Single Female New to RVs, Need Purchase Advice--Please Help!

[Lexir]

Hi Everyone! I'm both new to RVing and new to the forum, and I'm looking for advice on a class A motorhome purchase for full-timing on the West Coast. I've already done a ton of research but I'd like to get your advice on the options I'm considering right now.

Here's my situation: I'm in my mid-30s, and my husband and I amicably divorced late last year after 8 years in the suburbs. We're both white-collar tech professionals, and I'm also an author, so when we sold the house and split the cash I wound up with a little nest egg and my own business I can do from anywhere. I'm taking my newfound freedom and adopting the lifestyle I always dreamed of by myself, with just me and my cat.

Factors for me:
- I have very little experience right now with home maintenance, electrical, plumbing, or automotive repair (my husband did a lot of the handyman type stuff around the houses we lived in and owned)
- BUT I'm smart, determined, pretty crafty, and good with computer hardware and software. I'm confident that I can learn from YouTube, books, and classes, and not afraid to get my hands dirty
- I have lots of free time to learn and work on my rig
- My parents have room on their property in Washington State for me to live there in my motorhome for as long as I want and work on things in my Dad's shop (he can offer help, advice, and tools)
- I'm planning to mostly stay on the West Coast and move between Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona, and I want to stay put in the same area 2-6 months at a time when I move (Washington in summer, California/Arizona in winter)
- I want to full-time in my rig with a mix of both boondocking and RV park/campground camping (I can afford to invest in whatever appliances, solar etc I need for that)
- Not worried about security. I'm from a gun family and know how to use them.
- I drive a 2012 Toyota Prius now and I'm planning to tow it behind whatever I buy for a second vehicle
- My budget for a motorhome is about $50k, which still leaves me with a comfortable cushion in savings for other unexpected expenses

My options:
I have my search narrowed down to two options for motorhome purchases but I'm not sure which is a better choice for me.

Option A: Spend my whole budget ($40-50k) on a medium-higher quality older Class A motorhome that already has a nice, if dated interior and system. I'm looking at 1998-2002 diesel Beavers (34-40') or a 2005-2008 Tiffin or Newmar (28-32') gas setup.

Option B: Spend much less ($12-25k) on a well-maintained 1999-2006 Fleetwood Bounder and use the rest of my budget to either pay to have the interior remodeled or do it myself over the next year on my parents property, learning as I go.

What would you recommend for me? Thank you for any advice you can offer!

[Alpine36]

Welcome from Washington State!
My suggestion as a first time RVer would be to test drive as many as possible. Without getting into the controversy of gas vs diesel which will only confuse you, go with the best floor plan you like, and one that will fit your current lifestyle. On the used market you'll find many makes and models available. Look for the one that has been well loved and religiously maintained by an old tinkerer. Have someone Rv knowledgable help you with the inspection, or perhaps pay for a professional mechanical inspection. One other thing to consider is towing the Prius. I think a tow dolly may be required to use it for a dinghy. Good Luck.

[Xmcdog]

Welcome aboard.
Sounds like you have it checked out pretty well all ready.
First of all RVs need repairs and maintenance. Lots of both. As you move up into class A and Diesel pushers they need more of both. Don't get me wrong I like the DPs and plan on a Dutch Star next year. Newmar makes a great coach as does Tiffin. Just be prepared to work on it. I think you realize this.

There are lots of very helpful people here who are happy to assist if they can.
Personally I would go with the Newmar. Others here will have different opinions.
As you say, you are smart and are willing to learn.

[Rocketman3]

I think if you look around you can get a better price than what you posted. Last year I got a 2000 Monaco Dynasty for 32k. Put about 5k (solar, new inverter, and repairs) into it. Diesels cost more to maintain but I like them better. Make sure you get an independent professional to look over the rig.

You say you want to keep your current car - have you checked to see if you can tow it 4 wheels down? Or are you planning on a tow dolly (2 down) or a trailer. Be sure and understand what is involved in daily life with each option. Many campgrounds will not have room for your rig plus a car plus a trailer or dolly.

My opinion- the older a rig is the more parts die. Some from use - more from time. So you will be fixing more and (maybe) more times your “home” is in the shop. But that could be for any rig.

Good luck!!!

[Lexir]

Originally Posted by Rocketman3

I think if you look around you can get a better price than what you posted. Last year I got a 2000 Monaco Dynasty for 32k. Put about 5k (solar, new inverter, and repairs) into it. Diesels cost more to maintain but I like them better. Make sure you get an independent professional to look over the rig.

You say you want to keep your current car - have you checked to see if you can tow it 4 wheels down? Or are you planning on a tow dolly (2 down) or a trailer. Be sure and understand what is involved in daily life with each option. Many campgrounds will not have room for your rig plus a car plus a trailer or dolly.

My opinion- the older a rig is the more parts die. Some from use - more from time. So you will be fixing more and (maybe) more times your “home” is in the shop. But that could be for any rig.

Good luck!!!

Yep! I'm planning to put the Prius on a toad behind the rig. So a pretty substantial setup, which is why I also want to be equipped for boondocking on land without hookups.

It seems like I'm going to wind up with an older rig either way since my budget is going to put me in the 99-08 range no matter what I get, so I guess my question is what I get for buying a higher end model from 98-99 versus a midrange in 08.

If I'm going to do some interior renovation either way, is it a waste to spend more up front?

Also regarding Diesel vs Gas, I am planning to keep it parked for long stretches of time (2-6 months) with only trips to a dump station or hooked up to the grid, and I've read that Diesel might not be ideal for that.

[spuds]

Originally Posted by Lexir

Yep! I'm planning to put the Prius on a toad behind the rig.

Have you actually researched if the Prius is towable? There is a very high probability it is not, which means you now need a trailer or dolly (if it can be put on a dolly).

The general recommendation for a DP is to keep at least $10K in reserve for unexpected repairs the first year. If your budget is limited to $40-50K, do please research the annual maintenance cost of one (for example, depending on the size, each tire can run on the order of $500+, not including mounting. So that's a minimum of $3K when you need tires (which on an RV age out well before they wear out).

[Alpine36]

For boondocking the DP's can't be beat compared to a gas coach.
Typically much larger fresh water and waste tanks, larger propane capacity, larger battery capacity, full basement storage, larger gvwr and towing capability, although some newer class A gas rigs come close, but you'll pay a premium. For long term parking Diesel fuel has a better resistance to "going bad" compared to ethanol blended gasoline, which can start to deteriorate in short order. Personally I'd take a decent older DP any day. After owning one there's no way we'd go back to gas. Again, go test drive many.

[Rockwood27]

Try PPL Motorhome sales. It will give you lots of make, models, floorplans and price. It's a great place to do "armchair" browsing!

We have a 2010 Prius and it must be towed on a dolly or trailer. We used a dolly.


https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale

[Lexir]

Originally Posted by spuds

Have you actually researched if the Prius is towable? There is a very high probability it is not, which means you now need a trailer or dolly (if it can be put on a dolly).

The general recommendation for a DP is to keep at least $10K in reserve for unexpected repairs the first year. If your budget is limited to $40-50K, do please research the annual maintenance cost of one (for example, depending on the size, each tire can run on the order of $500+, not including mounting. So that's a minimum of $3K when you need tires (which on an RV age out well before they wear out).

Sorry, I thought a toad was a trailer. But yes, I'm planning to put it on a trailer. And yes, good tip! I have plenty of cash reserves for repairs. I'm being conservative with my budget.

[Old Scout]

….I admire your courage and determination to succeed with this adventure....RVing can be and often is an expensive endeavor--less so if you are a DIYer, more so if you are not. RV's are like a house on wheels so you have both house and chassis issues. RVs also depreciate quickly--older rigs already have but resale is always iffy. You can find some "good old ones" and some not so good new ones but generally, age is big factor--remember, you are looking at potentially buying a 20+ year old vehicle....think about what that might mean if you were looking at that age of car?????….Key here would be to befriend or hire and experienced RVer who can help you eliminate the "money pits" up front.....best of luck....

[450Donn]

Greetings,
Sedurity umless your boon doxking in the middle of a pot grow is usually not a big deal.
Parking a motor home for long periods of time is not the wisest use of equipment. Add in the cost of maintenqnce and repairs can get expensive. We habe a friend who retired from FedEx 2 years ago. While she is not a full timer, she does travel extensively. Her perfect setup is a Toyota Tundra and a 22 foot Lance. What Im illuding to is you may want to look at a pickup and trailer also. Trailers dont mind sitting for months at a time, you always have a vehicle to drive around in. With a MH your going to want to tow a small car of some sort to get around in. That means two drive trains to maintain. Most MHs you will find difficult and expensive to work on. Especially for a person mechanically challanged. That could mean finding truck shops if or when you need service. With a decent truck you will be able to get service almost any where.
A Ford F150 ecoboost with somewhere around a 25 foot trailer might afford you a good setup. Again, this is only my opinion. And the decision ultimately is yours, so look at all aspects and choose wisely. Remember your first RV is not likely going to be your last.

[Winemaker2]

Welcome aboard
With your budget and intention to stay put for 2-6 mos I don't see where a diesel provides any advantages and has several disadvantages. Don't get me wrong I like my DP but it takes more $ upfront or you have to go older which caries some risks and more $ for maintenance. If you full time and travel a LOT maybe?

I don't recall ever having seen a Prius Toad or on a dolly ?? check more on that.
Being single adds some complications w/ a dolly vs Toad but that's your choice and there are trade-offs. You might ask how many full timers run w a dolly? I'm a 4 down Toad fan and think it has advantages but stay w/ dollies

I larger interior refit may sound like a $ saver but it will take TIME and can get old - nothing wrong with a few mod / spruce up / customization projects to make it yours but if it needs a total redo its a lot of work.

[clifford j]

Lexir, I think what your doing is pretty cool stuff. In fact very bold. Seems your head is screwed on right, and you've done some good research. Some things you can't research like , will you like it after doing it for a period of time.
The reason I mention that is your making a huge investment which depreciates quickly. Motor homes as others mentioned require big time maintenance and operating costs. There's many ways to be free and get into the full time camping scene. Since your new to this life style change have you considered a 5th wheel or a luxury travel trailer. That would mean getting a tow vehicle and giving up your Prius. You sound like a person who could adapt to a pick up truck. Don't know about your financial position right now, but owning a Motor home will eat up lots of your reserve and potential to build another nest egg.
Just works of wisdom from an old guy. :>)

CLIFFORD

[Lexir]

Originally Posted by clifford j

Lexir, I think what your doing is pretty cool stuff. In fact very bold. Seems your head is screwed on right, and you've done some good research. Some things you can't research like , will you like it after doing it for a period of time.
The reason I mention that is your making a huge investment which depreciates quickly. Motor homes as others mentioned require big time maintenance and operating costs. There's many ways to be free and get into the full time camping scene. Since your new to this life style change have you considered a 5th wheel or a luxury travel trailer. That would mean getting a tow vehicle and giving up your Prius. You sound like a person who could adapt to a pick up truck. Don't know about your financial position right now, but owning a Motor home will eat up lots of your reserve and potential to build another nest egg.
Just works of wisdom from an old guy. :>)

CLIFFORD

A 5th wheel trailer does make a lot of sense too and I keep going back and forth on it as a third option. I could trade my prius in for mid 2010s Ford truck and get a nicer trailer than what I can probably find in a motor home for under $35-40k total.

I'm curious what other people think about that plan given how I'm planning to travel and use my vehicles?