Is there any REAL quality out there?

There are several 2000 to 2008 Newmar motorhomes that are well equipped for that price range.
We have very little problems with our Newmar Maintain Aire.
to avoid the typical quality stuff you must stay above the luxury level.
Just remember there isn't a cheap motorhome.
and never buy from a dealer, , we found ours in a park and sell lot.
22 years later we think we got some divine guidance

I agree with staying away from dealers they have ONE THING on there mind,your money. most sales people know very little about what they sell. find a good used unit. monday there flippen bugers,tuesday there selling 3k rv,s.

If you look at 5-10 years old lightly used-should be able to find some good quality vehicles/rv's. And the bonus is- the majority of wrinkles should be ironed out.

lhenry8113 wrote:
If you look at 5-10 years old lightly used-should be able to find some good quality vehicles/rv's. And the bonus is- the majority of wrinkles should be ironed out.

I agree with the above, HOWEVER, if you are not capable of doing it yourself, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a competent professional do a thorough pre-purchase inspection for you. Read the report carefully before you plonk down your money. IMO, . . . money well spent. (probably not on the MH, but on the inspection) Expect the MH to be a money pit! Then you won't be disappointed if it's not.

Chum lee

Tom/Barb wrote:
There are several 2000 to 2008 Newmar motorhomes that are well equipped for that price range.
We have very little problems with our Newmar Maintain Aire.
to avoid the typical quality stuff you must stay above the luxury level.
Just remember there isn't a cheap motorhome.
and never buy from a dealer, , we found ours in a park and sell lot.
22 years later we think we got some divine guidance

Is Newmar by any chance owned by Thor or built in Indiana? I just want to avoid anything coming out of there. Way to many horror stories... Sorry not trying to insult anybody... :)

Winnebago officially acquired Newmar in November of 2019. They are built in Nappanee Indiana.

midnightsadie wrote:
I agree with staying away from dealers they have ONE THING on there mind,your money. most sales people know very little about what they sell. find a good used unit. monday there flippen bugers,tuesday there selling 3k rv,s.

Yes, dealers are in business to actually make a profit -- just like any other business. No big secret there.

True, many salespeople (in any industry) don't know their product like they should. I spent many years as a sales trainer for the automobile industry, and back then I always cautioned salespeople: Don't let a prospective buyer walk through the door that knows more about your product than you do. Today, the buyer should know at least as much, if not more, about the product than the salesperson. No excuse in this information age for a buyer to walk into any business and have to rely on a salesperson to educate them on a particular product.

Wiscampsin wrote:
Winnebago officially acquired Newmar in November of 2019. They are built in Nappanee Indiana.

That means Amish guys running around being paid by the piece slapping it together as fast as they can. If you've seen the factories, it's nuts. I guess I just don't want to drop 100k of hard earned money on something somebody else slaps together... Sorry not trying to insult others or anything.

So "older" Newmar coaches were built where? Would be interesting if they were built in a quality factory.

Also to add it may be helpful to me if any of you have knowledge of ANY Class A or Diesel Pushers that are made outside of Indiana. Like which companies? I'll go look at the factories myself.:)

Why does it matter where they are built? It's who builds them that's the issue. Geography has a lot to do with parts availability and cost.

Production RV's typically lack lower quality and this can extend to even the highest end offerings. Some brands are better than others. It's quantity over quality. Keeps the stockholders happy and that's the goal, not getting you the best RV. Returns and stock prices are driven by cheapest materials and labor for the highest sales price possible. Some small start ups have tried to build good quality MH's on a budget and usually don't last long. If you want good quality I would suggest looking at Prevost, Newell or Foretravel. You get what you pay for. But even they have issues. Anytime you put a house on the road and it's subjected to what equates to an earthquake in a hurricane anytime you drive it, stuff happens. Custom brands are not immune to issues, even during the build. You're also comparing apples to basketballs. Couple hundred k vs a few million. That kind of money buys better materials and attention to detail.

You could always buy a bus and build your own. What you'd save in money and add in quality would be a cost in your time (which is worth money - probably enough of your time to equate to a brand new production RV). However, most people that start those projects never finish them. After realizing it's a massive time suck, complicated, and also not immune to problems, it's just plain easier to buy turn key off the lot and deal with small issues.