Community Forums

NoFear · 08-20-2012, 02:10 AM

We currently have Cameo 5th wheel (1 yr now) and love Rving. So much so that we want to sell our home, store some furniture, and hit the road. Kids all grown and we can work from the road.

We have no idea what make of Motorhome to buy. We want 40' min. Traveling with 2 dogs and making this our home. Any advice would be so helpful.

Thanks!

danes-on-tour · 08-20-2012, 02:24 AM

It would be easier to offer advice if you could narrow your search slightly.

1) Are you looking to buy new or used, and if used, how old could it potentially be?
2) RV's come in different quality's. Which end of the marked would you be looking at?
3) How much money are you planning on spending?

Having a Monaco myself I think they are worth a look. I would also consider a Tiffin.

Have a look at this website.

Good luck hunting

NoFear · 08-20-2012, 02:48 AM

Used would be the best because of the deprecation but having trouble finding the floor plan we like. Found a new Fleetwood ($240k) but ouch!!

danes-on-tour · 08-20-2012, 03:11 AM

How about this one?

Same year and model as mine. Less than 12,000 miles. Original list price would have been around $240,000, but the original buyer would probably have paid around $190,000 if he did his "homework" before buying.

Seems like a competitive price to me.

It's sitting in Alvaredo, Texas. Maybe not fare from where you are - maybe?

NoFear · 08-20-2012, 03:35 AM

So no major issues with your Monaco? Have you been happy with it?

bbeane · 08-20-2012, 03:52 AM

You might want to look at Foretravel, and Newmar. However there is no such thing as a M/H that does not have problems from time to time. Being as you already have the 5th wheel and truck you may want to try living in that for a while, before going all in. The deprecation and maintence cost will be far less than a diesel pusher, and more useable space.

NoFear · 08-20-2012, 04:26 AM

Actually my husband did find a used 2003 Foretravel, 165k miles. But that scares me a bit with age and mileage.

So why do people get MH then if 5ths are more room and less costs? We are so torn as to what to do.

BTW... Thanks for the replays and advice!

RickO · 08-20-2012, 05:20 AM

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Many people full time in fivers and love it. The down sides often mentioned are that it takes a bit more time to set up and tear down than a MH... you have to drive a big truck as your daily transportation... and it might not seem as convenient/safe to have to get out of the tow vehicle to access the facilities of the trailer. BUT... many owners will debate that these are cons at all.

My advice would be to buy gently used and buy a 40+ footer DP. Many opinions on brands. We've had our Winnie for >5 years and been happy with it but I'm also a fan of Tiffin and Monaco in that order.

Best of luck.

rick

NoFear · 08-20-2012, 06:33 AM

Thank you all so much! This is all helpful!

Steve Ownby · 08-20-2012, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoFear

Actually my husband did find a used 2003 Foretravel, 165k miles. But that scares me a bit with age and mileage.

So why do people get MH then if 5ths are more room and less costs? We are so torn as to what to do.

BTW... Thanks for the replays and advice!

If you are looking for a diesel. Mileage is of no concern in a motor home. Ago is not particularly important either if you understand the TVs will have to be updated and there will likely be some visible wear and tear.

My wife and I were is your situation in '06. We had spend much time and effort developing a list of specific needs in a coach. We prioritized them into must have, and nice to have. Then we prioritized manufacturers. We looked closely at Country Coach, Winnebago, Tiffin, Newmar and Travel Supreme. Out of that list we finalized on CC and Monaco. Both of these builders had Semi Monocoque chassis and AquaHot systems. They also had tag axles on 40' coaches. These had become some of our must have items.

To make an already long story a little shorter, we found our coach by mid '06 and moved into it in April '07. Since that time we have spent a total of 6 nights in other accommodations. It has been close to trouble free and we continue to be very happy with out coach.

With a used Diesel, it's not about age or mileage. It's about maintenance. If the previous owner(s) have kept the chassis maintenance done regularly then your odds of having a very reliable coach are very good. If you find "the coach" and can't be sure of the prior maintenance then have the oil and transmission fluid sampled and send to a testing lab. If that checks out then build a complete service into the price.

danes-on-tour · 08-20-2012, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoFear

So no major issues with your Monaco? Have you been happy with it?

No - no major issues, but lots of minor issues, like with all motorhomes. When we first got the Monaco i had the feeling that everything was major issues but with a lot of help from other iRV2 member, i am now able to deal with most everything myself. It does help if you are handy with a spanner, a screwdriver and a multimeter.

As mentioned elsewhere - Newmar. I would definitely also consider that brand.

TLGPE · 08-20-2012, 10:47 AM

Welcome to your new world!

Just a quick bit of advice: be verry careful about storing things. My former girldfriend stored her mother's antiques and heirlooms in climate controlled units for eleven years until she noticed that she had spent more than twelve thousand dollars storing stuff. Now she knows that that is a bad idea. Just something to think about.

Tom

TXiceman · 08-20-2012, 12:29 PM

Personally, for full-time use, we prefer the 5er over a motorhome.

Are you sure you have thought this through?

Ken

NoFear · 08-21-2012, 08:53 PM

We have been agonizing over pros-cons-pros-cons..... Fretting over selling everything, store some things, letting our son watch the house and we hit the road (although that last option is the scariest). We welcome your advice. We don't know anyone personally to ask and our parents have passed. We just have a gut desire to see more of God's country. If we don't do it we feel we would always have regrets. We just have to figure out the financial logistics of it all.