Are you satisfied (repair cost wise) with your MH?

[goufgators]

Many, if not most, posts are regarding problems with RV's. That's normal since this is one of the better forums to go to for good information and advice when having problems. But, reading this and other forums might give a newbie or a prospective newbie an impression that buying or having an RV, particularly a MH, is nothing but a pocket draining problem. Admittedly, it can be an expensive undertaking...no one denies that. But, there must be numerous MH'ers out there who are perfectly satisfied with their coaches and, as a result, never or rarely post regarding their RV's concerning problems or otherwise. Let's start a thread ? describing how and why we are very satisfied with our MH's (or other RV's) and rarely incur major repair costs AND who are perfectly satisfied with the RV life. Maybe such comments will tend to allay fears of many 'newbies' who might be having second thoughts about jumping into the RV business based on the many posts regarding mechanical and other problems with RV's as seen on this and other sites. Caution though: We do not want to try to convince or suggest to potential buyers that the RV's they might purchase will be 'trouble free' but that there are many of us who are having relatively few problems and would not hesitate to buy again. ... No I'm not an RV salesperson!

[TriumphGuy]

smlranger and DutchmenSport put it really well. Buying a MH, you need to be conscious of what could to wrong and probably will go wrong (it's a house going through an earthquake on every trip!). And you've got to have the ability and funds to stay on top of it or the stress will eat you up and you won't be able to enjoy RVing.

We are on our first MH after 10 years of TTs and 5ers, and have each time (generally speaking) sought a higher quality level each time. 10 years teaches you quite a bit about good and not-so-good construction. This last time around I decided I'd had enough of some of the brands and went for what I believed was better based on my research. Nothing against anyone with a different coach! We all know (as previously mentioned) that every brand has their ups and downs.

But I am under no illusion that this coach will be perfect. My approach is to "stress" about keeping it well maintained when we're not using it - planning maintenance days into the calendar and keeping a list of to-dos. That way when we get out on vacation, it's really a vacation. But if something does go wrong, I have the confidence that I am very familiar with what I own and have the ability to fix most things myself.

I wouldn't own an RV if I didn't have some DIY skills.

So to answer the original question, yes I'm generally satisfied, as it's worth all the effort to be able to travel like we want to.

[jplante4]

I'm one of Ron's "serious about PM" types, and I found that the probability of things breaking is directly proportional to the number of times you use it. I went through this Sahara last spring and summer getting ready for the winter trip. Anything that was questionable was fixed or replaced. I figured I had everything covered. Then we started full timing and stuff that was on the edge started failing. Nothing big, but things that required a trip to the RV parts store, and if I was not able to do the work myself, would have interrupted the trip waiting for an RV repair person to address.

When buying used, you can expect to pay at least 10% of the purchase price the first year, fixing things that were deferred and making it your own. After that, the usability of the rig depends on the initial quality.

[ncrowley]

I could not afford a new coach so I knew I needed to set aside money for repairs. I also knew that I needed to set aside money for preventative maintenance. Therefore, the costs are pretty much what I expected. The big exception was an issue with the paint checking. That cost was above and beyond what I expected. We spent a lot of time thinking about what to do, but we love the coach and the lifestyle so it was very worth it to us to keep the coach and fix the paint checking. As has been stated, you need to be very diligent when you purchase a coach and look at all of the details.

[mike_brez]

DutchmenSport wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
...Buying any vehicle used is a gamble. The best you can do is to look past the shiny things and closely examine the guts. ...

You're observations are 100% correct! A little off-topic, but it drives me absolutely insane watching television home-buying programs where there are 3 houses they look at and they select one to purchase. People are so stupid! They focus on the furniture in the house (which will be gone when they move in), or the color of a wall, and absolutely never check out the crawl space or attic! (Simply blows my mind on these shows!

You said it yourself...it's a tv show.

[DutchmenSport]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
...Buying any vehicle used is a gamble. The best you can do is to look past the shiny things and closely examine the guts. ...

You're observations are 100% correct! A little off-topic, but it drives me absolutely insane watching television home-buying programs where there are 3 houses they look at and they select one to purchase. People are so stupid! They focus on the furniture in the house (which will be gone when they move in), or the color of a wall, and absolutely never check out the crawl space or attic! (Simply blows my mind on these shows!).

When we purchased our last house, the realtor kept pointing out all the "cosmetic" things in the hosue. I insisted on going in the attic and crawl space. Drove her nuts until she produced a step ladder! (we bought the house!)

[wildtoad]

Like a lot of things, if you buy cheap you get it. The biggest complaint I had with my 2000 Hurricane was the cheap cabinets. The chassis was fine, appliances were good. I did have to replace the roof AC at year 15 which is about twice as long as my home units. The more complicated unit you buy the bigger chance you have to run into a problem. Do the maintenance, read the manuals, wash it, wax it, air it up, and you will have fewer issues. I spent a few bucks on repairs and maintenance, there was still some tweaking after every trip. It all part of the deal.

[DutchmenSport]

If you purchase a fishing pole, you better be prepared to untangle fishing line .... some day! Because it will happen.

If you purchase an RV, you better be prepared to experience mechanical problems, because they will happen ... some day!

No one can purchase any RV and then forget it! You can't treat them like some discarded child's toy left in the yard in rain and snow, and then expect it to still be perfect after a year. The same is true for any RV.They (all) require diligent maintenance, form the first day of purchase. I don't think this can be emphasized enough. I would think, especially a MH that has, not only the box you live in, but the drive train and engine under it, making it even more complex. No one gets a new car and starts driving it until the engine burns up. From day 1, there is always some kind of maintenance on a new car, even if that means picking up the empty Pepsi cans from the floor.

I do think this is one of the disillusions (some) folk have regarding RV. "Drive it and forget it" mentality. And ... really ... looking at some RV that some people own, this is really their mentality. I've seen some pretty hideous looking RV in some seasonal campsites over my 60 years of living.

A salesmen once told me, people who purchase RV are usually a pretty happy bunch of people. RV's are not a necessity, unlike paying the electric bill in your home, it's a luxury item. And people who purchase RV are those people that have a better financial base, or else they simply know how to manage their money in a more creative way. Either way, RV's are purchased with "Disposable Money." That's what he called it. When you think about it, he was right. The money we spend on our RV's, for the initial purchase, and for the care and upkeep, and for the travel experiences, are all done with "Disposable Money." It's "extra" money we somehow eek out of our budgets and DON'T have to use on necessities of life.

With that said, anyone purchasing an RV (of any kind), needs to make sure they have adequate "Disposable Money" AFTER the purchase too. (or at least good enough credit to pay for a repair, and have some balance left on that credit card). If you have that "Disposable Money" available, whatever form that come is, savings, cash, credit card, stocks, investments, whatever, then RV-ing (with any type of camper) is a real pleasure! This eliminates all the stress and worry and fear of any RV failure that may occur, (or preventative maintenance that may be needed), because the money is available. Otherwise, the "stress" that RVing is suppose to relieve us from (the daily grind), all of a sudden becomes a much bigger burden that doesn't remove that "stress" any more, it compounds it, making us even more frustrated in life.

I really do believe this is the success of a happy camper, the financial stability of their choices. With that said, there really is no "bad" camper out there. When "they" get too expensive and begin to eat away at the comfort level of the "Disposable Money".... we sell them. It's just that simple.

I'm on my 4th RV. I've loved and completely enjoyed all 4 of my campers! And I will continue to have one until the day I die. Actually, my wife and I are planning on having a cremation and our ashes are to be put in an urn shaped like a camper! It's a life style we love, and hope we NEVER have to give it up.

[bsinmich]

There is no denying that most people don't post that everything is going OK but it is good to make people aware that there are potential expenses that can happen. What do you do when you have a major breakdown away from home base and you don't have enough money to do the repair. There is at least one forum member who is in a CG because he can't repair his motor. I am now on my 6th. motorhome with one new and the rest 2-4 years old when purchased, except for my 2 current antiques. My Dodge Roadtrek I would take anyplace and it would be possible to repair it anyplace. My '75 GMC didn't make FL and had a $900 ride for the last 165 miles. You need to be ready for these things. I see people who get into RVing with a 20 year old MH and then can't afford the tires that have needed replacing so he endangers himself and the rest of us on the road with him. This is very enjoyable hobby but not for the unprepared.

[rgatijnet1]

There are some people that take "preventive maintenance" seriously and address problems before they happen. In most cases, these owners take trip after trip without any major issues at all. It doesn't matter what type of coach they own, they are on top of all maintenance issues.
Then you have the owners that address each problem only as it comes up. They might make a trip or two without any issues, and then on the next one they are stranded with a problem. Their idea of owning an RV uses the "if it ain't broken" type of maintenance schedule.
The problem with a buyer of a used coach is that he really has no idea what type of person has owned the coach in the past. Some people are very meticulous about cleaning the interior and exterior and neglect the chassis until something breaks. Their knowledge of the coach consists of how to remove stains and vacuuming the carpet, etc. When it comes to mechanical issues, they are clueless. These are the coaches that look great, but can turn in to a money pit as you deal with the neglected items with the drive train.
Buying any vehicle used is a gamble. The best you can do is to look past the shiny things and closely examine the guts. Lots of maintenance records from a shop are great but you do not want to overlook the coaches that were maintained by an owner that knows what he is doing and does his own maintenance to a level above most repair shops.

[gbopp]

smlranger wrote:
I think it is necessary to be realistic when talking to potential RV buyers, especially motorhomes, about the potential for the endeavor to be costly beyond just the initial purchase. We have enjoyed all three of the motorhomes we've had and the current one is our favorite. All were purchased used after a careful and reasonable search. None of the three ever left us stranded.

I think there are several 'truths' that any potential buyer should understand:

1. Motorhomes are rolling homes and, like a home, there will generally always be a list of things to tweak or fix.
2. Motorhomes are fairly complex these days (due to consumer demand) and have systems and features that, when they fail, can be costly to repair.
3. If you own a motorhome it certainly helps to be handy with tools and willing/able to fix things you can fix. Otherwise you will be dependent on others to fix things at your expense and on their timeline.
4. Shop carefully. If buying new, do your homework on the manufacturer and dealer (if you will depend on the dealer for service, repairs, etc). Some are much better than others when you do have a problem. If buying used, inspect carefully, hire a professional to inspect, and consider the risk/benefits of used vs. new.
5. Understand that while some coach builders build better, stronger, more expensive coaches, they all have quality problems and they all at times build a dog. Now that the RV industry is booming again, they all seem to be in a rush to get them out the door.

Bottom line, we love the RV lifestyle. We accept the expense associated with maintenance and repair. We try to be proactive in maintenance and enjoy the time we get to travel.

X2, don't think that if you buy new you will have a trouble free rig. You will probably be disappointed. Maybe very disappointed. 😞

[Cloud_Dancer]

For me to satisfactorily participate in this discussion, I would need to write a book. But, at this time I simply don't have THAT much time. Right now I'll just say that for me to be able to own, and use, my big motorhome, I could not afford to pay what it costs to fix everything that goes wrong with it. I've been a DIY person all my life, therefore, with the help from the experts on these RV forums, I've been able to learn almost everything that it's taken to keep my MH operational. However, at this time, I'm a little bit behind on some of this work.
Thank you for starting this thread. IMO this subject needs to be discussed.

[smlranger]

I think it is necessary to be realistic when talking to potential RV buyers, especially motorhomes, about the potential for the endeavor to be costly beyond just the initial purchase. We have enjoyed all three of the motorhomes we've had and the current one is our favorite. All were purchased used after a careful and reasonable search. None of the three ever left us stranded.

I think there are several 'truths' that any potential buyer should understand:

1. Motorhomes are rolling homes and, like a home, there will generally always be a list of things to tweak or fix.
2. Motorhomes are fairly complex these days (due to consumer demand) and have systems and features that, when they fail, can be costly to repair.
3. If you own a motorhome it certainly helps to be handy with tools and willing/able to fix things you can fix. Otherwise you will be dependent on others to fix things at your expense and on their timeline.
4. Shop carefully. If buying new, do your homework on the manufacturer and dealer (if you will depend on the dealer for service, repairs, etc). Some are much better than others when you do have a problem. If buying used, inspect carefully, hire a professional to inspect, and consider the risk/benefits of used vs. new.
5. Understand that while some coach builders build better, stronger, more expensive coaches, they all have quality problems and they all at times build a dog. Now that the RV industry is booming again, they all seem to be in a rush to get them out the door.

Bottom line, we love the RV lifestyle. We accept the expense associated with maintenance and repair. We try to be proactive in maintenance and enjoy the time we get to travel.