New guy here....looking to buy first MH

[kanakanui]

Hi all,

First, I appreciate everyone's feedback I have been reading on here the last few days as my wife and I determine if we should purchase a motor home. We always enjoyed camping when we dated and first got married, but haven't camped in a few years as we now have three children ages 6, 4 and 3. We are ready to go camping now that all the children are a bit older than babies...and we have decided to rent a MH over my 6 year old's spring break from school in March. Our first excursion will be to Pensacola Beach, FL.

I know I will have many more questions...and I have seen other topics about similar scenarios, but I would like feedback on our specific scenario. We are considering purchasing an entry level MH for the family to use for local camping excursions, longer trips like Spring Break and summer vacations. We have found a 2013 Thor Motor Coach Chateau 31L, owner describes it as excellent condition, inside and out, under 11K in mileage. Price is $16,800 which to me sounds reasonable...but it is really hard to determine what a MH is worth...just not the same as pricing a new or used car. I could really use some guidance on two items.

1) how do I determine if this is a fair purchase price? and 2) the seller is located about 3 hours from our home, so I was going to look for a RV dealer/service location near their home that I could take the vehicle to for a full walk through and inspection of all mechanical items.

Any thoughts for the new guy?

[kanakanui]

Good advice, thank you bordercollie

[Bordercollie]

Read the stickies at the top of this forum. Get as smart as you can about the different brands, models and lengths/floor plans and total costs buying new or used. Sometimes a new rig on sale at the end of a season can be close to the same price as a year old used rig . Floor plans with a "rear RV queen bed", with access on both sides, are best for adult sleeping comfort and convenience.Slides are nice but can have mechanical problems. Buying an older Class C and getting it in good shape can be as expensive as buying a newer rig but it'll have lower resale value. RV Tires go bad sitting parked and need replacement due to sidewall cracking at 5-7 years old by date codes imprinted on each tire. A tire coming apart can whip the RV's underside parts with steel belts and may cause loss of control. Brake system maintenance including brake fluid changes are essential for safety.

Most class C's use contain the same appliances, generators, AC systems, furnaces etc. The 12 volt DC converter charger and "house" battery systems are important as most appliances need 12 volt DC for their electronic controls and operation even when the rig is connected to camp 110vac power. Roof composition and prevention of water damage with maintenance are important especially in older used rigs.

Owning and using a motorhome is not like owning an SUV, it's more like owning, maintaining and safely operating a cabin cruiser boat !!!!

[kanakanui]

IAMICHABOD wrote:
While looking for that RV you might look at the ***Link Removed***

Both El Monte and Cruise America will put the money spent on your first rental toward the purchase of one of their units. In addition if you have to fly to a location to pick up your RV El Monte RV will take the price of the Airfare off the price of the RV.

Just another thing to look into while looking for that RV.

Good Luck.

Thanks! I saw some of those posts as well and would consider a former rental if it made sense. I looked on the cruise America website and most of their current RVs for sale have over 100k miles. I just bought a one year old camry with 15k miles that was a hertz vehicle. Great price. So for me it just depends and price/value of the unit and mileage. With 3 young kids, I'm not eager to get stranded to to mechanical failure. I realize that can happen with any unit, but like with cars... The higher the mileage, the higher the probability. I appreciate the feedback from you and everyone. I will continue to keep my eyes open this fall and winter and return when something seems more legit. Until then, I'll keep reading up here about the lifestyle.

[kanakanui]

Vic65 wrote:
If the seller only speaks to you via text it's a scam. If there is only one picture of the motor home it's a scam. Trust me I'm in law enforcement and that's most common way they scam people out of there money. I sometimes play with these people to see how far they go. Do not give them any of your hard earned money until you see the rig and have the title and keys in your hand. Please make sure there name match the name on there drivers license. Best of luck.

Vic

LOL... Thanks. There was indeed only one picture. I'm waiting to see if they email back at this point, I may see where they want to take and I will see how far I can take them.

[Vic65]

If the seller only speaks to you via text it's a scam. If there is only one picture of the motor home it's a scam. Trust me I'm in law enforcement and that's most common way they scam people out of there money. I sometimes play with these people to see how far they go. Do not give them any of your hard earned money until you see the rig and have the title and keys in your hand. Please make sure there name match the name on there drivers license. Best of luck.

Vic

[IAMICHABOD]

While looking for that RV you might look at the Rental Market

Both El Monte and Cruise America will put the money spent on your first rental toward the purchase of one of their units. In addition if you have to fly to a location to pick up your RV El Monte RV will take the price of the Airfare off the price of the RV.

Just another thing to look into while looking for that RV.

Good Luck.

[kanakanui]

Thanks. We are already reserved in Pensacola Beach for March as well as a one night stay near Tupelo, MS at Barnes Crossing both coming and going. We have a rental reserved through Cruise America for now, but if I can find a used class C under $40k between now and then that suits our needs, we may go that route.

[garmp]

Also if Pensacola Beach, FL is your destination this spring best check for reservations. St. Andrews SP fill up fast.
Just another complication.

[kanakanui]

Thank you DocP. Great advice, and thank you for the nadaguide.com link. Now looking, that price seems too exceptional to be true. I did a quick Google search of the sellers name that replied to my email and I see an expired post on Craigslist from August stating this is a SCAM SCAM SCAM. I will leave this up for now if only as a warning to any other first time buyers. Thanks again for the feedback and link.

[IAMICHABOD]

Something sounds way off on this Nada puts the value at $66000

Click here for that

[DocP]

Hello. My only comment is that there is no way that a 2013 Thor Motor Coach Chateau 31L would sell anywhere near that price, regardless of condition. Please do some checking on nadaguides.com and (without knowing any of the "extras" that this unit has) the "low retail" value is almost $55,000 and the "average retail" is over $66,000. I see obvious scams on Craigslist every single day, and suspect that this is one as well. Good luck with your search!