Life on the road in DP

[jpsage]

So we have been on the road for two months in our 18 yo class C with no slides and have decided that we need to move up to a DP. We are having the classic discussion over a 10 yo quality versus a newer entry DP.

For background I will briefly review our trip: Power Steering leak (easy fix but scary noise in boondocks), CEL (still working but drive-able), Flat tires (stupid rubber valve stems--told the tire seller to put on steel but NO THESE ARE BETTER...), Grey water valve replacement (easy fix), propane detector fail (cci out of business so had to order new sensor from amazon and remove solenoid).

I am sure that I have forgotten a couple of adventures. But you get the idea. MH sitting for 10 years needs a lot of attention.

So if we head out on the road for a 6-month trip in a new or 10-yo DP will it be one thing after another or will it settle down and be fun? I have read posts where people have to live at the factory for months waiting for repairs on their new MH but also have read horror stories of $20K engine problems on mature MHs.

Second question: whats the skinny on "extended warranty" for mature MH (I haven't searched for this yet but I did contact Good Sam and they haven't gotten back to me)


Thank you for your incites.

[crasster]

I'd go quality.

[jpsage]

Well after a night of thinking of about all the posts a few things continue to rattle my brain.

I think the number one thing is the comment about it being the same as our home (forgive me for rephrasing)--if I don't want to fix things in my house I should go rent an apartment so it would be someone else's problem. I guess it would be the same on the road, if I don't want to fix stuff then I should drive to motel. Me, DW and Dog do not want to stay in motel.

The second thought that hit me as I was falling asleep was that I am very vain about being able to fix my stuff. If I feel proud of myself for being able to fix stuff then I don't have leg to stand on for having to fix stuff. Thank you for setting me straight.

The final thing involves the "fear of the unknown". Several of you stated that it is an expensive life style and if I can't afford it I should stay home (again paraphrased). That made me be thankful for being able to afford this life style. And if I buy a quality motorhome at a bargain price then I should be able to deal with the risk of having to spend money to fix stuff.

So now its time to find the DP of my dreams or at least with more room and better drive-ability than my V10 rattle box. Tonight after miles on the road I will dream of air-ride and quiet rear diesel.

Thanks again folks.

[jpsage]

Thanks everyone for your posts. A lot of information to digest. As we leave for the next leg of our journey I will be thinking about all the advice.

[Bill_Satellite]

You are likely to spend substantially less time getting repairs done with a 10 YO DP then you will if you buy new. To clarify, if it's new, you are going to want every little thing fixed while still under warranty and this will take a great deal of time and effort since you don't want to throw away that extra 100,000, 200,000 or more, you paid to get something new. The used coach will have either no warranty or a brief warranty and you can focus on critical issues immediately after purchase and then simply get on with your awesome RV life.
I bought a '88 coach in '99. Yep, 11 years old and the dealer offered ZERO warranty. However, we were able to spend a couple of nights at the dealers RV park and they repaired every issue we found without question.
You need to find a well respected dealer is you plan to buy used or you have to have a professional inspect the unit prior to purchase if you make a private purchase. No matter what, don't look back. You did what you did and you have what you have. Whining will not help but the issues (if you did your homework) are likely not so bad and can be dealt with as demand requires.

[time_to_go_now]

tjfogelberg wrote:
We're in a similar situation from the perspective of having a '99 Cl C. It's one thing after another. My next rig will BE BRAND NEW. Going to Hershey RV show next month to see what is out there. I like Class C and want to stick with one under 29' so I can park it in my driveway. Never again buying a used MH. It will be stored indoors when not in use and should outlast me.

Having bought NEW, and gone through all the issues of the manufacturer just delivering a unit with a ton of stuff that needed to be fixed, and dumping the responsibility to fix everything on the dealer, I will buy used next time.

Just last weekend, we stopped by a new dealer in town. Looked at new and used. Everything was very poorly made or maintained. Finding a clean used rig will not be easy.

[msmith1199]

This is a hard question for others to answer for you as everybody has different preferences. I'd have no problem buying a 10 year old unit if I knew the person who owned it and knew they took care of it. If the only time they ever changed the oil in the thing was the week before they sold it, then it may look and run fine, but that engine may have internal damage. Financially it makes sense to buy used, but myself, I always buy new. I take care of my stuff and I want to know it was taken care of since the beginning.

[ncrowley]

I purchased a nicely built 8 year coach 4 years ago. Because I did not have a maintenance history on the coach, I purchased an extended warrantee. It has more than paid for itself. I have had an air bag replaced, a slide motor control board replaced, a slide motor replaced, a double solenoid valve replaced, the HEUI pump and injectors replaced in the last 4 years. I have also spent a considerable amount of cash in upgrades. TVs, painting, etc.

That said, we love the coach and love traveling in it. We decided that we would go with an older better made coach and we are glad we did. However, you need to make sure you have enough money set aside for upgrades and repairs. It is an expensive way to travel.

[Busskipper]

smlranger wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
What makes the difference on whether or not you can continue your trip, or if you break the bank, is IF, and this is the big IF, you can do most of the work/repair/maintenance on your coach.
The above postings are informative but IF you do not have the skills or tools to make those "simple" repairs, what will they do for your trip and what will it cost YOU to pay someone else to fix things?
As mentioned, Class A coaches can be expensive, and can be prohibitively expensive if you have to rely exclusively on paying others to diagnose and repair the issues that come up as you travel around the USA.

This is so true and something I meant to cover in my reply to the OP. I carry a tool box, cordless drill, extra wire, fuses, bulbs, tape, caulk, glue, screws and other miscellaneous hardware. IMO, if you are not handy with tools and enjoy 'home repair and improvement' on your rolling home, motorhoming is not for you. Unless, of ourse, you have the money to pay someone else to do that stuff.

Let me jump in here and verify the fact that these things - all classes of them - require work. I used my class "A" for the first time in two years and it required 10-15 hours in Diagnostic and time to repair (Forgot how much I missed that - was really luck to be Next Door to my Brother who kept my business running for 30 years) But the moral of the story is you need to understand that this is what will happen, if you don't like it or can't do it then RV'ing might not be for you, unless you have a high CC limit.

Let me add one more thing - I own a 16 year old sticks and Bricks house - Just replaced the refrigerator ($2,800) will need to replace the stove and dishwasher another couple of thousand - Furnace and A/C are on there last legs - another $4-8,000 so I guess what I'm saying is none of this is cheap, just understand what you are getting into and decide if it works for you.

We love the RV and there is no place I sleep better, so I will continue with the fun.

JMHO,

[smlranger]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
What makes the difference on whether or not you can continue your trip, or if you break the bank, is IF, and this is the big IF, you can do most of the work/repair/maintenance on your coach.
The above postings are informative but IF you do not have the skills or tools to make those "simple" repairs, what will they do for your trip and what will it cost YOU to pay someone else to fix things?
As mentioned, Class A coaches can be expensive, and can be prohibitively expensive if you have to rely exclusively on paying others to diagnose and repair the issues that come up as you travel around the USA.

This is so true and something I meant to cover in my reply to the OP. I carry a tool box, cordless drill, extra wire, fuses, bulbs, tape, caulk, glue, screws and other miscellaneous hardware. IMO, if you are not handy with tools and enjoy 'home repair and improvement' on your rolling home, motorhoming is not for you. Unless, of ourse, you have the money to pay someone else to do that stuff.

[2gypsies1]

jpsage wrote:

For background I will briefly review our trip: Power Steering leak (easy fix but scary noise in boondocks), CEL (still working but drive-able), Flat tires (stupid rubber valve stems--told the tire seller to put on steel but NO THESE ARE BETTER...), Grey water valve replacement (easy fix), propane detector fail (cci out of business so had to order new sensor from amazon and remove solenoid).

For an 18-year-old Class C, these problems are very small. I think you lucked out on your RV.

So if we head out on the road for a 6-month trip in a new or 10-yo DP will it be one thing after another or will it settle down and be fun? I have read posts where people have to live at the factory for months waiting for repairs on their new MH but also have read horror stories of $20K engine problems on mature MHs.

I don't know where you're reading all of this but you could probably count on two hands those buying a new RV and living at the factory for months. That doesn't happen. The same goes for a new engine. That is not a common thing.

Price-wise, I'd recommend you buy a 'quality-manufactured' RV 3-5 years old. You can get a quality used for less than a new one of less quality. Try for a private party and it's an added plus if he has the repair/maintenance records for you. By going to his house you can see what kind of care the RV would have had. If the yard/house isn't kept up then surely the RV wouldn't be either. Many folks have great pride in their belongings.

Buying new doesn't guarantee no problems but I've never heard of anyone spending months at the factory with a new RV.

Good luck!

[Ava]

I have been driving our 36' 94 Bounder DP for three years now with very little troubles. The rig has 95,000 miles on it and the Cummins / Allison combo runs as good as new. The appliances all work.
I am very happy driving this older Moho for a minimal investment. After a new repaint scheme, it always seems newer than it is.

[Acampingwewillg]

Well, We've owned our '96 Vogue since 2001-02.....and while I've replaced a number of items within the MH(air conditioners, water heater, refrig, and other maint items) I wouldn't trade this MH in for anything...well unless a Bluebird(Wanderlodge) caught my eye.

[rgatijnet1]

What makes the difference on whether or not you can continue your trip, or if you break the bank, is IF, and this is the big IF, you can do most of the work/repair/maintenance on your coach.
The above postings are informative but IF you do not have the skills or tools to make those "simple" repairs, what will they do for your trip and what will it cost YOU to pay someone else to fix things?
As mentioned, Class A coaches can be expensive, and can be prohibitively expensive if you have to rely exclusively on paying others to diagnose and repair the issues that come up as you travel around the USA.

[smlranger]

It is no doubt that, in most cases, the older the coach the more money you will spend replacing stuff. However, if you shop carefully for a used coach of high initial quality that has been properly maintained, it can be a good experience.

Our first used DP was of decent but not high quality, was 3 years old when we got it, had been well maintained. We used it a lot for 8 years and never had anything break that prevented travel or spoiled a trip. There were things to fix and I fixed most things myself. The most money we spent on anything was usually doing some sort of upgrade that we did voluntarily... new TV's, residential fridge, new Satellite dish, new furniture, new flooring.

Our second, and current DP, is of high quality and was 6 years old when we bought it. It was well maintained by previous owner. We have put 25K miles on it and the only issue that interrupted a trip was a fuel issue with the Cummins diesel engine. 3 days in a shop in TX and we were good to go. Had to fix or replace a few things but we did buy a service plan that has paid for most everything, less our deductible. Again, the most money we've spent was voluntary upgrades.... new carpet, new sofa/chair, new Sat dish, new TV's.

Have we spend more $$ on fixes, repairs on these two used rigs than we would have during the initial years of a new coach... yes. However, we got so much more and better, IMO, coach for what we paid by buying gently used. Plus, we did not eat the huge depreciation with a new coach.

Our only trips to the factories (Winnebago and Country Coach) were voluntary and on our planned route while traveling.

Any of these beasts can be money pits. Traveling in any class A is not cheap but we really enjoy it.

[tjfogelberg]

We're in a similar situation from the perspective of having a '99 Cl C. It's one thing after another. My next rig will BE BRAND NEW. Going to Hershey RV show next month to see what is out there. I like Class C and want to stick with one under 29' so I can park it in my driveway. Never again buying a used MH. It will be stored indoors when not in use and should outlast me.