Hello

[RogerG]

Hi. New to this forum and we are in the planning stage of purchasing our first RV. Any input would be helpful. We are planning on being on the road by May of next year. I don't know if discussions here discuss finances, but our budget is $150,000 to $200,000. I'm leaning towards buying used and Julie is wanting to buy new.... Any suggestions?

our want list: diesel, 40 ft max, rear bedroom, only one bath(1 1/2 baths seems like wasted space), no booth for the dinette, no dishwasher(she doesn't even use the one at home)

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi Roger! Welcome to IRV2! It's great to have you join the gang!

You might want to do some browsing over in the Class A area of the forum!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[CLIFFTALL]

Welcome to irv2. We're glad you're here. I've moved this to our class a discussion section to get you the advice you're looking for.
Cliff

[DieselTech39]

Roger and Julie, Glad you're aboard. Best of luck in your search and decision. Enjoy your adventures and be safe.

[TMan59]

Welcome!
Just my opinion here but for under $200,000 you can find a high end, well maintained dp that meets your needs much easier than you will find a well made, high end coach new at that price.

Have fun, looking for a good coach is way more fun than having a bad one.

[TonyDi]

Hi Roger and Julie



Glad to have you here with us.

With the dollar amount you have available I would look for a well cared for used MH. Let someone else take the first yrs depreciation. Go for quality and not gimmicks. You have already said that you don't want a booth, I agree. I also don't have a dishwasher and don't need it. You should be able to find a gently used coach 40' in 2012-1013 for that kind of money.
Look in the classifieds above for some offerings.

Good luck with your search and Happy Trails!!!

[Peralko]

I would highly recommend going used. In your price range, what you can get in a five to ten-year old coach will be far superior in quality than what you can get new for the same price. I would recommend Country Coach and Foretravel. If you go older, you can also get a Prevost conversion or a Newell, but these are hard to find in 40-footers, unless you go back a lot further. Country Coach and Foretravel build coach structures integrated with the chassis--most other manufacturers build a house on top of a Spartan or Freightliner chassis.
Look at as many floorplans you can, and see what would work for you. If you are close to an RV dealer, check out the different floor plans and try to imagine how you would use the coach. Then look at the features of each coach to see what is important to you. As an example, our next coach will have a heated floor, a residential refrigerator, AquaHot, a tag axle, and a sharp turning radius. Make your own list after you find what features are important to you.
Good luck!

[Gary RVRoamer]

Used is an excellent choice, and your budget gives you many choices. Choose a mid-to-high end coach at an age that fits your budget and look for one that shows signs of having been well cared for. If no maintenance records available, a well kept interior is still a good indicator of TLC all around.

Remember, you are buying a house more than a car, and a furnished house at that. Years and mileage are a relatively minor concern vs the building (coach body), appliances, systems (e.g. furnace, central air), furniture, cabinets, and a layout that suits your needs.

[Medico]

Welcome and glad to meet you!

[JohnRR]

Good luck with your search and choice.

[lt6215]

First of all welcome to RVing...For me its about keeping the wife happy. Having said that...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FLOOR PLAN...
If you do buy used, you can get a great deal and save yourself some headaches with breaking in a new rig. If you don't mind going back anf forth with the dealership every time you want something fixed under warranty MORE POWER TO YOU...If I had 1 item to suggest to you, It would be to check the tire dates...New or Used. Tires on motor homes have a 7-10 year lifespan as the rubber breaks down (even if the tread looks good) Tough pill to swallow when you buy a unit and have to replace 6 tires after just purchasing it
Good luck and I hope to see you at a RV campground some day
Larry

[akeyzoo]

Welcome. $200K used gets you a GREAT coach. $200K new gets you below average for a class A DP. It's a no brainer to me. Go walk the DW through a few high end 2-4 year old coaches, then a NEW lower end unit at that price point. Will become clear me thinks!

That used high end coach will look better in 3 years as well. PLUS, someone else has dealt with the headaches of getting the bugs out of the new unit.

Chris

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by RogerG

Hi. New to this forum and we are in the planning stage of purchasing our first RV. Any input would be helpful. We are planning on being on the road by May of next year. I don't know if discussions here discuss finances, but our budget is $150,000 to $200,000. I'm leaning towards buying used and Julie is wanting to buy new.... Any suggestions?

our want list: diesel, 40 ft max, rear bedroom, only one bath(1 1/2 baths seems like wasted space), no booth for the dinette, no dishwasher(she doesn't even use the one at home)

Don't turn down ANY coach just because it HAS a dishwasher....they are easily removed...or you can just use it like a big drawer for storage (disconnect power and water first)

Here are a couple of beauties to consider...

[Gordon Dewald]

As was said previously: Floor Plan, Floor Plan, Floor Plan. If you do not like the floor plan you will not be as happy for long. You did not say how much you were going to use it or if you were planning on taking anyone (family, friend or furry) with you when you used it.

Whatever you choose spend considerable time in what you are considering and think about what you will do if the weather chases you inside for a while. Guests may make the 1/2 bath a better use of space than storage. We have the 1/2 bath and still take stuff we do not use. You will be out and about so storing a lot of food, etc is pointless. Taking cloths for every situation will not be possible as you will always see something new to wear.

Washer/dryer stackables are one of the must haves for us. Makes sitting in the laundry obsolete and will reduce the amount of cloths you have to store. For the most part I could take 4 changes of cloths and come home having only used 3.

Our preference is for all electric. Just better for us. Lots of folks like propane for cooking. It has advantages too.

Lots of people have commented about the TV in the front bulkhead. Most comments are not favorable. Newer digital TV are something to consider if you are looking at older coaches.

Good luck with your search and Happy RV'ing.