SequoiaBound wrote:
For someone brand new to this and just starting research are there any resources or guides for how to spot issues and/or this "quality" that folks mention often?
In home buying and in RV shopping it is easy to look at the shiny objects and overlook the guts. Since I started from scratch about three weeks ago I've gone from not knowing what Class A/B/C meant to researching individual manufacturers and models and common problems. I've watched hours of youtube videos to learn basics and model reviews.
That being said, beyond looking for things like water damage, obvious wear and tear, generator hours, tire year, what other issues should I be looking for? Should I just rely on an RV mechanic once I believe I've found the right RV? Using the VIN can I obtain maintenance records from the manufacturer or any other resource?
Also am I allowed to flatly ask on these forums what is a quality manufacturer vs a cheapo? I have a pretty good feel based upon pricing and the used market but just thought I'd throw it out there.
With older Class A gas units, I'm partial to National brands and don't think there was one finer. I still have my Tropi-Cal for sale, which was the top of the line for that year and even though, you'll probably see more Dolphin's out there than anything else and with the LX being comparable. Tropi-Cal went DP with their quality in 03.
With the newer ones, I'm thinking along the lines of Newmar and their Canyon Star seems to be very popular, with a large 1 1/2 bath model as well. Larger the better for us, as it makes no difference on the road and this fact was reinforced with my drive home in our newer 41ft DP. Especially with the sharper wheel cut, so actually easier to drive all around.
Now, once you get into DP's it becomes very very broad and always boils down to what you want to pay. We like quality, so will drop back in the years for getting what we want and always shun away from the new ones that might still fit our budget.
For the extreme high end and discounting these brands from consideration, there's still a lot to choose from. By extreme, I'm talking, Prevost, Newell, Foretravel, Bluebird for some examples.
Sure we could have bought a much older one of these as well, but now your must haves begin to diminish in the way of slides perhaps and with finding a 1 1/2 bath model.
All in all, I think we have a quality product with what we bought and with not having to give up on much of anything.
You can get some info from the Vin, depending on the companies involed in it's production and whether or not they're still in business. Also there's some info with companies like carfax that you can get for less than 2 bucks.
For an inspection, choose an independent professional for doing a PDI and have it as a contingency. Also one that doesn't know the dealer if there is one and you will probably find your best deals with consignment sales, when a dealer is involved.
We bought this way, but made the mistake of letting the dealer do the PDI and much like getting a fox to guard the chicken house, if you get my drift.
To sum it up, get it for the right price, so you'll have some room for the issues that always come up after the buy. With buying new, you're already under water when leaving the dealer's lot, so....
Hope this long dissertation helps to answer your questions some, without stepping on some toes....lol
