the time...we don;t use the RV shower...if we are somewhere remote - I use the outdoor shower wand -many B's have this. super handy for cleaning fish or muddy bootswe don't use the table tops or mast and that is it my garage along with the shower pan and curtain...we use a couple of trays on the lap.our B was 8 years old and 70,000 miles when we bought it- with all the records. we started off shopping with a budget of $70K...we spent less than 1/2 our budget- we were just happier with the features and quality of out little bit older, little more miles unit.mike

Planning on buying a Roadtrek -- Advice? | Good Sam Community

70 Replies

mkguitar
Explorer
Jan 06, 2016
No, we have a pleasure-way.
In Ireland we rented a 2 person campervan from Bunkcampers. A Citroen coach conversion in Italy.
It helped up figure out which features we liked- and didn;t

Mike
knb53
Explorer
Jan 06, 2016
Wow... that sucks about the Lexus! Thanks for the heads up... it has definitely been "wet" here in St. Louis...

What did you rent in Ireland, and is that what you ultimately bought?
mkguitar
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
and as you are in an area that is "moist" make sure you don;t buy a flood vehicle...

my neighbor bought a "certified" lexus suv at Xmas and I noticed his brakes lights are out...turns out he has a world of electrical problems in the car and it's back at the dealer ...he thinks maybe it is a flood car.

the more you look around and kick tires the better you'll determine what the priorties are.
for us the big clarity was renting a unit in Ireland for 10 days

mike

mike
knb53
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
I think what is needed is an RV setup that is connected to an electric air pump... sort of like an air mattress, only the entire thing sucks down to the size of a "B" when not in use, and then expands to a bus-sized, rock-star "A" with several slide-outs when in use! LOL!

Ok... just kidding... but the more I noodle on my own wants/needs re. storage, comfort, space, etc., vs. wanting to be small and stealth, drivability, mpg, etc. the more I scratch my head. I'm looking harder and harder at the Phoenix Cruiser 2100 as my own personal "sweet spot," but then, I thought the Pleasure-Way was that answer just a few days ago... I'm hoping this all is still falling under the rubric of "research!"
401nailhead
Explorer
Jan 04, 2016
Ever have the idea that you are zeroing in on understanding an issue, then new and different info comes in? Well, here is the new thought. It came to me on my long drive in to work today. Issue? MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS TOPPERS, AND STORAGE!

First, it helps that I second the omjones post above. Our Coachmen 19' van has that bed or storage over the cab, and it is a GREAT storage area, considering we don't have any wardrobe, closet or drawers (just a few overhead cabinets, plus the cavity left by our temporary microwave removal). It is a great pivot area up above, to put stuff quickly out of the way until you figure what else to do with it.

Now back to the memory foam. When I picked up our used B, I camped several nights on the folded out side couch before my wife joined me. I slept fine alone. With both of us, the couch edge sagged, and revealed a metal bar that could be felt when sleeping two. So we fixed the sagging by using two jack stands to support the extended edge. Easy and flexible. We decided we needed a memory foam mattress topper to complete the comfort upgrade of the sofa bed. And by the way, we got two toppers, one to cover the back bed also. Instant problem, where to store mattress toppers, which do fold, but are bulky. At the B Rally last spring, we did a camper crawl (tour) and spoke with several owners who used a memory foam mattress topper to improve their bed comfort (I believe some were Roadtrek or Pleasure Way rear bed owners, but that I am not sure of). So, your bed preferences and comfort actually GREATLY affect storage situations, because if you do choose to add a foam mattress topper (we got a thick one because of that metal bar I mentioned) you have a very big item to store when not sleeping, unless your bed stays in bed set-up full time. So if your bed is also your lounging couch or dinette, you have to figure where to put that mattress topper when the bed is not made up. This is just another test of your organizational skills and ideas.

Although I have that large overhead storage area, I am still looking for solutions to this mattress topper issue, so anyone who has figured out a good strategy, please post!
knb53
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Wow! Great find... Appreciate it.
My_Roadtrek
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Make sure to read the FAQ Sticky at the top of the Class B home page. Some of it is outdated, but a lot of it is still relevant for older RV's, and RVing in general.
knb53
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
omjones, good point about the overhead bunk... I've been thinking about that... actually thought about either putting things in the sorts of containers such that I could pull them forward with some sort of a hook or similar device, or even possibly putting in something on wheels, similar to how some pantries have shelves that slide out. Would need to pay attention to the physics, such as locking in place, balance of load when pulling out to grab something, etc. But yes, that's a lot of storage space! Thanks...
mkguitar
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
when i go solo, I take a couple of instruments elec and Ac, uke, mando etc. and have amps that'll run on 12 volt...the line 6 pod I run through the stereo

when its the 2 of us, a steinberger fits in the closet or overhead- tiny body, no headstock and a full scale length. unbreakable

I have seen flypoles in PVC tubes mounted to the awning.

be realistic about how much stuff, we count on doing laundry every 4 or 5 days- can stretch a week.
cooking gear isn;t that much, 2 pots, 2 pans it all nestles in. we use the microwave to store all our plates and dishes when driving.

Mike
knb53
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Well, it's a big decision for us, to be sure... I feel like I'm taking an online college course in buying an RV! It's great to have this sort of group experience to think over...

And I have been thinking about the "living out of" vs. "living in" concept...

Forum Discussion

Planning on buying a Roadtrek -- Advice?

70 Replies

About Motorhome Group

Related Content

2022 Trip Planning- Advice for Newbies

Who’s planning

Tire Advice

2019 Roadtrek Zion

RoadTrek 200