Older Class A's? which ones are best?

[dspinella]

Husband and I want to get a used rv, we had a 2000 Class A, National Tradewinds for 2 yrs,( pretty new to rv'ing) it had a lot of issues the dealer didn't make us aware of and he said it had a 3,000 maintenance on it prior to selling it so we thought we could trust him, NOPE , skylight leaked first heavy rain, found out it had seal issues around most of the windows so it leaked over time with previous owners and they covered up the rot on the floors with new carpet lol...needless to say, we are now on the search for another used Class A, one we can afford nothing over 50,000.00 for now, as we are not retiring yet. So we like Thor challenger 37kt and also the Alpha See ya 1007....Anyone have any thoughts on these rv's and years to look at in our price range and years to steer clear of, any information appreciated as we are looking to purchase in the next few months. Love this site, so many seasoned rv'ers and it really helps us newbies out a lot. Thanks for the help!

[Crasher]

There can be good and bad in any brand in that price range. If it were me, I would look for the floor plan and size I liked and if it looked like it was cared for and it smelled fresh inside, I would commit to it subject to an inspection by a certified RV inspector. When the report was in I could make an informed decision. Without a professional inspection, you have to rely on the dealers word and what you see. As with motorhomes, there are good honorable dealers and some not so good.

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by dspinella

Husband and I want to get a used rv, we had a 2000 Class A, National Tradewinds for 2 yrs,( pretty new to rv'ing) it had a lot of issues the dealer didn't make us aware of and he said it had a 3,000 maintenance on it prior to selling it so we thought we could trust him, NOPE , skylight leaked first heavy rain, found out it had seal issues around most of the windows so it leaked over time with previous owners and they covered up the rot on the floors with new carpet lol...needless to say, we are now on the search for another used Class A, one we can afford nothing over 50,000.00 for now, as we are not retiring yet. So we like Thor challenger 37kt and also the Alpha See ya 1007....Anyone have any thoughts on these rv's and years to look at in our price range and years to steer clear of, any information appreciated as we are looking to purchase in the next few months. Love this site, so many seasoned rv'ers and it really helps us newbies out a lot. Thanks for the help!

Personally, I Would Avoid anything associated with the Thor Organization.. AND THIS TIME.. Get INSPECTED by an Outside Inspector.. and Yes, expect to spend upwards of $500. for the inspection.. ie: Trust NO ONE associated with the Seller.

[TheCatsRV]

Having gone through the exercise last year, just look and keep an open mind. Considered 2 Newmars which are said to have superior build quality but both had bad (and vey-expensive-to-fix) water/moisture damage. Ended up with a newer-than-we-were-looking-for Coachmen with fewer things to go wrong.

[768Q]

After searching for our 2nd coach for 16 months we lucked into a fantastic 2001 Beaver Patriot - 2nd owner and could tell the pride the 2nd owner had as he had kept up well. Personally I like buying direct from the owner as I can usually read through them how they kept up , ect. Dealers not so much.
Good luck with your search as they are out there. I would search out a Monaco - Newmar - Tiffin - Beaver among a few others which all have superior build quality.

[GCSuper]

Originally Posted by dspinella

Husband and I want to get a used rv, we had a 2000 Class A, National Tradewinds for 2 yrs,( pretty new to rv'ing) it had a lot of issues the dealer didn't make us aware of and he said it had a 3,000 maintenance on it prior to selling it so we thought we could trust him, NOPE , skylight leaked first heavy rain, found out it had seal issues around most of the windows so it leaked over time with previous owners and they covered up the rot on the floors with new carpet lol...needless to say, we are now on the search for another used Class A, one we can afford nothing over 50,000.00 for now, as we are not retiring yet. So we like Thor challenger 37kt and also the Alpha See ya 1007....Anyone have any thoughts on these rv's and years to look at in our price range and years to steer clear of, any information appreciated as we are looking to purchase in the next few months. Love this site, so many seasoned rv'ers and it really helps us newbies out a lot. Thanks for the help!

Your best bet in that price range will be from an individual. Coaches like this will be sold at auction or to other dealers since they don't want to take on the responsibility of repairs since there could be many. You can normally tell a lot about an owner by visiting his or her house and talking with them. If you think you've found the right one, get an inspection first.

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by dspinella

. . . it leaked over time with previous owners and they covered up the rot on the floors with new carpet . . .

There's nothing you can do when defects are purposely hidden, even with a professional inspection. This can happen with any brand.

We're on our 3rd RV. Now a 2001 National RV Sea View (our 2nd Class A from National RV). So far it's much better than we expected for a 20-year-old RV. We'll see.

Take your time.

[Roy-c]

Look at a Bluebird Wanderlodge. Talk to Randy @ buybye Bluebird. The only advice I will give you is to look for a coach with extensive and complete maintenance records and to buy the best condition coach that you can afford.
Oh ya, did I mention maintenance records ? That alone will tell you a great deal about the owner that you are buying from.
Join the Wanderlodge Owners Forum. It is free and you will gain a wealth of information by browsing through the posts as to what you should be looking for before you buy.

[Smack]

I think pretty much everyone has their favorite brand and there’s going to be issues with them all. From my own experience, dealers are notoriously dishonest and will tell you whatever you want to hear, just to make the sale. (cough cough Camping World). I definitely recommend pre-owned over new. Don’t choose one solely because you like the décor. I nearly made that mistake on a coach that was 2 years newer and looked fantastic. On closer inspection, it was built like crap. Power train is the most important thing in a coach. Everything else can be fixed or replaced relatively inexpensively compared to a new engine or trans. As a general rule of thumb, 8 years is about the maximum life expectancy for most of the working parts. ie pumps, a/c’s jacks, furnace, water heater etc. I ended up with a coach that was older than I wanted, not a color that I particularly cared for, with heavily soiled carpet, but almost no miles and literally owned by a little old lady (and man) from Pasadena. I’ve had it for 8 years now and I’ve replaced or upgraded so much of it over the years, it’s practically new. I love it. It runs like a top, gets better mpg than it did when I bought it, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Good luck on your search, and seriously reconsider Thor. I’ve heard too many horror stories.

[mackwrench]

OP, Fleetwood American coach, a American Eagle, Dream or Tradition that vintage can still be had in your price range.
Solid coaches easy to work on and still get some parts.

If possible buy from private seller. Price will be better, and hopefully the seller will have enough integrity to not lie to your face.

[dspinella]

Originally Posted by TheCatsRV

Having gone through the exercise last year, just look and keep an open mind. Considered 2 Newmars which are said to have superior build quality but both had bad (and vey-expensive-to-fix) water/moisture damage. Ended up with a newer-than-we-were-looking-for Coachmen with fewer things to go wrong.

Yeah, we are very concerned with moisture/water issues, our current rv has all that going on, the dealer hid it on the floor so well it was not seen but, while on vacay a few months ago, prior to us getting our dehumidifier, we were wiping down our windows in the front and my husbands finger went thru the wall by the window, all just deteriorated. So believe me this next rv purchase will be gone over by a pro before purchase. Thanks for your input.

[dspinella]

Originally Posted by Crasher

There can be good and bad in any brand in that price range. If it were me, I would look for the floor plan and size I liked and if it looked like it was cared for and it smelled fresh inside, I would commit to it subject to an inspection by a certified RV inspector. When the report was in I could make an informed decision. Without a professional inspection, you have to rely on the dealers word and what you see. As with motorhomes, there are good honorable dealers and some not so good.

good advice. Definitely having our next rv inspected prior to purchase.

[dspinella]

Originally Posted by saddlesore

Personally, I Would Avoid anything associated with the Thor Organization.. AND THIS TIME.. Get INSPECTED by an Outside Inspector.. and Yes, expect to spend upwards of $500. for the inspection.. ie: Trust NO ONE associated with the Seller.

we do like a few of the Thor Rv's but we are open to others, we basically go by the floor plans we like, then we consider the condition of the rv, if we see things that make us think it was not cared for and kept up with maintenance records then we are tending to pass on even looking at it. We are going to be VERY picky this next round.

[dspinella]

Originally Posted by 768Q

After searching for our 2nd coach for 16 months we lucked into a fantastic 2001 Beaver Patriot - 2nd owner and could tell the pride the 2nd owner had as he had kept up well. Personally I like buying direct from the owner as I can usually read through them how they kept up , ect. Dealers not so much.
Good luck with your search as they are out there. I would search out a Monaco - Newmar - Tiffin - Beaver among a few others which all have superior build quality.

we like newmar and tiffin, also like Thor (2 floor plans only) and a monaco we like. We haven't looked at a beaver yet, but will have to check it out too. Thanks.