Community Forums

mjaffe · 06-12-2016, 08:42 AM

Newbie to the forum and looking to start learning before we make an initial purchase. We have decided on a MH vs 5th wheel. We would like something entry level and smaller than 40 feet, we wont be making very long drives to start out, under 300 miles hours each direction, but anticipate a couple of longer drives in the future. Questions that we haven't answered yet...new vs used, diesel vs gas, and which manufacturers to start with. We are located in the Tucson AZ area and any suggestions and feedback will be appreciated.

Regards, Mike

timjet · 06-12-2016, 08:46 AM

Your questions are so broad that it will take pages to answer them. But they've already been answered. Get familiar with the search function and hang around a little, you'll soon know everything you questioned.

Dennis Dean · 06-12-2016, 09:00 AM

You will get and can find a multitude of answers and opinions on this one.
I can only relate my experience. I am a new verse used buyer. I like the warranty of new, and the fact that I am the first owner, also getting the latest in gadgets and amenities is important. I bought a mid level gas, although I feel the bounder is more high end gas, Newmar and Tiffin also have what I feel is the other high end gas rv. You can get from 34 to 39 feet in all three manufactures with good tow capacity and good to great cargo capacity.

If you are going diesel then I would differently look at a 2-4 year old diesel, staying under 40 feet will limit the manufacture availability, but probably stay in your price range judging on your initial post,
Whatever you get, good luck and hope you enjoy your RV as much as we do ours.

Jeffcarp · 06-12-2016, 09:08 AM

Your price point is one of the more important criteria for this conversation. In our experience we got our second MH purchase correct. We got our first one wrong. From that perspective I probably should have gone the used route initially instead of new because that mistake cost us quite a bit of money.

plasma800 · 06-12-2016, 09:19 AM

agreed. You available budget is going to be the determining factor.

There are LOTS and LOTS of choices out there.

Were I in your shoes though, I'd be looking at the used 38 and 36 foot country coaches, or the Tiffin Allegro 35QBA, 36LA, or UA.

I'd shoot for diesel, and I'd hold back 15k of my budget for possible needed repairs, fixes, addon's and unplanned expenses.

Beyond that, possibly a diesel Fleetwood Bounder from several years back when they made a diesel version, or a Fleetwood Discovery - these are going to be 40's but they are solid units with great floorplans.

If you keep looking at 40's - look at the Tiffin Phaetons too. This a reasonable, well built unit.

On any model, different years had different things they needed to have fixed. Once you begin to narrow down actual units - to the the year and model, you will find many here who have owned that same model and will have info on it.

Share your budget, that will help us give you better advice.

cbramsey · 06-12-2016, 09:21 AM

Sometimes, the right coach just falls in your lap. While we were waiting on the first person to decide whether they wanted a Winnebago Chieftan or not (used), a person traded in the coach which later became ours.

Do your due diligence, get to know which manufacturers you want to deal with (and which ones you don't). Get to know their products and look for the floor plans that meet your needs.

For a diesel pusher, if a coach has pretty decent maintenance records, used makes sense. That may also be true for a gasser as well.

Roger G · 06-12-2016, 09:22 AM

Floor plan is the single most important criteria when choosing with budget being second. We bought our first two used and learned what we, had to have, wanted to have, and would like to have but could live without. Our budget put us in the new gas coach vs a 5-7 year old diesel pusher range. The new updated interior and amenities out weighed my desire for a Diesel engine so we ordered a Tiffin 36 LA new. When we retire and can really travel the country, I will strongly consider a DP but we have no complaints with the gas coach at this time.

vsheetz · 06-12-2016, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timjet

Your questions are so broad that it will take pages to answer them. But they've already been answered. Get familiar with the search function and hang around a little, you'll soon know everything you questioned.

Welcome and agree. The search feature will provide lots of existing threads. After then, whatever questions remain or clarifications needed, ask away!

CWJK55 · 06-12-2016, 09:35 AM

We went with a used gas 31' Class C motorhome. We bought a 10 year old MH with under 25,000 miles on it. We paid about 1/3 of what a similar new Class C would cost.
Our thoughts were that if we didn't like it or wanted to upgrade to a Class Awe could resell it without losing much to depreciation. With 25,000 miles on the V10 it's not much more than broken in. The interior was in very good condition. The only major changes we've made is getting a new mattress and relaxing the tube TV with an LED flat panel.
We also bought a tow dolly to pull our Mini Cooper on trips.

After a year of ownership we've added about 6,000 miles to the odometer and have plans to add another 7,000 to 8,000 miles this year.

bluepill · 06-12-2016, 09:38 AM

1. Spend lots of time at RV shows and dealerships looking and asking questions. Take lots of photos and keep a diary.

2. There is no better teacher than experience. Consider renting a few different sized units for a week. Stay at larger RV parks and ask other folks in the park about their experiences.

luckyd · 06-12-2016, 10:02 AM

First off.....get a price point from private versus dealer.
Find out the year range for your price point.

The floorplan will be a big point for you also.
Beware of glitz and glamour versus quality.

I looked at several new coaches this past year, all in the 400k
range. The dealers all said the price was negotiable.
I then looked online on RVT.com. Motorhome specialists in Texas came up.
I was shocked to see a coach I was quoted at $440K , they had listed for $249K.
Both identical models, both 2016.

Do a lot or research and look, look, look.

This forum has a lot of opinions as well as factual info.
There still are biases as to makes.

B Dubya · 06-12-2016, 10:11 AM

I've bought 2 coaches, a Flair and a Vacationer. Used, and new. The Flair was always broke, the Vacationer has been flawless through 45k miles. I suppose you get what you pay for. I look at RVs for sale ALL the time. Next to Florida, AZ and Texas seem to have the most coaches for sale. If I were you, I'd get in the car every now and then and start driving. You have sooooo many coaches close by you could learn a lot about what you want by 'Window Shopping'.

frankdamp · 06-12-2016, 10:20 AM

If yoou and your partner are significantly different in height, arm and leg length, I would also recommend paying attention to the ergonomic aspects, particularly the driving position adjustability.

After we bought our Class A, we discovered that DW was physically unable to drive it. See another post of mine today with more details.

ahicks · 06-12-2016, 10:26 AM

Thinking a lot of the new vs. used might be answered by another question. Will you be depending on others (including warranty) for the coach's upkeep, or are you planning on/willing to get your hands dirty enough to do some or all of the work yourself?

The more you can/are willing to do yourself, the better the case you can make for going used. Major advantage for going used, if you haven't figured it out already, is how much more coach you can buy with your budget. Just make sure you budget for some repairs.