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Old 05-05-2008, 08:23 AM   #1
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My wife and I are looking to by a USED Motorhome soon. With only 25k-30k to spend, what are peoples opinions about Class A vs. Class C, Gas vs. Diesel, and all the different brands reliability (just to many choices). We are looking at 27'-34' and its just two of us and two dogs. Thanks.
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Old 05-05-2008, 08:23 AM   #2
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My wife and I are looking to by a USED Motorhome soon. With only 25k-30k to spend, what are peoples opinions about Class A vs. Class C, Gas vs. Diesel, and all the different brands reliability (just to many choices). We are looking at 27'-34' and its just two of us and two dogs. Thanks.
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Old 05-05-2008, 09:07 AM   #3
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Electricfoot...
Welcome to iRV2! You have come to the right place for your answers...but I am also going to put this over in the MH-General Discussion area to give you more exposure!
Again..welcome and I am sure you will get all sorts of responses over the next few days! (don't forget to visit & post often!)

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Old 05-05-2008, 12:44 PM   #4
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I think you will find you can get more storage space with a class A then a C. I doubt you will find a Class A diesel for the money you have to spend.
Some say if your not going to use it in excess of 10,000 miles a year you are better off with a gas unit. Also if this is your first RV after you have it for a few years you will want to upgrade and will have a better idea of what you want.
Just look at what you can afford and realize that you will more then likely need to use some money to repair items like tires, belts, hoses, etc.
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Old 05-05-2008, 01:25 PM   #5
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Electricfoot,
Welcome to iRV2. Consider forgetting the items in your post. Try to understand how and how much (per year) you will use the coach. Nights spent in the coach is a good way to think about this. Who will be in the coach with you? Will you have full hookups at the CGs you choose most of the time? Focus on the floor plan that best suits these needs and your $s. The floorplan will be remembered long after gas/diesel or "A" vs "C" is forgotten.

My first coach was in 1978. I purchased my first diesel coach in 2005. This was because we could not find what met our needs in a gas powered coach.
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Old 05-05-2008, 04:43 PM   #6
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Electricfoot, welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad ot have you join us here and we lok forward to reading of yoru advenures and experiences. Have you ever rented an RV or been out with another couple in theirs? Will you be wanting to tow a car or boat behind? Be sure to look at the weight carrying capacity and the towing capacity. Be sure the tires are fairly new; anything over five years old will not have much if any life left in them. Good luck & keep us posted.
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Old 05-06-2008, 04:20 AM   #7
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All other things being equal, you would like a diesel Class A the best. But frankly that's not too important in most cases, especially since all but the oldest diesel A's will be above your budget. You want to find a floor plan that accommodates your needs, as GaryKD described. Think more about what you want/need for living and enjoying and less about power train and form.

Storage space is a major factor and one usually under-estimated by newbies. RVs look roomy when you view them and are excited by their styling, but take some time to figure out where things go. Mundane things like dishes, bath towels, hobby & sports gear, shoes, etc. And figure out who will be with you and where they all sleep. If there are kids who go to bed earlier than adults, be sure their sleeping area is usable while Mom & Dad are still up and about. Check out the shower - can you fit in it? Sit on the commode too. When you get those things sorted out, you will be closer to the "right" RV.
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Old 05-07-2008, 07:07 AM   #8
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Welcome aboard Electricfoot
We too started out with a 'gently used' RV in order to get the feel of it all. 28' Fleetwood Jamboree 'Party Plan'. Had overhead bed for us, a long couch (dog bed by night), dinette, couple extra swivel chairs and rear bath, closet. Couple exterior storage pods for bbq, firewood, camping chairs, etc.
It got us out exploring on the weekends: learning what we liked/would do differently. Was critical that first RV be roughly like a big SUV. DH pleaded: no trailers. Diesels that were in our price range (then) were too scary for 2 newbys to fix on our own. We weren't looking for a project... ha!
Enjoy the search!
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Old 05-10-2008, 09:05 AM   #9
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WOW! Thanks for all the responses so far. They have all added "food for thought". We had an old 14' trailer that got us into RVing but it got to old and unsafe to stay on the road. We will be useing this alot, even for short day trips as my wife has a medical condition that limits our ability to just jump in the car and go somewhere for the day. With a place for her to lay down when she needs to this will open up a part of our life we've been missing for quite some time. I drive a semi for a living and so size is no concern, so the idea of looking for a floorplan and storage space is a good one. One of my main concerns was about reliability of some of the older MH's(mid 90's). I've seen alot advertized with rebuilt/new engines and/or transmissions with 50k-60k miles. Is this a typical thing with the gas MH's of this age? I had a pickup with a 460 ford and it went well over 200k before it showed signs of any problems. Other owners driving habits and whether or not they towed anything I'm sure has alot to do with that. Living in Oregon its a given that almost any trip we take will include a mountain pass or two. We will tow a small trailer with motorcycles in it sometimes, but not always, no cars thought. I've not had much chance this week to look at many of the other posts, but will this weekend. I'm glad I found this site and I will keep you all informed of our progress. Thanks again for your responses and motor safe!
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