New Motorhome, 1st time buyer

[DrBeer]

Hi, my wife and I are giving some serious thought into becoming motorhome owners. We are in our mid 30's and have 3 kids ranging from 3-8. I am looking for any good advice about our purchase. In our state we have only 3 motorhome dealers with a very limited selection. I am going to buy from one in our state so I can be sure to get service done. We have limited our choice to either the Winnebago Journey 39K, a Holiday Rambler Ambassador (either a 38 or 40footer - we liked a couple of them) or the Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDQ. I am leaning a bit away from the Endeavor just because I don't really understand the extra money ($20-30,000) difference other than a few things like the bigger engine. It has not been ruled out yet. We will likely be ordering ours to get the options we want. We need a dinette booth for the extra bed and that seems to be a difficult option to find on the lot. We also want a double living room slide to have more room with the kids. My wife likes the Journey because it has extra storage cabinets in the hallway inside for the kid's clothes. I like the Ambassador because it has the side view cameras and roof air.

Does anyone have input on these units? The Journey is about 100 miles closer for me to service (100 miles vs 200 miles for the HR). Is the drivability the same? I didn't notice a big difference in the test drive. Is the basement air conditioner in the Journey a drawback? It may just come down to the best deal but right now I have to give a slight edge to the Journey, just due to location for servicing. Thanks for any input.

[DrBeer]

Hi, my wife and I are giving some serious thought into becoming motorhome owners. We are in our mid 30's and have 3 kids ranging from 3-8. I am looking for any good advice about our purchase. In our state we have only 3 motorhome dealers with a very limited selection. I am going to buy from one in our state so I can be sure to get service done. We have limited our choice to either the Winnebago Journey 39K, a Holiday Rambler Ambassador (either a 38 or 40footer - we liked a couple of them) or the Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDQ. I am leaning a bit away from the Endeavor just because I don't really understand the extra money ($20-30,000) difference other than a few things like the bigger engine. It has not been ruled out yet. We will likely be ordering ours to get the options we want. We need a dinette booth for the extra bed and that seems to be a difficult option to find on the lot. We also want a double living room slide to have more room with the kids. My wife likes the Journey because it has extra storage cabinets in the hallway inside for the kid's clothes. I like the Ambassador because it has the side view cameras and roof air.

Does anyone have input on these units? The Journey is about 100 miles closer for me to service (100 miles vs 200 miles for the HR). Is the drivability the same? I didn't notice a big difference in the test drive. Is the basement air conditioner in the Journey a drawback? It may just come down to the best deal but right now I have to give a slight edge to the Journey, just due to location for servicing. Thanks for any input.

[Nedra]

You don't really have to limit yourself to a dealer near home to get service. Dealers don't seem to show priority for people who have bought from them so buy what you like, not just because it's the only thing around. There's a lot of good dp's out there to choose from. Check out the Allegro Bus or Phaeton. The nice thing about Tiffin products is that you can take it to any RV service center, it doesn't even have to be an RV Dealer, for warranty work.

[wallynm]

I am going to buy from one in our state so I can be sure to get service done.

<span class="ev_code_RED">I suggest this may not be true. </span>

We have limited our choice to either the Winnebago Journey 39K, a Holiday Rambler Ambassador (either a 38 or 40footer - we liked a couple of them) or the Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDQ. I am leaning a bit away from the Endeavor just because I don't really understand the extra money ($20-30,000) difference other than a few things like the bigger engine.

<span class="ev_code_RED">The Endeavor is the Buick in this line where as the Ambassador is the Chevy. The Endeavor will have more expensive appointments and material and yes a bigger engine.</span>

It has not been ruled out yet. We will likely be ordering ours to get the options we want.

<span class="ev_code_RED">You can get the three camera system in the Endeavor if you are going to order it. Make sure you get a complete option list if you are going to order.</span>

We need a dinette booth for the extra bed and that seems to be a difficult option to find on the lot.

<span class="ev_code_RED">Mabe so bececause dealers want to move product. We have a fold up table and carry a queen size air bed that we use when the kids are with us. Takes maybe 10 minutes to set up and take down.</span>

We also want a double living room slide to have more room with the kids. My wife likes the Journey because it has extra storage cabinets in the hallway inside for the kid's clothes. I like the Ambassador because it has the side view cameras and roof air.

<span class="ev_code_RED">To me the Ambassador and the Journey are = in value the Edneavor is a step above.</span>

Is the basement air conditioner in the Journey a drawback?

<span class="ev_code_RED">I want the A/C on top because I want the storage below.</span>

It may just come down to the best deal but right now I have to give a slight edge to the Journey, just due to location for servicing.

<span class="ev_code_RED">I would not let the 100 miles difference be the deal maker.</span>

[Edmund A Skibinski]

DrBeer, first let me say " Welcome " to the IRV2 forum.I never limit my self in buying a motorhome because the dealer is close to me or because the dealer is in my state. Shopping around and comparing prices is your best bet and than after you have narrowed it down compare the dealers for service and attitude. Ed.S

[DrBeer]

I appreciate the input. We will be going to Minnesota in 2 weeks to do some serious motorhome shopping (many dealers, many brands). If we find a motorhome brand that isn't carried in our state, can we have it serviced anywhere for warranty? If we can only have warranty service on the brands sold by our dealers, then we may as well buy it from them if they will meet the price offered by out of state dealers or at least come very close.

[RV Wizard]

DrBeer, let me first say welcome to our website and forum. What a dealer or repair facility must first do is decide if they want to aquire preauthorization from the manufacturer to perform any warranty repairs on a unit they do not already have a relationship with. If they agree on the terms then almost any dealer can (if they want to) make repairs for the mfg. Continue to do as you are, which is to do your homework. Once you find the unit you like call & talk w/ the manufacturer and explain to them of the dealers in your are and ask if they would have an intrest in using one of them for repairs under warranty. Then contact the dealer you feel is the best for the situation and ask them if they would be willing to do the same. Good luck and we hope to be able to be of more help as time passes.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Please be aware that many things on an Rv are separately warrantied and can be repaired by most any Rv or Rv systems dealer. Examples are appliances (stove, fridge, water heater, a/c units). And major pieces of the power train will also be serviced and warrantied independently, especially the engine and transmission. In fact, few Rv dealers are even able to service the powertrain and you will have to go elsewhere anyway.

RVs are mobile by their very nature and you can get warranty service most anywhere in the country. The RV manufacturer doesn't care what state you bought it in or where you live when not traveling in the motorhome, so you can buy where you can get the best deal.

[Cruzer]

I too would like to welcome you to the IRV2 forum.
It looks like you've been given some pretty good advice here. Buying a motorhome is quite an experience and you want to be sure that you don't limit yourself. A local dealer can be nice but if it's the wrong coach, it's not so nice. When we bought our Allegro Bus we gave up a local dealer who was 5 minutes away in order to drive 3 hours away to Kings Campers, who was the nearest Tiffin dealer. It was a struggle in our decision process because our local dealer, who handled other brands, was a decent dealer but just didn't have the coaches we wanted. Now that it's all over we arte very happy we did what we did. The coach is perfect for us and King's is one of those few truly standout dealers in the industry.

Keep your options open. And be sure to ask plenty of questions. There's a ton of very helpful folks here on IRV2 that are more than willing to help share their experiences with you. Take your time when choosing your RV. Tire kicking is actually kinda fun.

[Nedra]

Check around in your area for RV Service centers, not dealers. Ask if they are full service and if the manufacturer authorized the work would they do warranty work. Then when you find the brand you are looking for contact the manufacturer (not the dealer) and ask if they would authorize service at a service center of your choice since you have no local dealer. Some manufacturers will do it but you need to check before doing it.