Old versus New

[garbinator]

I currently enjoy a 1996 990 Legend, I must say, a Legend it has been...

As the years and miles have past, so has its overall condition. Every appliance works, the unit itself needs TLC to include some rotting issues around the dump valve area structure.

The whole camper needs resealling.

Paint

New shades and blinds.

And that curse of a overhead front window that I dispise so much!

Need new propane horizontal bottles. Expensive.

Wish there could be a way of spraying insulation on all holding tanks-freezing issues.

My generator only has a little over 400 hours and has been great thus far. Reason for it having so low hours, on lengthy dry camp-out I've run a Honda 2000i on Eco mode for about ten cents a gal.

I thought I had found my dream camper couple of years back, a side entry, had the storage cubby at the rear, or optional tent, Wife and I loved the entry, bathrouom access, slideout, then Lance decided to discontinue the unit.

Sad day for me. Looking, studying homestly, the newest versions has me a bit stifled, even perplexed. As I use a 2006 GMC dually crew 4x4 has me concerned about carrying capacity if I were to upgrade to the new slideouts.

I also tow my jeep JK 2 dr on an Aluma car trailer.

The new marketing ads show us old Lance owners Ford F-450 trucks hauling these newest luxury campers. Well? This ol' boy ain't gonna spend his sef into the poor house over an $86,000 truck and a $50,000 camper!

What say you my fellow camper owners? Stick with my old, reno it?

Or. Sell it, an go for the new?

[garbinator]

You all will not believe what I just learned from all this just yesterday...

My 2006 GMC one ton crew cab four wheel drive can carry a recommended 3168lbs in the bed. In checking my camper specs with water propane the camper itself wieghs 29??. Hate to fake the last two or some one will call me on it. Its raining now, I ain't venturing outside to go look either. my memory goes swoosh on me at times. But? Afterall I did suffer from some trauma during my yutful years an on into my midlife.

The camper weight is located in the glove box. This model of truck came with the optional camper package from the factory. Hence, my reason for latching onto it years ago. The GMC used vehicle certification also gave some assurence as it was my first big diesel machine to actually own. Its stock, and about every two weeks or so I take it out of its stall and we go play, in the military we called it "Road Exercise"

Regards the poster describing his RV cover I have aways wished for the exact same, but at this point in our lives, it looks as if California is forcing me to seek alternative living elsewhere. The greatest place on Earth is and was right here, but it is quickly being given away to geopolitical and the poor and it is so sad. I will leave it at that.

We few left behind refer to the matter as "folks voting with their feet"

As for my old 96 camper, everything in it functions soundly. Its kind a like its owner, abit broken down and rode rough.

[bcbouy]

we were in the same boat last fall.the sun lite pop up was really worn out,even with the new canvas,so i started looking for a new to us used camper.we only wanted a few things.n/s bed and a shower,toilet.outside shower would be ok. simple right? hold on. the wife wouldn't budge on the shower/toilet and i wouldn't budge on the n/s bed,and to top it off we both wanted another pop up.we looked all winter and no go.every one on the used market was gone before we had a chance to look at it.we saw the northstar at the spring rv show. every box ticked .went home and hummed and hawed for a couple days and ended up placing an order with every option we could possibly ever need.so much for cheap/ used. at least the sunlite sold in 1 day,and it covered the cost of supersprings,steps,and a few interior things.inflexability can get really,really expensive,but it beats sinking money into a worn out unit.

[garbinator]

trail-explorer wrote:

garbinator wrote:
... I've run a Honda 2000i on Eco mode for about ten cents a gal.

Where can you buy generator fuel for 10 cents a gallon?

Screwed the pooch on that one aye?

Quick! Douse me in gasoline and set me ah blaze!

I'm an Internet fool!

I use my Honda to re-gen my one single TC battery on board. I save the propane for the heated stuff, like A/C operation while off grid. Running my mighty hudge (mini microwave) unless its merely a weekend trip, then who cares?

[JumboJet]

Photomike wrote:
So much for our part in improving the economy :B

So that is why I am having to carry this economy all by myself?

I did pay cash for my TC and my motor home.

I did buy used for my 2014 RAM and owe much less than what it is worth. One good bonus check and it is mine!

I am doing my part!

[805gregg]

You could always buy a newer used camper and get some upgrades at a reasonable price, we bought a 1994 Lance in 2004 for $5500, sold it last year for $5500, bought a 2003 1071 with a slide, solar and gen for $13,000 we will keep it for another 10 years at least.

[Photomike]

Reading the posts here, mine included, we seem to be the type of people that would not make RV salespeople very happy. There must be something wrong with us that we are not going out and getting the low $200 per month payment for 20 years on the new campers and then the $175 bi weekly on a new truck. So much for our part in improving the economy :B

[trail-explorer]

garbinator wrote:
... I've run a Honda 2000i on Eco mode for about ten cents a gal.

Where can you buy generator fuel for 10 cents a gallon?

[Reddog1]

Dak, I am very happy for you.

Wayne

[dakonthemountai]

I looked and dreamed for years before I finally purchased my 2007 Lance 1055, which has the PERFECT floor plan and features I wanted and needed. I looked for 3 years to find the right one (they are a bit rare to find, apparently) and paid $14,000 for it, which was less than NADA, but more than the 1996 Weekender 1010 I purchased new in 1996... I'm at an age where this well may well be my last camper (as I use one quite lightly now) and I wanted what I wanted for convenience and comfort; with NO slide, but a BIG dry bath, basement (easy access to bed!) and lots of kitchen counter space and a face to face dinette ... and high ceilings. It truly is what I've always felt I needed and wanted. I could not justify spending $45-$60k on a camper I only use a few weeks to a month a year (hopefully a bit MORE when I retire this year!) My 96 Silverado dually extended cab I purchased from the original owners with 89k on the clock 4 years ago for around $7.5k out the door. It now has 92k on it and is in pristine condition, both mechanically and esthetically. I put around $1,000 into it to make it camper worthy for my uses, and this year put new tires all around for another $1,000. It's stored under a custom steel RV port I had constructed specifically for a truck and camper. It was around $5k with the permits, custom footing, snow load reinforcement, etc. So. at this point in the last 4-5 years I've spent around $28k in total, and have the perfect to me RV with secure protected storage with no monthly fees. The package is paid for and I couldn't be happier. This is just my own experience. Your mileage may vary! 🙂 Good luck and have fun in your search!

Dak

[Reddog1]

It took me over twenty years to find a molded fiberglass TC that I could/would afford. I never have paid over $500 for a TC, the Bigfoot excepted.

[rexlion]

Sit pat for now. But keep looking. If you really liked that discontinued Lance floor plan, keep an eye out for a used one being offered for sale. You might find one in a year or three, and of course someone else will already have taken the big depreciation hit on it. You might get it for 1/4, 1/3, or even 1/2 off! Use a Craigslist compiler like Searchtempest every so often to seek that model. Patience and perseverance can pay off.

[garbinator]

So many great responses! This is exactly why the Internet can be a great communication medium.

Thank you all.

Jeje! BHS still thrives, only its in the middle of a big freeway project being debated, South High? Still kick-in. I made it to Foothill, but got into some trouble an ended up being shipped off to the great state of Alaska whereupon penitence was paid in full.

It seemed like yesterday I was swinging the hammer and tolling away my younger years blabbing to my fellow inmates (past carreer) my dream TC/Jeep combo. As the song goes, "I owed my soul to the company Stoh" ie: store.

Now? Here I am retired, feeling more retarded than retired, find myself shuffling monies between home and RV.

New? Is and will be out of the equation, you all convinced me. More $$$ to travel makes excellent sense, especielly our being a bit more of the home sted types. I do not like crowds, nor do I like being paraded and/or chuted around like common cattle into anywhere attraction USA. Its called overpopulation, and foreign visitors. Parking lots so full navigating the maze becomes burdensome, the hike rediculous.

Again, thank you all, I believe I will hang with what I have, and upgrade/reno as money allows. My camper is structurely sound. I do get tired of banging my noggin ever now and then against the crappin A/C case in those O'Dark thirty hours of bladder call...

Newer ones offer way better head clearence. Heated basements, huum, what else? Hum? LOL

[mbloof]

Ahhh... the age old question: old vs new.

In our case the old camper kept springing leaks no matter how often we inspected and resealed it - each season we'd find something new. Then there was that front window that they used to put in them - while a nice feature it was more of a PITA than "nice to have".

While everything still worked in the end we thought we'd never be rid of the musty+mold smell from the leaks, we were loosing confidence in navigating the steps in/out and lastly we were unsure how much longer we'd be willing to make the climb into the sleeping area of the old non-basement model. (besides we really wanted face-2-face booth seating)

The "book" on the old one was a mere ~$2000 in perfect condition, we got a small fraction of that on 'trade in'. The markup on new RV's is astronomical and great savings can be had on units a few or more years old. While we were unable to find a used unit to our liking and realize any savings, we are more than happy with our choice of replacement.

[Reddog1]

Put me into the refuse to buy new camp. My truck is a 1996, and my TC is a 1988 Bigfoot. I can't say I take good care of either, but I do fix them when it is needed.

My TC has always been stored outside. I paid $1000 for it in 2004. It was a basic model, no A/C, no battery, charger, TV, generator or other goodies on TCs todays TCs. I added all that stuff including solar, and picked exactly what I wanted. I also added a $2500 stable lift. Total cost including the TC is $9000.

My Dodge is a 2500 diesel 2WD. I bought it in 2001 with 75,000 miles on it. Paid $14,000. Now it has about 265,000 miles with no obvious problems. I have replaced the brakes two times, water pump once, and recently replaced the transmission for the third time. One of the transmissions was rebuilt incorrectly. I have upgraded the suspension, and modified the fuel system.

Because they were low dollar, I paid cash, no monthly payments. My truck does not have to be smogged. I have no interest in a new truck or TC.

Wayne