Starting my education process....

From you post it appears your looking at new? With a first timer and the horrendous depreciation I never suggest new for any but seasoned hard core RVers. Just too high a risk.
Now, size is important for most. Heck, try spending a weekend in one room of your house! No slides? I have a hard time understanding that misguided logic.

There are down sides to new as mentioned but there are also down sides for used. Especially uninformed new RVers. You can be talked into a piece of junk that may not be worth repairing. If you buy used have it inspected by an expert prior to purchase. Is there a difference in quality depending on price? You bet, it may not be obvious until you have RVd for a while. Most gasser MHs are built on Ford chassis. That is where it stops. Longer wheel base compared to length gives better handling. Lower end MHs have cheaper appliances, cupboards, cloth Vs leather seating, wall coverings, dual pane windows Vs single pane etc. Keeping that in mind look at high end and low end RVs. You will start seeing some of the difference. If you get slides the biggy is can you get to the bathroom with the slides closed. Look a lot before you buy. If you see any obvious water damage pass it by. Some is hidden in cupboards and closets or soft spots on floors near edges.

We're in a new-to-us 2008 Coachman Freedom Express 21QB. No slides, queen bed, cabover bed and the dinette makes into a nice bed. It's a great starter RV, especially if the two kids are small enough.

We're a family of five - three teenagers, and it's a bit too cramped for us. We make do, but we're probably going to go larger.

Even tho' its a 2008 and a Coachmen (who's reputation for quality was on the downturn) - it's been fine! Everything works. It's been a great RV to *learn* with. Learn about the mechanicals of the RV itself and learn about what kind of camping we enjoy.

No - lower priced RVs aren't something to shy away from. Just go in eyes-wide-open. There will be some problems. There will ALWAYS be some issues.

The higher priced RVs buy the same components that the lower priced ones do.

You didn't say whether you were set on buying new or not, but the huge advantage to buying a new-to-you, gently used RV, is that the large depreciation hit was taken by the previous owner.

We got ours for a *fantastic* price. And now we know a helluva lot more about RVs, and we feel much better prepared to buy the next one.

I bought an entry level Class C new in 2004, it was my 3rd RV. The first 2 were TT. I have no slides but there are just the 2 of us, no dogs, cats or kids. I have made a lot of improvements over the years and the result suits us very well.

I think that being handy is a big asset when buying an entry level RV. You can add the things that you want and personalize your RV. You can also fix things before they go wrong. Our dealer was very good to as they fixed many things in the first few months at no cost to us.

Sure it is a little cramped but we have not found that to be a problem.

First off, FRANKTHEDRIVER..where is NEPA? Second...for a newbie buying from a dealer...NOTHING BEATS NEW. No matter what the depreciation. From a private sale, y'better know what you're looking at. 99.9% are "as is", so watch that.

No slides in a Class A might be hard to find....harder yet to sell when you're done with it.. Keep that in mind. Same with a Class C I would imagine. No slides are definitely in the minority.

IMO, the best prices(for new)are at the RV shows.

From what I understand, at least when you get beyond the smaller class C's, the class A's are actually more maneuverable in most cases. The extended van chassis that most class C's use do not have a very tight turning radius.

For what you want, I would suggest considering an ex-rental unit. They typically don't have slides, and are usually constructed to be comparatively sturdy and foolproof, and are decently maintained while in rental use. CruiseAmerica is one company to check out for these; $20K - $30K is a lot less than $70K - $90K.

Welcome to the forum,you will find a lot of good info here,and plenty of help if it is needed.

I can second what Drew E said about a reasonably priced RV and the former rental market.

If interested in that just CLICK HERE

There are many happy owners of them,me included. They don't cost an arm and leg to start with and they have been maintained well.

Just another thing to put into the equation when getting started.

Good luck

Frankthedriver wrote:
When a motor home is driven, the house bounces, resonates, shakes, and leans, many thousands of times, representing a series of extended continuous earthquakes

Well .... EXACTLY the same thing is going on inside a tow trailer or 5th wheel trailer when going down the road ... except with trailers you're not aware of it until you maybe stop, too late, to minimize any damage that may result.

We bought a classic (entry level?) Class C - but from a reputable manufacturer - after looking at their so-called competition at RV shows. We've never regretted it.

Learn to look carefully for quality before you buy. For example look for such things as:

- Is the roof one piece fiberglass with rolled over edges all along the sides?
- Are the rear tire wheel wells steel lined?
- Are all outside cabinets steel lined with carpeted bottoms?
- Is the battery compartment steel lined and ventilated?
- Is all outside sewer plumbing up high above the coach's lower body line?
- Are all outside sewer and electrical items in an enclosed steel lined cabinet?
- Are all inside drawer slides steel?
- Is the built-in generator mounted up high above the coach's lower body line?
- Is the refrigerator vent going straight up with no curves or corners?
- Is most/all inside wiring bundled and labeled?
- Is the water pump easily accessible?
- Is the water heater well insulated?
- Is the entire fresh water system exposed to air temperatures inside the coach?
- Is the 12 volt system's coach-alternator solenoid easily accessible?
- Is it available WITHOUT a cabover forward facing window?
- Does it come with a full size spare tire?
- Is the built-in generator installed such that it's quiet enough inside and outside for hours of constant use?
- Is the built-in generator powered by the same fuel as the main engine?
- Do all inside drawers use gravity locks?
- Are all inside cabinetry doors have strong enough locks so they can't fly open going dwon the road?
- Is the floor insulation as thick as the wall insulation?
- Is the floor steel lined for protection from underneath the coach?
- Is the interior wall structure made of only wood instead of the much better steel or aluminum?
- Does it have a least two roof vents with one at the rear and one at the front and does at least one of them have a multi-speed reversible 12 volt fan in it?
- Is the cabling between the coach batteries at least 8 gauge, and is the cabling between the alternator and the coach batteries at least 6 gauge?
- Is complete documentaion - including all part numbers - for the coach part of the Class C available online?

I've seen plenty of "high end" Class C rigs that didn't meet many of the criteria above. Our Itasca (Winnebago built) Class C had all of the above, except for - it had a cabover window, and I had to beef up some of it's interior cabinet door locks so that they wouldn't fly open.

As tenbear mentioned, being handy helps a lot and can open up a lot more options to you.

There are pros and cons to buying used vs. new:

With new, your RV will spend time in the authorized shop getting fixed under warranty. With used, your RV will spend time in your driveway or shop of your choice getting fixed at your cost.

A used RV will cost less out the door than a new RV, but you'll have more repair/maintenance costs at the beginning. Only you can determine which will work better for you and your finances (for me, used was better as it's easier to postpone/defer some repairs than it is to postpone/defer payments - allowing me to budget expenses).

Looking at both will allow you to find the best RV for your needs/wants.

If you read through, you'll find that RVs of all "quality" and pricing have issues. Class B's are probably the most robust because they are built within a vehicle built to current vehicle standards. Other RVs are built outside of those standards.

Many issues are easily fixed without loss of enjoyment if you don't get caught up in the "I paid $XXXXXXX for this, it shouldn't have problems" rationale. For example, loose cupboard handles - sure it's a quality issue; but it's one that you can easily fix with new screws and a screwdriver. Don't need to be particularly handy, just need to be able to use a screwdriver.

Other issues are bigger, but can be easily prevented/corrected with common sense and a decent attention span. For example, many people winterize their RV and put it in storage. They come back 3+ months later to find the RV ruined by water damage. Quality issue? Sure. But, had those folks checked out their RV after the first rains to see if there were any leaks, then they could have gotten a tarp to protect the RV until they could get it in to a shop for resealing (or resealed it themselves) and prevented the major long-term water damage.

Size-wise, I think a smaller class C will work fine under certain compromises:

1. You don't mention age or gender of the two kids. If they can share the cabover bunk, then you have a lot more room for the size in the C. A 24-26ft will provide a permanent bed for you and your wife without having to convert the couch/dinette.

2. Outdoor time. You mention that you hope the majority of time will be spent outdoors. That will make things a lot easier. If your plans are to camp at true campgrounds (versus RVing at RV parks), then you can add a tent, tarps, or canopy for more "indoor" space without needing a larger RV or slides.

3. Using the campground/park facilities, coordinating chores, etc., can reduce space awkwardness also. If one person starts cooking breakfast while the others use the facilities for morning needs, then you don't have people trying to climb around each other. Adding an outdoor grill, etc., can allow the 2nd person to fix salads, etc. in the RV. I have a folding basket that I will fill with salad fixings, etc., and I send that out to the picnic table for someone else to fix while I cook on the stove in the RV.

Appliances are really no different than household appliances in that any can have issues at any time. I bought my house range and fridge 17 years ago - they were basic low end models. They are still working fine. Others have bought high end appliances and have problems within a few years. (Knock on wood), the range and fridge in my RV are both original - 40 years old - and working great (I did have to replace the thermocouple in the fridge a year ago).

I'm aware of the depreciation hit. In doing a preliminary pricing search to determine my budget range, I've noted the hit. :) I saw the MSRP vs Dealer current model year drop vs prior model year price drop.

A "factory Direct" seller that I viewed had MSRP as you build your MH and then it calculated a "discount", which ranged 20-25%, to get to your final cost. They are still profiting, we just may not know how much. Again it proves out the 20-25% markup. that has been mentioned many times on this forum. yes I'm into numbers. it's my thing. :) I needed to prove it. Not that I believe in MSRP, but knowing the common realistic value is a big help (preaching the choir I know).

I enjoy long drives(as in day plus at a time) and having my house(so to speak) with me would be a plus, BIG PLUS. I want or strongly considering New because I tend to keep things for a long time. Might as well enjoy it from mile 1 :)

valid point Jerseyjim about resale. I guess I should modify my no slide to at least the bed must be accessible without extending the slide. Oh, NEPA = Northeastern PA. we are neighbors :)

wyotraveler are you serious about the bathroom access? LOL someone designed a MH with difficult access to bathroom because of a slide? I have to look for one of those now. that's nobel prize territory. :) Driving with the comforts of home but still need a tree when nature calls.