Used Class A's

[FlintlockCG]

Hi Folks,

New User here; my wife and I are contemplating retirement next year and we are seriously thinking about buying a used Class A and taking some trips. NC to Maine and NC to Alaka would probably be our first destinations.

I have done a little research and have been very surprised about pricing for used Class A units; if you do a search on RVTrader for Class A's with less than 40k miles, 10 years old or newer, you find a bunch of units priced in the mid 30's. I am sure I can buy a lot of problems but what should I look for (and what should I avoid)?

I should mention that I am an RV Park owner in western NC, so I am gathering opinions from my customers also.

Opinions appreciated. Campers are such a shy group 😉

[tropical36]

FlintlockCG wrote:
Thanks so much everybody for the great comments. Our budget is right about $40k and based on these comments we are going to focus on Monoco, Tiffin, or Newmar as our first choices. RV Trader has a lot of 10 year old units in these brands with very low mileage.

We are looking in the 34-36 foot range and I expect we will buy a Gas MH (but would consider a diesel if the right deal came along). My wife certainly agrees with the idea that we need the right floor plan and the other thing we have noticed is that some 10 year old units look pretty dated, while others look classic. The classic look is a definite.

One other question, are there companies that do pre-purchase inspections of MH's? I have bought cars sight unseen using a service and if we spot a MH 1000 miles away I would like an expert opinion. Probably would be smart to have it inspected even if it's close to home.

Thanks again.

We have just made a purchase and only waiting on delivery and to finish paying for it. A complete PDI inspection was part of the bargain with this consignment dealer and what the hold up is now, since besides our trivia list, they found some fairly expensive work that had to be done and not hard too hard to find, on an aged 40ft DP with a lot of bells and whistles, whether like new or not.
This also comes with oil and filter changes and on a DP, is quite a chunk of change in itself.
I will send this two page PDI to anyone that wants it, if they'll PM and provide me with an email addy.

[FlintlockCG]

Thanks so much everybody for the great comments. Our budget is right about $40k and based on these comments we are going to focus on Monoco, Tiffin, or Newmar as our first choices. RV Trader has a lot of 10 year old units in these brands with very low mileage.

We are looking in the 34-36 foot range and I expect we will buy a Gas MH (but would consider a diesel if the right deal came along). My wife certainly agrees with the idea that we need the right floor plan and the other thing we have noticed is that some 10 year old units look pretty dated, while others look classic. The classic look is a definite.

One other question, are there companies that do pre-purchase inspections of MH's? I have bought cars sight unseen using a service and if we spot a MH 1000 miles away I would like an expert opinion. Probably would be smart to have it inspected even if it's close to home.

Thanks again.

[Kidoo]

Many points to consider.
Diesel or Gaz. Diesel have air ride and are smoother, Diesel normally do better MPG, Diesel is more complicated and more expensive to repair, Diesel are quiet as engine is in the back.
Long or short. Short are easier to park, easier to find camping spot, do better MPG.
Rubber roof or aluminun/fiberglass, alu and fiber will last forever.
Floor plan, this is your preference.
19 or 22 inch tires. 22 are more expensive but ride better.

Once you decide, check the tires, they can cost up to $4000. I would not buy a MH with old cracked tires. Brakes, wear, leak, craked disk: the rear cost me $1500.00 and this is a very good price. Leaking radiator, check if you see any seeping from it, mine cost $3000.oo. Test it on the road, check for check engine light, ABS light, turbo in good working order. ect. Check for leaks evidence as smell, discolored lines on wall or cealing, tiny black spots on the bottom or top of the walls and ceilling.


Good luck.

[tropical36]

FlintlockCG wrote:
Hi Folks,

New User here; my wife and I are contemplating retirement next year and we are seriously thinking about buying a used Class A and taking some trips. NC to Maine and NC to Alaka would probably be our first destinations.

I have done a little research and have been very surprised about pricing for used Class A units; if you do a search on RVTrader for Class A's with less than 40k miles, 10 years old or newer, you find a bunch of units priced in the mid 30's. I am sure I can buy a lot of problems but what should I look for (and what should I avoid)?

I should mention that I am an RV Park owner in western NC, so I am gathering opinions from my customers also.

Opinions appreciated. Campers are such a shy group 😉

Boils down to budget and whether quality or newness is most important to you for the same dollar amount. Some can and choose both with buying the very best brand new. This is a requirement in the industry, so people like me, can eventually own some of these units.
We subscribe to the quality of engineering over newness every time and for our budget, have chosen a 07 Fleetwood Revolution LE 40E, that should be ready by next week. This is a coach that was built on the American platform and even though it doesn't say American on it, anywhere. Anyway and like many others a good bang for the buck, IMO.
If a gas unit was in order, then we would probably choose a 2013 Newmar Canyon Star, if could be had for the same money, as we did get what I consider a very good price on the Rev.

[georgelesley]

doxiemom11 wrote:
When looking at the floor plans make sure that you have use of almost everything while the slides are in ( like during travel). We can fully use our kitchen, use the bathroom, living room area. The only thing we can't do is open our dresser drawers or closets. Also pretend to use the toilet - do you have enough room.

We are in a 16 yr old gas Monaco (Ford V-10) and have not had any major problems in the 5 yrs we have full-timed. We purchased this when it was 10 yrs old.

This is a very important point. When you stop at a rest area to have a bite to eat or just a rest, you do not want to have to open slides. Boondocking in Walmart, etc, you do not want to have to open slides.

[doxiemom11]

When looking at the floor plans make sure that you have use of almost everything while the slides are in ( like during travel). We can fully use our kitchen, use the bathroom, living room area. The only thing we can't do is open our dresser drawers or closets. Also pretend to use the toilet - do you have enough room.

We are in a 16 yr old gas Monaco (Ford V-10) and have not had any major problems in the 5 yrs we have full-timed. We purchased this when it was 10 yrs old.

[Sully2]

Country Coach..!

[jplante4]

Try to find something with high initial quality. Monanco, Newmar, Tiffin. If you go older, Bluebird, Beaver, Safari. Things seem to hold together longer on these rigs.

Spending a large amount of time in the bus on he proposed trips, floor plan is going to be important. If you decide you need slides, make sure you understand the different manufacturers and which slided they use.

Also keep in mind that prices on RVT and RVTrader tend to be higher than final purchase price. Set aside 10% of the purchase price for things that will need to fixed in the first year.

Do not buy a new or used class A and start on a trip to Alaska the next day. Do some driveway camping and weekend or week long trips to campgrounds close to home to work out what you'll need in the bus to live.

[mvpmich]

Bumpyroad wrote:
do not buy one with a rubber EPDM roof. do not buy one on an old P-30/32 chassis.
bumpy

Easy to recount roof but you can't improve upon low power, major sway and extremely short wheel base of the Chevy P chassis!!!!

[Bumpyroad]

do not buy one with a rubber EPDM roof. do not buy one on an old P-30/32 chassis.
bumpy

[georgelesley]

You hav a tremendous resource with your park. As you know, rv'ers love to show and tell about our units. Take advantage of that. Study floor plans, I promise you that if mamma does not like it neither will you! Decide whether slides are important to you or not. If so make sure all is well there,

[Tom_Barb]

Your budget is a big factor in choosing the coach.

[Bobbienbart]

Hi Flintlock,

Great question, but there may be no answer to it, at least not a specific answer. You may find, for example, that many people had problems with the 300hp Cat overheating. But, that may not be the case with all applications.

There are (have been) many rv manufacturers who choose parts from many component manufactures (Freightliner, Ford, Dometic, etc.). They may select good parts one year and fail the next.

[gbopp]

Welcome to the forum.
Check for evidence of leaks, a small leak can cause a lot of damage if not fixed quickly.

Anything you look at, check the age of the tires. RV tires usually age out before they wear out. Many buy new tires when they reach 5-7 years old.

It goes by the manufacture date, not the date they were installed. If the tires are old, factor New tires into your price negotiations.

With any used RV, condition is the important factor. A low end unit in good condition is usually a better buy than a high end unit in poor condition.

If the interior is dirty and not maintained, it's a good indication the engine an mechanicals were not service properly.

There's a lot more but, this will get you started.

[Artum_Snowbird]

Try being a little more specific as to what your inclinations are. Class A's run from gas to diesel, short to long. What you can tow, what you can do your laundry in.. so much to consider, and you can narrow it down a lot.