How far would you travel for a deal?

[coolmom42]

IF you found a motorhome that was exactly, or very close to, what you want, at the right price, how far would you travel to look at it and/or buy it?

And how long do you keep on looking before compromising on your wish list?

I live in rural Middle TN, 50 miles west of Nashville. There are not many class B RVs for sale in this area, and none that are exactly what I want.

Now if I wanted a 5th wheel.... they are a dime a dozen, LOL.

[Big_Katuna]

Live in Florida bought at Holman in Cinci for 31% off MSRP.
NO REGRETS. Excellent dealer who gave great support over the phone.

I had NO PROBLEMS getting warranty support anywhere in the country
I think that it is hard to get warranty service at other dealers is an urban myth.

RVs are meant to travel around. You are supposed to drive back to Atlanta from Seattle to get a problem fixed?

I used at least six different Fleetwood dealers and the BEST experience was Camping World in St. Augustine.

I would do it all over.

[Escargot]

Hmmm... I sold my 2003 Pleasure Way Excel TD, 8 cylinder, Dodge chassis, excellent condition (including appliances and house systems), 35,000 miles, for $30,000 in May 2014.

They are out there, you just have to be very patient, keep checking ads, and be ready to pounce.

Good luck.

[userfl5026]

Omg I remember driving for 2 days to take my car to Krown Rust Control.

[Arizona_Kid]

Lots of good well maintained Roadtrek here. Prices are usually negotiable.
Roadtrek International

[Assyrian_Elvis]

coolmom42 wrote:
I will not be buying new, unless I win the lottery. 🙂

I'm looking for a B or small class C.

Must-have: permanent private bathroom--no in-the-aisle Roadtrek style. Non-smoker use only. Length 25' or under. Price under $35K. Mileage under 80K. Fuel-injected engine.

Must not have: Any signs of leaks, bad odors, or a cab-over window. No Mercedes chassis.

Preferred: Chevy or Ford 3/4 ton V8; mileage under 50K; neutral interior colors--no pink/blue/burgundy/orange; no slide-out; length 21 feet or under; price under $25K.

Yes, I know the "preferred" list is a pretty unlikely combo--that's why it's preferred rather than required.

My biggest problem with traveling to look at a RV is that I'll feel the need to buy it, after all that trouble getting there. I don't want to lose the willingness to walk away.

In general----how negotiable are dealer prices on used units? For instance---on something like this one.

If a person looked up the NADA pricing---where is dealer pricing typically in relation to that? Above average retail?

Coolmom, that linked rv is a b plus, they are much cheaper than regular b vans. Im telling you, ur not gonna get a b van under 50k miles for under 25k, no way! B vans are very expensive and to get one with under 50k on a ford or chevy chassis u are looking at 50k dollars n up. Go see the prices on ebay and craigslist. Bvans are very expensive. Now if you get a class c or b plus like u linked to o ur link maybe, but I assue you not a b van. Unless you get one with over 100,000k miles

[Assyrian_Elvis]

I drove over 1400 miles from Little Rock Arkansas to Las Vegas Nevada to get my very hard to find 1989 Ford Econoline E250 Coachmen Class b RV Van. Its in mint condition with only 42k miles when I bought it and carfaxed verified one owner. I bought It for 7300. They are going for 15k to 20k on ebay. I would strongly suggest the best place to get an RV is either arizona or nevada. They are rust free and solide like mines. Check out my youtube channel guys I have HD videos of inside and outside of my van.

Heres the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3oRDudi7V8&list=UUMr-DGdHd1j_vBuTjLwOepQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pegB-LRlN0&list=UUMr-DGdHd1j_vBuTjLwOepQ

[time2roll]

Maybe a used combo ready to roll 😉 Yes those nickels and dimes start to add up.
I always read Bs and TCs seem a bit on the expensive side for what they are.
Are you getting a B to save space or save money?

[coolmom42]

smkettner wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
Now if I wanted a 5th wheel.... they are a dime a dozen, LOL.

I would probably compromise and get those dozen fifth wheels for a dime :B
Seriously I would adjust to the lower priced RV.

But you gotta have something to tow that 5th wheel with!

[coolmom42]

Nutinelse2do wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
I will not be buying new, unless I win the lottery. 🙂

I'm looking for a B or small class C.

Must-have: permanent private bathroom--no in-the-aisle Roadtrek style. Non-smoker use only. Length 25' or under. Price under $35K. Mileage under 80K. Fuel-injected engine.

Must not have: Any signs of leaks, bad odors, or a cab-over window. No Mercedes chassis.

Preferred: Chevy or Ford 3/4 ton V8; mileage under 50K; neutral interior colors--no pink/blue/burgundy/orange; no slide-out; length 21 feet or under; price under $25K.

Yes, I know the "preferred" list is a pretty unlikely combo--that's why it's preferred rather than required.

My biggest problem with traveling to look at a RV is that I'll feel the need to buy it, after all that trouble getting there. I don't want to lose the willingness to walk away.

In general----how negotiable are dealer prices on used units? For instance---on something like this one.

If a person looked up the NADA pricing---where is dealer pricing typically in relation to that? Above average retail?

Here is a cute little Winnie. Sounds like everything you are looking though, with the exception of the length. It is 27'.
DH drove from Phoenix to Eugene to get a rig from RV Outlet.
We had the deal almost done, supposedly clear title, and spent $ to have it inspected by a third party.
We left a $1000 deposit on a CC, just in case, and they were supposed to release the notarized title and coach when we handed them a cashier's check. They verified the cashier's check with our bank prior to his trip.
When he got there, the owner tried to take the check from him without allowing him to verify the VIN and clear title
DH said, aaahhh, nooo, you don't get the check till I can verify the title and vin.
The owner told my hubby.... Then get back in your f€#€#%#^# truck and go home!
So he did. Guess he was thinking since my hubby just drove 1200 miles one way, he wouldn't just leave without the coach.
Our current coach, we both flew up to Colorado and inspected it ourselves, checked title, vin, told them what we wanted fixed and left them a $1k deposit. DH drove up the next week and picked it up with cashiers check in hand.
Whatever you do, and however far you go, DO NOT sign anything or give them any $ you cannot get back until the coach is to your satisfaction.

Thanks for the link and the advice. That took a lot of determination to walk away, but you did the smart thing!

Was that a private seller or a dealer?

[time2roll]

coolmom42 wrote:
Now if I wanted a 5th wheel.... they are a dime a dozen, LOL.

I would probably compromise and get those dozen fifth wheels for a dime :B
Seriously I would adjust to the lower priced RV.

[Snowman9000]

coolmom42 wrote:


If a person looked up the NADA pricing---where is dealer pricing typically in relation to that? Above average retail?

I have learned that there is a LOT of margin in most dealer's used RV prices. And they know that buyers are looking at the NADA numbers. They will tell you that the NADA numbers are meaningless, but you should not believe it. This is a bad time of year, even as far south as AR. Most people have winterized their RVs, the season is over, Christmas spending is coming, nobody is buying but you. Offer them $17K or so; drag your feet and try to hold out for $20K. I bet you can get it for that. FOR SURE don't pay the asking price.

[mlts22]

There are almost no used "B"s here in my neck of the woods, and the ones that are for sale (and that make the cut for the 10 year rule) are so close to the price for a new one, I might as well just pay the $10-20k more and go for a new one with a full warranty.

The last two times I went to look at a used model (private sale), after driving several hundred miles, I looked at the underside and the rust monster lurking there (not just surface rust... but looked so deep that it might impact handling and safety.) After wasting my day on that "bucket", it made me leery of long distance purchasing.

Of course, I check PPL and Stahmann's websites regularly. They sometimes have good "B" vans... but those models disappear extremely quickly.

[TOOBOLD]

We live in California negotiated a 5th wheel in Idaho, had a dealer look at it and met the owner in Las Vegas. It was the floorplan we wanted.

[Nutinelse2do]

coolmom42 wrote:
I will not be buying new, unless I win the lottery. 🙂

I'm looking for a B or small class C.

Must-have: permanent private bathroom--no in-the-aisle Roadtrek style. Non-smoker use only. Length 25' or under. Price under $35K. Mileage under 80K. Fuel-injected engine.

Must not have: Any signs of leaks, bad odors, or a cab-over window. No Mercedes chassis.

Preferred: Chevy or Ford 3/4 ton V8; mileage under 50K; neutral interior colors--no pink/blue/burgundy/orange; no slide-out; length 21 feet or under; price under $25K.

Yes, I know the "preferred" list is a pretty unlikely combo--that's why it's preferred rather than required.

My biggest problem with traveling to look at a RV is that I'll feel the need to buy it, after all that trouble getting there. I don't want to lose the willingness to walk away.

In general----how negotiable are dealer prices on used units? For instance---on something like this one.

If a person looked up the NADA pricing---where is dealer pricing typically in relation to that? Above average retail?

Here is a cute little Winnie. Sounds like everything you are looking though, with the exception of the length. It is 27'.
DH drove from Phoenix to Eugene to get a rig from RV Outlet.
We had the deal almost done, supposedly clear title, and spent $ to have it inspected by a third party.
We left a $1000 deposit on a CC, just in case, and they were supposed to release the notarized title and coach when we handed them a cashier's check. They verified the cashier's check with our bank prior to his trip.
When he got there, the owner tried to take the check from him without allowing him to verify the VIN and clear title
DH said, aaahhh, nooo, you don't get the check till I can verify the title and vin.
The owner told my hubby.... Then get back in your f€#€#%#^# truck and go home!
So he did. Guess he was thinking since my hubby just drove 1200 miles one way, he wouldn't just leave without the coach.
Our current coach, we both flew up to Colorado and inspected it ourselves, checked title, vin, told them what we wanted fixed and left them a $1k deposit. DH drove up the next week and picked it up with cashiers check in hand.
Whatever you do, and however far you go, DO NOT sign anything or give them any $ you cannot get back until the coach is to your satisfaction.

[bee_46]

We drove 800 miles round trip to get our used PW. Did the trip in one day. Drove down, looked at it, decided it was what we wanted, paid for it and drove it back home. We had the same problem as the OP, nothing we wanted close to home. The next closest was a 700 mile one way trip. Glad we didn't have to do that one.