Help with Winnebago decision

[revrick3]

We are going to look at a 2006 Winnebago Voyage 38J in a week that we are interested in buying. Gas, 3 slides 38 ft. Has about 60000 miles on it, good tires batteries and all options work. We are trying to decide on several models including this one. Other are a 2004 Damon intruder 350, gas and 2 slides, and a 2003 newmar mountainaire 3778, gas with 2 slides 38 ft. , a 2002 newmar country star 36668 diesel 37 ft.
All of these have floor plans we like and are in the basic same ball park for costs. None with excessive mileage and all features we are wanting.
What I need is input into which coaches are better quality and better longetivity in usage. We are new to this and its our first coach. Any input will be helpful. This is a big decision and we want all input we can get. Thanks everyone.

[Chowan]

garyemunson wrote:
My 2 cents on gas vs diesel. If you are a hands-on person, the gas units are far cheaper and easier to fix. Even changing oil is easier...my gas unit uses 7 qts of oil and a $5 filter vs the diesel 6 gallons and $50 filter. In the past diesel units were more durable but I don't see that being as true today.

Good info

[nemo45]

garyemunson wrote:
My 2 cents on gas vs diesel. If you are a hands-on person, the gas units are far cheaper and easier to fix. Even changing oil is easier...my gas unit uses 7 qts of oil and a $5 filter vs the diesel 6 gallons and $50 filter. In the past diesel units were more durable but I don't see that being as true today.

Have you ever driven a diesel pusher? I believe that is the big difference. With the air bag suspensions they ride much better. They are much quitter in the cab with the engine and tranny in the back. Unless you are going thru mountains it rarely downshifts. Its true that my last oil change was $230 but its good for another 15000 miles. I bought my last gasser new and paid $95,000 for it in 2010. It was a 38 ft. Georgetown 378XL. I paid $90,000 for my 2006 Gulf Stream Tour Master in 2012. It's 42 ft. long with a king bed. I get 1-1/2 to 2 mpg better with it than the gasser. It had 22000 miles on it. It now has 38,000 care free miles on it. I believe they are still the more durable powertrain. Why else would the NADA book not have a place for the mileage on a DP, while they do for gassers? For full-timers like us we think the DP is the better deal.

[garyemunson]

My 2 cents on gas vs diesel. If you are a hands-on person, the gas units are far cheaper and easier to fix. Even changing oil is easier...my gas unit uses 7 qts of oil and a $5 filter vs the diesel 6 gallons and $50 filter. In the past diesel units were more durable but I don't see that being as true today.

[tderonne]

OP bought a Newmar, a few weeks after starting this thread about 7 months ago.

Bought a Newmar.

[time_to_go_now]

I think you need to drive them all. Then you need to decide gas or DP.

That is the first decision you need to make.

[aerbus32]

I would be pretty surprised if the Winnie & the Mountainaire are anywhere near the same price. A new Winnebago like that is probably stickered at around $200k. Last Mountainaire we looked at was 4 times that.

[Goldencrazy]

Living space is key. Last year I was on the road for 121 days. Drove from WI to Santa Monica and then to Orlando and back to WI. We took our time doing about 400 miles a day. Of the 121 days we spent 17 on the road. The rest were parked where RV never moved. So I say make sure you love the layout. I have had four gasser sand presently a 2016 Winnebago Suncruiser 38Q. Love the layout and on this one the ride is very good. DP's are great and I could not find a layout I liked so much in this length. I have traded a lot. Generally made good deals but I left a lot of money in those motorhomes none the less. Every trade was about layout. I ride is tolerable and other things have no red flags then layout and living comfort should turn your day. If the DP layout pleases you then an older DP is better v a newer gas. Most of us can't see inside all the moving parts. Somethings will need replacing and others maintenance on a used motorhome. That is a given no matter what you purchase. But if there are drawbacks to the living space that jump out at you walk away. They will get worse not better the more time you spend in it.

[mike_brez]

Like this.

[rgatijnet1]

My big concern with Winnebago coaches are the ones that require the caulking to hold the fiberglass roof in place. Sure it is a good idea to do regular maintenance but on 99% of the coaches you get a little wet spot of the sealant is neglected. ON some Winnys, if you neglect the sealant on the roof, the fiberglass will peal back exposing everything and it then requires a very very expensive repair. This is NOT a good design.

[jlud]

In laws bought an older diesel pusher without any experience and they got taken to the cleaners. All sorts of issues including engine, tires, brakes, starter, leaks, etc....it was a financial burden for them and although they bought what they could pay for cash, they sold less than a year later after dumping a ton of money into it as no end in sight.

Pretty sure it ruined the idea of an RV for them...they would have been better off buying something newer with a lower total cost, so just something to keep in mind. Take a good look at everything and weigh the pros and cons. I would recommend driving the units you like to see how much the difference is worth to you.

There are a lot of gas MH on the road, and engines and transmissions have come a long way. A new v10 engine is a lot cheaper than many problems a diesel can have. To say not to even consider gas is not accurate in my opinion, as depending on use and maintenance budget it might actually be a better option.

I would take an immaculately clean and well maintained unit over an average maintained better name unit any day, so I wouldn't jump into one without getting a feel for history and usage as well or how many owners they have had.

[creeper]

With a quality builder you're less likely to get a lemon. Winnebago is having some real quality control issues.

[J-Rooster]

I own a Winnebago the third one I've owned and I bought it new in 2004. I first started RVing in 1976. I will not tell you to buy a Winnebago because I own one because that's a real disservice IMHO! And I'll reference what I just wrote by former RV.Net poster WNY Pat. He would alway's tell everyone how great his DP was and you should buy one like it. Pat a truckdriver friend of mine no longer owns that coach too much trouble and $$$! And all the posters telling you to buy a Newmar? What if you buy one and it's a lemon? All RV manufactures will build a lemon from time to time. Your doing the right thing by trying to get as much info as possible and research any coach's history that your interested in. No coach history no buy! Plan a budget and stick to it and the floor plan that best suits your needs. I can afford to buy a DP but didn't because it's not practical for my RV usage. If you plan to go full time are constantly driving around the country RVing then a DP is the way to go. Good Luck in your search!

[gonesouth]

I would not consider a gasser under any circumstances. Period.

[msmith1199]

I'm in California and if I were in the market for a used Class A right now, there is no doubt I'd be looking at DP's. One reason is because I had a gas Class A and traded it in for a DP and I'll never go back. But other than that, in my daily travels I see DP's sitting on dealers lots with crazy low price tags on them. Not to mention the ones I see advertised as I'm looking through the web. DP's are just so much more comfortable of a ride, and it's nice have the engine way in the back versus sitting right next to you. Are they more expensive? Yeah, a little, but it's worth it to me.