Torn between two used Class A need help

"I’ve driven flatbed trucks in my former life so driving an RV shouldn’t be an issue.

No this will be a camping with a one or two month Florida trip.

Thank you"

So, this is not a long term thing? Just this one trip, or is it the deciding factor if you decide to do this 'full time'?

Pros and cons of either rig.. Does not matter what kind of rig it is for the basic "RV" parts.. All the house stuff is the same more or less between any type of RV..

Biggest deal for a Class A is the chassis drivetrain.. I think anything new these days are all on the Ford V10 chassis for gas powered rigs. The Chevy chassis was still around back in 2012 with the 8.1 V8.. Don't quote me on that... :)

Pros for the new one is everything will be yours and how you maintain it, use it.. Cons, any new rig could have a few bugs in either the systems or drivetrain that would suck on only a 2 month trip... No way to tell on that no matter how many 'inspections' you have on it and all 'check out' before you leave..

Pros for the used one is as long as everything is working now, both house and chassis wise, it's likely to be fine for a 2 month trip.. Cons, any used rig could come up with a bug in either the systems or the drivetrain that would suck on only a 2 month trip.... No way to tell on that no matter how many 'inspections' you have on it... and all 'check out' before you leave.. :)

Notice my "Cons" are basically the same... :)

Either way, you could be stuck on the side of the road or not having a system work... We can't say one way or the other, so just gotta go with your gut with the rig you are looking at and go from there..

I've only owned 2 new RV's.. First one was a 2003 Fleetwood travel trailer and there was some initial 'new' rig issues that were taken care of by ME.. Not under warranty, because I did that ONCE and the same thing happened again, so I did my own thing and it lasted until I traded for the 2019 Rockwood (made by Forest River) and I had a couple of initial 'new' rig issues, but I fixed them myself even thou it would have been under warranty, but didn't want to leave my rig with the dealer for a month to fix a simple thing that only cost me $100...

Anyway, others will have more advice on the specific rigs you are looking at, so pay more attention to them and not my rambling on as I have done so far! ha, ha...

Good luck! Mitch

make sure the wheel base to length is 55%. higher is better, lower is RAPIDLY worse. Otherwise it may be a nightmare to drive

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Have you considered renting a class A for two weeks to see how you enjoy driving it?

Is this to be your full time home?

Of the two mentioned, I'd get the old one inspected by a mobile repair man, with particular emphasis on water leaks.

I’ve driven flatbed trucks in my former life so driving an RV shouldn’t be an issue.

No this will be a camping with a one or two month Florida trip.

Thank you

I think you'll find the Winnebago IS better quality than the FR, but a thorough inspection should be done prior to a purchase. At half the price, seems like an easy decision.

Hi,

Have you considered renting a class A for two weeks to see how you enjoy driving it?

Is this to be your full time home?

Of the two mentioned, I'd get the old one inspected by a mobile repair man, with particular emphasis on water leaks.

As an owner of a 2007 Winnebago one thing I really appreciate about Winnebago is they have their owners manuals and wiring/plumbing diagrams, etc. available on their website for all of their Class A motorhomes. No idea if FR does or not but I think Winnie is fairly unique in that regards.

If this is your firt RV, I would stay with the lower priced rig.
Main reason is what if you don't like RVing and want to change. You would be able to sell easier.
Next reason, is find what you like or don't like. You could then upgrade to a different rig. Floorplan and equipment.
Mileage on older rig is a factor. What chassis and equipment as compared to newer rig.

Unless the maintenance records indicate otherwise the 2012 needs everything serviced or changed…tires, transmission, roof, radiator etc.

You are comparing oranges to basketballs. One is a new entry level the other is a decade old. It's a bit like asking which is the better vehicle, a 10 year old Nissan Maxima or a new Ford focus?