Retired, first time buyer
Greetings everyone, I am recently retired and looking for my first motorhome. I'm interested in a Class C maybe 22' to 24' long. We intend to start out with some long weekend trips not too far but w...
Forum Discussion
I had to laugh when I read that you just retired and want a MH for "weekend" trips. Unless the DW is still working, go during the week, not the weekends. Weekends are for staying home avoiding the crowds and traffic.
Almost all MHs will have something wrong with them. From the first two you looked at, I'd take time to find two good RV repair places in your area and then go by the places and ask them about repairing some of the items you found wrong on the first MHs. This will give you an idea what it costs to repair a slide topper or the awning. And you'll get an idea of who you want to take your MH to when you buy one.
I can sort of understand the 2006 Forrest River MH owner not wanting to take it out of winterization. Since it belonged to her parents, she probably knew nothing about how to operate it. She may have had to pay someone to winterize it and doesn't want to pay again if no one buys it. Having said that, I wouldn't buy it either if I couldn't test everything. I'd especially want to make sure it was winterized properly and there's not cracked piping or tanks from water freezing in them.
The two awning holes aren't a big deal. The little hole in the main awning could probably be repaired with clear awning tape and you'd get many more years out of it. The slide awning wouldn't cost a lot to replace.
The NJ Minnie was a definite pass.
No I wouldn't have bought from just looking at the two of them. Go find some more to look at. And take pictures of them so you have something to compare.
Other things to look at are the age of the batteries. There's usually a date indicator on them of either when they were made or installed. And check the age of the tires. If you do a quick forum search you'll find how to read the date stamp.
Also before deciding on a MH, what are you going to do for a car to tow behind it? You should have some ideas on that before buying a MH. A lot of them will only handle 3,500#s which leaves you with small cars or a Jeep. Personally I like Jeeps and that's what I tow. Some of the Class Cs will handle 5,000#s. So think on this before you buy a MH with a 3,500# tow rating and a 4,500# toad.
Remember, you are looking for a used MH. It is used. It's like buying a used house, it has to be acceptable condition for the price and you'll make changes to suit your preferences.
Bill
Almost all MHs will have something wrong with them. From the first two you looked at, I'd take time to find two good RV repair places in your area and then go by the places and ask them about repairing some of the items you found wrong on the first MHs. This will give you an idea what it costs to repair a slide topper or the awning. And you'll get an idea of who you want to take your MH to when you buy one.
I can sort of understand the 2006 Forrest River MH owner not wanting to take it out of winterization. Since it belonged to her parents, she probably knew nothing about how to operate it. She may have had to pay someone to winterize it and doesn't want to pay again if no one buys it. Having said that, I wouldn't buy it either if I couldn't test everything. I'd especially want to make sure it was winterized properly and there's not cracked piping or tanks from water freezing in them.
The two awning holes aren't a big deal. The little hole in the main awning could probably be repaired with clear awning tape and you'd get many more years out of it. The slide awning wouldn't cost a lot to replace.
The NJ Minnie was a definite pass.
No I wouldn't have bought from just looking at the two of them. Go find some more to look at. And take pictures of them so you have something to compare.
Other things to look at are the age of the batteries. There's usually a date indicator on them of either when they were made or installed. And check the age of the tires. If you do a quick forum search you'll find how to read the date stamp.
Also before deciding on a MH, what are you going to do for a car to tow behind it? You should have some ideas on that before buying a MH. A lot of them will only handle 3,500#s which leaves you with small cars or a Jeep. Personally I like Jeeps and that's what I tow. Some of the Class Cs will handle 5,000#s. So think on this before you buy a MH with a 3,500# tow rating and a 4,500# toad.
Remember, you are looking for a used MH. It is used. It's like buying a used house, it has to be acceptable condition for the price and you'll make changes to suit your preferences.
Bill
