Newbie- Thinking of Buying! Many questions! Help Please!

[MarciaB100]

I want to get an RV.. btw.. haven't mentioned this to my husband yet lol!.. Need to do my homework first! Preface.. 5-6 years ago we did seriously consider and looked at a number of larger Class A RV's , in the 150 -200K price range, but then decided instead to buy a snowbird home for a little more.. it was a good decision. I don't think we would have liked full time.

Now I am thinking a smaller RV to share with our family,( adult children and their significant others) Our daughter and her family- husband and 14yo grand daughter would really love to have one to use, Our younger son and his GF too.. We are mid 60s, and I would like to take 3-4, trips a year for 2-4 weeks, then they could use the rest of the time. We have travelled throughout most of the US, via plane/ car , but I would like to spend more time in specific areas.

At first for I was looking at travel trailers.. boy you sure get a lot of bang for your buck, but then after reading all the pros and cons, I think a smaller drivable is best option.

So now.. am really thinking about a smaller Used Class A or Class C 29-30ft perfect. but in the 27-32ft range OK.. Price Range 60-80K Could go a little higher, but for first RV.. hoping to stay in that range. I would like to have a king bed, ( because our dog usually sleeps with us!) but not a must have. Must haves are some slide outs.. like the extra room, and no more than 6- 7 years old.. (2014/15) older units seem too dated. Would prefer 2016/17 or newer, but . not much in that budget range for newer. Sleeps at least 4-5. I really don't see us ever travelling with another couple, maybe a short trip with one of our kids& spouse, but more likely only the two of us or with our granddaughter and friend.

These are some of the models I have been looking at, but welcome other suggestions! I think most are Class A, but am not opposed to Class C. I like the Thor floor plans, but so many people seem to really hate Thors.. I know we are looking at entry level, so not expecting everything to be perfect, but hoping to find a decent choice or two.


Thor Ace 27.2
Thor Windsport 29M
Coachman Pursuit 27DR
Coachman Miranda 29FW
Fleetwood Flair 28A & 29M
Newmar Baystar 2903 or 3004

Also like the Tiffen Allegro Breeze, but looks way out of price range.

over and above the obvious amenities..what are important things to look for? like how important is a fiberglass roof over a rubber roof?

Any info and advice to a newbie would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Isaac-1]

My main advice after reading that is if you intend to share the use of it with multiple people that will occasionally use it then a class A coach is not a good choice, consider something more van like, there are too many ways to really mess it up. For example on some coaches the leveling jacks need to be lowered before putting the slides out, doing this in the wrong order can cause major problems due to body flex. Some have black tank rinse connections which if connected without the dump valve open can cause the black tank to fill up, and back flow flooding the interior of the coach through the toilet. This list goes on and on, if you want to get a motorhome to share, do what Cruise America RV rentals does and simplify everything, no black tank rinse connector, no retracting steps, no crank up TV antenna that someone could forget was up when they drive off, etc.


p.s. when it comes to roofs all types of roofs need ongoing maintenance, caulking replaced, vent covers inspected and repaired / replaced as needed due to cracks, etc. Membrane roofs like EPDM Rubber, TPO, etc. just take a bit more attention, cleaning (with the correct chemicals), and have a shorter life than Fiberglass or Aluminum roofs.

[theroc]

Welcome to the forum.

Isaac-1 does make some good points but if you do decide on a Class A because that extra sleeping capacity, of those you listed, I personally would tend to recommend the Newmar Baystar. It not only checks the most boxes you mentioned but in my own opinion, I'd be partial to Newmar quality.

Even though a lot of mergers have happened over the past few years, many still have their "favorite" manufacturers and favorite to some might not be for others. As I'm sure you know, Newmar is now part of Winnebago which in my opinion was a decent marriage as (again, in my opinion ...and I keep saying that as, again, everybody has differing opinions) both Newmar and Winnebago historically have been very good manufacturers. Newmar has always had a solid reputation and Winnebago, of course, was the first company that marketed mass-produced motorized RVs in the mid-60s (1966 or 1967?). I've personally owned several Winnebago products through the years and always thought they represented good value ...yes, you will hear some say to stay away from Winnebago just as you might hear a Chevy owner say to stay away from a Ford. All motorhomes will have some problems and are considered "money pits" in the end.

I once talked to a couple who ran a side business of renting out motorhomes as a supplement to their RV repair shop and had a small fleet of various motorhomes they rented out. Their entire fleet, however, consisted of Newmar products as they were convinced that Newmar offered the best quality and construction to stand up to the type of service they would be subjected to. Newmar always has had the reputation of solid construction and attention to detail for a reasonable price.

The Baystar comes in two "renditions" ...the Baystar and the Baystar Sport. The Sport has a few less standard features and will be less expensive (see THIS THREAD for a discussion).

No matter, the build quality of the Newmar Baystar (in my opinion only) will be better than the others on your list.

The two Baystar models you cited are right around that 30' long length. The 2903 has two slides and the 3004 has three (I believe both having a full-wall) and generally will fall into your price range if looking at the model year --age-- you mentioned but the 3004 will generally be more money. They both have queen beds and I don't believe you'll find a king bed in that short of a coach but maybe some others will chime in if that's wrong.

For example, here are some 2903 Baystar Sports posted on RVTrader so you can at least get an idea of what a 2014-17 asking price might be ...go HERE

Remember, however, the 2903 is not a bunkhouse so you'd have to convert the sofa and dining table to beds in order to sleep 6

The 3004 does have bunks and is about a foot longer in its outside length ...about 31' compared to the 2903 at right around 30'.

Bunks and conversion beds are typically meant for kids or short and slender adults so keep that in mind too.




eta: BTW, the Newmar Baystar, I believe, has a Dicor BriteTEK roof. BriteTEK TPO (thermoplastic olefin) is highly regarded and really has improved characteristics over the rubber roofs of old. Here is a thread on BriteTEK in the Newmar Owner's Forum:

BriteTek vs Fiberglass Roof??

[Roy-c]

Loaning out your RV to family is almost always a mistake. They are very complex and there is definitely a learning curve. Even more so with a class A. Think carefully about your intended use. Would you trust your children and their families to personally take care of any issues that arose ? Remembering that those WILL happen when they are far away from you. What if someone runs the engine out of oil and you are looking at $ 20 K or more to repair and the RV is 500 miles away ? Who pays that bill ? Stuff happens.

[MarciaB100]

Thank you all for your thoughts and responses! Most certainly VERY important items to consider that I had not thought of.. I think I need to remove one child from the list of borrowers.. lol.. But then again he has never expressed any interest in an RV anyway, unlike my daughter. Her husband is very mechanically inclined, he honestly can fix anything and everything. I'm confident they could follow instructions. Due to their work schedules, they might only use once or twice a year.

I am very big on lists.. When we leave one of our homes for 3-4 months, I have a list we go through every time.. Even though it is all routine, and we rarely forget anything, I just feel better knowing we went through the list prior to locking the door!

If the items mentioned above are of great importance.. I know I would want a list for the motorhome too.

We have rented in the past and will probably do so again prior to puchasing.

[sbleiweiss]

If you want a king size bed (we would too) you won't be happy with less. Getting a slightly longer MH won't hurt anything and you will be happy. It is floorplan, floorplan, floorplan, including bed size.

[Ohiomike]

We have a 2014 Thro Ace 30.2 and love it. Thor has 50% of the rv market share so obviously you’ll hear more issues as they sell majority of the units. They are really all built the same as the competitors along the price tiers. Ace is basically same as the fr3 from forest River.

Pick out the best floor plan. The Ace is easy to drive. We tow a flat tow GMC Acadia behind it. I would buy another Thor product. Key is managing expectations. The rv will require maintenance and things like the water pump may go out after a few years. Deciding what type of camping is also a key thing to do. If your going to have full hookups all the time things like holding tank size and inverters don’t matter. If your going to Boondock for a week holding tank size will matter and you might want inverter to power ac outlets.

I would get the floor plan that works for you. I’m sure the kids can make it work when they travel.

[Gary RVRoamer]

While I agree with the spirit of what Isaac-1 said about family loans, I don't think a Class A is any worse than a B or C in that regard. Slide care, electrical systems & batteries, tank dumping, etc. are all pretty much the same level of concern regardless of type. I might make an argument for doing without certain amenities to keep things simpler, but then you are penalizing yourself. All I can say is that I regularly see stories that begin with "My son-in-law borrowed our motorhome and...". Of course, nobody ever bothers to post a topic that says it was borrowed and returned in pristine condition - that's what they assumed would be the case.

[twinboat]

Look at used rental units from Cruise America. They sell them off after a certain time.

I would guess that they find the best units as rentals, for multiple people use.

[MarciaB100]

Thanks for your feed back on the ACE, that is the floor plan and price I liked best.. but after reading reviews became skeptical.. But like with anything.. more people complain than compliment..

[Isaac-1]

You might be interested in reading this blog it is written by a single mother to 6 kids that bought a used Thor ACE and headed out on what was intended to be a 12 month 48 state tour in the summer of 2019 (cut a few months short by Covid) https://rvmama6.home.blog/ She also had an in depth purchase decision thread over on rvforum that started back in I think 2018 here is a link to her detailed thread on buying and planning the trip Lower 48

[damai]

We have had a ball with our 2013 ACE 29.1. No problems ever. Large Queen bed, one slide-out. 17000 delightful miles. I am now too sick to use it. If interested let me know.

[Winemaker2]

I always recommend writing down intended use... how many, how long, how far, etc toad or no toad...etc
Then develop a list of musts & wants & dont wants... everyone involved separately
Then collect, compare, compromise... this will be the real challenge with diffetent users.
The start the search with a budget in mind.
I think the multi user is possible within reason and with some stipulations
Education - make up your own user manuals with specifics for noobies and your MH
Training - do one or more overnight / wkend trips as training & check out for understanding
Checklists - develop, follow and expect others to use your checklists
Have a check out exam and stick to it...be willing to say no or not yet if some need more training time.

[Bill Gail]

Originally Posted by MarciaB100

Thank you all for your thoughts and responses! Most certainly VERY important items to consider that I had not thought of.. I think I need to remove one child from the list of borrowers.. lol.. But then again he has never expressed any interest in an RV anyway, unlike my daughter. Her husband is very mechanically inclined, he honestly can fix anything and everything. I'm confident they could follow instructions. Due to their work schedules, they might only use once or twice a year.

I am very big on lists.. When we leave one of our homes for 3-4 months, I have a list we go through every time.. Even though it is all routine, and we rarely forget anything, I just feel better knowing we went through the list prior to locking the door!

If the items mentioned above are of great importance.. I know I would want a list for the motorhome too.

We have rented in the past and will probably do so again prior to puchasing.

Lists are a good thing .

We have lists for loading before a trip , a list for breaking camp , a list for scheduled maintenance to name a few .

We even have a list when shopping for a new rig.

We have always bought 2-3 y.o. MH's with low miles .

Beside the age , mileage and overall condition of the vehicles the one thing I insist on when buying is ........ Documentation ........ consisting of Owners Manual , manuals for appliances and electronics , maintenance log , service receipts , purchase receipts for tires , batteries and associated warranties.

I've found that people who keep and maintain documentation for their vehicles generally take pride in their rigs and take good care of them.

I walk away if they can't produce the paperwork .