Buying class c <=24 ft , budget of 15K, what to avoid / look for

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comsense

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Hi all,

We have arrived from Australia and are currently looking to purchase a class C RV to travel the US and Canada for 12 months.

We've already visited a few lots in California, and are currently in Nevada.
We are looking for a shortish (<=24ft) class C, but they seem hard to find , especially in this price range.

Right now I'm thinking we would like to try to find a fleetwood, Winnabego, four winds, or coachman from 21 to 24 ft  '98 through '02 with around 50k to 70K miles on it.  Do you think it will be possible to find an rv of this era / miles in good condition for approx 15k? I have seen a few around, but I'm unsure if these are in this price range for a "reason". Is 50 to 70K miles around about right to look for in terms of the age? Are they likely to be mechanically sound after this amount of miles?

I have seen a number of RV with 100K plus miles that are newer, perhaps 2004 or 05, in this price range.. Is this too many miles to be reliable, or could they be ok if well maintained. I'm guessing some of these high miles units are ex rentals... How many miles are the engines good for in these rv's? They are usually e-350 or e-405's from what I have seen.

I'm also looking at private sales through craigslist, as they seem a little cheaper. Not sure if this is a good idea or not though.

California wasn't a good place to buy due to tax and registration requirements for non resident's. Currently heading to Arizona as there is not much in Nevada, if we can't find one there we may continue on to Texas /Florida..... This car rental is certainly doing a bunch of miles!

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.


 
Two people in a tiny class C for a year? I hope you too are deeply in love. I would suggest that you look at class As at about 27 to 30 feet. Not only is a class C considerably smaller, they have way less storage, smaller holding tanks and much smaller shower and toilet. The gas mileage on an A would not be that much worse than a Class C and the A would have a much better resale value after the year is up. You can find plenty of As in the $15k range.

Here is a link to show you what class As are available on eBay right now in the $10 - 20k range.

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/RVs-and-Campers-/50054/i.html?LH_BIN=1&Motorized%2520Sub%2520Type=Class%2520A&_catref=1&_dmpt=RVs_Campers&_fln=1&_flso=0&_fpos=89107&_fspt=0&_qfkw=1&_sc=1&_sop=2&_ssov=1&_sticky=1&_trksid=p4506.c0.m282&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=10%2C000&_udhi=20%2C000

Arizona is a much better place to buy a motorhome, especially Phoenix. Lots of old people retire there.
 
This may get bummped, but I will keep it short.
I have just listed my Class A for sale, but in Wisconsin.

http://greenbay.craigslist.org/rvs/2356717493.html.
 
  Just want to make sure you here from both sides.
  I bought my cl C on Craigs list over a year ago,97  29 ft. low milage and in great shape for under 12,000.    5000 miles and 3 good trips later no sign of major issues and my opinon is a cl C is fine for 2 people.And a shorter one as you are looking for can park  and manuver in the city alot easier then my 29 footer or most Class As.If your not sure of condition ,make a inspection by a reliable  person a requirment of the sale,any body that has a good RV wont oblect.agan  JMHO    Bill
 
A 29 footer is a whole lot larger than a 23 footer for two people. And they are going to be in it for a year, not for a few weekend getaways.

BTW - Craigslist is an excellent place to find used RVs for sale.
 
I bought a used Class C with 38,000 miles on it, 28 feet long,by  Fleetwood, 1994 model.  I'd rather not say what I paid, but in my "budget"  I set aside 25%of my overall budget,  for  any repairs I may have overlooked and any small upgrades I may need or want. 

One thing I can tell you, if you get one without a slide, it's a buyers market, you can often offer much less than they are asking.

Most folks refuse to buy anything without a slide, those folks selling the ones without slides, often take a beating on the price.

With gas engines, I would look for the lowest milage you can get for your money.  Of course it helps if it was maintained, no matter what the milage. Anything with water damage, turn and run. Mine did need a complete rubber roof painting job when I bought it, but it had been stored under cover and had no inside water damage.

Florida has tons of RV's everywhere. Many sellers have their used RV's way overpriced.

But since you can travel, search out CraigsList and check everything between there and Florida.  With your budget of $15,000, I would try to find something around 9-12,000  and keep the extra budget handy,  for anything you overlooked. 

To search Craigslist nationwide, this guy wrote a program for it, I just used it, I typed in Class C, and it brought up 10 plus pages of Class C's for sale all over USA.  Then you have to sort through them all. ;D

http://home.centurytel.net/bbyrd2100/CL_Motorhome.htm

Many folks do have their used RV's overpriced, and they can get real touchy when you make a low offer.

But you can say something like "9,000 is all we can afford, here's our cell number, if you think you can come close to that".

That way you don't insult them, and they have time to mull it over in private. Some will have their hand out and waiting. 

I must admit, Fleetwood had a very good year when they built my Class C, I've been in it for over a year, and I just love it. I was very fond of the layout, very livable. I am in mine fulltime with a dog, and sometimes friends travel with me for awhile.

Also since you can  look ANYWHERE, look for those advertised in small towns on Craigslist, often those people take a much lower price because folks just aren't willing to travel way out to where they are, to even look at it.

I bought mine from an owner in a remote location, he didn't know how to advertise the best features, and many potential buyers, just wouldn't drive out to see it at all. So when I kept pestering him, we finally settled on a deal that I'm really happy with.  I hope NOTHING happens to mine, because finding another deal like this would be very hard!

If I were you, I would try to find LOW milage when it comes to gas engines. It sounds like you plan to put a lot of miles on it yourself.  I wouldn't be that worried about the size, all Class C's are generally under 33 feet.  I would focus more on lower milage and the overall condition of it.

Dealers can be OK, but some are not OK. Some will have already fixed everything. Some will harp on a warranty, which isn't going to help much, since you are going to travel and be far away from the dealer anyhow.  Some will take reduced offers, others will chase you off the lot.

The campgrounds charge the same, whether you are in a long or short RV, so size isn't that big of issue.  of course if you planning on bookdocking, the smaller the RV, the better for that.

I drive my Class C without towing a car, I just do my stopping and shopping between campgrounds. I don't stick out that much when I park in a regular parking spot, but I do try to find a place to be out of the way of others.  Even at 28 feet, I've been able to make frequent unscheduled stops to sightsee. Even in New York, I was able to parallel park on a street, then hike to Niagara Falls.

I hope this helps!  Keep asking away, I looked at what seemed like hundreds of RV's before I bought mine. There is a good deal out there, you just have to find it. Don't let dealers or folks know your true budget, or they will try to spend every dime for you.

After you get it, you can join something like AAA auto club with the RV endorsement, so you can have emergency roadside service.  It's a great comfort to have that with a used RV. 

I've had a friend travel with me often, we were used to sailing together on small boats, so we got along just fine in the Class C.  Besides, weather permitting, I set up my patio stuff when parked in a campground (awning, rug, table, chairs and so on) so it seems much larger to have the outdoor area to use and relax, but I happen to like the outdoors.

I love this forum, but anytime you bring up a Class C, many Class A folks tell you to buy a class A.  *giggle*

I happen to be a Class C owner, and it has it's advantages, that I do like. But that's just me, I wanted to travel a lot and have tons of fun without much hassle, mine fit the bill perfectly.  I don't carry around tons of junk, so I am able to live within it just fine. I even have room to spare so my company when they arrive to travel with me have room to store their gear.

I hope this helps you some!
 
DearMissMermaid said:
I love this forum, but anytime you bring up a Class C, many Class A folks tell you to buy a class A.  *giggle*
Well you can giggle all you want but when two people say they want to spend an entire year in a 23 foot class C that rings alarm bells. You have a 29 footer, huge difference. And you have stated that you don't even have room to upgrade from a 14" TV to a 19" TV cause you don't have the room. That tells you everything you need to know about the amount of space in a class C.

I have lived in 2 different class As, 3 different class Bs and 2 different class Cs, so I have very extensive knowledge of the strengths and weakness' of the various classes. If you are going to live in a vehicle full time then a class A beats the others by a mile. If you are just doing weekend outings then a C will do nice.
 
Well, it seems I have sparked some debate over RV's....

I'm from Australia, and over there, RV's the size of class A's don't even exist, the biggest you see around is only 20 to 22 ft. Most people tow caravan's, and those don't come close to the size over here, often not even having toilet / shower. In OZ, most travelers actually stay at campgrounds and use shared toilets / showers there!! In fact, friends of my parents did just that for 6 months!

We are a young couple, (~30 yo), and are into the outdoors / camping so the RV's (of any size) is somewhat of a luxury.  Plus I think it would be better than the other option of packing up every few days and hopping between hostels every week! We also have budget set aside for some "breaks" from the RV over the 12 months, staying in hotels and alike and heading back to OZ for a few weeks etc. I think we will be a bit like DearMissMermaid over summer, sitting outside under the awning in nationals parks etc.

What I'm keen to know is "what is low miles" in your opinion. Would that be <50K for a 2000 odd model class c?

We are heading down to Arizona tomorrow so I will post about what I find for opinions, thanks in advance.





 
"What I'm keen to know is "what is low miles" in your opinion. Would that be <50K for a 2000 odd model class c?"

Well the average gas engine will go 100 to 150k miles usually. So my idea of a low mileage rig would be one that is nowhere close to 100k. i got my 85 Allegro two years ago with only 24k miles on it. But when you get a unit that is really low mileage it will usually be more trouble than one that is of higher mileage.

When you are looking to buy an RV you are looking at 2 different things. A house and a vehicle. The most important thing about the house is the floor plan. Make sure you get a floor plan you both like. With the vehicle the most important thing is the drive train. Go to a few dealerships and test drive a bunch of RVs in different classes so you will have some basis for comparison.

The best advise I can give you is to rent a few RVs for short weekend trips before you buy. It could save you from a multi thousand dollar mistake.
 
"Low miles" is usually relative to age, and an RV typically gets 4000-8000 miles per year. A 10 year old RV with 70,000 miles would be average, while the same RV with 50,000 miles would be "low". But in an absolute sense, a fairly recent model gas engine is good for 100,000 to 150,000 trouble free miles (assuming adequate maintenance) and the transmission should run close to that too, so "low mileage" would be anything  well under that. 50,000 is fine, and 75,000 is probably ok if you only expect another 25,000 or so from it. At 100k I would be a bit nervous, but if you can handle the occasional breakdown, both financially and mentally, maybe that's ok too.

A lot depends on how well the rig was maintained, and that can be difficult to determine. Rental units get a lot of abuse, but the major rental companies also give them decent routine mechanical maintenance, e.g. oil changes and such.

As for RV size, it is a very personal thing. You know what you are accustomed to, and what you are willing to do for showers and such, so it's your call. A smaller RV is a real plus if you do not plan to tow a car.  We have folks here who travel extensively in converted vans and Class B RVs, so what you propose is certainly do-able. Myself, I like my 40 foot coach!
 
The main thing that you need to check for is water damage which may not be evident by just looking. Press on all the surfaces inside and out. Check for soft spots , rippling or bulges.

I'd go with the smaller size because you're young and active. There are many campgrounds in forests and small national parks that don't have room for bigger RVs. We're a little bias about this though because our motorhome is only 25' and we're very comfortable fulltiming in it. Plus we don't need a toad.

About mileage - our last motorhome had 300,000 miles on the odometer when we sold it. We did have to get the engine rebuilt at 100,000 miles because of one broken oil ring but then we went the next 200,000 without a problem. It was still going strong when we sold it.
 
OK we checked out a good looking RV today, and would like to hear some opinions about it. (private seller)

It's a not so well known brand as far as I can tell, but some of you guys may know them.

Love the layout though, with the kitchen / bathroom at the back.

It's a 1998 Georgie Boy Maverick 23R class c (23ft)
  • 6.8L EFI V10 triton Only 57K miles on the clock
  • Full service history
  • Everything works (supposedly...) the owner seems to be a good person.. :) <
  • Interior and exterior are very good condition for the age
  • queen over cab, jack knife couch
  • sat dish
  • cruise control
  • tons of storage for the size
  • onan 4k gen w/107hrs
  • ducted heating
  • dash and roof aircon that has just been regas'd / serviced
  • tow package
  • power windows, locks, step etc.
  • Everything seems to run / work well.
  • Full user manuals for all devices / rv (useful for a newby like me)
Price is advertised at $13900 which seems very good compared to other tioga's / winnebego of the same age / miles currently advertised.

Any opinions on the model / brand / cost??
Thanks,
Brad
 
http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/1998/Georgie-Boy/M-23RK-236/Standard-Equipment

The high book is $10,290. Low book is 8540. I wouldn't pay a dime over low book unless it was in absolutely immaculate condition.
 
Interesting site, when I add the options i know of, like microwave, Gen, awning, heating, aircon etc it gives  $12,180 for average retail..

Good bargaining tool.. Are the figures accurate, they seem well under advertised rates?

Brad
 
Don't add any options before getting the price.
 
Nope, you don't add the options. The micro, gen, awning and all that are standard equipment. The only thing that isn't is the sat dish and it will probably be an older one that can't pick up HD. What you missed was on the page before that page. It says:

"Option note: Only select options below that are in addition to standard equipment and equipment noted in the manufacturer or year notes show above. If you are uncertain of what came standard, please contact your manufacturer with your VIN."

They are well under advertised rates. However it is very rare that someone pays top dollar. Go to eBay, do a search on class C motorhomes and then look at the Completed Listings. That will tell you what RVs are really selling for. Remember if you pay way over book it will make it really difficult to sell in the future without loosing a whole lot of money.
 
NADA RVGuide prices tend to be low for older, popular models like this. The book value is based on average depreciation, and Class C's in that price range are in demand. I wouldn't insist on the 10,290 figure, but would offer less than the asking price. Check around for other prices, as Seilerbird Tom suggests.
 
Hi,
Just to add my $0.02 worth. We have a Georgie Boy and I've been impressed with the decisions the manufacturer made considering its a lower end coach (3 stage converter, jacks powered both ways, quality appliances, etc., etc.). We've been very happy with it over 25,000 miles now. I've also had an older coach '96 Flair 22' that had been well taken care of and it worked out very well. I certainly paid over the Blue Book price and never regretted it.
Ernie
 
We also have a Georgie Boy class A.  It is a introduction or lower end coach with lots of goodies and great for us floor plan.  We are very happy with our choice. 

The owner has all the service records and manuals which is a plus.  Review them.  The generator with 107 hours seems low and indicates it was not used much so be sure it starts up and can run your air conditioner, microwave (make popcorn) and television etc.  How many air conditioners does the unit have.  Is it 30 or 50 amp?  In AZ 2 air conditioners are preferred but it is a small coach. 

Check the date of tires as they need replacement when 7 years old.  The date of tires is another bargaining tool.  How many house batteries and age - not a deal breaker but you need it know. 

For the sat. dish you will need to subscribe to either Directv or Dish network and I assume it has a Winguard ant. for over the air reception.  Be sure he has a switch box and a digital converter box as I am sure the television is the old analog type. 

Determine the CCC and weights and find out its towing capacity.

If everything looks good , you like the floorplan and you can agree on price, I think you would be happy with the Georgie Boy. 

Jennifer
 
Thanks for all the comments and advice everyone.

I went back to take another look at the rv after getting some of your info.
Tapping around the outside I found that the cab over section's bottom is a bit soft and has give, also looks to be sagging slightly. (barely noticeable)
I assume any repairs in this area would be costly???
I also see they have dropped the price to 12K "for today only" on craiglists. Maybe they realized the issue?  http://flagstaff.craigslist.org/rvs/2360121654.html
It's a shame because otherwise the layout, and condition was excellent, mechanics seem good also, and low miles. The owner seemed genuin and had receipts from all sorts of things getting fixed / serviced in the past 6 months of ownership.
Could I try to low ball the offer and pay for repair or is it not worth this?

I also visited another RV in Mesa today.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/rvs/2360381638.html

Looks good, outside is a little faded, and again front cab over show some signs of leaks, and has a little give when given a bump. 10 times better than the georgie boy though.
I'm wondering if this is a common thing with the way the cab over's are designed. I could see that the edges had been previously resealed, but the sealant had perished. It was all dry and not "puffed up", probably from being in phoenix and drying out.  Would it be ok to reseal with some good clear flex sealant, or should I stay away from anything with signs of leaks.?
I'm wondering if everything of this age will show some signs of leaks during their past due to perishing seals...

Also, it's quite important that the refrigerator keeps running all the time, even when we are driving. (my wife has some medicine that has to stay refrigerated.)
When I visited the winnebago, the sales guy said the fridge can't run on battery and has to have the generator running or be on propane. Obviously this is not ideal /possible for driving. I have a feeling that the georgie boy owner said that the fridge would run on battery.... I assume this is because it has some sort of inverter? It is hard to install / costly to put in a inverter for the fridge / air-conditioning. I assume some sort of additional battery would be required?

Cheers,

Brad


 

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