would you drive a "new" used MH 2,000 miles?

Have owned a nice Class A, and now own a Class C. Our C is more comfortable to drive, parks in smaller spaces at parking lots, gets better fuel mileage (probably the result of better streamlining and less weight). The A was great when parked as it had lots of room and a little bigger bathroom. Not all Class C's have the overhead bunk and such units are sometimes misbranded as B+ such as Coach House and others. I'd keep looking, a good deal on a C will show up, just be ready to make your move when it does.

Being a Class C forum The bias here is going to be Class C---- the reason why we wanted the Class C is the front bunk area offers sleeping are for the kids. We to noticed. When we bought ours, the number of Class A's and often lowere price tags--- If we weren't relegated to the Class C bunk arrangement, we would have looked at Class A's.

I've been thinking only class C, but i see a lot class A out there cheap too. what would be the downside to a class A to a C? It looks as though class C's are prone to leaking over the cab. What are the Class A downsides?

http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/rvs/5124647886.html

New rigs break down also..I would not hesitate to take off in a well maintained motor home, once it was all checked out.I just bought another class C used but well maintained with records.Drove it home 200 miles and have a good idea what it may or may not need..

Buying a used motor home is a catch 22.Low miles on the unit and gen means it probably wasn't used much which carries it's own set of problems versus one used moderately and often.

I bought a Beaver Class C a few years ago with 80,000 miles.I put several thousand miles on it before it needed anything.Water pump finally went out being the only engine problem I had with it.

Good luck in your choice..It takes alot of looking and checking things out to find the perfect motor home for you and yours,new or used.

Sorry to hear you lost out on a deal, the Cobra looked good to me, but there will be more units that show up. Just wait your time and who knows maybe something even better will appear. I agree with your wife that the Fleetwood just didn't seem good. And if nothing shows up in the next few weeks, you can always take your car to see your son at Fort Sill and maybe even look around down in OK for a good used unit.

I set up a time to go look at the cobra. he said he had a few people looked at it but nothing serious. then he called me back 45 minutes later and said a guy looked at it today and didnt seem interested. then he came back with his wife and they bought it. My wife does not like the other ford i posted. I have found this one which we both like 1997 30' however that is getting close to the point to where if i spend that much i'd rather wait to get something with the v-10. which i would have to wait until next spring to spend that much. I'd be ok spending 12K. I just need to get some bills out of the way. The search continues.

Many years ago my dad bought a 20 year old 1970's Minnie Winnie 22'Class C on a Dodge chassis. He, his brother and another mutual friend and been planning a trip of several weeks duration which entailed driving across the USA to California, up the west coast to deep in Alaska, across Alaska crossing back into the US @ Detroit and then back home.

The coach components including a 2.7kw generator were all operational but I spent a few hours prepping the Chrysler portion which included overhauling the carb., (it needed it) replacing plugs, plug wires, cap and rotor and ballast resistor, alternator brushes (5 minute external job on those, and changed all belts and hoses with new coolant (the water pump looked and felt fine). He had 2 new front tires installed due to age and the headed out. Total of probably $500 back then for everything (brakes and transmission had been serviced recently).

They were gone for several weeks and covered many thousands of miles, including desert and mountains, during August and September, and the only mechanical defect they incurred was a wiper blade coming apart on the Al-Can highway.

Of course you will get many opinions but, being the adventurous sort, I would do it in heartbeat at whatever level I could afford.

jotityra wrote:
thanks for all the suggestions. I've pretty much decided if i can find something in time i'm going to take it on the trip. that long of a trip in a kia optima sounds very cramped to me so i'd like some more room. i didnt hear anyone tell me i'm crazy. this is why i need to move on this because i have to have time to go through this and repair things if found. I'd probably replace belts, give it a tune up, take it up north for a weekend see how it goes. i have an 01 ford focus with 200,000 miles and a 93 ranger with 150,000 so an older RV would not scare me, its just the distance away from my tools haha. I'm sure i'd get road side assistance on my insurance too so that may help me relax a little. maybe. I would not be as leery if i had this for a year and i knew it was reliable, but all i would have now is a month and the sellers word. which is c.r.a.p because they want it gone.

As long as you're prepared to spend another $5K on the unit to get and keep it road worthy, you'll be fine. RVs that old and set up, need a lot of $$$ to keep 'em on the road. Any $5K unit can easily cost you another $5K inside a year or two of running it. That's penny wise, but pound foolish. Get the rig that's $15K to $20K to get a better unit. Which is what you were going to do in the first place.

We purchased our '98 Coachmen in 2011 with 110K - drove twice from Maine to Florida and back plus other trips thruout northern New England. Your plan to spend the $5K now rather than wait is a sound one- in my opinion. You do want to budget approximately $1K/ year for repairs/maintenance for any used RV--- my budget is having a local RV tech doing the work for me-- one year might be tires or brakes or a roof reseal or?

Class C's are built on the same heavy duty van chassis as box trucks and moving vans-- they are built tough and to be reliable. Furthermore with the OBD II computers in the mid 90's have made vehicles very reliable.

Okay I will say it YOU ARE CRAZY to do this.
But so are the rest of us cause we are all envying your trip