I'm going to buy my first RV and have some questions

[Guy an a dog]

Well I want to buy a motorhome to travel/live in. I'm in CA and have about $3500 to work with. I've been looking at class A and C in the 20'-30' range. Fuel mileage is a concern so I was thinking a class C with a small block V8 would be best and I'm wondering what you folks have to say about that.

[gklehner]

Have a class C (21') with a ford 5.7 L, nice little V8, good torque, gas mileage 10.5.

[raccoonman]

going by your budget, i'd look for an A, gas engine, pre-slideouts. they usually have either Chevy or Ford big-blocks and while they don't deliver great MPG they are rugged and tolerant of infrequent maintenance more so than SB's of either brand. A's are somewhat easier to do engine work on as well, imho, as they have the engine inside the coach more or less.
if it's just you and a dog, as your name implies, a short (30' or 28') along the lines of a georgie boy would be a good bet. add another human or two, you're going to want 33' or more. there's some bargains out there that need hunting down and having a critical eye put on them. good luck and good hunting.

[Tha_Rooster]

Did you mean 35 thousand or 35hundred, you want need to worry about gas mileage it may not have a motor.

[Guy an a dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster Did you mean 35 thousand or 35hundred, you want need to worry about gas mileage it may not have a motor.

Did you have anything constructive to ad or did you just want to tell me that you can afford a better RV than I can?

[Guy an a dog]

Quote:

if it's just you and a dog, as your name implies, a short (30' or 28') along the lines of a georgie boy would be a good bet. add another human or two, you're going to want 33' or more. there's some bargains out there that need hunting down and having a critical eye put on them. good luck and good hunting.

It is just me and the dog for now.

[Guy an a dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gklehner Have a class C (21') with a ford 5.7 L, nice little V8, good torque, gas mileage 10.5.

Where is it? How much?

[RickO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy an a dog Where is it? How much?

I don't think he said it was for sale.

Just to clarify, your budget is $3500?

Thanks,

Rick

[Guy an a dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO I don't think he said it was for sale. Just to clarify, your budget is $3500? Thanks, Rick

Yes I have a three thousand five hundred dollar budget

[fansill]

Hey Guy an a Dog...

Take it easy on Tha_Rooster. He was only making a joke while trying to ascertain your actual budget. No-one on this site intentionally tries to make anyone else feel bad.

Stay calm and give us all a chance...

Faith

[Tha_Rooster]

Sorry I thought it was a typepo and I graduated from the columbian school of speed reading and I soon hope to understand what I have been reading so speedy.

[Guy an a dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster Sorry I thought it was a typepo and I graduated from the columbian school of speed reading and I soon hope to understand what I have been reading so speedy.

lol

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy an a dog Well I want to buy a motorhome to travel/live in. I'm in CA and have about $3500 to work with. I've been looking at class A and C in the 20'-30' range. Fuel mileage is a concern so I was thinking a class C with a small block V8 would be best and I'm wondering what you folks have to say about that.

Hi Guy an a dog, Welcome to irv2!

You have come to the right place to ask questions. There are many experienced RV'ers here that should be able to help you.

I like to look at free online classified ads, and have spotted many older RV's in your price range. Some class A's B's and C's
There are different pros and cons for each one.
If you are a minimalist a class B may suit your needs. These are often vans that have been converted for RV use. usually get between 10-15 mpg

If you need more room a class A or C may suit your needs.
Usually people say a smaller class C is easier to drive and might have slightly better gas mileage then a class A, but not much better. The RV's without overdrive usually get between 4-7 mpg.
If you can get a later model class A or C with an overdrive trans would be your best bet. Prolly get between 7-10 mpg

Hopefully you are mechanically inclined so you can work on your own RV. Pretty much anything in your price range will need work, how much work depends on how well you inspect the RV before buying. Don't rush to buy the first thing you see. There will be many older RV's in your price range, just take your time to find the one that has been taken care of the best.

[Guy an a dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer Hi Guy an a dog, Welcome to irv2! You have come to the right place to ask questions. There are many experienced RV'ers here that should be able to help you. I like to look at free online classified ads, and have spotted many older RV's in your price range. Some class A's B's and C's There are different pros and cons for each one. If you are a minimalist a class B may suit your needs. These are often vans that have been converted for RV use. usually get between 10-15 mpg If you need more room a class A or C may suit your needs. Usually people say a smaller class C is easier to drive and might have slightly better gas mileage then a class A, but not much better. The RV's without overdrive usually get between 4-7 mpg. If you can get a later model class A or C with an overdrive trans would be your best bet. Prolly get between 7-10 mpg Hopefully you are mechanically inclined so you can work on your own RV. Pretty much anything in your price range will need work, how much work depends on how well you inspect the RV before buying. Don't rush to buy the first thing you see. There will be many older RV's in your price range, just take your time to find the one that has been taken care of the best.

WOW 4-7 thats crazy! I'll be getting one with an overdrive for sure. I am very mechanically inclined and can fix just about anything. I need the room of a class C and would love the room of an A.