I am looking for suggestions on buying a motorhome. Any hints on pricing, what to offer, etc. Or do any of you have a good resource that I can look into or buy so I can be well educated. I have bought many trailers in the past but this would be a new adventure for me.

If you're willing to spend the money, here is a book that covers a lot of your questions.https://rvreviews.net/motorhome-reviews/The book is not cheap but has lots of information.Check your local library and see if they have it in stock. That's what I did when I was researching my purchase.

After 3 decades of RVing in TTs, 5ers, and toyhaulers, primarily with our children, we went on a mission to get a class A motorhome best suited for couples and extended stays. Although we have learned so much about our favorite pastime over the many years, treading into class A waters there was still so much more to consider than just floorplan. We found choosing the right chassis/powertrain that works specifically for our needs to be the most vexing of all. Floorplans are important, but floorplans in towable RVs playout differently in class A rigs. We ended up with a layout on our class A coach that we have never considered having on any of the towable RVs we have owned.Being on RV related forums for the many years we have enjoyed this pastime I read aplenty, but never really queried the forums as most answers were biased to what the responders currently owned. As we still had an RV when we were searching for a class A motorcoach, we took our time and viewed and drove as many coaches as we could, even going to neighboring states for more availability.Similar to towable RVs, there are pros and cons to every version of class A coach on the market. Talking to friends, family, neighbors, and longtime mechanics will yield less biased answers. We did not want to rush to judgement, making the wrong call for your intended usage, along with future upkeep, maintenance, and needed repairs can cost tens of thousands on these rigs. We ended up going the private seller route as dealers tended to exaggerate the capabilities of the coaches we were interested in. Private sellers were able to give more rig specific info and pride of ownership undoubtedly showed on many of the coaches we viewed. We finally purchased a coach in Texas where owners where getting out of the game due to old age, he was 84, his wife was 79.

It is tempting to say "Seek professional help" (You should be thinking of something other than what I'm about to punch line down below.)First: as you move about the water changes.. This can lead to what I call..er.. After Effects (Also known as frequent flyer miles on the porcelain airline) or frequent use of the toilet. So the old joke of the length of "Just a Minute" (Depends on which side of the door you are on). Consider a bath and a half floor plan. or 2 holes. NO waiting.Now the Professional help.. IF you are buying used make friends with a good RV technician who can do a pre-purchase inspection... They may find that the rig looks good but .. there's about 10,000 worth of repairs needed (or more) and the deal is not nearly as good as it looks. (See the seek professional help was not a joke.. Just not THAT profession).

Factor in cost and depreciation. Once done, you will find it is BETTER to rent the type and floorplan you want for 1 or 2 weeks. KEEP renting different types and floorplans, until you find your fit. THAT will get you the knowledge of what you want and can afford. BUY without doing this will cost you tens of thousands of dollars if your RV does NOT meet your expectations. DougPS In the RV sales and service for almost 50 years. You would be amazed how many first timers take thousands of dollar hits when they buy and the Floorplan does NOT meet what they thought they wanted, and then they trade.

Hi, I guess the first questions would be along the lines of:Approximately how much are you planning to spend on the motorhome?New or Used?How long of an RV do you think you need (compared with the trailers)?Same number of people as in the past? Fewer? More?Any preference for diesel or gas?Are you planning on driving it a lot, or driving into an area and staying put for weeks, or longer, at a time?Which floorplans worked best for you in the past?That should get you started. :)Good Luck on your search. Take your time and be patient. These forums have a WEALTH of information, especially about Class A motorhomes. If you can figure out the quirky search options, it helps. But don't hesistate to ask us any questions you might have directly. ~Rick

thinking of buying a Motorhome....looking for tips/hints

StarkNaked
Explorer II
Sep 11, 2023
If you're willing to spend the money, here is a book that covers a lot of your questions.

https://rvreviews.net/motorhome-reviews/

The book is not cheap but has lots of information.

Check your local library and see if they have it in stock. That's what I did when I was researching my purchase.
Racklefratz
Explorer II
Sep 11, 2023
Rick Jay wrote:
I guess the first questions would be along the lines of ....and yada, yada

Obviously so, yes.

Any useful information could only be offered if, at a minimum, answers to those questions were available.
Tom_Barb
Explorer
Sep 11, 2023
buy quality, built cheap to sell cheap is why many buy, but then we get to pay and pay.. We over bought when we bought our Newmar, but after 22 years, we still love it.
Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Sep 11, 2023
Hi,

I guess the first questions would be along the lines of:

Approximately how much are you planning to spend on the motorhome?

New or Used?

How long of an RV do you think you need (compared with the trailers)?

Same number of people as in the past? Fewer? More?

Any preference for diesel or gas?

Are you planning on driving it a lot, or driving into an area and staying put for weeks, or longer, at a time?

Which floorplans worked best for you in the past?

That should get you started. :)

Good Luck on your search. Take your time and be patient. These forums have a WEALTH of information, especially about Class A motorhomes. If you can figure out the quirky search options, it helps. But don't hesistate to ask us any questions you might have directly.

~Rick

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thinking of buying a Motorhome....looking for tips/hints

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