Community Forums

Brianb131 · 06-23-2015, 06:54 AM

Hi All,
The search is on and I need help.
I have decided to dive into the Class A RV world. All the stars have lined up and I have received the green light from my wife.
I have owned several boats, never and RV. I would like to buy in the next 3-4 months.

My criteria (at least for today):
I want to spend $100-$150K. I want 2014 or newer. So far the Bounder 35K 2016 model looks good to me and is well within my budget.

Then I start thinking, should I get a 2014 Diesel ( maybe Excursion or something similar)?

Any thoughts?

**Petro** · 06-23-2015, 07:21 AM

Brian;

We are pleased you joined us. In my opinion you have found the friendliest site on the Internet to get answers to your questions. The New Member Check In forum is primarily for what it's name implies and you are not likely to get much response to your questions here. I would encourage you to post generic class a questions in the Class A Motorhome Discussions Forum and I would recommend you take your brand specific questions to The Owners Corner Forums. You will get much more response there. Good luck on your search;

Don

MSHappyCampers · 06-23-2015, 08:21 AM

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

Go for a diesel, even if it's older. You won't regret it!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Medico · 06-23-2015, 03:40 PM

Welcome, glad to meet you!

bamaboy473 · 06-23-2015, 03:52 PM

Welcome, Brian.

We're a year ahead of you and here's what I know from a year's experience:
* At first I didn't understand why people were so concerned about floorplans. Now I'm looking for what we want because we've learned from use of the coach.
* There are bells and whistles that are neat, but we'll never use. There are some that we don't have on our current MH and wish we did.
* We were concerned about factory warranty, or any warranty on used NLM coaches. Since we don't live close to a factory, that part is no longer a concern to us.

After a year, we're selling our unit and searching for what we think we really want. Spending more money because it's more likely that we'll keep our second one longer.

Unless you are really good at imagining how you'll use your coach, consider getting your dream coach as your second one, and learn from one that will be easier to sell/trade when the time comes.

denlock · 06-23-2015, 03:53 PM

**JohnRR** · 06-27-2015, 02:32 PM

It's good to see you joining in, good luck with your search.

Ramets · 06-28-2015, 04:34 AM

With a Budget of $100K-$150K, I'd definitely be looking for a quality used diesel. It would be difficult to find a new one in that price range, and if you did it would probably be inferior. Look at the well known brands, Newmar, Tiffin, Monaco, Alpine, maybe even a Beaver. It can be quite daunting, but hang in there and do your due diligence, like getting maint. records and having it inspected by an independent RV guy.

Roger G · 06-28-2015, 09:10 AM

The old saying that you have to build three houses to get the one you want applies to motor homes too. Two years ago I was in a similar situation with the same budget. This would actually be our third and I was determined to move up to a diesel pusher but was open minded about the search. We determined a list separated into Must Haves and Would like To Have and graded each MH we looked at. We put the diesel in the Would Like To Have because a gas motor will go anywhere the diesel would, maybe just not as fast, but it will get you there. My wife fell in love with the floor plan of the Tiffin Open Road 36 LA and it eventually became the standard that everything else was compared to. We came to three options, buy the new gas coach with our choice of floor plan and a warranty, buy a 5-7 year old diesel pusher with dated interior and used components, or increase our budget 75k-100k and get the RED with her floor plan and my Diesel engine. We aren't full timers and really don't put that many miles on it yet so we determined the gas coach was the best choice for us. When we retire and can travel more and may reconsider the diesel for its power and ride quality but for now we are very happy with our 36 LA. Get the coach that feels right, get most of your wants and don't sacrifice too many wants for a single want.

deandec · 06-28-2015, 11:55 AM

We still have our first MH after 13 years and 70,000 miles.

We wanted 38' length because it would line up our galley counter length, sofa length, and bathroom space adequately.

If we wanted slides, we would need at least 40' and maybe 42' to accommodate the slide mechanisms and our layout "need".

Also, 40' and shorter rigs do not require a Class B driver license in California where we live.

Then we wanted diesel, split bath, a bus chassis not a truck chassis, a diesel generator, and builder quality.

We also wanted a used rig because we could not justify the cost of new at our "want" level.

We bought our Country Coach on a Gillig Bus chassis at 7 yrs of age in 2002. It had 26,000 miles on the odometer and 200 hours on the generator.

We think it was a successful purchase.

Buying a test vehicle first would have incurred an additional $10k to $15k sales tax in our state. One could rent a test vehicle for less.

RonandBee · 06-28-2015, 12:10 PM

Welcome and we are somewhat in the same boat, other than we're looking at 40+ feet. From all of my research and talking to people, I would definitely go diesel and if possible a side radiator. We have ours narrowed down to one manufacturer and two different models. I do know that you've come to the right place. We have learned so much from reading and researching on here. Don't be afraid to ask questions, no matter how stupid you think they may be. Welcome!
_________________
Ron and Marybeth

halftimer · 06-28-2015, 12:24 PM

I have had both gas and diesel I think the smart people drive a gas rig a 1400square Ft house will keep the rain off your head as well as a 5000ft. Mansion which would you rather live in I could buy a new gas or a used diesel I chose used diesel I bought when market was high and sold when was low (health) took a30 grand bath don't regret a day we had it nothing but good memories.

jstdreamin · 06-28-2015, 08:18 PM

Before you buy new, take a serious look at DP's in the 2004-2008 model years. We had the same budget as you do and wanted new. We found that our $$ could buy a lot better quality from those years previous to the 2008 recession. In our research, the materials and workmanship in the 2011-2015 models priced in the $159-200k range were not anywhere near as nice as the older Dutch Stars, Knights, Diplomats, etc. that sold for upwards to $300 new.

Also pre-2011 DP's don't require the use of DEF which costs about $2.79/gal.

Also keep in mind that when your house is driving down the highway at 60mph dodging potholes and such, it's like subjecting your home to an earthquake....continuously. Be sure to have enough $$ set aside for maintenance and upkeep. I read on another thread that $2,200/year for a DP is a good rule of thumb. Also, if you do decide to buy used, tires need to be replaced every 7-10 years.