Older Diesel Pusher Motor Home Refurbishment for Full-Time
I am educating myself in preparation for full-timing sometime in the next four to eight years (primarily contingent upon how long the kids will be in school).
A review of online ads shows that one can obtain used diesel pushers with model years from the late 1990s to the early 2000s from what I gather are better quality manufacturers such as Newmar, Tiffin, etc., with 60K to 80K miles in the 35 ft to 40 ft range for somewhere around $30K.
Is it realistic to think that one could purchase such a motorhome and have refurbishment done in a cost effective manner?
I have been toying with the following example ($ in thousands):
Coach 30.0
Roof e.g., RV Armor 6.0
Tires 4.0
Batteries 1.0
Brakes 2.0
Fluids, Filters, Belts 1.0
Flooring 3.0
Furniture 5.0
A/C 2.0
Furnace 2.0
Washer/Dryer 2.0
Range/Oven/Micro 2.0
Generator? 5.0
Air Suspension? 2.0
Shades, Blinds, etc.? 3.0
It seems to me that one should be able to wind up with a refurbished coach at $60K to $70K; this is costly, but a small fraction of the price new.
I would think this is realistic from the perspective of the mechanical aspect of the coach: if properly cared for, the diesel drive-train, chassis, and suspension should last longer than I will.
I wonder if the rest is realistic?
Are there places that specialize in older motorhome refurbishment? I know of at least one place that does so for fifth-wheel trailers; I assume comparable businesses exist.
Thanks!
A review of online ads shows that one can obtain used diesel pushers with model years from the late 1990s to the early 2000s from what I gather are better quality manufacturers such as Newmar, Tiffin, etc., with 60K to 80K miles in the 35 ft to 40 ft range for somewhere around $30K.
Is it realistic to think that one could purchase such a motorhome and have refurbishment done in a cost effective manner?
I have been toying with the following example ($ in thousands):
Coach 30.0
Roof e.g., RV Armor 6.0
Tires 4.0
Batteries 1.0
Brakes 2.0
Fluids, Filters, Belts 1.0
Flooring 3.0
Furniture 5.0
A/C 2.0
Furnace 2.0
Washer/Dryer 2.0
Range/Oven/Micro 2.0
Generator? 5.0
Air Suspension? 2.0
Shades, Blinds, etc.? 3.0
It seems to me that one should be able to wind up with a refurbished coach at $60K to $70K; this is costly, but a small fraction of the price new.
I would think this is realistic from the perspective of the mechanical aspect of the coach: if properly cared for, the diesel drive-train, chassis, and suspension should last longer than I will.
I wonder if the rest is realistic?
Are there places that specialize in older motorhome refurbishment? I know of at least one place that does so for fifth-wheel trailers; I assume comparable businesses exist.
Thanks!
