New MH owner Winnebago Aspect 26a

[Caitie]

Hello ! Im excited because my husband and I after a few years of looking finally took the plunge and bought our first MH though we just put a deposit down lol hubby isnt retired yet though we are closing in on our 60s in a few years we dont want to put off the dream any longer especially after facing a few health issues in recent years. So while on vacation we were told a friends sister was selling her 2005 Winnebago Aspect 26a with 16000 miles below NADA retail. We werent familiar with this camper but took a look and fell in love. I know a big no no but we loved it. She was the second owner and was trading up to the same MH but 2 ft larger and brandy new siting on the lot just delivered. She owned this Aspect for a few years and put 6,000 miles on it. She put on a new electric awning and its interior is in great condition and outside is good too with a little wear and tare but nothing major.

Unfortunately she decided to trade it in rather then take our offer a little less then what she was asking. It didnt come close to offsetting her trade in tax savings and she didnt come back to us with a counter offer. I just think she didnt want the hassle of selling it privately.

So while we're still on vacation we stopped at a local huge RV dealer and low and behold theres her RV. Now normally I wouldnt tell a dealership our story but we did totally expecting NOT to buy the RV with the dealer mark up but he came down from original price to what the owner wanted to sell it to us for originally 5K thousand below NADA. Plus they are fixing brakes and doing all the detailing and roof sealing, prepping etc.
We are seriously considering getting the 4 year Good Sams mechanical and camper extended warranty because we're taking it As Is. (any thoughts?) It never even hit the lot. Everything turned out for the better which to be honest scares the bejeebers out of me. The dealer knew we really loved this RV and didnt hit us over the head with the price. Plus bending over backwards to be helpful UNlike those car dealers im used to dealing with back home. Its almost scary good. They said they did their trade in inspection and I told them I knew there was a brake issue the owner told me about and they are fixing that with new drums and pads.
It doesnt "need" tires but it has a brand I never heard of Enduro Runway HT2 tires which researching I read are from china and might not be good at all.
I dont know what to do. We're about to sign the papers. It has a Ford 450 super engine and honestly my major concern is the whole V10 titan engine issue with the 4 thread spark plugs shooting out and if it affects this year truck. Im not going to be here to take it to Ford to give it the once over at one of their RV mechanics. And not like their going to tell me if my truck is at risk right? Could this be why its all falling together too perfectly? So we have to leave here and head back home Saturday. Any ideas from you wonderful RV owners? Any help is greatly appreciated. The financing pw will be done tomorrow. Need help. Thanks in advance. Hubby and I rented RV's many times in our younger days and loved it.

[JohnRR]

Good luck with your new purchase.

[Chiefbvfd]

Welcome aboard....

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi Caitie! Welcome to IRV2! It's great to have you join the bunch here!

Congrats on the new rig! Hope you enjoy the forum!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[baraff]

We have the exact same year and model. All I can say is it has been a terrific RV, we have over 77,000 miles on it with no major issues. We bought it with 50,000 miles on it, put new tires on, new shocks, and did a few maintenance items. Be sure and check the seam between the roof and front cap for leaks. Use the proper caulk (not silicone) or Eternabond. I used a combination of both.
My only complaint is the corner bed. It is cozy and not easy to get in and out of. If you can live with the corner bed you'll love it.
The spark plug issue was for earlier V10 models, 1999/2000 if I remember correctly. The 2005 chassis (which is probably a 2004, mine is) was not affected.
Send me a PM if you have specific questions. Congratulations!
Burns

[Fred1609]

I would definitely have the rig checked out by a qualified tech, but it sounds like a nice rig.

Safe and Happy Travels.

[Hudgens]

Congrats on your "impending" purchase! Sounds like a good deal. To answer some questions, maybe I should ask a couple.

1) Good Sams Warranty - Check out what it covers. If there are not a lot of exclusions, compare the cost to potential replacement of something like the generator or refrigerator. For me, I bought the warranty...kinda like buying insurance.
2) Tires - Others here are more qualified to answer your question, but I'm going to offer my 2 cents. IMO, tires are the biggest safety factor in owning an RV. Tires approaching or exceeding the five year mark since installed should be replaced. I have read that from multiple sources and listened to a tire expert explain why. If the tires are only a year or two old, I'm not a good advisor.
3) Covering Cost of Warranty & Tires - If it isn't too late, you might be able to roll the cost of warranty and/or tires into the financing of the RV. When we financed our motorhome in February 2014, I gave additional consideration into whether I wanted to finance or pay cash for things like the towing system for my Jeep (needed tow bar and supplemental braking system). I'm not suggesting a brand; just offering ideas of things that might hit your budget after the motorhome is signed for and you are driving it off the lot.

Good luck with the decisions and those initial drives.

P.S. Make sure you ask about getting the generator maintenance performed prior to delivery and have your delivery checklist ready for when you pick up the unit. (There are lots of other forum discussions of these kinds of topics that may be useful to you.)

[myshaggydog]

Welcome to the Forum and good luck on your purchase. We hope you have many great camping adventures. Best of luck.

Happy RV'ing

[Medico]

Welcome and glad to meet you!

[TonyDi]

Glad to have you here with us. Best advice from me is check lists. Make them, keep them, and use them.

Happy Trails!!!

[DieselTech39]

Glad you're aboard. Best of luck on the new to you rig. Enjoy your adventures and be safe.