FIRST TIME BUYER - MILEAGE AND AGE CONSIDERATIONS - RV-Dreams Community Forum

SnowGypsy · RV-Dreams Family Member

FIRST TIME BUYER - MILEAGE AND AGE CONSIDERATIONS

Big Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have been watching this forum for awhile and love it. I am a first time RV guy with my wife considering the full time lifestyle. We have rented RV's and we are sure that now we want to buy and cut loose for 1 year to try the full time lifestyle. For our first RV we want a used Class A unit that is reliable. We know we will have to put some $$ into it for repairs etc...and will reserve $8k for things that could go wrong. Our Budget is between $35 and $50k Now the Questions:

1. For our first RV, we are considering looking for a Diesel with around 50k- 100k miles 35-40ft. We have seen a couple of 1999-2001 units that are in good shape from dealers. In your experience, would this be a wise decision to choose a unit this old with this many miles knowing that we will budget $8k for un-forseen issues?

2. OR - The second consideration would be to buy a GAS unit that is newer - since Gas Units are less $$$ - If we choose this option we plant to keep it at 35 ft length.

Since this is a starter RV and I will be working form the road, we need this space and plan on upgrading this unit if we just absolutely love the lifestyle and plan to stay with it.

Any opinions from all of the experience on this forum would be appreciated.

Thanks

Big Mike

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

One thing a lot of new RV'ers overlook is Class A Motorhomes are built using the same drivetrain components used on commercial fleet vehicles. These components are designed for many miles of trouble free service. So where you wouldn't even consider a used car with 100,000 miles a motorhome with that many miles is just getting broken in. It will still have 200,000 to 500,000 miles to go as long as it has been maintained properly.

WendysPhotos · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey, was looking through our local craigslist and came across this. We want a 5'ver, so not interested, but you may be

louisville.craigslist.org/rvs/4180803016.html

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know some people do not like them, but I recommend joining http://rv.org/, to get the ratings and educational materials. Note that most full-timers are in snowbird rated RVs, including ourselves. RV.org's Fulltime rating is for 4 season RVs, while a snowbird rating is for 3 season (Spring, Summer, Fall) RVs.

We had a 2002 gas National RV Dolphin for three years and it worked well for us. Now we have a 2004 diesel Newmar Dutch Star, it is nicer, but cost more. $8K reserve is a good idea with any motorhome, the stuff that requires repair is often the RV items, air conditioners, fridges, etc. But the chassis can have problems. We have had our share of problems, but are still on the road.

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Big Mike wrote:
I have been watching this forum for awhile and love it. I am a first time RV guy with my wife considering the full time lifestyle. We have rented RV's and we are sure that now we want to buy and cut loose for 1 year to try the full time lifestyle. For our first RV we want a used Class A unit that is reliable. We know we will have to put some $$ into it for repairs etc...and will reserve $8k for things that could go wrong. Our Budget is between $35 and $50k Now the Questions:
1. For our first RV, we are considering looking for a Diesel with around 50k- 100k miles 35-40ft. We have seen a couple of 1999-2001 units that are in good shape from dealers. In your experience, would this be a wise decision to choose a unit this old with this many miles knowing that we will budget $8k for un-forseen issues?
2. OR - The second consideration would be to buy a GAS unit that is newer - since Gas Units are less $$$ - If we choose this option we plant to keep it at 35 ft length.
Since this is a starter RV and I will be working form the road, we need this space and plan on upgrading this unit if we just absolutely love the lifestyle and plan to stay with it.

For us, your #2 consideration was best. Our 34' gas Class A has been perfect for us in almost 2 years of fulltiming. We actually bought it before we started fulltiming with the idea of using it for extended stays. When the full time bug bit us bad we looked at all sorts of other RVs but finally decided our combination of floorplan, storage and length was the best for us.

Floorplan - We have 3 slides, and having 2 opposing slides up front greatly increases the interior room in the salon area of the coach. We rate floorplan the #1 consideration since in reality you spend a lot more time living in your unit than you do driving it.

Storage: A diesel coach would have more but we have about 100 cu. ft. of storage and that has proved to be adequate for us. In fact, each year we clean out stuff we didn't use and "gain" more space as a result. Our CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity) is about 2500 lbs and we are well under our max. load.

Length: It was important for us to stay in the 35' range because we like natural surroundings, meaning state and national parks. We have encountered so many situations where being under 35' has been a big plus. Yes, most campgrounds can accommodate 40' rigs on some spaces but at 34' we have a LOT more spaces available to us.

Overall, we have been very pleased with our gas coach.

-- Edited by RVRon on Sunday 10th of November 2013 01:26:26 PM

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

diesel will hold its value longer due to demand and durability.........gas on the otherhand is is cheaper and in more abundance.....

that being said the lower cost unit will be able to sell or buy quicker and also on an average gassers are normally used by weekend warriors so the actual road time is minimal.

are you planning on doing your own maintenance or repairs .....if you are , are you familiar with both drive trains or just one?

Big Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for that suggestion. I got a copy of that book and read it twice. great checklist and it will really help the evaluation process.

Big Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lucky Mike wrote:
diesel will hold its value longer due to demand and durability.........gas on the otherhand is is cheaper and in more abundance.....

that being said the lower cost unit will be able to sell or buy quicker and also on an average gassers are normally used by weekend warriors so the actual road time is minimal.

are you planning on doing your own maintenance or repairs .....if you are , are you familiar with both drive trains or just one?

I am not an engine or drive train guy so I will not be doing anything more than regular maintenance. But I can do just about anything else especially plumbing, electrical or renovations like carpet, flooring, painting etc...

One of my thoughts is to get a later model and update the interior and renovate if it has low miles. I have seen some 98 and 99's that have low miles (20k) and just need some interior love and updating.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just remember a 98 99 that sat with low miles is going to have valve and seal problems.....it hurts a drivetrain just as bad not to use it as it does to abuse it

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lucky Mike nailed it. Any vehicle that has spent most of the time not running is going to have problems. They may not be all that serious, but monthly visits to a mechanic can get old quickly. I'd suggest that you look at some higher end coaches such as Bluebird Wanderlodge, Foretravel, Newell, etc. You will find that those coaches have been well maintained and used frequently. A DP that has 150,000 miles on it is a better buy than a gasser with 50,000 in my opinion. With the DP you will usually also get air brakes and suspension. Those aren't often found on gassers. Size and floor plan are a matter of personal preference. Since there are only so many ways that the interior can be arranged you can look at almost any brand or age of coach to decide what floor plans will work for you, and then look for that floor plan in the brand you want.

Get on the owners' forums for any brand you are considering and ask questions. The three I mentioned all welcome non-owners and members are quite willing to share the good and the bad. You can usually ask for a tour of a coach from an owner near you. All have coaches for sale in your price range. Your $8,000 for repairs/upgrades might be a bit low, but is close. I've heard $10,000 is a better guess, and some people have spent more than $20,000 to make the coach perfect for them.