Suggestions on a used Class C for a family of 4

[Baja_Man]

Hello all....have a had MH, TT, and 5er over the years. Been thinking about a used class C, as we can tow our pontoon if we desire and our kids would love the idea of overhead sleeper!

We decided against a Class A (at least the models that we can afford) as they do not offer the sleeping accommodations offered by a Class C. 5er/TT would cause me to have to purchase a TV and that is an added expense we do not want.

We want to spend as much quality time with our kids as possible before the 14yo discovers it's not cool to hang with his parents! We also want to expose our 9yo son, who has Autism, to as much of the world as possible. Traveling by MH....camping, road trips, sight seeing, etc., are all positive experiences that we want him to see and participate in as fully as possible.

Family of 4 (DW, 1 Boy-14yo, 1 Autistic Boy-9yo) Sometimes granny may join us.

Primary uses include....Local CA parks/campgrounds/beaches, Lake Tahoe, Lake Havasu, Sierras, Arizona parks/lakes, perhaps a trip next year to Florida (Disneyworld!), any other yet TBD destinations!

I have several questions.....

Purchase a used $12K model (can pay cash) or a used $30K (must finance) model.

Slides or no slides?

24'-26' or 29'-30'?

Ford or Chevy?

older gas engines (ex. 460 V8) or newer gas engines

Workhorse chasis...what is it?

Any other suggestions is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

[kazmir]

One thing to consider if you are planning on camping at state parks and national forest campgrounds in the Sierras that some limit size to 24 or 26 feet. You may want to check on your favorites to see if you can fit. My family of 4 - same aged kids - with added friends and a dog fit well in our 24 ft Winnie Chalet. It was a El Monte rental and came to us in excellent condition from them with full maintenance records.

Our oldest likes to sleep in a tent now if she has friends come along these days.

We are camping this weekend in Big Sur with 5 and a dog, warm and cozy~

Good luck finding your ride!

[OldRadios]

Answered

[Baja_Man]

OldRadios....sent you a PM

[OldRadios]

It pays to look. I searched Craig's list and all the RV sites for three months. I just bought a 2006 that looks brand new, not a spot on it anywhere and only has 17,000 miles on it. Looks like it spent it's entire life in a garage. 160 miles from my house. Just make sure you are ready to buy (cash in hand and/or financing ready) when you go to look at one. If it's really a great deal it may not be available long.

[mlts22]

I'd check CL... but be advised that it is crawling with scammers so keep your BS detector on its maximum setting, use a disposable E-mail address and for a phone number, either use Google Voice or buy yourself a burner phone, some number you can easily toss if you find yourself on the line with a criminal.

I also keep my eyes on rvtrader, but again, keep the BS detector on ultra-sensitive.

[Baja_Man]

Thanks for the responses! It appears that RV #1 on my post above is out of the question I just found out from the owner that the tranny was replaced in December 2013. Only 9K miles! I have never heard of a tranny going that quickly. This is what scares me after paying $35K-$40K for a motor home to have this happen.

In order to get the clean and newer units (2009-2012) the price jumps up closer to $50K.

I've been looking at ads everyday and have visited two RV dealers. Everything between 2009-2012 that is super clean, 30' with 1-2 slides, is about $50K.

I guess I keep looking.....?

[OldRadios]

Size could be an issue depending on where you want to camp.

We like to camp at more remote campsites. Many parks around here don't allow the bigger rigs in the out of the way campsites. We just bought a 27' class C as that's the max allowed for many of the sites we have liked over the years using our old class B van camper.

If you plan on only doing the "RV" camp sites with hook-ups then size does not matter as much.

[aerbus32]

You're getting a lot of responses, so let me give you my experienced perspective. You're in Hemet? We retired from Temecula. Started with a brand new 1989 26' Class C Jamboree (biggest available then) towing an 18' Sea Ray to Lake Shasta each summer with our 2 kids. Bunk beds are a must! Second. We had to move up to a Class A to tow our next boat, a 21' Sea Ray. So . . . Your currently listed Suntracker should be a very easy tow. Most Class C's tow 3500lbs. And you know the 80% rule, right? How soon do you expect to get 2 footitis? Where locally are you planning to tow the boat? And please don't say Big Bear! Both of our motorhomes were great tow vehicles and superb on launch ramps. You never get the rear wheels wet like I used to with our other tow vehicles. But, we also used to hit lakes where there was a marina where we could rent a slip. You do not want to be messing with hooking/unhooking the RV at the site each time you use the boat. (Although we used to occasionally take the rigs to Lake Perris at times when it wouldn't be an absolute zoo. Great to ski in the morning, nap in the motorhome, then fish until sundown!). You will be creating memories with your kids that are worth more than all the money in the world. Having said that, be careful with some of the local dealers. I've heard good things about Temecula RV, but never used them. I found Richardson's in Sun City to be okay. Contact Redlands Truck & RV and see if they will inspect a unit before you buy it. Whatever it costs is worth it. Talk to them about good extended warranties to consider. They may even know of an available unit they can recommend. They are who you want servicing your rig.

Here's the key. Find a floor plan that you guys like that has been taken care of. Buy it. And use it!

Once you have it, get it and the boat out of So Cal. Seriously. I launched our boats all up and down the state. Shasta is absolutely the best. Worth twice the drive to the River. Great impoundments all along the Western foothills also. Though they will be bone dry this year they put all the So Cal lakes to shame.

And . . . I bought that first Sea Ray when my 29 year old was just old enough to start fishing. He is now a Spec Ops instructor with a 21' Sea Ray he uses around Destin, Florida, to catch and release the feminine species. All those days we spent fishing under the Coronado Bay Bridge when he was growing up were nice, but if you ever get a chance, Destin Is absolutely boater heaven. Nothing like it on the west coast!

[DaHose]

Buddy of mine (HVAC guy) told me that the small compressors in the RV units almost never go bad. Mine has a 30 year old A/C that had stopped working. My buddy recommended replacing the capacitors. I put in new caps. for $40 and it worked great.

If your appliances have a lot of modern electronics, then maybe I would worry about them. If they look more traditional and don't have fancy lights, that could mean they don't have overly sensitive controller boards. It's the controller boards that typically break and those are often obtainable items.

Refrigerator would be my only appliance worry. The tri-power models do eventually corrode their ammonia systems, but even that assembly can be replaced.

What I'm saying is I don't think you need to budget for appliance replacement at 10 years. I think that if they survived that long, you could be looking at another 10 years with maybe some minor repair like capacitors or controller boards.

Jose

[pianotuna]

Hi,

They are both a little to "old" for my taste. I am anti slide because I full time in extreme cold.

[Dusty_R]

Our first mh we used for 14 years, no roof air, and never had a problem with the appliances.
The one we now have is 11 years old and we live in it in the winter, Snow Birds, and have not had a problem with the appliances.

Dusty

[Baja_Man]

After much deliberation, the DW and I are getting closer to narrowing our decision. We have two potential units that we are considering. I was hoping for some opinion on the more experienced Class C folks around here.

1. 2005 Fleetwood Jamboree 31 W GT model. 9K miles, 1 large slide. Very clean condition. New 16' awning. Original owner. Used for one Washington/Oregon trip and then just local trips within CA. Asking $41,9000 will take $38K firm. Service records since new.

2. 2007 Thor Four Winds 31F. Second owner (supposedly). 19K miles. 2 slides. Traded in at a dealer and was purchased by an employee of dealer (current owner). Supposedly, orig owner used for a Canadian trip towing racing cars. Current owner has owned for just under one year and has made a round trip to Idaho towing a Jeep. New tires. Firm at $39K. No service records from orig owner.

I will add other choices for your input, as we get closer to finding "just the right one!"

#1 seems a little high in price due to the year? Since it is an '05, should I plan on new appliances and new roof AC? I've read that these start going bad after 10 years or so.

#2 seems a little concerning due to no records and the Canadian trip and all the towing that occurred.

Thanks

[super_camper]

Baja Man wrote:
I guess I'm most impressed by the condition and price of this Jayco. It just looks and feels like a quality unit that was very well taken care of. All others (2005-2008) I have seen have been well used or not taken care of very well. This Jayco is about as clean as I will probably find for a used model without going new.

However, after stepping into other models on the lot that have a large slide, the difference is impressive. DW thinks we should stick to models with slide(s), buth then thinks we have to put a stop to how much we want to spend or it will never end!!!

So, that being said, it appears I will be looking at $32-$37K for a 30' with slide, in the 2007-2009 year range, and with under 25K miles.

Man, just to think, a few weeks ago I was going to settle on a $15K model and be happy with that!! Maybe I can still be happy with a $15K model??????

I live on a 1/2 acre with plenty of RV parking.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.....

To answer your question on financing vs buying outright, I recommend financing but be sure to hold the loan amount equal to the value of the RV. This is low risk as you're never up-side down on the loan, and the cost of money is as close to free as it will ever be. There is absolutely no point in tying up your money in an RV, its just a big expense.

[Baja_Man]

I guess I'm most impressed by the condition and price of this Jayco. It just looks and feels like a quality unit that was very well taken care of. All others (2005-2008) I have seen have been well used or not taken care of very well. This Jayco is about as clean as I will probably find for a used model without going new.

However, after stepping into other models on the lot that have a large slide, the difference is impressive. DW thinks we should stick to models with slide(s), buth then thinks we have to put a stop to how much we want to spend or it will never end!!!

So, that being said, it appears I will be looking at $32-$37K for a 30' with slide, in the 2007-2009 year range, and with under 25K miles.

Man, just to think, a few weeks ago I was going to settle on a $15K model and be happy with that!! Maybe I can still be happy with a $15K model??????

I live on a 1/2 acre with plenty of RV parking.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.....