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I'm giving serious consideration to becoming a full-timer before next winter but would have to buy a cheap, old RV. I can't afford much. The plan would be to hang out up north in the summer then escape to the south for the winter. I've a ways to go before I can collect SS so I have to continue working close to full-time. I'm at least lucky enough to make a pretty good living as an independent contractor and able to pick up work in various areas around the country, though being close to a bigger city is usually required for what I do. For instance, I live in Chicago but work has been slow lately so I had to drive over to Cleveland for a project yesterday. Thus I'd have to pull a car or be able to rent one as needed or I'd get stuck having to constantly drive long distances in my shaky old gas-loving RV.
I've been searching ads on craigslist for super cheap RVs and have been surprised by what I see, lots of them, especially in Florida, for as little as 5 grand, give or take. And almost every ad says low mileage, no leakage, and runs great.
It's kind of hard to believe I could buy something dependable for that cheap - they are less than what I paid for my used VW beetle.
How much trouble am I potentially getting myself into if I try to do this? I have this vision of buying an RV with reportedly only 50 to 80K mileage on it that starts up and seems to run great for 5 grand and then, as I foolishly rumble down the road, all excited to be free of my former housing expenses, end up stuck in the middle of the everglades, where I forever after subsist on alligator meat and dung beetles for eternity.
Is it really possible to find something dependable at that price or has my mind wandered into fantasy land? Anyone bought cheap or do you all wait until you can afford a shiny new home on wheels?
Don't let the "LOW" mileage fool you. They may have low miles but that's not from sitting in a storage unit. Some have low miles from being lived in full-time like a house(permanent residence). Then they will have lots of wear&tear, usually. Rotting inside walls, rusting, etc. Having a unit just sit(especially a motorhome) is not good as seals dry up, condensation, corrosion, etc. My coach only had 60,000 miles on it when I bought it. I luckily drove it 2800 miles to home and played around with it from May to fall time then the MD3060 Allison tranny gave up. It happened right at home in the city so no big deal about being stranded or anything. The bad thing is for the average guy that tranny would have been an $8,000.00-&10,000.00 bill. Good thing I R&R'd mine and did a complete rebuild. The rest of the coach is pretty nice shape. A few little things to maintain and upgrade. I do all of my own maintenance and rebuilding so I'm at a little advantage than some. If you do your own stuff that will help by buying a fixer upper.
Just be cautious because sometimes there is a reason the unit seams too cheap.
Florida has a large number of retired population!!... this is where alot of RV's end up so the market is like the dollar store during off season!!
This is where I buy almost all my RV's.....if you are mechanically inclined and know what to look for you should have no more problem than buying a used car.
its not dreamland and they are all over down there......do a little searching, pick an area and away you go...........there are several areas in the U.S that getting coaches are cheap , low mileage and in good condition.
I have been buying them down there for years and using them, and transporting them for sale north for years!!!
Trust your instincts.....use your head.....and look carefully at what you buy
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
Have any questions ask away ......there is also a chat room..(can be found off of the main menu) people are normally in the chat room 9pm EST......you can find me there nightly if you need a few pointers or just want to converse in real time with alot of members!!
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
Welcome to the forum Jimtoo! In our early RVing years all we had was older units. We had a few problems along the way but none that broke the bank. Look at the side walls of the tires, check for cracking. Most rv tires don't wear out they time out...check the date code. Check for roof leaks and rotting wood around vents and in cabinets. Turn on the water pump and see if it pressures up and stays off, you need to get all the air out of the line first. If the freezer starts getting cold after 15 minutes the frig probably works. These are just a few things to check when shopping.
Red
-- Edited by el Rojo on Thursday 23rd of January 2014 04:24:02 PM
Thanks for the insight and welcomes. A lot to think about. I think I need to find a good book. Any recommendations? There are tons of selections on Amazon but I can't figure out which one would be best.
I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of questions and will probably drive you all nuts.
If I was more cautious (and probably smarter) I'd wait about a year and a half, as then I'd be in a little better financial shape, but if I gamble and buy this fall and all goes well, I'll get into better financial shape even faster. If it didn't go well, I might be eating road kill...
Price of units in Florida drop Drastically June, July and August....Keep in mind it is going to be extremely hot & humid down there at that time...
I have flown or took the train down at these times and almost double my money by bringing them north!
I have yet to buy a unit down there that had major malfunctions on my way back.....keep in mind I only buy private sales I never buy dealer or Auction units unless a decent inspection is possible!
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
Our experience was in Texas, lots of good trucks and RVs from private owners. The winter texans start migrating back North sometimes as early as April (they want to do their taxes back home) and many don't want to drive their rigs back. Craigslist and local newspaper classifieds are a good source.
Thanks - I've seen what appear to be good deals in Arizona, too, and just checked Texas and saw some possibilities. I know Florida pretty well so I'd probably focus on that state, so Lucky Mike, you're my competition :) Try to save some good deals for me. It's encouraging that you've never had any major malfunctions. Are you buying in that same cheap price range I mentioned?
I buy what ever looks and needs the least amount of work with the biggest profit.....or if Im looking to move up out of my unit, what will sell down the line without taking a loss.
over the years I have bought and sold to move up....find it , fix it , polish & profit.......if I sell one or 2 a year ti either moves me into something better or helps absorb the budget a little.
if you playing in Florida......the space coast & Treasure coast or tampa bay area is the highest volume area to play in.....
and yes ....most of my purchases are between 6 & 10 k.......for class A coaches..(gas) 16 to 40k on DP's
Flipping units is a good way to move up if you are able to do the work and are making your living on the road with limited means..
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
That may be the only way I can move up as well. Doubt I could do it as often as you, and certainly not as well, but I can see from the ads I've looked at down south, vs. the ads up north, that it would be doable to buy in the south and sell for a profit up north, taking time to enjoy the trip along the way. I can't figure out what the abbreviation DP's refers to.
when I started out Jim I figured out I could flip 2 a year. each time I flipped one I would move up and try to make a reserve, by doing it that way I ended up with a better unit and enough to finally have one for sale at the same time.
Im on the east coast so it became a habit while I wintered in Fla to find something I could take north to the high market areas and sell it fast.....there are times it only took less than 30 days to flip it.
its not a means to make a living....but it sure pays better interest than stuffing it in a hiding place or putting it in the bank....
have I lost out a few times , Yup!! but I always managed to make it back , as far as paper work I try to make my flip purchases to be lower end coaches that are in the 10 to 15 year old range that puts them in the no title needed for sale...in the states I use for selling
Good luck on your endeavor...if you need some pointers let me know !.........this is a gamble that if you work it right it pays off in the short run......if your handy , almost all repairs are just parts and time with alot of gainful knowledge....not to mention the repair end is a good cash flow while your on the road.
-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Saturday 25th of January 2014 09:52:27 AM
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
