The mythical? $10,000 motorhome?

[Isaac-1]

To me functional means all the major systems work or are easily repairable with basic mechanical skills. Sure with enough money / skills you can fix up that 50 year old motorhome with a tree growing through it, but that is not what we are talking about here. Instead picture a young family with limited savings wanting to buy a motorhome to see America in. They have $10-$15,000 saved up, plus enough income to pay for actual travel expenses for this summer, maybe plan to use it for tailgating locally in the fall or such, and can then save up enough to pay routine operating cost over time.

In order to be functional it must be roadworthy and safe to drive (tires and brakes must be in good repair), batteries must be functional enough to support travel, climate control systems and plumbing must function, refrigerator must cool,.... Paint can have dings, but must look good enough to not be kicked out of the average campground,...

Last year when I started shopping for my first Class A motorhome, I saw an ad for one for sale by owner that was the same model as I ended up buying, just a few years older, in much worse shape, with an asking price of 1/4th the amount I ended up buying mine at. It was NOT functional by my definition, or economically repairable, and was well under $10,000 (seller was down to $4,900 when I walked away), the generator did not run, the roof air conditioner was on its last leg, the dash air did not work, the automatic parking brake had been disabled so it would roll if left in park (seller was using leveling jack as a parking brake, we are in Louisiana and it is mostly flat), the roof showed signs of leaks, and there was major delamination visible along the entire drivers side, and the tires were the same ones that were on it when the seller bought it 7 years ago. To me this is not functional, but the seller had just made it home from a 300 mile trip, so yes definitions vary.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

so yes definitions vary.

Going on what the OP said, they want a fully functional unit for $10K with the possibility of putting another $5K in it for batteries, tires etc. I'm a firm believer that it can be found. Obviously if they are looking for a 40' DP then sure, I'll agree they are out of luck. Now a 27' class C? I believe it is out there.

RVTrader currently has over 30 class C's at $12000 and under. RVTrader certainly isn't the only venue out there either.

[winniman]

I can assure that they are out there. BUT. They will require quite a bit of mechanical knowledge and lots of sweat equity to make them completely functional. If you want to travel long distances, you have to have several thousand or a credit card ready for any mechanical issue that come up. If its a major like a motor, you might want to call the nearest scrap yard and catch a plane. I have gotten very lucky finding deals, but have put lots of my time into finding them. I also have a great friend who is a very good mechanic who also rvs and we enjoy working on them together. Never hurts to travel with a mechanic either. The other option as previously stated is buy one thats under market value for 30k, keep it a few years then resell it for only very little or no loss. It takes a little more money to do it, but the result is the same. Cheap rving.

[Charlie 5320]

Originally Posted by winniman

I can assure that they are out there. BUT. They will require quite a bit of mechanical knowledge and lots of sweat equity to make them completely functional. If you want to travel long distances, you have to have several thousand or a credit card ready for any mechanical issue that come up. If its a major like a motor, you might want to call the nearest scrap yard and catch a plane. I have gotten very lucky finding deals, but have put lots of my time into finding them. I also have a great friend who is a very good mechanic who also rvs and we enjoy working on them together. Never hurts to travel with a mechanic either. The other option as previously stated is buy one thats under market value for 30k, keep it a few years then resell it for only very little or no loss. It takes a little more money to do it, but the result is the same. Cheap rving.

Same problems could arise from a $30,000 dollar coach. Just because a coach cost more don't make it any better on the mechanical side. The last two MH that I sold, both below 12 grand, I would have taken them anywhere with out fear. The guy that bought my 98 Daybreak took it on a west coast trip over 6000 miles less than a week after he bought it.

[guardrail53]

I guess people don't read the previous posts, and just throw their opinion out there? I will state what this, same as Charlie 5320, there are plenty of MH's out there, that were loved by the previous owner, in the 10K to 15K to 20K range! And if you know what your doing, and have a good friend that is mechanical,^^^^^^^^^, you can find the "diamond in the rough" or "the one" for you! I did it with 4 MH's, and you can too! You just have to know what to look for and what you are looking at!
And, as previously stated, paying more, is just that, not better because it has a higher price, there are lemons in all price ranges!
It just takes some savvy shopping, not being in a hurry, and get caught up in the moment!
Took me over 8 months to find my last one, and i looked at alot of nasty, junk!
When i sold my 2nd MH, the lady ask when she called me, does it look as good as the pic's! I told her I was sure as soon as she walked in it, she would smile, and say OK! And she did and bought it on the spot, for the asking price!
Then she said the same thing that i say, most were so nasty, smelly, moldy, dirty, that you shake your head and walk out!
Yes, they are out there! It is your job to find it! Rail!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Charlie 5320

Same problems could arise from a $30,000 dollar coach. Just because a coach cost more don't make it any better on the mechanical side. The last two MH that I sold, both below 12 grand, I would have taken them anywhere with out fear. The guy that bought my 98 Daybreak took it on a west coast trip over 6000 miles less than a week after he bought it.

BINGO ...... cost isn't necessarily the road to a good functional unit. I would agree that generally a newer and higher priced vehicle SHOULD offer less trouble and hopefully require less work but expensive doesn't directly relate to quality. If it did we'd never see posts about brand new units going back to the factory. To all the naysayers about the good quality $10-15000 RV's I say they are out there if you really want to take the time and energy to find them.

[Sweetbriar]

I think finding a $10K that is ready to hit the road is possible but also rare. There are certainly owners out there that will be very proactive with preventative and corrective maintenance. Unfortunately those owners are usually happy with what they have and don't sell as often as potential buyers may like. All too often the $10K coach may have been sitting in a storage lot or in the corner of the back yard untouched for a while and will need some form of care to return them to a safe and reliable form of transport. Tires, batteries, brakes, coolant may need attention particularly if the coach has been sitting unused for a while.

Case in point, got an Uncle who lives up in the Smokies of western North Carolina with a very nice 20 year old Daemon. Was a very nice coach for it's time while today would be considered a bit dated. Meticulous maintained and stored under a shelter protected from the elements. Perfect example of a $10K coach but the problem is it hasn't moved in probably 4 or 5 years and there will be post sale expense before it's ready to head to Alaska.

[winniman]

Originally Posted by Sweetbriar

I think finding a $10K that is ready to hit the road is possible but also rare. There are certainly owners out there that will be very proactive with preventative and corrective maintenance. Unfortunately those owners are usually happy with what they have and don't sell as often as potential buyers may like. All too often the $10K coach may have been sitting in a storage lot or in the corner of the back yard untouched for a while and will need some form of care to return them to a safe and reliable form of transport. Tires, batteries, brakes, coolant may need attention particularly if the coach has been sitting unused for a while.

Case in point, got an Uncle who lives up in the Smokies of western North Carolina with a very nice 20 year old Daemon. Was a very nice coach for it's time while today would be considered a bit dated. Meticulous maintained and stored under a shelter protected from the elements. Perfect example of a $10K coach but the problem is it hasn't moved in probably 4 or 5 years and there will be post sale expense before it's ready to head to Alaska.

Those are the ones I look for. Look at the owner as much as you look at the product. Care and pride of ownership show more than looking at if the stereo has a six pack cd player. Stored indoors to me means near as much as anything. Tells you a lot. In the south it means less sun, in the north it means not outside in snow and sleet. If they cared enough to pay to keep it inside, they care enough to take care of the small things. smho

[billgallivan]

fyi,, had to go 300 miles to purchase 98 itasca 30wq class a, no slides
43k miles,,needed coach batteries, all systems did and do test good, no leaks, 6 month old onan 4000, good michelins, super clean. wife said get this one as we walked in the door. as nice as any we saw in the $10k to $20k area
$10,750

it is possible