First off, welcome aboard.  Like you, we are a few years from going FT and a lot can change in that time, so one option we have not ruled out is exactly what you ask. In our research, we are looking at what is new "today" that we like and retaining that pick for later consideration when the time comes. We're keeping a file of such potential choices and add to it each time we visit a "new to us" rig. As we we add, we can also remove from the file when something no longer fits what we envision, or a better previously undiscovered option becomes available.  This way, if we can manage a new or newer rig, assuming our plan continues to play out accordingly, we will have a fairly good idea of what it could be, and if we need to look for something less than new, we have a list of rigs that fill the bill. One thing I have noticed, there is no shortage of higher end, well maintained used rigs out there though you may have to look around a bit to find them. They are definitely worth a look, IMO

FWIW, Brian

Plenty of people out there in Older Rigs.....have fun..

I don't think a 5 year old rig is old, is it?

to me 10-15 year old. is getting old.

I think at 10 years, some parks will not let you in . I've found they do this in the best locations, tourist areas, and higher end parks.. that call themself "resorts".. I'm a newbie touring Florida right now.

We bought a 19 year old Alfa See Ya. Good quality, excellent condition, but not perfect. We could not afford new or even recent. We wanted to pay cash and be debt free.

We have had to put some money into it and we had to put some money into our 15 year old F350 so I figure we are into both for $25,000. But we already owned the truck.

We have lived in it for over a year and been on the road since April. While it is not fancy it is ours, it is clean, it is comfortable, and it is paid for. We do not stay in resorty areas so being too old for parks has not been a problem. We tend towards State & National Parks. Free Wal Mart stays for just overnight when trying to get to a destination. And we have been visiting family and have had some stays on private property.

I have to admit I sometimes fight myself when the "Green Monster" rears its ugly head during my walks as I see fancy newer rv's. I wish that my husband had fancy jacks, hitches & awnings, but he doesn't.

But I really am grateful for what we have. For us, the Lord provided when we thought all was lost and so I tell you with deep thankfulness that I am grateful for our humble home and the fact that we are houseless but not homeless.

If we had to wait until we could have bought new or fancy then we would not be blessed with being able to live this lifestyle.

Plus can I share some of the perks of older?

1. Insurance is a fraction of the cost of newer.
2. Repairs are less expensive because things are not high end.
3. Most of the repairs we can do ourselves. (With the help of Youtube of course).
4. I do not have to be so fanatical about not doing personalized touches because I am not trying to retain a resale value. We plan on using it till it is used up.

Now that is not to say that a nice new rv with all the creature comforts would not be nice. It just is not in our budget and debt free FOR US is more important than a washer/dryer etc.

So that is our story and from what I have observed there are as many stories and ways to achieve full time as there are brands, colors, & layouts of rv's.

Happy hunting for your new home on wheels.

Kim

TRAILERKING wrote:

---

My coach is a 1999 Fleetwood American Dream. Always washed and waxed. The aluminum wheels are polished as good as chrome. I get a lot of compliments. When I was down in Bismarck this summer an older guy with a fairly new diesel pusher asked me about mine. I told him it was a '99......He couldn't believe it, he thought it was brand new. Mind you it looked like his was never fussed with for waxing and polishing.
It's all about how well you maintain and present it I think.

---

 I get that..

 

But I was calling some.. and they ask.. They don't get to see it. 

I had a 94 holiday rambler few years back.. traveled cross country.. I remember being refused at a couple along the way. We always called ahead.. never just pulled in though..

 

I always thought this was a west coast thing too.. not a florida thing..

TRAILERKING wrote:

---

The Junkman wrote:

---

...... I remember being refused at a couple along the way. We always called ahead.. never just pulled in though..

 

I always thought this was a west coast thing too.. not a florida thing..

---

 Maybe they just didn't like your handle Junkman..........................Hahaha.

---

 lol. Yea, That would do it !

Thank you all for your responses! It's good to hear from folks that are alreading doing what we're hoping to do and even better to hear the positive opinions and pointers. Hadn't considered the cheaper insurance rates! So far, we are looking at 2005 tp 2007 fifth wheels in the 34' range and are, as some of you mentioned, looking at brands and models intended to be full time rigs. We are mostly looking at rigs for sale by private owners, because they are usually better deals and mostly more honest on the condition. We have been looking every weekend at 3 or more units and almost everyone had water damage. We drove 3 hours to see one that was supposed to be in "great condition" only to find holes on the walls and wet carpet from leaks! A couple of the rigs had water damage that the owners were very surprised to discover. So were still searching!

Our two most recent RVs were bought new but we keep them for a long time. 16 years and the current one is going on 20 years. With older RVs you seem to go through periods of needed repairs. Things will be great for many years and then something will go out...refrigerator needs a new control unit or cooling unit, air conditioner needs replacement, leaf spring breaks, new awning...etc. Most of these items can be replaced for under $1000 so it's not bad as long as you are prepared for it. We always keep a fund handy for these kind of repairs so if something happens we can take care of it as quick as possible.

With good preventative maintenance you can prevent some of the high cost repairs.

The original price on mine back in '99 was over $240,000.00 US before taxes. Thankfully that was all paid by the original owner....................I only had to pay about 1/4 of that. I had to do some maintenance and repairs that most would have to take into a shop. The biggest issue was when the MD3060 Allison lost 4th gear. I pulled the transmission and did a complete rebuild. Cost me about $2,000.00 plus my time instead of $10,000.00 exchange for another tranny. Replaced shocks for a better ride. Changed air bags as a preventative measure. It doesn't bother me as much because I can perform "Any" repair required but some could be overwhelmed or intimidated to even think about it.
I'm a business owner and have no desire to look at spending over a 1/4 million dollars for a motorhome. However buying a good used and being able to repair and maintain it properly gets me the same "Feel".

The fact you are both handy is the key.  We have a 2007 Colorado and absolutely love it.  Sure, little repairs are required here and there, but they haven't amounted to anything we couldn't handle.  Kim is right about the insurance...much cheaper.  And don't sweat not finding the right rig...it will find you.  We were on our way to a huge RV dealership and saw ours on a used car lot.  It had been taken in on trade with a Chevy 2500 gasser. The dealer, a big player in Grand Rapids, called us and told us he was not in the RV business, and  asked what would we give him for it.  We did rather well on that transaction.

 

Jim (and Diana)

One thing to watch is that now, it is buyer's market until about February at least in most areas I am familiar with. Come February when spring fever is in the air and tax refund checks in the mail, I have watched prices climb on the same units that sat during the winter. We have been looking at prices on tow vehicle/TT versus Class C and small car and a new van like we have(1993 Ford Club Wagon) is about $55,000 new and add even a mid-level priced TT..............But, we can get a low mileage Lazy Daze or BornFree for less than the van alone (2005-2007) with low mileage and the Lazy Daze and Born Free blow any TT we have ever seen out of the water!

Always check around the windows to make sure they sealed and haven't been leaking (swelling) because if fiberglass sandwich, they will delam in that area - learned that the hard way. Also, it is always great to be able to look at a unit a couple of days after a good rain because leaks will be more noticeable and in the humidity, it brings out "smells" should they be present. With smells, I am very particular and I always get my nose about 2 inches from the cloth surfaces. Also, watch for clawed up areas on the furniture and around the door since it usually indicates pets and related issues to keep an eye out for. I did see where in my pet catalog that you can get a light fairly cheaply that will indicate "urine" spots. I have 2 dogs and they never go inside but be forewarned if you have clean dogs and put them in a unit where others have soiled the area, they may think it is the dog toilet, learned this with a motel room years ago and after the incident of getting a room that they allowed dogs in, love the RV thing!

If we go over the 10 year mark, when they ask I would simply stress that it is very well taken care of. When just arriving at most RV parks, I think they use the 10 year rule to weed out "undesirables" which are out there. Saw one unit they allowed in the back of a campground, flat-bed truck with beat up truck camper sort of wired on it - off-season. We are not high-end RVers, resort-types at all.

Your attitude can go a long way in how you come across and what someone can overlook.

We ended up with a 2008 Cedar Creek 5th wheel and are very pleased. We've got a few things to fix, but it's in great shape overall! Our truck is a diesel and has very few miles on it, so hopefully we're set for a long while!

water damage is the biggest thing to ruin an rv.

Our oldest motorhome was a 1995. We completely refurbished it and we were proud to own it. We replaced it with a 1998 and enjoyed it very much. We have recently purchase a 2004 that was always in a covered port and had one owner. He had all the maintenance records on hand. We plan to keep it for a good while. As long as an RV has been well cared for age wasn't a big deal for us. We want to be safe , comfortable and not spend too much money on repairs. 

we are starting out with a 20+ yo rig ours is a 1986 and she seems to be well taken care of so i think its a great way to start out as many before me have stated!.