Delima on Class A Motorhome

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hoeky_b

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Feb 26, 2015
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Hi All:
Looking to buy a used gas class A MH around 40k. that said, i know about floorplan-floorplan, I'm more interested in the mechanical side, I need to know what brands you all think is some of the better ones. I'm old ;D so I don't need very many fix -it jobs added to my honey dew list, I have heard that ford f53 chassis is unstable without new sway bars front and rear, what other downfalls are out there in used RV land?  I don't care if it is a Ford, Chevy, or other brand. I do need a good motor, but what motor should I stay away from?

any help on this is very appreciated

bob
 
I'd not worry too much about the mechanical side from a design standpoint, but more from a current condition standpoint. A test drive will tell you a lot, and you can find both bad and good with any brand. Tom is basically right about current condition being much more important than chassis brand. There was a brief period of Ford motors having plug problems (since fixed), and both Ford and Chevy had some occasional handling problems at different times, though wrong tire pressure is as much a cause as anything.
 
Be more concerned about the house that is built on the Chassis versus the brand and model of the Chassis (Workhorse or Ford).  Better built coaches will use better materials throughout, meaning fiberglass or Aluminum roofs tend to last longer and out perform rubber TPO or EPDM roofs, real wood cabinets tend to hold up better than particle board, etc. Fiberglass, solid surface and metal plumbing fixtures last longer than plastic ones, note a lot of lower to mid range older coaches had plastic showers which get brittle with age.  Though even here maintenance history and condition make a real difference.
 
Thanks for all the replies
.I understand all of that--i DONT want something that has been a FRAT house for 3 years. the inside will have some wear--nature of the beast, but i don't want to buy something that i have to repair every time i take it out. i don't want a porpoise or something that is a white knuckle ride all the time. I'm open to suggestions.
 
hoeky_b said:
Thanks for all the replies
.I understand all of that--i DONT want something that has been a FRAT house for 3 years. the inside will have some wear--nature of the beast, but i don't want to buy something that i have to repair every time i take it out. i don't want a porpoise or something that is a white knuckle ride all the time. I'm open to suggestions.
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If you manage to find an RV you don't have to repair every time you take out please let us know how you did it. No one else has done that. All RVs need work. A great inspector can determine if a used RV was used as a frat  house.
 
hoeky_b said:
,but i don't want to buy something that i have to repair every time i take it out. i don't want a porpoise or something that is a white knuckle ride all the time. I'm open to suggestions.
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Then don't bother with an RV

Just kidding.
 
If you manage to find an RV you don't have to repair every time you take out please let us know how you did it. No one else has done that.
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It was no special trick, Tom. While all RVs develop problems sooner or later (some do both), I've not yet had one that had new problems every trip. Even the Beaver, which was the most troublesome, didn't do as you describe, while my Ventana has only had one problem since the initial couple of minor items -- a generator went bad, under warranty -- and that's a year ago.
 
SeilerBird said:
If you manage to find an RV you don't have to repair every time you take out please let us know how you did it. No one else has done that. All RVs need work. A great inspector can determine if a used RV was used as a frat  house.
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Agree with the spirit of Tom's comments here... okay no, they don't break every time you drive them.  ;)  But these rigs need a lot of maintenance and little fixes along the way, and you'll find that it's pretty common for projects to pop up.  You've gotta be willing to do a little tinkering, or RV'ing will become a frustrating, expensive experience.  Which sometimes it is anyway.  ;D
 
Larry N. said:
It was no special trick, Tom. While all RVs develop problems sooner or later (some do both), I've not yet had one that had new problems every trip. Even the Beaver, which was the most troublesome, didn't do as you describe, while my Ventana has only had one problem since the initial couple of minor items -- a generator went bad, under warranty -- and that's a year ago.
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I was making a cheap joke.
 
it's a big investment.

if at all possible...it would be a great idea to go to an RV rental company,  rent what RV you think will work for you.

Drive it to a nice campground somewhere and spend a week living in the middle of others doing the same thing in similar RVs.

 
TonyDtorch said:
it's a big investment.

if at all possible...it would be a great idea to go to an RV rental company,  rent what RV you think will work for you.

Drive it to a nice campground somewhere and spend a week living in the middle of others doing the same thing in similar RVs.
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I considered that but found that for what they wanted to rent it, I figured I could buy and sell if I wasn't happy.  Turned out after 18 months of use, I sold it for the loss of about a long weekend's rent.  Gave me time to be the real owner and really get to know RVing.

For 40K if you buy right (right time and maybe a distressed sale) you should easily be able to do that.  I wouldn't buy entry level for that and make sure to sell at the right time.  Advertise a REAL price - I think you scare too many buyers off if you advertise high so I advertised for within $1K of what I was willing to take.  Negotiate hard on the front end.  RV's feel like they will never sell and the margin a dealer wants or needs is huge so you can outbid a dealer and still get a smoking deal.

Just my $0.02.  Keep in mind if this is your first RV and you like RVing you will probably trade it anyways.
 
As my signature states my 94 gave me a lot of experience fixing it up, so i don't have a lot of $$ into it. now it is time to upgrade into an "A" class MH. My max length is 32', I DO plan on living in it full time and traveling. I want to buy a quality brand for as cheap  ::) as possible. we have made a list of pros and cons of what we can have-- and what we can live with-- and what we don't want in a MH, and I know that 40K WONT BUY TOO MUCH IN MH LAND BUT I FEEL ITS A GOOD START.
 
hoeky_b said:
As my signature states my 94 gave me a lot of experience fixing it up, so i don't have a lot of $$ into it. now it is time to upgrade into an "A" class MH. My max length is 32', I DO plan on living in it full time and traveling. I want to buy a quality brand for as cheap  ::) as possible. we have made a list of pros and cons of what we can have-- and what we can live with-- and what we don't want in a MH, and I know that 40K WONT BUY TOO MUCH IN MH LAND BUT I FEEL ITS A GOOD START.
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There are all kinds of class A coachs out there in your price range. Maybe not 1 or 2 years old, but age has nothing to do with how they have been treated and maintained. I have no where what your budget is in my old 03 Dolphin, but I'd head out anywhere I desire tomorrow, without worry. I just rolled 37000 mile on my last trip out, and it runs like a top. Oil and filter change in the spring and she'll be good to go again. You want a better built coach, don't look at entry level coachs to begin with. There is a huge difference in build quality.
 
You can spot a better built Class A coach from 20 feet away...they all have a solid fiberglass roof.
 
hoeky_b said:
0K WONT BUY TOO MUCH IN MH LAND BUT I FEEL ITS A GOOD START.
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This is almost too general of a statement to make... sure it could be a good starting point, if rigs in that price range get to your wants/needs.  You will also potentially find a much better price buying used from a private owner, over buying something off a dealer lot.  But that search (gently used, in good maintained condition from a private seller) will take dedicated time and patience.  You'll need to be scouring Craigslist and ebay ads in your area at least several times weekly, if not daily.  For several months. 

My wife and I researched intently for a solid year before buying our first motorhome, and made the final decision based largely on advice from forum members here!  And at that time we paid $12k for our gas 34' Class A motorhome... both the previous owners had lived in it full time, so it was certainly "worn" in places (carpets, upholstery, etc.) but was well-maintained in terms of being roadworthy.  5.5 years later, I sold it for $8k to a retired gentleman who planned to park and live in it full time... so it returned to its roots there!
 
Finding a Class A under 32' eliminates about 85% of them currently for sale.  And, If you don't like the Ford f53 gas chassis motorhomes then you eliminate another 75%.

IMO...My old 2000 Rexhall F53 stock chassis Class A handled just fine 75+ mph across the desert....but I didn't know it couldn't. .. ;)
 
TonyDtorch said:
You can spot a better built Class A coach from 20 feet away...they all have a solid fiberglass roof.
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I don't know about that, some of them have Aluminum roofs too
 
Again thanks to all who posted. This forum is very helpful.

So which MH manufactures do i look  for?  THIS IS MY LIST OF PROS    years 2000 up, 32' max, dinette on opposite side of couch, No leather furniture,
 
Isaac-1 said:
I don't know about that, some of them have Aluminum roofs too
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yes, you are correct ...fiberglass wasn't the most important part...but 'solid' was.

...anything but a membrane roof.

 
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