What Constitutes Vintage Class A

[Dave_Pete]

DW and I are dissatisfied with the build quality, and lifestyle of our new 2013 travel trailer. We're having trouble selling outright, due to a seeming glut on the market. We are considering trading into a Class A and want to keep it close to straight across or "write us a check for the difference" so we're looking at older units. We've looked at Class Cs, but are more favorably impressed with the front seat experience of a Class A.

We are "classics" and "vintage" kind of people. (Yes getting older, but that's not what I meant). We are doing a resto-mod on a classic 1968 Travel Queen Truck Camper for some of our traveling style needs, and we own a 1954 Willys Jeep CJ3B that we love driving and taking with and having people comment on.

So what constitutes a "vintage" or classic Class A? We don't mind some repair and upgrading, etc., but don't want to start out with a basket case. We're tall so would really need the 80" length of a bed and prefer it to be an "always made-up" type. That means a long-boy double, standard queen (non-RV queen). In other words, not sure a smaller Winnebago or GMC would work, but don't let that stop your comments!

[rgatijnet1]

delete

[rgatijnet1]

Dave Pete wrote:
Wow! The boat things are just Wow!

Thanks everyone for your input and thoughts. It seems to me the final answer is "there really isn't a Class A Vintage MH definition" as there may be in "classic automobiles" for example. And maybe I have that wrong too. When I was a kid, an antique auto was 50 or more years old and a classic auto was 25 years or more. But of course "vintage" is always changing based on the sub-group who is involved in it, and the overall length of time the object has been around. I suppose it would be safe to say early 70's Winnebagos, GMCs, early bus chassis MH manufacturer built MHs like Prevost and Bluebird, etc. all qualify. Anyway it's fun to see your answers, thanks again. For me, thinking through all this stuff is half the fun.

Just don't bite off more than you can handle. Having restored several classic cars, boats, airplanes, and RV's, I can say that I have seen quite a few unfinished projects sold at a huge loss when the owner finally realized that he did not have the skill, or the wallet, to finish the restoration project that he started. Assess your skills and budget and move forward accordingly. The ultimate goal is to enjoy the RV, not spending years with a project that never gets out on the road. Good luck with your choice.

[Dave_Pete]

Wow! The boat things are just Wow!

Thanks everyone for your input and thoughts. It seems to me the final answer is "there really isn't a Class A Vintage MH definition" as there may be in "classic automobiles" for example. And maybe I have that wrong too. When I was a kid, an antique auto was 50 or more years old and a classic auto was 25 years or more. But of course "vintage" is always changing based on the sub-group who is involved in it, and the overall length of time the object has been around. I suppose it would be safe to say early 70's Winnebagos, GMCs, early bus chassis MH manufacturer built MHs like Prevost and Bluebird, etc. all qualify. Anyway it's fun to see your answers, thanks again. For me, thinking through all this stuff is half the fun.

[MrWizard]

GMC

Air Stream class A

Apollo


RARE....Vintage 1972 Rectrans Discoverer Motorhome -Dodge chassis



ive always wanted to have one and paint a mural so it looked like the "space Shuttle" in flight



NOW this one is really really rare..boater home
find one of these and be really Unique

[wallynm]

25 or more years old..

[RayChez]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Sure doubt that anyone would pay up to a million for a "wore out bus chassis". Many are built on NEW Prevost chassis and these are available often.....

Nobody said anything about paying a million dollars for a worn out chassis.

When I was at Pacific City RV park in Oregon there a group of old buses that had been converted to motorhome use. And they did look old and had many miles according to some of the owners. Some of these were old commercial buses at one time. Now I know that they are built so that they can last for so many miles. But I know being an old railroad mechanical supervisor that even locomotives wear out much less a bus chassis. Nothing lasts for ever and if you are going to restore a Prevost chassis that used to be in commercial use, it will take lots of money to get it converted.

Now I realize that you can buy the Prevost and then take it to a place where they specialize on conversions. Fact they used to have one right off highway 27 in Orlando Florida and another that I knew off was right here in Tehachapi, Ca. But you are going to pay some big bucks if you want a coach with few miles on it or brand new.

[RayChez]

rgatijnet1 wrote:

RayChez wrote:
I believe vintage coaches would be twenty and older. That is what it is on automobiles, so it probably would be after twenty.

Have read several RVer's recommending Prevosts and MCI etc etc. These chassis would have to be old bus chassis in order to be vintage. Now it sounds nice to say get a old Prevost, but you also have to think, how many miles this chassis has on it when being used as a commercial bus. Probably a million miles before they retire them. So my point is that it is going to take lots of money to restore that chassis and parts and engines do not come cheap. So you got to consider how much it would take to restore and whether it is worth it, and you also have to figure that it is old and a lot of places they will not even let you in the RV parks. They do not have slides which makes it pretty crowded in comparison to todays coaches with lots of room.

Personally I would not take an old Prevost or MCI etc. Things wear out no matter how good it was built when it was new.

You can do what ever turns you on, but what I just posted is something to think about.

They have been building top of the line RV's on Prevost and MCI chassis for well over 20 years. In fact, the link I gave a few posts back showed a 1985 Prevost RV with ONLY 108,000 miles. That would be hardly worn and it certainly meets your standard of over 20 years old. That one did not have slides but slides started on the Prevost chassis about the same time they started on the other brands.

Here is a 1988 Prevost with 44,000 miles and a slide. Again, not worn out and certainly ready for tens of thousands of more miles without a concern. Liberty Coach

It seems like I have read many times in this forum to stay away from coaches that have just been sitting around. This Prevost with only 44K miles in 26 years puts out a red flag immediately. It is the worst thing you can do to a coach is to let it sit for years at a time. Gaskets dry up and things just start to deteriorate. With 44K miles it probably still had the original tires.

[ferndaleflyer]

Sure doubt that anyone would pay up to a million for a "wore out bus chassis". Many are built on NEW Prevost chassis and these are available often.....

[J-Rooster]

State of Washington a vintage vehicle must be 30 years old and in good condition to qualify for Vintage License Plates.

[rgatijnet1]

RayChez wrote:
I believe vintage coaches would be twenty and older. That is what it is on automobiles, so it probably would be after twenty.

Have read several RVer's recommending Prevosts and MCI etc etc. These chassis would have to be old bus chassis in order to be vintage. Now it sounds nice to say get a old Prevost, but you also have to think, how many miles this chassis has on it when being used as a commercial bus. Probably a million miles before they retire them. So my point is that it is going to take lots of money to restore that chassis and parts and engines do not come cheap. So you got to consider how much it would take to restore and whether it is worth it, and you also have to figure that it is old and a lot of places they will not even let you in the RV parks. They do not have slides which makes it pretty crowded in comparison to todays coaches with lots of room.

Personally I would not take an old Prevost or MCI etc. Things wear out no matter how good it was built when it was new.

You can do what ever turns you on, but what I just posted is something to think about.

They have been building top of the line RV's on Prevost and MCI chassis for well over 20 years. In fact, the link I gave a few posts back showed a 1985 Prevost RV with ONLY 108,000 miles. That would be hardly worn and it certainly meets your standard of over 20 years old. That one did not have slides but slides started on the Prevost chassis about the same time they started on the other brands.

Here is a 1988 Prevost with 44,000 miles and a slide. Again, not worn out and certainly ready for tens of thousands of more miles without a concern. Liberty Coach

[RayChez]

I believe vintage coaches would be twenty and older. That is what it is on automobiles, so it probably would be after twenty.

Have read several RVer's recommending Prevosts and MCI etc etc. These chassis would have to be old bus chassis in order to be vintage. Now it sounds nice to say get a old Prevost, but you also have to think, how many miles this chassis has on it when being used as a commercial bus. Probably a million miles before they retire them. So my point is that it is going to take lots of money to restore that chassis and parts and engines do not come cheap. So you got to consider how much it would take to restore and whether it is worth it, and you also have to figure that it is old and a lot of places they will not even let you in the RV parks. They do not have slides which makes it pretty crowded in comparison to todays coaches with lots of room.

Personally I would not take an old Prevost or MCI etc. Things wear out no matter how good it was built when it was new.

You can do what ever turns you on, but what I just posted is something to think about.

[Laman]

moonlightrunner wrote:
I beleive if it's no longer made, it's considered vintage in the auto world. In the RVing world, if it's over 10yo it's vintage. That because manufactured RVs don't hold up too well unless very good care was taken. I suggest that you find something you REALLY like, buy the best example that you can and keep it up from there. Some friends of mine decided to keep their mid '90's Jeep and completely fix it back up rather than buy another used something that they didn't know the issues with. Their theory is that you always hear of the one or two owner classic that was taken care of thru the years. So why not do that with a vehicle they already have $$ invested in. Makes sense to me. Like all those folks who buy a clapped out Airstream and then renovate it. Why not renovate the not so old thing you already have or are looking to buy if you like it even if it's not really "vintage" or "retro" or what ever the popular term is this week? Be easier to get certain parts too. The price difference between "older" and "vintage/collectors" RVs can be a lot of money that can go into repairs and updating.

Ten years old, your trying to be funny right?

[ferndaleflyer]

Avoid the entry level coaches.....and if you can get a converted Prevost etc you can hardly go wrong. They last forever.....I was in an entry level 40ft DP last night that is 4 years old and although well taken care of it just seemed built cheap to me and didn't have a lot of little things that are standard on the more expensive models.....

[2bzy2c]

Vintage RV? Anything I can afford.

[rgatijnet1]

Look for a Prevost or MCI chassis motor home which will guaranty a chassis built to last 1,000,000+ miles and there are several vintage coaches out there with those chassis that are selling for well under $100,000. In almost all cases they will have the ceiling height and bed length that you want. These will be in 40 and 45' lengths and parts are readily available for the chassis and the house can be configured almost any way that you desire. They were all built with the best materials when they left the factory and most have the stainless steel exterior which insures good looks and have a roof that will need very little maintenance. One like this would be a good place to start: Prevost RV