Advice on which MH is the best buy.

[RightUR]

Originally Posted by dwman113

It scares me too. For 10k I can afford to be scared. Obviously I'm don't want to throw money away but I believe this would be a good vehicle to play around with and figure out if I really want to get into a RV lifestyle.

I 100% understand the issues that could come with these vehicles.

10k to buy the rig, but the remodelling isn't going to be cheap either. If you can do it all on your own, great, but maybe they'll come a time when you'll need "expert" help. Materials are not a drop in the bucket either. I'm just sayin'. Why not just rent one for a week and see how you like it?

[dwman113]

Originally Posted by RightUR

10k to buy the rig, but the remodelling isn't going to be cheap either. If you can do it all on your own, great, but maybe they'll come a time when you'll need "expert" help. Materials are not a drop in the bucket either. I'm just sayin'. Why not just rent one for a week and see how you like it?

Seems pretty obvious to me... Renting a motorhome this size for the week is at least 2k. rvshare.com check it out yourself if you don't believe me. But there is a huge difference in renting one and owning and modifying whatever I like for the foreseeable future. Did I mention owning it debt free?

I am a fabricator by trade so not only am I not concerned about any refurbishment but it actually sounds like a fun project to me. My wife is already excited about doing the upholstery and curtains.

The only expert help I will need is on the engine. I am looking for a Gas engine specifically because I can work on that myself and fix 95% of any issues.

You're assumptions seem to not apply in this scenario.

[BCam]

I'd be partial to the Itasca. I have a 2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U and it's a quality rig. Other than the normally expected issues of a rig this age, I had a problem with a number of leaking hydraulic hoses on the front slide. There was an issue in the early 2000s with faulty ferrules (where the fittings are swaged onto the hoses) on the HWH hoses. If you're up to it, it's not doable as a DIY job. It's not unlike replacing an bleeding a brake line when we used to do this kind of stuff on our cars. If you're going to have it done, it's going to be cheaper if you don't piecemeal it so make sure all the leaky hoses are identified. Exact replacements are available from HWH. I'd suggest replacing both hoses of a pair even if only one looks bad. Note that many of the hoses will seem to be excessively long. This is by design and don't be tempted to neaten things up with shorter hoses, use exact replacements. The numbers are on white plastic sleeves near the fittings. If you can't read them, take photos with a cell phone or digital camera and adjust the contrast.

Also, read up on the Winnebago leaky windshield issue. If it's extensive, repair can cost thousands. IRV2's sister site, Winnieowners.com has a lot of info on this. If the damage isn't bad, the leak can be stopped with Eternabond tape. Regardless of which MH you like, be especially careful about any signs of water leaks.

Whatever you buy, be liberal in estimating what it will cost to bring things up to par. Barring any significant mechanical or windshield issues or tires, $5,000 isn't unreasonable. I'd budget for tire replacement now or shortly if the tires are older than five or six years old. And, despite the hype, IMHO, you don't need to spend the premium price for Michelins.

[rjreiffer]

IMHO there are a couple of things:
1. I agree that if you figure about $5K that should cover most things provided you have gone over the MH in detail looking for signs of leaks and other things. If it looks great, just add $5K in your budget to fix, modify and (if you are like me) just having fun upgrading stuff!
2. I would go for one with a slide out. I know for us it made all of the difference in “livability” just having a small slide out.
3. Finally, I like the Georgie Boy first - just my personal preference.

[Winemaker2]

No info re specific Mfg / models etc but if it were me and I was considering an older gasser (which I'm not against - its an inexpensive way to get into MHing and see if it works for you) I would do or have done a compression check to see what kind of shape the engine is in.
You can learn enough to possibly toss or favor one or more you like the looks & layout of.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by dwman113

What is this site? Have not seen it before. Is it sale by owner or dealership?

It's not a dealership. Private parties take their RVs there to sell. We did and it sold within a month to someone who flew in from Florida to buy it. We set our price and any dickering or questions are between the buyer and seller. PPL is just a go-between for the two. They do a LOT of business.

[Waiter21]

However I am concerned about obtaining parts.

No problem with parts. The vast majority of chassis parts will be available at most corner auto stores.

Coach parts are common across the majority of builders.

[Isaac-1]

I don't know what your budget is, but personally today in 2019 I would be looking for something a couple of years newer, and a step or three up in initial build quality, something with full body paint, and either an Aluminum or Fiberglass roof, not a TPO or EPDM rubber membrane roof. The Workhorse chassis platform got a lot better after the 8.1L engine was introduced in 2001, particularly the W series chassis coaches unless you are considering a sub 30 ft model without slides in which case the P series does ok. For Fords the magic date for chassis improvement was about 2006, though again after 2001 with a 6.8L will likely be a big performance improvement over the Ford 460 as long as you are aware of the spark plug issue.

[RightUR]

Originally Posted by dwman113

Seems pretty obvious to me... Renting a motorhome this size for the week is at least 2k. rvshare.com check it out yourself if you don't believe me. But there is a huge difference in renting one and owning and modifying whatever I like for the foreseeable future. Did I mention owning it debt free?

I am a fabricator by trade so not only am I not concerned about any refurbishment but it actually sounds like a fun project to me. My wife is already excited about doing the upholstery and curtains.

The only expert help I will need is on the engine. I am looking for a Gas engine specifically because I can work on that myself and fix 95% of any issues.

You're assumptions seem to not apply in this scenario.

My assumptions don't "apply" one way or the other. It's not my money, and in the end you gotta do what makes you happy. I didn't come on here asking for your input, you did. I gave mine. That's why we have this website. All things considered 2K is not a lot...to me. But to some it might be. I'm just brainstorming. Personally I think your project is going to be a tad more expensive than you think. But hey, who cares? You're Happy right? that's all that matters. I wish you the best.

[dwman113]

Originally Posted by RightUR

My assumptions don't "apply" one way or the other. It's not my money, and in the end you gotta do what makes you happy. I didn't come on here asking for your input, you did. I gave mine. That's why we have this website. All things considered 2K is not a lot...to me. But to some it might be. I'm just brainstorming. Personally I think your project is going to be a tad more expensive than you think. But hey, who cares? You're Happy right? that's all that matters. I wish you the best.

Thank you for the input.

[dwman113]

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

I don't know what your budget is, but personally today in 2019 I would be looking for something a couple of years newer, and a step or three up in initial build quality, something with full body paint, and either an Aluminum or Fiberglass roof, not a TPO or EPDM rubber membrane roof. The Workhorse chassis platform got a lot better after the 8.1L engine was introduced in 2001, particularly the W series chassis coaches unless you are considering a sub 30 ft model without slides in which case the P series does ok. For Fords the magic date for chassis improvement was about 2006, though again after 2001 with a 6.8L will likely be a big performance improvement over the Ford 460 as long as you are aware of the spark plug issue.

Thanks for the advice. I could go more but honestly my thought is, getting into a coach around 10k with expecting to put in 5k maintenance. Putting 20k miles on it and if all goes well and my wife and I can transition to this lifestyle full time I'll likely sell it and upgrade to a 80k to 100k unit.


I don't mind increasing the budget slightly but I want to make room for repairs and if I get a 15k to 20k unit and still have to put 5k into tires and what not.

It's all relative to what I find for sure. The good side is I have no rush and the right deal will fall into my lap. It always does. There is an insane amount of inventory in Texas. I also only really want a unit from North Texas. I know how snow and salt water hurts a vehicle over time and I have found units around here that have been stored inside and the chassis has zero rust.


Also just because these units say 12k or 13k doesn't mean somebody won't take 7500 cash.... So again it's all relative.

[ransil]

Pretty sure cash is the only way you are getting any of these.
I would look st the itssca and Georgia boy, unless you gatta have that VCR in the last one.