How old is too old on year model?

We also bought used, and then updated what we could, new tires, we had an RV mechanic go thru it with a fine tooth comb, we rebuilt the generator and purchased a new refrigerator and all that is left to do is get a new mattress as ours is the pits. I think we are money ahead. You want to search for, not just look, but search for water leaks.
Some rigs are built cheaply right from the start and that is why Airstream is so good, because they last forever and well built. But there are other good manufacturers who make pretty decent TTs. This is a good time to walk around looking at rigs and soon you will get to notice the difference.

Go to a large RV show; look at the used units. You will see two kinds of units. Newer used and older used that have been trashed and used units of various age that have been well taken care of. Our 2007, looks like new in and out; regularly washed and waxed; carpets cleaned, things repaired if need be, roof caulked and UV protected. We take our shoes off, don't smoke and have a tiny dog that doesn't shed. Others smoke, walk in with everything on their shoes, have stinky dogs on the furniture, don't maintain or fix anything and just get a new one every few years. My advice - BE PATIENT. There are youtube videos on how to spot a lemon, take someone with you that knows where to check. If something has been taken care of (the more you look, you will begin to spot them) I would not be afraid to buy. We have always bought used but have been very fussy and thorough when looking at them. When we have sold our units, we have had many say, this is the nicest unit we have seen. This is a great time to buy, just take your time, have your cash ready and check it out good.

I don't think there is a "too old" because I am regularly seeing RVs from the '70s and '80s that are in great condition.

Post 2000, something from 2001-2005 might be a better prospect than something from 2007-09 when the economy was collapsing and manufacturers were starting to cut corners and decontent entry models to try to find a market that might hold off bankruptcy.

I just bought a 2004. It needs new awning fabric, a couple new blinds, and I'll probably coat the roof at some point. All the systems work great and after a little cleaning and some minor mods it was ready to go. I looked at 4 campers from the '02-'04 time period. Two were very nice (one of which I bought obviously) and two were not. One of the "nots" was smoked up and the other had some water damage in the rear floor. If you check them out carefully, there's some great deals to be had.

With your price range, you should be fine, there are many units out there that, well have been parked, and it great condition,We had a 27Ft bunk house in.. 1994, kids got busy with cheer leading, sports, friends etc.. So ,, was a great day when the neighbor inquired about selling it to him.

Thank you ALL for your real answers and help. My DH and FIL know what to look for. The both grew up tent camping, and started pop up camping in the 90's. Camping is kind of new to me. I grew up out on a state lake where folks went camping, so it's been a true learning experience for me. I had to learn how to camp in my late 20's and still learning in my early 30's. It's so much fun. We're excited about actually buying our own tt.
I'm thrilled to have found this forum too. I've already learned so much and gotten some great tips and ideas.

Tncampermama. Only you will know what is too old. If you buy something older, are you or hubby capable of repairing it? Will it be a devastation if you can not repair something or afford to repair it? With your budget you should be ok. If you are willing to go with your max you might be able to get something new or newer. All depends on the size of a bunkhouse trailer u want. There are 31' quad bunk tts like we had that required a 3/4 ton truck. Then there are bunkhouse tts with only two bunks that you can get a lt shorter, cheaper and easier to pull.

We have a Ram 2500 diesel quad cab. Thankfully we're not limited on what we can haul.
Yes, I'd be upset if I couldn't afford to fix it. My DH is handy to have around when it comes to fixing things.
We want one that sleeps at least 6, but prefer 8. We don't go too far from home, right now no trips "out west" are in the works. I do want to go to Ft.Pickens,FL next fall break. It's about an 8hr drive for us. That's a big maybe, b/c idk what's going on tomorrow much less a yr from now.

So DH and I went yesterday to a dealership looking. We've already met a local sales guy we like, but since we haven't bought yet decided we'd look at another dealership. When we told the sleazy salesman we were "just looking" he totally left us alone. Like for an hour. I had a few questions, esp when we found one we were interested in. I didn't think I had any loyalty to the first salesman we met, but now I do. It's a world of differences you can have from one dealership to another.
I decided yesterday that I really like the Puma brand bunkhouses. They had two brand new ones there yesterday and either one would have been perfect. Since we're planning on buying used, I'm wondering how the Puma's hold up. Anyone have one they really like? Would that be a durable brand to buy a few years old and keep several years?
Thanks in advance.