soon to be new full time RV er

[CrazedAquarius]

Hi all, I will soon be buying a used class a, I am still shopping, my budget is limited, any suggestions on class a rv's? good models? bad models, I wont be driving it much yet, later i will tho; but, I will be living in it full time. I know the basics so far, look for mold, drip lines, wrinkles, cracks in roof seals, budget is under 25 k, so, dont suggest a monaco, lol

[mustex]

CrazedAquarius wrote:

mena661 wrote:
I cringe when someone with $10,000 to spend (with little or no room for maintenance/repairs), wants to full time AND wants a nice coach. But nice MH's can definitely be had for $25,000.

lol, It would be nice to find what I want for 10 grand, but, dreams are for sleep time!!

While not perfect, we have a pretty darn nice rv for 9999. https://post.craigslist.org/manage/4097459806/yi6r3

[mustex]

We're selling ours for $9999 and its in really good nick. Check out https://post.craigslist.org/manage/4097459806/yi6r3 if you're interested.

Its been full timed in and looked after. Was recently driven Banff to Vancouver with no mechnical issues whatsoever

[J-Rooster]

CA, there are good used RV's out there at your price if you don't hurry your search! I just wanted to give you some encouragement. I went to a RV Dealer (sales used coaches in Lake Havasu City, AZ.) to get some septic deodorizer and seen a 1967 Winnebago on there lot. It looked a little rough on the outside (paint faded & decals worn) but the body was straight and it needed 6 new tires. When the salesman took me inside that coach my jaw dropped! It looked near new inside and the owner kept up on everything inside the coach and in the engine, which he started regular. It only had 7,000 miles on the speedo! Good Luck in your search the RV's out there here & there!

[bertnspike]

IMHO, you can get more coach for your money if you purchase from an individual. If you do that, you must hire an independent RV technician to inspect the RV BEFORE you sign anything or hand over anything more than a REFUNDABLE deposit.

There are companies that sell 3 year warranties for used motor homes. I believe Good Sam offers them for coaches up to 15 years old. There are others. I have Cornerstone, but my coach is a 2005. I don't know what the other companies age limits are. What is covered is pretty much up to you and your pocketbook.

Dealers MAY offer a 30 day warranty of some sort, likely not worth much.

There are a few dealers across the country that offer "one-stop shopping", one of them being LazyDays of Phoenix, AZ and Tampa, FL. You can have everything done there, from finding your RV to insuring it, to the warranties, to modifications, to tires, etc., until you're ready to leave on your first trip. Most reviews of them are good, a few are very bad. I bought mine from LazyDays and have been very happy, which is why I use them for an example. I know there are other - generally - good dealers out there.

A dealer does make it easy, but never forget the markup on everything. A dealer MIGHT give you a free calendar... Mr. & Mrs. Previous Owner might become friends and good teachers about the coach too.

BTW, Even though I purchased at LazyDays, I still hired an independent inspector. Because of that, I got 4 (out of 6) new tires and new rear bushings included in the original price. He was well worth the $300.00 and 6 hours he cost.

[wny_pat1]

mena661 wrote:
But nice MH's can definitely be had for $25,000.

But you have to look long and hard to find a good one at that price. And remember, if at a dealership, when the salesman's lips are moving, it isn't to be believed!

[CrazedAquarius]

CrazedAquarius wrote:

bertnspike wrote:

CrazedAquarius wrote:
I prefer to stick with a dealership, so I can possible purchase a warranty of some type, but, thanks for the advice, I was actually thinking low miles was good, not so?

Tell us where you are and how far you're willing to travel. This group is big enough to have knowledge of almost every RV dealer out there. The only problem with dealers is the markup. Very often it is ridiculous.

For many people an extended warranty on a motor home is a bargain & a necessity. Other folks would rather stash a couple of thousand $$ for emergencies. Only you know what's right for you.

On an "elderly" motor home low mileage is not very good. The more an RV is properly used the better condition (at least mechanically) it's likely to be in. That said, my motor home had fairly low mileage for its age. When I learned that the reason for that was the distance between the original owner's home and their favorite snowbird location I wasn't too concerned. I knew the MH had to have been used regularly and regularly maintained.

Stay away from Camping World RV Sales. I don't think I've ever seen a good report on them and some were really horrific. Camping World is great for other things and some of their internet only sales are truly unbeatable. If you join Good Sam you get a small discount at Camping World.

If it is at all possible try to set up your car for 4-down towing. Keep things simple.

I will be willing to fly anywhere in the country if it is the right RV, I have opened myself up to private sellers, actually looked on craigslist, never occured to me, and see one that would be perfect for me, but, sigh, wont have the cash for at least a month, I will hate if it sells!

Ohhh, i forgot, near Akron, Ohio, its great up here in the summer, but, want to get outa dodge in the winter and no way I can afford two houses, lol

[CrazedAquarius]

bertnspike wrote:

CrazedAquarius wrote:
I prefer to stick with a dealership, so I can possible purchase a warranty of some type, but, thanks for the advice, I was actually thinking low miles was good, not so?

Tell us where you are and how far you're willing to travel. This group is big enough to have knowledge of almost every RV dealer out there. The only problem with dealers is the markup. Very often it is ridiculous.

For many people an extended warranty on a motor home is a bargain & a necessity. Other folks would rather stash a couple of thousand $$ for emergencies. Only you know what's right for you.

On an "elderly" motor home low mileage is not very good. The more an RV is properly used the better condition (at least mechanically) it's likely to be in. That said, my motor home had fairly low mileage for its age. When I learned that the reason for that was the distance between the original owner's home and their favorite snowbird location I wasn't too concerned. I knew the MH had to have been used regularly and regularly maintained.

Stay away from Camping World RV Sales. I don't think I've ever seen a good report on them and some were really horrific. Camping World is great for other things and some of their internet only sales are truly unbeatable. If you join Good Sam you get a small discount at Camping World.

If it is at all possible try to set up your car for 4-down towing. Keep things simple.

I will be willing to fly anywhere in the country if it is the right RV, I have opened myself up to private sellers, actually looked on craigslist, never occured to me, and see one that would be perfect for me, but, sigh, wont have the cash for at least a month, I will hate if it sells!

[CrazedAquarius]

mena661 wrote:
I cringe when someone with $10,000 to spend (with little or no room for maintenance/repairs), wants to full time AND wants a nice coach. But nice MH's can definitely be had for $25,000.

lol, It would be nice to find what I want for 10 grand, but, dreams are for sleep time!!

[racer99]

I got a few suggestions that helped or got us a good coach-First off Roof -If there is any water marks on ceiling run away-AND you can't take the sellers word-look into every cabinet for water marks if shows any water marks there is a leak and hard to find and fix right without spending money-- next if you a buy a MH with a slide in the price range your looking it will be either leaking worn out or something wrong down the road and will be more expensive down the road --There are a lot without slides and you can use that as bargaining the price-the extra room you gain for one person isn't worth the hassle -upkeep and weight--TIRES --I disagree with others on this --If the MH is got good points and bad tires buy it and put new tires on -The most important thing on a MH is the tires so don't worry about the age of tires but DO spend the money for them---If you are going to tow a car sell your bigger car and get a front wheel drive smaller used car like a ford focus and spend a little more on a USED Demco tow dolly WITH surge brakes-To tow a car is a convenience but we feel it is worth its weight in gold-We like the Ford F-53 chassis with the V-10 motor over the 460 Ford and do not care for the P-30-32 chassis because of the brake problems-I would look under the chassis and look for chassis rust--Fleetwood has been our choice on our 1st & 2nd MH and have had good luck with both--These are of course my own opinions and aren't the bible but only suggestions-Hope they help--Rich
pauperspride.blogspot.com

[howdy35]

Look at PPL in Houston. They will have some gassers for under $25,000. Buy one with at least one slide to give you more room when you stop. Lots of good info on this site.

[klm]

Don't limit yourself in your search. There are some good preowned units for sale by owner. If your main reason for using a dealer is for the warranty - might be 30 days at best - lots of older units are sold "as is". I am a fulltimer, bought my used unit from a private seller - he had all service records, and I had an independent inspector check all house systems and engine (oil test). Good luck in your search

[mena661]

I cringe when someone with $10,000 to spend (with little or no room for maintenance/repairs), wants to full time AND wants a nice coach. But nice MH's can definitely be had for $25,000.

[emzee]

Pretty good advice so far; all the best to you. We purchased an after market warranty through GoodSam when we bought our new to us motorhome. Peace of mind is worth everything.

[bertnspike]

CrazedAquarius wrote:
I prefer to stick with a dealership, so I can possible purchase a warranty of some type, but, thanks for the advice, I was actually thinking low miles was good, not so?

Tell us where you are and how far you're willing to travel. This group is big enough to have knowledge of almost every RV dealer out there. The only problem with dealers is the markup. Very often it is ridiculous.

For many people an extended warranty on a motor home is a bargain & a necessity. Other folks would rather stash a couple of thousand $$ for emergencies. Only you know what's right for you.

On an "elderly" motor home low mileage is not very good. The more an RV is properly used the better condition (at least mechanically) it's likely to be in. That said, my motor home had fairly low mileage for its age. When I learned that the reason for that was the distance between the original owner's home and their favorite snowbird location I wasn't too concerned. I knew the MH had to have been used regularly and regularly maintained.

Stay away from Camping World RV Sales. I don't think I've ever seen a good report on them and some were really horrific. Camping World is great for other things and some of their internet only sales are truly unbeatable. If you join Good Sam you get a small discount at Camping World.

If it is at all possible try to set up your car for 4-down towing. Keep things simple.