Advice needed, new vs used

[Fastonecheet]

I have to bug!!! now that me and my wife have tried our hand at traveling in a RV, we love it. We bought a older Dp to start with, but now would like to up grade. the question is!! is it better to buy a new but lower end DP or get a used but high and motorhome ?? and are the new or used ones worth it. What dealers treat you better than others, how about service under warranty.

[becks]

Easy answer, buy used high end.

[Podivin]

Originally Posted by becks

Easy answer, buy used high end.

[nothermark]

FWIW - do some reading up on what you are looking at. I'm not sure what you call older so adjust accordingly. Over the last 15 years there have been significant changes in engine and transmission combinations used as clean air regulations and cost control added their bits. Some folks like to avoid certain year ranges for different reasons. If you are going to poke around in the used market you should understand what the issues are.

[CarlAda]

Used high end

[ByeTheWay]

Originally Posted by becks

Easy answer, buy used high end.

X 5 I trusted this advice when it was given to me and it worked well.

[marjoa]

All these points may not apply to you but may be helpful to others:

A few things to consider when buying ANY motorhome (MH):
Buying any MH is NOT like buying a car. You should not just go out and find one that you like and it’s pretty to look at, the price is good and then make a decision. Buying a MH on emotion without careful thought could turn into buyers remorse. There is also a learning curve and testing of all the systems that are in a MH. It is considered—best practice—that no matter what type of MH you decide to purchase, Gas or Diesel, used or new, that once you do purchase one, give yourself time and a few short trips to become familiar with it, and fix any bugs or issues that may and probably will arise BEFORE you go on any extended trip.

1) The first thing to consider and probably the most important to most of us is, what can I afford
2) How are you going to use the MH? Are you going to use it sporadically throughout the year for short 1,2,3 or 4 weeks at a time or are you planning to travel a lot year round, traveling the US & maybe Canada
3) Are you planning to tow a vehicle
4) Insurance will vary a lot depending on the type of MH, how you use it, the size, its value, its age, the state you live it, and your driving record
5) A few states have MH size restrictions, and license requirements
6) It’s a best practice to store your MH inside when not in use so in most cases this requires renting a storage unit and—depending on your location and the length—will vary a lot on what you pay. Usually a 35’ or less storage unit for most people the cost is very reasonable. Over 35’ it goes up quite a bit. And don’t forget, you’ll need an extra 5’ - 10’ at least to give yourself the ability to store supplies and have the ability to work on and clean your coach. If you choose not to store your MH and leave it outside, your MH’s condition will pay a price
7) Maintenance is another consideration and this is not just confined to oil changes, air filters and lubing the chassis. MH’s are equipped with many onboard systems. It’s a house on wheels. They have 12volt and 110 electrical systems with a variety of different appliances and charging systems. Some have no slides some have many slides. There are different types of roofs. There are so many systems they can’t all be mentioned here, but some are only found on Diesels. Regardless with ether it’s Gas or Diesel, all these systems have to be maintained on a regular basis and you have to decide whether you can perform some, most or all of these systems yourself or pay someone to do it
8) Any MH owner should also have roadside service of some kind
9) Warranty. If you buy a new MH it will come with a factory warranty. But most dealers & shops today are so back logged with coaches that need service work—in many if not most cases—may take weeks to schedule your work. Therefore, your normal warranty expires fairly quickly so you’ll have to decide whether you want to pay for an extended warranty. Many times if you buy a new MH out of state, when you get home, your local dealer will not service it because you didn’t buy it from them. Or, they may work on it but you’ll usually be put on the bottom of their list. If you buy locally your local dealer is probably fairly close to your home base, but it would be to your advantage to buy a MH that also has factory service center nearby (say within 500 miles or so) that can not only take care of warranty issues, but also address any other more complicated issues that may arise
10) Tire costs for Diesels (for the most part) are much more than gas rigs simply because they are bigger
11) How much storage space do you need in the basement to carry all your stuff
12) If you buy a new MH you will take a big depreciation hit, especially in the first 3 years
13) If you buy a used MH, get it inspected by a professional and have the fluids tested by a lab. IMHO the sweet spot on a used MH is one that's 3 -5 yrs. old. The previous owner has already taken a big hit on the depreciation, a lot of MHs out there have hardly been used or abused yet and they have a lot of the new updates.

[twogypsies]

Buy used high end.... about 3 years old if it's within your budget. Don't get into debt over this.


As to a dealer, where do you live? Do you need one close by? You probably won't have a warranty left if buying used so a particular dealer won't matter. We bought new and as full-timers, never returned to the dealer and had no issues with the first year's warranty with another dealer that handled our make motorhome.

[MrsChilerick]

Good high end gently used if you can find one that meets your needs and feels like home. We gave up after 2 years and bought new.

All good advice here. Good luck.

[mtofell]

Used is a great way to go IF you can find a seller who is realistic about what their coach is worth. Unfortunately, a lot of folks pay way too much initially and then have their heads in the clouds about what the used value is. This is also why people talk so much about the "huge" depreciation hit you take buying used. If you buy right the depreciation isn't as bad as it often gets made out to be.

I'm more knowledgeable about 5th wheels and trailers so there may be a different % with class A but with 5th and TTs a good deal is paying somewhere around 65-70% of MSRP. Trailers are usually worth somewhere in the ballpark of 50% of MSRP around 2-3 years old. With the used value being basically static you can see how you can be burned MUCH worse if you pay 80% of MSRP rather than 65%.

Of course, there are always other factors like demand for a certain brand or model, time of year, condition, etc.

[adamfolger]

Used upper end.When you find a rig you like, offer at least 10% below NADA wholesale. Too many sellers to pay more unless it is a very clean, all maintenance record, low miles (but not too low) all available options rig. The options don't increase the NADA average price by much, so get all you can. The options will ad a couple of thousand $, for which the original owner paid many thousands more. I am partial to 2000 - 2007 Monaco Dynasty and above, so....

[ahicks]

I don't know about others, but I started my shopping with a budget. From there, I bought the nicest coach I could afford (to pay cash for). Serious shopping will show that anything over about 3 years old is going to show varying levels of care. Price/what it's worth totally dependent on that condition and that tendency caries right on down through the 20 year old coaches.

It shouldn't take too long for you to arrive at a range of years your interested in, and a list of must haves & would really likes. Something that may affect the year coach might be your willingness to get your hands dirty on occasion. The more willing you are there, the older the coaches you could be looking at.

From there it's about beating the bush looking for a deal.

Dealers are absolutely useless.

Make darn sure you get the chassis inspected by a pro prior to or as a condition of the sale (but not at an RV dealer!!!).

[LarryW21]

Good list, Marjoa.

[NC25T]

Totally depends on your budget

Once that's determined then it's do you want someone else's problems or new problems from the factory

Good and bad either way.... my last RV I purchased new, it was a mid/upper level gas class A. Next coach will be a used 10+ yr old mid level DP.