Hi mk,
You created that unwarranted assumption by having a budget of just 10k, and by looking at what might be called "an old beater", because rarely would you find anything pristine for that price.
Look for a unit about five years old, no slide, and 26 feet. This is the sweet spot for driving comfort and there are many thousands of units at that length. Shorter units are much harder to come by. Slides cut into carrying capacity, and you will need all you can get.
Plan on upgrading the battery bank (Li if you have deep pockets (450 amp hours), used AGM telecom if you don't (800 amp-hours)). Add 600 watts of solar with a controller that allows voltage set points and has a battery temperature sensor. Mate that with a hybrid inverter charger (3000 watts). Add a generator later, if and when you find the solar can't keep up with your power needs.
Budget for add ons
Battery bank $3750 http://www.balqon.com/store-2/#!/Residential-Energy-Storage-6-kWhr/p/53535914/category=2860254 or $1000 for used AGM (weight and size may be a problem with AGM)
Solar $2 per watt for all parts and materials if you DIY $1200.00
Inverter/charger $3000
So just the add ons consume most of the original $10k budget.
Finding a reputable dealer is the hard part.
mkl654321 wrote:
Funny how so many people are making unwarranted assumptions. I'm not looking for a rolling substitute for an apartment. I have a good job that is performed exclusively online. I would like to be mobile while doing it.
I don't have to and probably won't spend the winters in Montana. That's the good thing about RVs. They are on wheels and have an engine. You can move them. I thought you folks knew that.
It is true, however, that one can spend the winter huddled in an RV park for cheap in the colder parts of the country. However, I intend to boobduck or whatever you call it most of the time. One person can stay in an RV for a week without having to dump this and refill that. A solar panel and frugal water use could double that. Why spend ridiculous amounts of money on RV parks that charge motel rates for a concrete slab?
The various comments about the mechanical issues I will probably face make me think I might want to buy from a dealer, even though there's usually a 700 percent markup on their prices. At least I MIGHT have some recourse if the contraption blows up ten minutes after I drive it off the lot, though bitter experience has taught me that a used vehicle dealer's promise has less value than a used Kleenex.
