Which class A should I consider

[Iceman-31D]

Just a comment here on people suggesting you look at Newmar or Tiffin; I owned a 2007 Tiffin and indeed, the construction and paint quality was good. I now own a 2013 Winnibago class A, and I would say the build quality is as good or better than my Tiffin was... They have all been on the Ford gas chassis which has been totally bulletproof and runs and rides great on good highways. In my experience, put Winnibago on the same list of quality as Tiffin.

[peskyfeller]

Originally Posted by george37

I am interested in purchasing a used class A in the 25 to 30 foot range, between 2016 and 2018 and $50,000 to $70,000. I'm trying to stay away from entry level units so what brands should I be looking for? Also mileage wise I'd like to stay under 15,000.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance,
George

Hi George, A few things come to mind. First of all low mileage is not necessarily a good thing. These rigs need to be used to stay in shape. If a unit has been parked for several years several things can happen. First of all the tires will dry rot. In order for tires to maintain their flexibility they need to be run to keep the compounds in them active. A dry rotted tire can look brand new on the threads. Look at the date codes on the tires and if they are over 6 years old replace them. Even if they are not 6 years old look for tiny cracks in the sidewall and replace them. Secondly look at the roof inside and outside and check for leaks. Run the generator under load. A generator that has not been used can likely have a gummed up carburetor and that would require replacement. Look closely at the refrigerator and make sure it works properly. Unlike residential refrigerators these things can cost you thousands to replace. I don't think you are going to find much in your price range. There is a shortage of used class A RVs. I just sold my 2003 Bounder for $22,000 after one day on the lot. There was one other used RV on the lot. It was a 2006 and was listed for $65K. Forget Diesel. You won't find one for your price. I wish you luck. One more thing, should you look at a new rig consider that the dealer has a 33% markup on the sticker. You can negotiate down. Happy hunting and remember...when buying an RV you are at the beginning of costly never ending repairs. It is like a boat. You just keep throwing money into it but the enjoyment depends on how much you use it. Don't buy it to just have it sit in the yard. Good luck.

[kkocan72]

Originally Posted by george37

I was looking for newer units to avoid having issues with wear and tear and appliances breaking down. RV refrigerators are expensive to replace. With age and high mileage there’s the risk of suspension issues.

We were looking last year and in the same age/price range. It was going to be our first motorhome. I ended up coming across an older unit, a 2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32v, with only 35,000 miles in excellent shape. It did need tires but they were asking low $20k.

Met with the seller, who had a used car lot, turns out he was just selling for a friend. Also turned out he grew up in the RV industry and his family owns two huge dealerships in my state, he just didn't want to be in the business anymore. We told him we were a bit hesitant about such an older unit and he went over things with us from top to bottom, and basically said this unit was solid (it was, and as part of the deal he had one of his family's mechanics come do a full inspection and spend about 2-3 hours with us going over everything) plus as our first RV we were not paying a ton for it and if we used it for 2-3 years we could sell it or trade it in and probably get most of our money back.

We went with it and are glad we did. It has been rock solid over 2 summers and about 6k miles driven. We've talked to people at parks with much newer units that have had more issues than us, and although ours looks a little dated it has pretty much every feature a newer might have.

So don't discount an older unit if you come across a nice one like we did.

[bigb56]

Originally Posted by Cover Dog

As he stated, he wants a Class A, didn’t know Sprinter models were Class A’s.

Two were, the Via and the Reyo, both 25.5 feet. I have the Via. Been watching prices for a year and haven't seen any under $60K with many being $80-$90K. Last year of production was 2018, I have a 2011, pretty happy with it and seeing 15-16 MPG.

[Crazy Brit]

I had the good fortune that a person in my office (another engineer) had been RV’ing for many years & he advised me to stretch my $$ and go immediately to a diesel pusher Vs an entry level newer gasser……with that said, I went & test drove gassers & diesels at a local dealer, class A & C models, the difference was impressive, cab noise & braking ability was the biggest difference between them all. Now having owned a bunch of diesel pushers since 1999, then I went to a Winnebago class C, back upto a super low mile Monaco DP (super awful), finally another Winnebago but the hi-end Tour as I had thought I may go full-time in it upon retirement…….There are many things that need to be considered. For me (and things have improved throughout the years with technology), the roof system is WAY important. All the DP units & ALL Winnebago products use full fiberglass molded roofs, many others used the rubberized roofs that would become “Chalky” over time & cost a bunch to replace, todays entry level have both the rubberized, but a lot of manufactures like to say they have a fiberglass roof, but it’s a sheet that is folded then stappled along the sides etc, called TPO…..just be aware of what your getting….if the roof goes bad, it goes steeply downhill from there and the repair cost soars.

Another thing to consider….will you be towing anything? For me, I have an enclosed trailer with a racecar…..if you will be over 5000lb’s you will need to be in a Diesel, but beware, some diesels (entry level Winnebago’s) still only have a 5000lb limit. Another question: once you get to your destination, how will you be getting around to buy milk or bread when you run out (or forgotten something….toilet paper comes to mind!)….by foot, bicycle, scooter, “Toad” (car or truck being pulled behind your RV), things to ponder on.

I need a motorized RV because of the racecar trailer, but a tow behind travel trailer can have advantages as well when you want to go & visit somewhere and leave the RV at a campsite.

As far as DP units go….stay well AWAY from the old Monaco “Roadmaster” chassis, no matter what the price is. I have owned two & my friend did as well, who like me was a chief instructor of a track program with Porsche, both had such scary moments utilizing that multi-airbag chassis…..go Freightliner chassis & you will be happy (if you venture to a DP) and not have to hang on with white knuckles & pry your fingernails from the steering wheel!!!

Now to spin all of this on its head, my plans have changed and im about to sell my 43’ luxurious DP but still need an RV (motorized) for the track events, so im too looking at a much less expensive RV. The class C I had was faultless except for 3 small things; the passenger footwell was cramped, the front driver & passenger seats don’t rotate to become a part of the social area, and finally the cushions for the dinette got a beating where you enter / exit every time….with that said im too focused on an entry level, under 30’ class A gasser, hopefully without a dinette.

In this RV size range, think about the master bedding access, up against one of the walls suck as you have to climb in/out of bed, most have dinettes, limited to max of 5000lb towing (don’t be fooled by the 8000lb hitch adverts, as the chassis aren’t heavy enough to have ANYTHING in the RV when towing that amount (as a previous person stated, what’s the carrying capacity available for; water, fuel, food, clothing, passengers, the dog + the tow vehicle etc) will exceeds the chassis’ s max limit.

Another thought…..where do you plan on hanging out when your camping, most RV’ers build a campfire & hang outside, telling stories with friends, watching TV and the like, the new trend in outside kitchens is a big plus IMHO, less distance to get another beer, just saying.

Hope this crazy long writing helps some, if nothing else I hope I provided some things to consider.

Best of luck to you & happy RV’ing no matter what you choose

[Jchemie]

When buying a house, the mantra is “location, location, location”. In a motor home it is “ floor plan, engine, wifes opinion”. Maybe not in that order....

[bigb56]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthla

But the sprinters have very low CCC, some only a few hundred pounds!

Yes this is true on many 1 ton based motorhomes and is something the dealer won't bring up but people should do their DD and learn about it. My Via is the 25Q which has the lowest CCC of the available floor plans, around 1,000 lbs but it works for us. We don't tow and we don't need a lot of stuff on the trips we take. There are two of us, if we had kids it wouldn't be doable.
Some of the B van DIY conversions I have read about are downright scary, 2,000 lbs or more overweight on a 2500 chassis!

[Popsf15]

If it were me, I would wait until mid next year for such a purchase. The availability and price of used MH’s is directly related to the price of fuel. I think we are on track to see $4.00 - $5.00 a gallon gas and even higher diesel prices. The market will quickly become saturated with available units and the prices will plummet for new and used RV’s. We have seen it before!!! The conditions creating this spike in fuel will continue as long as our administration remains the same. I don’t want to make this political just stating the facts. It is how I broke into the high end coach market.

I would continue looking to confirm what it is you want and when the price is right make your offer.

[Mle75749]

Originally Posted by Rev. Roy

You do realize that the Bay Star Sport is Newmar's entry level Class A! He stated he didn't want an entry level RV. On the other hand, Newmar isn't considered an entry level company.

I hope the Rev in Rev Roy doesn’t stand for Reverend. Your comment was snarky and you could have just scrolled past.

[belfast1949]

Originally Posted by Mle75749

I hope the Rev in Rev Roy doesn’t stand for Reverend. Your comment was snarky and you could have just scrolled past.

Yes, but he did say that Newmar is not an entry level coach. I have owned upper end Thors and my BayStar Sport is so much better built than anything else I have owned. It may be entry level but I have not any issues with it, 4 years and 20,000 miles. Can't say that about the others I have owned.

[Mle75749]

Originally Posted by Popsf15

If it were me, I would wait until mid next year for such a purchase. The availability and price of used MH’s is directly related to the price of fuel. I think we are on track to see $4.00 - $5.00 a gallon gas and even higher diesel prices. The market will quickly become saturated with available units and the prices will plummet for new and used RV’s. We have seen it before!!! The conditions creating this spike in fuel will continue as long as our administration remains the same. I don’t want to make this political just stating the facts. It is how I broke into the high end coach market.

I would continue looking to confirm what it is you want and when the price is right make your offer.

Great point. I couldn’t agree more. We looked at units and features and manufacturers for two years or more to settle on our needs.

[SkiSki]

We have a Coachman Prism 2150, Diesel Mercedes Sprinter chassis. 13-15 mph highway driving usually not over 65. Very easy & comfortable to drive (25'). This model has one slide out that includes dinette, pantry & closet so makes for very roomy when open, but also all accessible when closed. So much storage inside and out you actually have to be careful not to overload. Plenty of water, black & gray tank sizes and propane. All in all a great rig...but, as with all of them, we had to do some fixing of various things because workmanship just isn't what it used to be (replace drawer catches because plastic ones broke, add hydraulic hinges so cabinets would stay lifted open, etc). Also found out after our first big trip that they don't align the rigs after they put the camper on the chassis, so the front tire wear was so bad we had to replace...we also added solar because we boondock a lot, and we could easily stay out 2 weeks if we wanted to.

[bigb56]

Originally Posted by SkiSki

We have a Coachman Prism 2150, Diesel Mercedes Sprinter chassis. 13-15 mph highway driving usually not over 65. Very easy & comfortable to drive (25'). This model has one slide out that includes dinette, pantry & closet so makes for very roomy when open, but also all accessible when closed. So much storage inside and out you actually have to be careful not to overload. Plenty of water, black & gray tank sizes and propane. All in all a great rig...but, as with all of them, we had to do some fixing of various things because workmanship just isn't what it used to be (replace drawer catches because plastic ones broke, add hydraulic hinges so cabinets would stay lifted open, etc). Also found out after our first big trip that they don't align the rigs after they put the camper on the chassis, so the front tire wear was so bad we had to replace...we also added solar because we boondock a lot, and we could easily stay out 2 weeks if we wanted to.

Which cabinet lifts did you get? I went with exact replacements from Amazon but they don't seem much better than the originals which I thought were just worn out but turns out they were just crap.

[SkiSki]

Apexstone 80N/18lb Gas Strut,Gas Spring,Lid Support,Gas Shocks,Lift Support,Lid Stay,Set of 2

They seem pretty sturdy and have been working great..so far...our rig didn't come with any, which I found strange...