Quality of Used Coaches on the Market

[offdutyagain]

My wile and I have finally decided to move from our fifth wheel to a Class A. We've owned our coach since it was new and other than the exterior graphics (which were decimated in the Florida sun and will be replaced) we think the coach is in reasonably good condition.

Lately we've tracked down a few coaches that looked promising on RVTrader only to find the condition of these used coaches are far worse that what I already own.

I find it incredulous that a dealer is telling me my coach has minimal value yet the one he is trying to sell, the one with the filthy carpeting, dropping headliner, and rotted wet bay is worth a premium.

To be fair, we have always wanted to purchase a DP and ascribe to the theory that an older high-end coach is a better buy that the newer units, but where are all the good ones?

In the last three days we've looked at a Winnebago that was $150k and the headliner was drooping down to the point where if not for the slides holding a portion of it up, who knows how far it would have fallen. A Monaco Knight at $110K that someone had done a DIY change from a queen bed to a king that caused the nightstands to be removed and a couple of pieces of plywood thrown over the previous island bed to secure the mattress. A Tiffin that had the wet bay plywood so rotted the fresh water tank was starting to drop (thanks AZRVExpert for alerting me to that problem)

Numerous coaches with carpeting that looked like the last time the engine was rebuilt, it was done in the main salon without a drop cloth on the carpet. And the leather upholstery was used more to keep a pets nails short than as a place to sit.

You get my drift.

So when we got home tonight from our latest journey, my wife and I both realized our fiver, although 10-years old, looked almost as good as the day we picked it up from the dealer..

My wife and I would really like to be able to see some of this beautiful nation while we still are able. After 2 knee surgeries, I'm not as limber as I once was to be crawling under the coach to drop the rear stabilizers before i auto level the coach. And the ability to stop for the night without having to run out a slide is important to us.

So I ask, has the market for good, well-maintained, coaches that owners have taken care of and pride in moved to a price point that is out of reach for the average person? If not, where are these coaches hiding?

[spierce617]

Take a look on Marketplace (Facebook). I am in Minnesota and there are still lots of good MH for sale today. Not sure what your price point is or what you are looking for.

Not knowing what you are looking for or price point here is one that caught my eye. I understand this is a ways for you to drive but it is an example of what you could find.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...rral_code=null

Here is a DP also. A little older.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...rral_code=null

Just an idea.

[fhmac]

Here is another link that you may find helpful.
https://www.kenaicoach.com/DealerFiles/ Best of luck with your search.

[Sonic]

The coach you’re looking for is out there, but of course a sellers market makes the search more time consuming. My approach was to use the RV Trader filters to narrow my search, then send a questionnaire to potential sellers asking about condition, maintenance, how the coach was stored, frequency of use, known issues, etc. The responses will give you *some* idea of pride of ownership and how the coach has been cared for.
It took me about 6 months to find the right coach, but that was three years ago.
If you have a tolerance for issues that need to be fixed (e.g. that rotted basement floor on the Tiffin you mentioned) then you may well be able to negotiate a deal on a coach that others are passing on.
Once you decide, an inspection by level II NRVIA inspector will identify any further issues which can be used to further negotiate the price.

Best of luck

[BigEvi]

Stay away from the dealers. They mostly buy rigs from auctions and flip them with little refurbishment.

Instead look to full timers that are selling. They live in their coach. They're retired. They like to tinker and fix/upgrade things all day long.

All of the coaches at dealers I looked at were junk...contrasted by the full timers (or even southern seasonal people) rigs that were in near perfect condition with all records available.

Just a guess but the rigs that go through the auctions are bank repos from people who can't afford to pay for the unit let alone repair or maintain it or upgrade it. Full timers or seasonal people are living in it. They garnish it in decorations so it looks nice next to their neighbors. They repair things that aren't even broken yet. When it's the main home people know they need to care for it.

[ransil]

keep looking its out there, might want to narrow down the make and model to narrow the search, Private sale might be better , trust but verify any unit.

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by offdutyagain

....So I ask, has the market for good, well-maintained, coaches that owners have taken care of and pride in moved to a price point that is out of reach for the average person? If not, where are these coaches hiding?....

You are looking for a 'high end' coach you'll have to go to a higher end dealer than you have been. This might be a bit too high end, but there are some lower priced coaches....you get the idea.

http://motorhomesoftexas.com

[unpilot]

Private sale all the way. Dealers that are honest and fair are as rare as unicorn farts.

[bigb56]

I agree, stay away from the dealers, their business model dictates that what they are selling is worth top dollar and what you are trading in is worth less than wholesale, it's how they survive. Unless you are flush with cash private is the way to go.

[okcnewbie]

We found our Monaco on Facebook. The Original owner appeared to have taken pretty good care of it. The Current owner was a farmer that just needed it for a couple of years while he finished building his home. To say it needed some TLC is an understatement.
We took the MH for a test drive and I fell in love with the idea of having a DP and hitting the road. While talking with the owner we came to a quick agreement and I shook his hand. My wifes eyes almost popped out of her head......lol. I eventually had to remind her that if we had bought the MH at auction we would have been quite happy. We picked up the MH a week later and couldn't get much of anything to work during our shakedown. The funniest (in hidesight) of all the problems was when using the hydraulic jacks my wife shouted, "they're bleeding all over the place." We quickly became overwhelmed and my DW asked me to call the seller and ask hime to take it back. I did call and he helped as much as he could but did not want to take it back. He even called a couple days later to see if I figured out some of the issues.

A year out; We couldn't be happier with our Monaco. We believe the 54k was fair or maybe even a great deal. The inside now looks very close to new and the exterior is nice. We have spent about 10k in maintenance, upgrades, and DIY stuff.

I believe the only thing that doesn't work as of now is the tank level monitor.(s)

[95f5334j]

Originally Posted by BigEvi

Stay away from the dealers. They mostly buy rigs from auctions and flip them with little refurbishment.

Instead look to full timers that are selling. They live in their coach. They're retired. They like to tinker and fix/upgrade things all day long.

All of the coaches at dealers I looked at were junk...contrasted by the full timers (or even southern seasonal people) rigs that were in near perfect condition with all records available.

Just a guess but the rigs that go through the auctions are bank repos from people who can't afford to pay for the unit let alone repair or maintain it or upgrade it. Full timers or seasonal people are living in it. They garnish it in decorations so it looks nice next to their neighbors. They repair things that aren't even broken yet. When it's the main home people know they need to care for it.

Our experience was quite the opposite. We looked at a lot of private sales where the owners were trying to flog their well used, over priced junk! This was well before the current market conditions. We finally found our present coach at a dealer, at a fair price, who admittedly did relatively nothing to prep the coach for sale, but it was already in very good condition from previous owners who really took care of it.

When you do find something, you need to be prepared to act fast. Our coach was on the dealer's lot for less than 10 days!

[Dutch Star Don]

Most quality dealers only want good stuff on their lot. When they get a trade in, they either keep it if it's nice or wholesale it if it's a beater. The low end lots are buying those wholesale units.

[GlenB]

Motorhomefinders.com

[8v8tor]

First I don't own an RV, but have been toying with the idea and spending way too much time looking and reading. My knowledge could fit on the edge of a razor blade (and still have plenty of room for a 4 lane highway). Having said that here is one I ran across, I know pictures can be deceiving but if this was in my price range I would be on my way to take a look.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...10352607830116