Looking for MH recommendations

[Karlak]

I am stuck on what type of motor home I want. I have been looking for a couple and I am still have not narrowed down what class I want.

I will be full-time and I work remotely plus I am a travel nurse (2 contracts per year in my slow season) and so I have a list of must and would like features. I have not found one RV in my $40k price range that has at least the must haves.

I want to stay less than 30 ft so I can get in to NP and state parks when I am not working.


I am going used and probably gas bc of my price range.

My list
Must have
Separate living and sleeping space.
Ability to tow a small car
Ability to get to sleep and use restroom without slide open.
Dry bath with at least 6 inches of counter space (for hair supplies)
couch


Nice to have
Credenza or free standing or U shaped dinette
Room for coffee maker on kitchen counter (not on top of stove/sink cover)
Larger tanks
Solar prep
walk around bed


Must NOT
Murphy bed
Wet bath

[Jerrilynn]

Your list is excellent. You have given this some thought.
I would first give the RV brand some research. Buy quality. When we purchased our RV last year our research lead us to Newmar, Tiffin and Winnebago. Buy used.
Both a Class A and a Class C will pull a car. The Class C will be less expensive. A travel trailer will be least expensive, but the cost of a tow vehicle, if you do not already have one, will bring the cost up.
I believe a 34’ or 35’ RV should work in COE and state parks. Those extra 4 or 5 feet will give you a lot more comfort.
One requirement we had was that we could sit on the couch and look straight at the TV. We did not want to look at 90 degree angle to watch TV.
Spend some time on www.rvtrader.com. You will be able to learn ballpark prices and floor plans. In most cases you can offer less.
Also go and look at RV’s at local dealers. When you have decided on the Brand, model and year range, sit back and watch the advertisements. Someone will need to sell, and you can get a good deal.
Wishing you a great adventure!

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Karlak-

Here is a search of rvtrader listings for coaches that are similar to ours. They are all longer than 29 feet (the 30s are actually 31 feet), but all are probably small enough to get into where you want to go.

This gives you an idea of what's available. I'm not saying the HR Admirals/Monaco Monarchs are the "best thing going." But, they represent the design of Class A that falls in your range. There are other well-known manufacturers with similar models.

I believe there are a lot of Class A coaches that meet your must-haves. The difficulty will be finding one that is well-made and well-cared-for.

Note: Every RV has its weak points. For instance, most HRs/Monacos until somewhere around 2012 can develop rot along the bottom edges of the slides. It's easy to spot, if you know what to look for, and not too difficult or expensive to fix. For whatever makes/models/years you investigate, there will be similar problems and fixes. As you narrow the field, you should spend some time combing the threads for info on these weak points. And, set aside some time and money in your purchase budget to repair things that will be broken when you buy the coach, or break within the first year or two that you own it.

Oh, and don't forget to set aside a few thousand to convert a car so that it may be towed.

[Ivylog]

DO NOT buy into the myth that you have to have only a 30’ or even 36’ or even 40’ to use public CGs. Sure, the shorter the rig the easier it is to find a site but for FTime use a little effort to find a site for a bigger rig is well worth the extra effort.

We are headed out West this summer for 2 months and we stay mainly in USFS CGs...without making reservations. If I can do it in a 45’ you can do it in something more livable than 30’ or even 36’.
BUY MORE RV than you think you need, ONE TIME.

PS: in 14 years with a 42’ I can only remember 1-2 times when I was not able to get into my 1st choice of public CG. Couple summers ago we went into S Lake Tahoe on Labor Day without a reservation and got into our first choice (the city CG) BUT it was on Monday, not Friday.

[Jerrilynn]

Forgot to mention one cost issue when purchasing a used RV. The RV we purchased, a 2012, had original tires (purchased in 2018). The tread on the tires looked great, but the tires had “aged out”. We could see tiny cracks in the rubber.

We determined the cost of new tires, and considered that to be a part of purchase price in negotiating the final price.

FMCA has a good discount on tires.

Another cost item would be road-side service.

As mentioned above, Monaco is a good brand choice. I should have included it in my list.

[Karlak]

Originally Posted by Jerrilynn

Your list is excellent. You have given this some thought.
I would first give the RV brand some research. Buy quality. When we purchased our RV last year our research lead us to Newmar, Tiffin and Winnebago. Buy used.
Both a Class A and a Class C will pull a car. The Class C will be less expensive. A travel trailer will be least expensive, but the cost of a tow vehicle, if you do not already have one, will bring the cost up.
I believe a 34’ or 35’ RV should work in COE and state parks. Those extra 4 or 5 feet will give you a lot more comfort.
One requirement we had was that we could sit on the couch and look straight at the TV. We did not want to look at 90 degree angle to watch TV.
Spend some time on www.rvtrader.com. You will be able to learn ballpark prices and floor plans. In most cases you can offer less.
Also go and look at RV’s at local dealers. When you have decided on the Brand, model and year range, sit back and watch the advertisements. Someone will need to sell, and you can get a good deal.
Wishing you a great adventure!

Thank you
I was in a 5th wheel at one point and in my travels I was able to look/hangout in many different layouts. I really miss being on the road and hopefully I will find something in by fall.

[Karlak]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

Karlak-

Here is a search of rvtrader listings for coaches that are similar to ours. They are all longer than 29 feet (the 30s are actually 31 feet), but all are probably small enough to get into where you want to go.

This gives you an idea of what's available. I'm not saying the HR Admirals/Monaco Monarchs are the "best thing going." But, they represent the design of Class A that falls in your range. There are other well-known manufacturers with similar models.

I believe there are a lot of Class A coaches that meet your must-haves. The difficulty will be finding one that is well-made and well-cared-for.

Note: Every RV has its weak points. For instance, most HRs/Monacos until somewhere around 2012 can develop rot along the bottom edges of the slides. It's easy to spot, if you know what to look for, and not too difficult or expensive to fix. For whatever makes/models/years you investigate, there will be similar problems and fixes. As you narrow the field, you should spend some time combing the threads for info on these weak points. And, set aside some time and money in your purchase budget to repair things that will be broken when you buy the coach, or break within the first year or two that you own it.

Oh, and don't forget to set aside a few thousand to convert a car so that it may be towed.

Thank you so much.
You are right about the difficulty will be finding one that is well-made and well-cared-for, I went to look at a perfect layout over the weekend but it smelled like perfumed MUSTY wet dog (it was GROSS). It was so bad I could not stay inside to look around.

[Karlak]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

DO NOT buy into the myth that you have to have only a 30’ or even 36’ or even 40’ to use public CGs. Sure, the shorter the rig the easier it is to find a site but for FTime use a little effort to find a site for a bigger rig is well worth the extra effort.

Its not a myth, I was in a medium size 5th wheel and we could not go to some of my favorite places in the smoky mountains, Acadia and many of the state parks on the west coast.

This time around I want to hit the places I could not go before.

[dmholt]

One thing to consider is how much storage room you need. If you are going to take outdoor furniture, a grill, and a bunch of other equipment along with you, you'll probably need a class A motorhome. If you won't have that much, you likely could get by with a class C or B+ motorhome. All will tow a car.

We used to own a Lexington 283gts (a B+ motorhome made by Forest River) but eventually decided that we needed more storage space. So we traded that for a Newmar class A. Both were just under 30 feet, and that is plenty big enough for us, although we do not use our motorhome full time. One thing I did discover is that I liked driving the B+ a lot more than the class A. For one thing, the B+ was only 8 feet wide while the class A is 8.5 feet. That may not seem like a big difference, but on narrow roads it is quite noticeable. Also, the B+ isn't as tall and doesn't get blown around as much as the class A when passed by large trucks or hit with side winds.

Both of our motorhomes had/have the bed in a slide, so sleeping with the slide in would mean you would not be able to walk around the bed. You can still get to the bathroom, however. I don't know of any motorhome where the bathroom is unavailable with the slides in. The kitchen counter is somewhat larger in our class A, but there would be room for a coffee pot in both styles of motorhome.

Best advice is to look at numerous motorhomes at dealers and at sites like rvtrader.com. You might also try Craigslist. Good luck and happy hunting.

[dl1035]

If you go Class A, you have received some good advice on brands including Newmar, Tiffin, Winnebago, and Monaco. All of these brands have very loyal owners of coaches from the early 2000s.

Just bear in mind that buying by brand is fine because it usually puts the odds of getting a good one on your side. But you need to make sure that the individual coach that you buy is a good one too.

All of the top brands have turned out clunkers at times, or more likely, the owners may not have maintained them like they should.

Before you buy, get a certified inspector to go through the RV and give you a complete unbiased rundown on all of the components and systems of that unit. I would also have a fluid analysis done on the main engine and radiator, the generator engine and radiator, and the transmission too.

A good pre-sale inspection can alert you to some issues that the average buyer would never see. It's well worth the investment!

[Jean n Steve]

^^ This.

Plus you should do your research on makes, models, and year groups to turn up poor engines, slide mechanisms, etc. You can do practically all the research from your desk chair!

Oh, and don't forget Country Coach when you look.

Steve