Community Forums

sharmanrn · 10-29-2012, 09:04 AM

I am new to all of this....I have several questions. I am planning on full timing in AZ. I have been looking at a 2000 Southwind. It has 63000 miles and about 700 hours on the generator. I will still have to work and don't know how much it will leave its parking spot. I know that MHs are subjective but it has washer/dryer combo. Is that worth paying for? It is a 36 ft with 2 slide outs. Only carpet in bedroom and rest is wood flooring. I can get it for right under 30000. It has the fiberglass issues on rear bumper which i asked about in a previous thread. Does it sound ok or am I being taken?
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Shar

RickO · 10-29-2012, 09:44 AM

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I can't help you with the value of this particular coach but I'm sure some will chime in soon.

As for the washer/dryer... I've never understood the benefit of them but some folks love having them. If you're going to be staying at a private RV park, you'll usually have an on site laundry available to use and we found that by using multiple machines we can get a week's worth of laundry done in about 90 minutes instead of relying on many small loads from a built in W/D. They're usually too power and water hungry to be used while boon docking.

Best of luck.

Rick

bjsheldon · 10-29-2012, 11:58 AM

We have had 2 motor homes with W/D installed. The wife would not be without them! The camp grounds we have stayed at charge $1.00/1.50 per load each for wash and dry. While the camp ground machines are larger, you still have to walk back and forth. I agree, they are not for boon dogging, but while connected there are great.

TAZ · 10-29-2012, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjsheldon

We have had 2 motor homes with W/D installed. The wife would not be without them! The camp grounds we have stayed at charge $1.00/1.50 per load each for wash and dry. While the camp ground machines are larger, you still have to walk back and forth. I agree, they are not for boon dogging, but while connected there are great.

X2...

We run a load a day and take fewer cloths with us. No need to figure out where to put the hamper. We installed the combo unit where we used to hkeep the hamper so kids just put their clothes in at the end of the day.

Price sounds good but I would checkout KBB.COM. It is a buyers market.

B Bob · 10-29-2012, 10:13 PM

That price sounds fair. Just make sure that everything works. Check and turn on everything! Best to have motor and transmission checked by a mechanic. Look for rust under coach and leaks in the roof. If there are obvious leaking problems don't buy it.

Mr_D · 10-29-2012, 10:21 PM

The real benefit to having your own washer/dryer is you know what was washed in them last. Using the campgrounds units you never know if someone washed a load of diapers from a sickperson or if an oil driller washed his/her work clothes and left oil in them. Plus, they're in the rig so no loading onto the toad and taking them to the washroom and waiting. Yes, they take longer and you can't use them boondocking though.

Jon Mopar · 10-29-2012, 11:09 PM

If it's perfect in every way, $30k isn't unreasonable.....not a steal, but that's the top end of what it's worth.

If it has "issues" and is less than perfect, nope....not a deal. In average condition with a little bit of cosmetic damage, that's about a $23k motorhome, tops. Even then, you're not stealing it.

johnsonjm209 · 10-30-2012, 06:12 AM

It's interesting that you say you don't know much it will leave its parking spot. If you can afford it that's ok, but my thought is that you are buying a 12 year old rv and not using it. Meanwhile it is getting older and prone to more problems by virtue of it not being used. Just my opinion and opinions are like noses, we all have them.

TerryO · 10-30-2012, 06:30 AM

Having your own washer and dryer in the coach is pretty much the same as having them in your house and not having to go to the laundry mat. There was a time when many people used laundry mats but now almost everyone has them in their homes. Why, convenience. Don't have to lug your stuff somewhere else, you can be doing other things around the house while the clothes are washing, etc. DW even does a few loads at times while we are driving especially when we're heading home. That way she has less to do when we get there.

AGP · 10-30-2012, 06:35 AM

DW can not stand the washer and dryer in the RV not so much the load size as the laundry comes out with excessive wrinkles. Go figure.

mgtr · 10-30-2012, 06:57 AM

If you cannot use it yet, why buy it now? It is going to cost you to park it, and it will continue to deteriorate/require maintenance as time goes buy. Motorhomes are great for travelling, not so good for semi-permanent living. Why not get a used fifth wheel? Plenty of space, noengine or tranny to worry about. If you are not going anywhere, you don't need a truck to pull it. Just my $.02.

sharmanrn · 10-30-2012, 09:38 AM

Mgtr,
The reason i looked at class A is I have a Hinda CRV. I have no way to pull a 5th wheel from CO to AZ. Who knows I might want to go to the Grand Canyon. I might decide to take it on weekend trips and I will be teaching so I'll have summers off. I just don't know yet.

Jon Mopar · 10-30-2012, 09:48 AM

Honestly, if you're not going to use it, there's no point buying new in my opinion....despite what some might say. A new RV depreciates around $30k in it's first year, then about $20k in its second etc etc. So you're being smart. If you buy a used one @ $30k, it's almost as if you bought a Motorhome just with the money you would have lost in depreciation with a new one. It's a smart move

Will you run into troubles from it sitting and never moving??? maybe...but it's not a diesel, there's no pricey turbos to replace or $1500 radiators. It's just a truck! (either Ford or Chev), how badly can it break?? how much could it possibly cost to fix?? Not thousands upon thousands. Your brake calipers might seize/stick, your rotors might get rusty/pitted, and you might have to replace a ignition coil or a sensor or two.....yeah it'll be annoying, but if you look at the bigger picture, it won't be that bad.

BUT if it's just going to sit, why not buy even older and cheaper??

My advice on whatever you buy is to make sure your roof is sealed/caulked well, and just start it up and take it around the block every couple of weeks or so. Run your generator once a week or two. No biggie

Dutch Star David · 10-30-2012, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharmanrn

Mgtr,
The reason i looked at class A is I have a Hinda CRV. I have no way to pull a 5th wheel from CO to AZ. Who knows I might want to go to the Grand Canyon. I might decide to take it on weekend trips and I will be teaching so I'll have summers off. I just don't know yet.

Ever thought about driving CRV to AZ and buying a fiver there. I'm sure there are plenty to choose from there. Make putting fiver on an RV site part of the deal.