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Old 10-10-2017, 04:33 PM   #29
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I research any purchase. When I narrowed down my purchase to a Tiffin 32 SA. We went to a RV show after I confirmed that there would be one there just to verify that the floorplan was what we wanted. I then contacted the dealer. Before going to the dealer I downloaded and read the owners manual and the F-53 manuals, checked other sales prices, etc. When we met with the salesman and toured the unit I knew far more about the unit than he did. I had to explain to him how to tell if it had the 6 speed vs 5 speed transmission, how to open the slides, size of the tanks, etc. He was a nice guy but just not informed. I finally told him that his only job was to relay my offer to the sales manager and give me his counter offer, not to sale me. Let the coach do that. He went back inside. After we were satisfied we went inside and made our offer. After some back and fourth we got a fair deal. Having researched the purchase made a big difference.
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Old 10-10-2017, 05:40 PM   #30
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Buy first research later. I just took a look at a couple of motorhomes in for sale in the paper . Looked good and clean on the inside , power steps worked and the engine ran. Paid cash for it and drove it home. That was my test ride. I have enjoyed it now for 2 seasons , while others are still doing research.
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Old 10-10-2017, 06:05 PM   #31
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We made a lengthy list of all the requirements that our fourth (and final) Coach had to meet. While researching, we found that three met everything on our list-- Winnebago Forza, Holiday Rambler Endeavor XE 37PE and Tiffin Allegro Red (33).

We called our sales person and told him our results and wondered if he could get started on looking for the Tiffin-- our #1 choice. Through additional discussion, the salesperson said that he didn't think it was the right Coach for us. Interesting since we had been researching for a couple of years. He said that I had mentioned engine power issues like slowing down and downshifting going up hills was important to me. He said that if I purchased the Allegro Red with the size engine that it has, I wouldn't be satisfied. He suggested the ISL9 but told me that the Allegro Red didn't come with it and we would have to go to the Phaeton to get it.

We talked a bit more about several things and I kept trying to bring the conversation back to engine power so I could justify our decision to purchase the ISB engine. I also wasn't sure we wanted to pay that much more for a Phaeton. We also were apprehensive about getting a 40 foot motorhome when our largest Coach had been only 34 feet.

Once we drove it, did a walk through (outside of the vehicle first, then we went inside) and discussed the financials, we decided on the Phaeton.

It has performed magnificently in the mountains of West Virginia and the tiny bumps we call hills here in Michigan. So far, we believe we have made the right choice.
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Old 10-13-2017, 09:28 PM   #32
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No research at all, just out looking and not liking what we found. Then after a year we found one we liked the floor plan, size, colors so we thought about it. Went on to the next few places and they said Itasca was a great brand and build. So we called back to the previous dealer and reserved it over the phone. Found IRV2 later and got up to speed before picking it up.

Did the same crazy thing buying a old wood cruiser. Did not know how hard it was to get insurance or a berth for a 50 year old wood cruiser until after you buy one...

Perhaps this makes life more fun?
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Old 10-13-2017, 11:30 PM   #33
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Took me 2 years or research to decide and find my coach. In that time went from class A to class C and back to Class A. Then from Gas to Diesel and back to Gas. Of course their was the learning of makers of coach and quality results.
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Old 10-14-2017, 12:12 AM   #34
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Short answer, Yes. I researched on the internet as best as I could back in the early 2000's. The wife and I wanted to upgrade from our 2000 model gas coach. Wasn't sure if we wanted another gas or move up to a diesel. After much research and over a year of looking we found what we wanted and were looking for. 14 years later we're still using that same coach as much as possible.


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Old 10-14-2017, 04:52 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba1 View Post
Short answer, Yes. I researched on the internet as best as I could back in the early 2000's. The wife and I wanted to upgrade from our 2000 model gas coach. Wasn't sure if we wanted another gas or move up to a diesel. After much research and over a year of looking we found what we wanted and were looking for. 14 years later we're still using that same coach as much as possible.


Mike H
See I like this ^

For us getting the right coach the first time out of the gate is what has led to all the researching, waiting, etc. We don't want to get something and find out a few months or even a year in that we hate it or it won't work floorplan wise. We don't want to trade up unless something goes horribly wrong. I wonder if that mindset is part of a disposable mindset.?

Plus all of them from the most expensive right down to the cheapest can be made to look pretty. Without the research, we wouldn't have known about insulation factors, walls styles, available options, quality issues, etc.

Oh! My favorite was in researching finding out we needed a special class of drivers license to drive a coach over 26,000 lbs. There are still people that don't know that. In looking for someone to accompany us to the test site I asked a firefighter friend of mine did he or his brother (also a firefighter and RV'r) have the right class. He said you don't need a special class I said yes you do. When we went for a test drive, we asked the salesperson if they could go with us for the test. He looked kind of sheepish and said none of them had the license. I said but you drive them and he just shrugged and laughed.
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Old 10-14-2017, 05:06 AM   #36
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On our last purchase we were on vacation with our 5 1/2 year old Columbus 320RS when we stopped overnight near an RV dealership. We had discussed on the way that it might be time to start looking.

We looked at Columbus models because we loved our unit, but we discovered a Cardinal with dual bathroom vanities/sinks, residential refrigerator and king bed.

We continued our trip and while we were on vacation did some research online for pricing...then called the dealership where we had purchased all of our previous trailers (one TT and two fifth wheels) and cut a deal with them over the phone.

Upon return from our vacation we unloaded our Columbus, and traded it in for the Cardinal this past May and love our choice.
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Old 10-14-2017, 06:14 AM   #37
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Still researching.... but made the decision yesterday. I researched and studied our boat purchase for 2 years. Drove my Wife nuts. Started looking at RVs at last show (Feb. 2017). Joy thinks I overthink everything. She even built me an Exel spreadsheet to compare all the nuts & bolts on the 3 5th wheels we were looking at. Wanted a class A but when we saw how much insurance was going to cost, we backed down. Finally going to pull the trigger on a Grand Design Solitude 375RES-R in ~4 weeks. Might try to walk into a GD Rally nearby today.
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Old 10-14-2017, 09:43 AM   #38
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The 7th of August 2015...we had just finished a trip in our 5th wheel. We had thought about some of the features we would have really have liked to had.

This discussion led to us deciding maybe a Motorhome would have all these extras. Generator, auto leveling, etc... We found the IRV2 site and found a thread of current deliveries. We came across a floor plan we liked, and a person who had originally ordered that floor plan. I PM'd that person and asked if he would mind mentoring me thru the process.

So, I can't take credit for doing the research. I just found a really smart person...and took advantage of that knowledge.

We finalized our order...on 12th of September 2016. Coach was built and we picked it up at the factory on the 1st of February 2026.

We couldn't be happier than we are with our coach. We got all the things we really wanted...and even got some we didn't even know we needed at the time, because we didn't have a knowledge of Class A coach systems at the time. So, we got lucky in many ways.
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Old 10-14-2017, 10:05 AM   #39
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Speaking strictly rvs - yes and no.
We bought our first trailer, a 12 year old 18' 5th wheel, on the drop of the hat when we had a really bad year (farming) and needed to take a step back. After that we got hooked and tried to get as much information we could before buying. Didn't always pan out, but that's life.
We looked at diesel pushers and 5th wheels til we decided after a year of tire kicking and doing research that staying with a 5th wheel (see signature) would be the best for us.
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Old 10-14-2017, 05:48 PM   #40
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Angie, our answer would be no and yes. The no was our first rig, a used Coachman Class C. My nephew and I split it because we weren’t sure either of us would like the RV lifestyle. The unit was nice but had been sitting outside for two years. This led to brake failure on I-75 that could have gotten us killed. The C was fine, but our twins were just little at the time and they couldn’t see out of the front of the rig so they didn’t enjoy the trips as much as I did.

On to our second unit which was another “What, me worry purchase.” No research at all, just the word of the dealer who was also a client of mine. He had a real small local dealership which sold mostly trailers. I bought my nephew out of his half and we got our first A. It was a Coachman Mirada with no slides. That one was fun but it was a pain knocking down the couch and dinette every night. So that led us to go to an RV show put on by Camping World.

Needless to say, there was no research on this one either. They had a leftover Itasca bunk model. We bought it and enjoyed it accept for one little tiny problem. It was a gasser and it just didn’t want to stop. When you hear the expression ‘standing on the brakes’ well that is what we had to do to get the thing to stop.

So now I started looking into diesels. This brought us to our Berkshire. We did some research to know what our pricing should be and to know what features we wanted. Four slides, bunks, and the ability to sleep six comfortably. We would often take my wife’s parents along with our twins when we would head out. The Berk was a great unit with very, very few problems. But it was not well insulated so it got hot in direct sun in places like Branson and Hilton Head. I didn’t like the idea of having propane. There’s something pretty unsettling knowing that you have 50 pounds of high explosive under you. So this started us on our several year long trek. I wanted to go with no propane, side radiator, and IFS.

We had narrowed our search down to the mid-level manufacturers of Tiffin, Newmar, Entegra, and American Coach. Our research showed us that a lot of folks seem to have to (or want to) go to the factory in Red Bay, Alabama for repairs that seem to take some a very long time to get. Also our local Tiffin dealer has a bad reputation which he confirmed when we tried to deal with him. American Coach is a great unit, but our closest dealer is in Canada which can be a bit of a hassle. (That sounds a bit like your dilemma.). So that brought it down to Newmar and Entegra. Both very high quality and priced about the same. We liked the Entegra but their floor plans just didn’t work for us. Their motto of “entertain six, feed four, and sleep two” didn’t cut it for us traveling with twins and sometimes the in laws to boot.

We started looking seriously at Newmar also. Very nice units that you can customize up the wazoo. Going through the build sheet can get you exactly what you want.....but at a price. We knew we would end up having to go with the Dutch Star. I put an offer in on a leftover London Aire but I was a day late on the offer. So it was the Dutch Star we thought we might want. We still had this passion for Entegra and their two year warranty.

We heard some rumblings that Entegra was completely redesigning the Aspire 44R bunk house floor plan. If the changes they were talking about were going to come to fruition we might have a winner. We got some prices from other dealers that some raved about and then headed to Hershey to see if the R would work after all. Our twins are graduating from college this year but I have three grand kids from a prior marriage so the bunks were still desirable.

So after a ton of tire kicking, going to Hershey four times and Tampa twice and annoying the heck out of a number of different dealers and reading this Forum like it was my new religion, we arrived at our new coach. So we made the transition from no research to over thinking everything. Was it worth it? I’ll let you know in April when our new Aspire 44R comes in.
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Old 10-14-2017, 06:23 PM   #41
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No, we didn't.
But we weren't really looking to buy a new one either!
Our popup was a breeze to tow, but a PITA to set up and tear down for travel. Plus, when we camped with my family, we had to load everything into the back of my pickup and strap stuff to the top of the popup.
Also, our 2 doxies would bark at everything they heard, so there were the phone calls about leaving them unattended. Sigh.
We started looking at used ones after our last family reunion in St. Louis. Everyone stayed in cabins but Pammi and myself, and the 2 short legged ones.
Most used ones we looked at were way rougher in person, or needed way too much work put in. One was way a way cool TT from the early 70's, but needed a total rebuild. Yeah, uh, no.
On our way back from looking at another used one, Pammi saw a small TT at a dealer just off the interstate. I told her that we'd check it out the next day.
We pulled up and everything was cramped! But the salesman showed us the one we were interested in and it just seemed right and the numbers worked. I looked at this trailer at home online before we went back, and we were getting a really good deal on it. Plus, we got a very fair trade for our popup! So, bippity boppity, 3 days later we took possesion of it!
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Old 10-14-2017, 06:41 PM   #42
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I'm an engineer by training, and want to know something about everything, or everything about something, depending.

My wife lets me investigate to my heart's content- bless her! Along the way she asks pointed questions (helping me focus), and expresses her opinions on topics dear to her. We make a great team.

It takes using and living in an RV- or several- to discern what makes sense for you in a floorplan. Research only goes so far on that.

The big payoff of in-depth research is finding out which manufacturers make solid products, and what "class problems" exist, even for those manufacturers. That's one reason iRV2 (and its users) stand(s) out.

One things I find true- Many folks benefit by letting a "big" issues percolate through their minds for a while. Sometimes, what look like setbacks (e.g., "the one that got away") turn out to be pivot points towards a much better outcome. You could say that research is an activity to engage the mind while the important stuff gets sorted out in other ways.
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