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Doug427 · 09-16-2020, 09:58 PM

My wife and I were passing by PPL today, and since we really had nothing to do we stopped in to look around and see what they had. Two that caught my eye were a 45' tag 2006 Monaco Signature at $130K, and a 2005 Newmar Essex 45' tag at $90k. I really like the coaches of this mid-2000's era, I still believe they're the peak of quality.

The Monaco is a beautiful coach. It seems to be in great shape, a very nice floor plan and seems at quick visual inspection to have been well cared for. The Essex is about the same. It looks like the Essex will need new sneakers soon. It's been on the lot for a while, I don't know why that is. The have a couple of nice looking Winnie Vectras there too.

Overall, the inventory looks much thinner than I have seen it in the past. I live in Houston and have been to PPL a number of times and I have never seen the inventory this thin. Also, the coaches as a whole look like they all need a very good cleaning inside and out. I suspect this is because they have had LOTS of people running through them. It would appear that the reports of a sellers market are certainly true, at least at this place.

wingnut60 · 09-16-2020, 10:09 PM

Last time I looked at PPL when shopping for my Tiffin, I was not impressed with the interior condition of any of the coaches I looked at. Having read about how they market the used units, you can pay extra for detailing to help it sell--apparently none of the ones I looked thru opted for that. That being said, it is great to wander the lot to see what is there.

Doug427 · 09-16-2020, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingnut60

Last time I looked at PPL when shopping for my Tiffin, I was not impressed with the interior condition of any of the coaches I looked at. Having read about how they market the used units, you can pay extra for detailing to help it sell--apparently none of the ones I looked thru opted for that. That being said, it is great to wander the lot to see what is there.

Most of the rigs appeared to us to be cared for yet dirty. Of course some were just beat up and neglected, but even the ones cared for were just very soiled. Some were obviously soiled while on display. One had large amounts of dried up coffee spattered all over the entry stairs and well, the dash and passenger seat. It was a total mess. That had to have happened from a careless shopper. There's just no way someone actually used it like that. The carpeting in the Essex is super thick and plush and actually in good shape, but it's dirty. It needs to be cleaned. Just stuff like that makes you shake your head. It's hard to believe that the owners handed the coach over to PPL in that condition and told them to sell it looking like that. I have to believe it was clean and PPL let it get like that without maintaining the basic clean condition of the coach while displaying and showing it.

The few coaches that are here that are just beat up and dirty just make you shake your head. You can't blame PPL for that, it's just a simple case of no pride of ownership. A few are just nasty and beaten up.

TomAndPeg · 09-17-2020, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug427

Most of the rigs appeared to us to be cared for yet dirty. Of course some were just beat up and neglected, but even the ones cared for were just very soiled. Some were obviously soiled while on display.

We visited PPL in Houston a few years ago and had the same reaction to the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of their inventory. I think a coach's appearance is the consigner's responsibility; obviously many of the coaches we saw reflected how those were (not) cared for.

I do not think PPL does any detailing on their own, at least none without charging the owner.

Crasher · 09-17-2020, 08:52 AM

When you see a coach on a consignment lot like PPL, the condition of the interior is an indicator of how the entire coach including the chassis was cared for and serviced. If the interior looks neglected, it's a crap shoot as to the issues looming with the chassis. One has a better chance for a happy outcome buying from a dealer or private party that has the service history since new. My coach is 7 years old with two files. One has everything that was ever done to the chassis and the other covers the house part. We have no intention of selling anytime soon, but the next buyer will find everything he needs to make an informed decision with no surprises.

Gary RVRoamer · 09-17-2020, 12:07 PM

It's always been my suspicion that the folks who can't be bothered to sell their coach themselves are often the ones who didn't bother to care for it either. Not 100%, of course, but leaning that way. IMO a dirty or beat up rig indicates a lack of pride of ownership that I consider a warning sign.

TCollins · 09-18-2020, 05:36 AM

In my experience PPL does not stand alone in the shabby rv market. When we were looking for our latest motorhome the vast majority of the dealers we visited specialized in dirty rv's.

We ended up buying from a private individual.

LETMGROW · 09-18-2020, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

It's always been my suspicion that the folks who can't be bothered to sell their coach themselves are often the ones who didn't bother to care for it either. Not 100%, of course, but leaning that way. IMO a dirty or beat up rig indicates a lack of pride of ownership that I consider a warning sign.

I agree wholeheartedly. If someone was to look inside our coach they would think it was never used. My wife is the maid in charge of the interior.
I have heard folks say,"Look beyond the dirt" when looking at RV's. I don't agree. I'm also leery of something which was just spit shined on the visible surfaces. You have to look deeply into every crook and cranny to see how something really was cared for including the outside storage compartments and the underside. In the case of a Motor Home the engine compartment is a good indicator of how the unit was maintained. Battery compartments also on any RV.
If the roof looks like it has never been cleaned I would stop looking right then.
Lynn

hewebb · 09-18-2020, 06:22 AM

We sold our previous RV thru PPL. Before I took it there I made sure everything was working and in in good clean condition. It sold in a couple of weeks. We paid PPL extra to keep it clean.

We purchased our current MH from them and it was not kept clean. The inside looked like new but the carpet did show some wear. The basement bays were still full of stuff from the previous owner. I made a very-very low offer and expected to get back a counter offer, but they took it. Then I was worried about what I bought. I knew I had to replace the tires and batteries and have the leveling system restored to good operating condition. I have had a few issues that I expected after we started traveling in it and some I did not expect. It was a crap shoot, but we are happy with it now. We ended up with a much better coach than our budget should allow.

jcussen · 09-18-2020, 11:01 AM

Not all consignment lots sell coaches as is. This outfit does a great job of detailing the coach and stages each coach to increase its appeal. They are out of the way abit, but charge the same commision as PPL.
https://www.motorhomesoftexas.com/

LETMGROW · 09-19-2020, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcussen

Not all consignment lots sell coaches as is. This outfit does a great job of detailing the coach and stages each coach to increase its appeal. They are out of the way abit, but charge the same commision as PPL.
https://www.motorhomesoftexas.com/

This could be called the flip side of the coin. Really spiffing up the interior and exterior to create a wow factor when someone first looks at an RV for purchase. Sometimes you have to "Look beyond the clean".
When I was looking to buy our last RV I spent more time under the hood and chassis than I did inside the RV's I looked at. Some were spotless in the inside but were in terrible shape underneath. Rust, corrosion, torn under belly panels, oil leaks etc. One coach I looked at (individual seller) had duct tape on a couple drain pipes in the wet bay and hose clamps on a couple water lines. The inside looked as if no one had ever been inside it. It was obvious the coach had had a freeze up at sometime. There were crystals of salt on the chassis frame left from leaving late in the year to go south for the remainder of the winter traveling through a couple northern states with heavily salted highways.

Trapper2022 · 09-19-2020, 07:08 AM

We sold our last rig at PPL. Rig was washed waxed and in perfect shape prior to placing on lot. Paid extra to keep it cleared which they did a crappy job of doing. Was told to have insurance on rig which is also crap since most policy’s are void when placed on consignment lot. They knew this but fail to inform you because they do not want to place your rig on their lot policy. I would not use them again for sale since your rig has no insurance once left.

Enjoy the journey

RightUR · 09-19-2020, 09:08 AM

we stopped at PPL 2x as far as I can recall. We were NEVER EVER impressed with the inventory. Dirty and Lurid. We went to the one near San Antonio (new Braunfels). Sad to see that this is a PPL problem throughout the country.

jcussen · 09-19-2020, 08:57 PM

Bought a 64 GMC bus conversion at PPL years ago, when I went to pick it up, they drove it into the parking lot. I walked up to the coach and heard a loud hissing, went into coach and looked at air gauges, both were below 70 psi. Asked the guy who drove the coach out about the noise, he told me all the old busses make that noise. Looked in fwd compartment and found 3/8 tubing from compression fitting on brake valve had come out of fitting. I did a quick fix and drove it home. PPL will sell anything that will move so like everything else you buy used, buyer beware.