I'm a retired Alaska pilot. I have a small Dachshund and a young wife and we are in September 2013 going to purchase a RoadTrek,View or late model Rialta. Any for $50,000 or so.I've researched the heck out of all three and just am not sure yet. Any help out there??I need to be able to, once in awhile, sleep four. This is important. I WANT to get at least 16 MPG MOST of the time. Also important. I will airline down to Portland where my new purchase is stored every winter and drive to the East Coast to visit relatives and then rent a Oceanside condo for a few months and drive back to Portland.We will NOT live in the motor home longer than a week at a time. I want a comfy vehicle for cross country road trips that is easy to get around in. A bathroom is necessary just for getting up at night for a whiz.I'm a Senior in good health.I'd much appreciate any "already been there" user help!!Terry in Alaska

The Rialta would be off my list. The Volkswagen chassis is almost impossible to find anyone to work on.

$5000 isn't going to get you anything made this millennium. You likely will find an Xplorer or older model in the mid 1990s, and its MPG will be about 13-15.

I owned a 1999 Rialta which you may know was built around a VW VR6 engine and tranny. I never had any issues with the motor and tranny. I did have issues with the tires in that they are difficult to find or at least they were when I owned it. No VW dealer in my area would work on it so I had to find a foreign car service center who would. Luckily I was able to. I'll tell you that the bathroom/shower in a Rialta is at best a horrible joke. Not only do you have to pull it out from the wall to use it as a shower, but you have to hang a shower curtain, turn on a pump to pull the water from the floor to the holding tank which will clog at a moments notice. The onboard generator was ok for running all the appliances while parked, but it was noisy.Of the three choices you identified, I'd opt for the View, but then again, I've never been in one of them.Good luck in your search and purchase.

Are you wanting to sleep 4 adults? It will be difficult to find a Class B with that capacity. To get four bed will require giving up storage space.You don't mention what type of bathroom you want. Wet or dry? Do you need a shower or can you get by with just a pullout toilet? Is your budget %5000? Or did you leave out a zero? A $5000 motorhome will have a lot of miles on it and/or will be over 15 years old. And unless it is a diesel, it is unlikely that you will get the mileage you say you require.BTW, the View and Rialta are Class Cs.

judging by the comma, and I am going to guess he meant to say $50,000

What should I buy?? | Good Sam Community

29 Replies

Islandman
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2013
Look at used Pleasure-Way RV's also, they are well built. For the fuel mileage that you want you should look for a diesel powered Sprinter chassis on whatever make you purchase. $50,000 might get you a used 2005-07 vintage Class B, but that will be hard to find as owners hang on to them forever it seems. Sleeping four is going to be impractical (impossible) unless you take along a good tent on your travels.
captterry
Explorer
Jul 06, 2013
Your'e all right I guess. $50,000 is my max amount + or -.

Bathroom for a whiz at night only. Four adulats only very infrequently.

Thanks all,

Terry in Alaska
captterry
Explorer
Jul 06, 2013
I thought the Rialta was a little smaller than th Road Trek??

I guess at 11,000 # the view is a Class C.

Thanks,

Terry
wildtoad
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2013
McK wrote:
BTW, the View and Rialta are Class Cs.

Yes! Someone else who understands a Rialta is a C....
lfloom
Explorer
Jul 06, 2013
judging by the comma, and I am going to guess he meant to say $50,000
McK
Explorer
Jul 06, 2013
Are you wanting to sleep 4 adults? It will be difficult to find a Class B with that capacity. To get four bed will require giving up storage space.

You don't mention what type of bathroom you want. Wet or dry? Do you need a shower or can you get by with just a pullout toilet?

Is your budget %5000? Or did you leave out a zero? A $5000 motorhome will have a lot of miles on it and/or will be over 15 years old. And unless it is a diesel, it is unlikely that you will get the mileage you say you require.

BTW, the View and Rialta are Class Cs.
wildtoad
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2013
I owned a 1999 Rialta which you may know was built around a VW VR6 engine and tranny. I never had any issues with the motor and tranny. I did have issues with the tires in that they are difficult to find or at least they were when I owned it. No VW dealer in my area would work on it so I had to find a foreign car service center who would. Luckily I was able to.

I'll tell you that the bathroom/shower in a Rialta is at best a horrible joke. Not only do you have to pull it out from the wall to use it as a shower, but you have to hang a shower curtain, turn on a pump to pull the water from the floor to the holding tank which will clog at a moments notice.

The onboard generator was ok for running all the appliances while parked, but it was noisy.

Of the three choices you identified, I'd opt for the View, but then again, I've never been in one of them.

Good luck in your search and purchase.
mlts22
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2013
$5000 isn't going to get you anything made this millennium. You likely will find an Xplorer or older model in the mid 1990s, and its MPG will be about 13-15.
I_am_still_wayn
Explorer
Jul 06, 2013
The Rialta would be off my list. The Volkswagen chassis is almost impossible to find anyone to work on.

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What should I buy??

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