Where have all the older motor homes gone?

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J

Just Lou

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As you can see in my signature line, I drive an older Bounder.  '97 is not ancient, but it's easily recognized on the highway as a senior citizen, if not an elder statesman.

I continue to see posts from folks who have recently purchased motor homes from the mid '80s to mid '90s, but I don't seem to see these rigs on the road when I travel.  It could be that some of the older, high end, units don't appear as "dated" as my Bounder, and I simply don't recognize them, but they are not all high end units either.  Do folks not use these older units after they purchase them?

I still trust my Bounder to make the longest trip my mind can dream up and/or my budget can support.  When I feel it can no longer do that, I will either "trade it up" or "hang it up".

Anyone with insight?
 
aka Porky said:
As you can see in my signature line, I drive an older Bounder.  '97 is not ancient, but it's easily recognized on the highway as a senior citizen, if not an elder statesman.
Click to expand...

Lou,

Where does my 1993 Itasca Suncruiser with 132,000+ on it fall in your age classification catagory?  ??? 

Like you I still trust my wheels to get me any place I want to go. We are presently in Las Cruces, NM waiting our a severe wind storm. We left Rochester, NY on 11/28 and will be at our RV lot in Tucson tomorrow afternoon, assuming this wind stops blowing.
 
Richard, I'm glad to hear that you still have a trusted machine.  You obviously give it proper TLC.  I think that's the key.

I just don't recall seeing too many of the older rigs on the roads.  May be that I only notice the big 40+ footers.
 
My opinion is many of the older motorhomes are picked up by families still in their working years, because of affordabilty.  Many of these folks are probably local weekend campers, and not on the road for long vacations.  Over the last July 4th we had quite a few older MHs and trailers at the park we stayed at.

So I'd say they're still in use, just not as mobile as newer RVs  :-\

Dick
 
Dick, I think that may be the real answer.  I'm a traveler, not a camper, so I wouldn't see the rigs that are truly used for "camping".
 
Lou, where have you been looking? You saw my old Baby recently in Charleston. Still has the old pine tree logos on it, as it came from the factory.

  Happy to announce that all systems are functioning. Just spent another grand on her to keep her alive. (Still think she is a he). Rough and tough as I am.

  I have no intent to make it look like a new one, swirly decals. Love the old look.

  I'll go anywhere except Alaska. That may be beyond its economical limits.

Honk when you see me.

carson, Owner of an Oldie but Goodie.



 
 
I was in Nashville and Memphis the 1st week of November and saw a lot of motor homes, and a lot of older ones too.  Mine is in storage now, I have a 99 coachman Santara class a and will start to take the old dated looking stripes off this spring and replace with modern ones.  I have seen several "new" rigs that have done this and when I asked what year they were, they were 97 to 2001 units that looked like the 2009 and 2010 units.  Not much has changed basic body wise since 99 on the exterior, so with fresh vinyl on the sides and front my unit will look like the 2010.  No one will even know what brand it is without asking.  My interior is still like new or I would replace the sofa bed and dinette fabric as well.  Just can't bring myself to do that as it is still like new. I only have 28k on her. Damn good rig for what I use it for. Fishing and a couple of family trips..
 
Mphy98, about the only thing my rig has going for it is that it IS a '97 Bounder.  I'll just try to keep it looking like the best '97 Bounder that I can.  To try to remove or hide the Bounder identity would just cheapen a proud old warrior.  I am planning some changes inside to make it more functional for our use, but I won't alter the exterior.

Carson, my apologies for the slight, but I never actually saw your '95 winni on the road.  In fact, Jeff, Dale, Ron, Dave and Jim told me that some guy with a Bounder towed your rig into the campground and set it up in the middle of the night. ;) :D ;D  Is that right?  ???.

That was all in jest as you know.  You have a very nice looking rig.  BTW - Merry Christmas to both you and Carol from Jane and me
 
We are sitting in a nice old 95 Bounder right now, in the Lazy Days RV Park (aka Rally Park).  It belongs to our good friends and Lazydays salesmen Brent & Sharon Harmon, but we borrowed it so we could attend the Lazy Days Ambassador's rally this week.

Brings back a lot of memories - doesn't even have a slide!
 
They are still going strong. Met some people from Calgary, Alberta when I was in Morro Bay Dunes RV park California. they have a 1988 class C with 170,000 miles on it and tow a saturn car, they come to the warmth of California every winter for 6 months, great folks, they been travelling for 17 years in that nice RV.
 

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[quote author=vmax1]Met some people from Calgary, Alberta when I was in Morro Bay Dunes RV park California.[/quote]

Hope you invited them to the forum  ???
 
I guess you haven't seen us on the road yet because you couldn't miss us. We have been full-timing now for 27 months in a 1974 Travco, aka Folly. We get a lot of thumbs up, what the heck is that looks, and all kinds of visitors with all kinds of questions that stop by to chat wherever we camp. We used to see quite a few oldies the first year out but haven't seen hardly any in the last year. We travel mostly all over NC, SC, GA, AL, and Fl areas following the weather.....Florida in the winter and NC mountains in the summer and everywhere else in between. I do general maintenance all the time and in our experience brake system issues have needed the most attention. General maintenance I do myself but I leave the heavier chores like the brakes to the young bucks at the truck repair facilities. Finding parts is always difficult no matter what the problem is. On many occasions, parts have had to be fabricated. Folly is a good 'ol girl and has treated us to many wonderful adventures along the trail. 
 
Dick and Pat said:
My opinion is many of the older motorhomes are picked up by families still in their working years, because of affordabilty.  Many of these folks are probably local weekend campers, and not on the road for long vacations.  Over the last July 4th we had quite a few older MHs and trailers at the park we stayed at.

So I'd say they're still in use, just not as mobile as newer RVs  :-\


Dick
Click to expand...

You are perfectly right. I bought my back then top of the line 1988 Winnebago Elandan Sport several months ago from which I have only got a chance to use it twice because we are working parents of rather young kids (5 and 8) and one little girl on the way. Yes like someone mentioned, they are still out there but more than likely, you will see them on the weekends on tourist RV camping grounds.

P.S. Sorry I forgot to put the message outside the quotes. ::)
 
Sounds like a Peter Paul and Mary song -

"Where have all the coaches gone?
All the old ones?

Where have all the coaches gone?
The ones we loved?"

 
Jeff and Sandra said:
I guess you haven't seen us on the road yet because you couldn't miss us.   
Click to expand...

Jeff and Sandra, any good photos to share?
 
I use a membership CG -Cuttys- in Des Moines IA.
   
There are a lot of elderly rigs and trailers permanently moored in the year round rental sites and more in the storage lot. The CG work crew tow the trailers out of storage and set them up on sites for members to use on weekends in clement weather.
 
We've got one of the old "classic" Beaver Marquis. It's a 1991 model and has 138,000 miles on it. We've had it for 15 years and can't seem to part with it. I would not hesitate to load it up and start for Alaska as soon as the weather clears. So far we've had it in all 49 states (I waiting for the bridge to the 50th<<GGG>>) and all the provinces of Canaada but the NW Territories.

Here's a photo of our rig.
 
83 Bluebird Wanderlodge, 300,000 + miles
just came back from Calif towing 1 ton van on large carhauler
getting ready to go to Quartzite to work on coaches.
Ernie
 
Porky, If you go to www.rvfolly.com and then click on the Places Visited Links button you will see links to over a hundred photo albums of ACOE, State, National Park, National Forest campgrounds, sights, cities and towns, and other points of interest we have experienced along the trail.
 
My motor home is Class A Winnebago 2001 year model. Has less than 40,000 miles and I hope for many hundred thousand miles. It is in great condition except the fiberglass exterior is very dull. Tried waxes and buffing and it improves some but just not to my satisfaction. Has anyone found a fix for this problem without major paint job or total decal coverage?? The Poly-Glow product sounds to good to be true-any one tried it or have suggestions. My unit doesn't look like it needs to be in junk yard-just not like I would like-others I see have such brilliant shines ( maybe late late models??)
 
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