Misc. buying used RV questions....

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Private sales of lower budget minded people are better in the fall because of cost of and PITA factor of winterizing something they just want to get rid of. Spring sales by same type of people are valued as gold plated because the season is coming up and buyers have the itch. At least that is how it worked in the NE when selling warm weather toys.

Bill
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
Instead of getting fixated on the lowest possible price, I suggest searching out the right rig for you and then determining if the price is reasonable enough to buy.
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I'm looking at getting a Thor ACE or a Fleetwood Storm.  There are tons of them on the market right now as I am willing to fly anywhere to view one or pick it up since I fly for free.  I've been looking for about 3 weeks now, have visited quite a few in my local area, but was planning on just watching for a sweetheart deal that we can quickly grab.  We're torn between buying now or just waiting.  It sounds like the Spring isn't the best time to buy. 
 
driftless shifter said:
Private sales of lower budget minded people are better in the fall because of cost of and PITA factor of winterizing something they just want to get rid of. Spring sales by same type of people are valued as gold plated because the season is coming up and buyers have the itch. At least that is how it worked in the NE when selling warm weather toys.

Bill
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Yes, that's what I was thinking.  When do RV'ers in cold weather climates typically start winterizing?
 
FYI, not all roofs have plywood in them.  Newer motorhomes have walls and ceilings made of a composite plastic material that is heated and various materials are sandwiched together and compressed.  Newer motorhomes, even Class Cs, also have aluminum wall "studs" instead of wood.  Aluminum and plastic is better than wood because wood rots and loses strength.  Whatever you buy, make sure you know what is in the walls and on the roof.

Also, even with 66,000 miles, I had my brakes checked last week and was told front and back were at 70%, which really pleased me since I am a lifelong left-foot braker, and whose sons are constantly complaining that I must be riding the brakes!!  Ha!  I did have a problem last month with wheel bearings, and ended up getting them adjusted, but driving too long with the problem and messing up one tire. (Was in Canadian Maritimes and could not get anyone to work on it.) Cost to get them adjusted and greased was $200, which was not bad considering they also rotated tires and checked tire pressure in all. 

And those seven tires would have gone for about $300 apiece.  I had bought one and got reimbursed for it after a sideway blowout, but I probably could have gotten a better price if I was buying a whole set and if I could have shopped around more.  The problem is that repairs or replacement of things do not always happen in places where there are a lot of places to shop around! 

I do think you ought to buy when you can camp for a couple of times and see what does not work. But I also agree that you need to buy based on floor plan and what fits you.  Mine is perfect for me, and I got it right first try, buying new, but I did a LOT of research! 
 
JudyJB said:
FYI, not all roofs have plywood in them.  Newer motorhomes have walls and ceilings made of a composite plastic material that is heated and various materials are sandwiched together and compressed.  Newer motorhomes, even Class Cs, also have aluminum wall "studs" instead of wood.  Aluminum and plastic is better than wood because wood rots and loses strength.  Whatever you buy, make sure you know what is in the walls and on the roof.

Also, even with 66,000 miles, I had my brakes checked last week and was told front and back were at 70%, which really pleased me since I am a lifelong left-foot braker, and whose sons are constantly complaining that I must be riding the brakes!!  Ha!  I did have a problem last month with wheel bearings, and ended up getting them adjusted, but driving too long with the problem and messing up one tire. (Was in Canadian Maritimes and could not get anyone to work on it.) Cost to get them adjusted and greased was $200, which was not bad considering they also rotated tires and checked tire pressure in all. 

And those seven tires would have gone for about $300 apiece.  I had bought one and got reimbursed for it after a sideway blowout, but I probably could have gotten a better price if I was buying a whole set and if I could have shopped around more.  The problem is that repairs or replacement of things do not always happen in places where there are a lot of places to shop around! 

I do think you ought to buy when you can camp for a couple of times and see what does not work. But I also agree that you need to buy based on floor plan and what fits you.  Mine is perfect for me, and I got it right first try, buying new, but I did a LOT of research!
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Thanks Judy.
 
There are all sorts of speculations on the best time to buy (and now, end of season probably is pretty good), but "watching and waiting" for that sweetheart deal is the best method, and really could happen any time of year based on sellers' various motivations/timeframes for selling.  I bought my trailer a couple months ago in the middle of summer and it had been parked for sale since the end of LAST season.  Still winterized with the pink stuff in the water lines when I brought it home.

To know if/when you are seeing a deal you need to jump on, you need to be RV shopping online almost constantly.  Craigslist has all sorts of automated searches and e-mail notifications you can set up now.  Use some keywords and set up a bunch of searches so you don't miss anything that might interest you.  I was looking at sometimes 1-2 dozen ads per day when I was shopping, sending e-mail inquiries for more details maybe once every 10 ads.  Do it to the point that you are tired of seeing RV ads!  You'll also run across models/floorplans you did not even know existed, which is exactly how I ran across my very unique TT setup.

It sounds strange I know, but desensitizing yourself (by overexposure) to the emotion and dazzle of the buying process will help you make a more objective decision.
 
EPDM rubber roofs are typically laid over a luan plywood substrate, with some sort of insulation (styrofoam or whatever) layer underneath. Most RVs these days use metal structural supports in the roof and walls, but the most basic (read low-priced) ones might still have wood. What is known in the industry as "stick & tin" construction, a wood frame with metal siding. I doubt if any fiberglass sided RV made in the last 20 years has any wood structure.

I see negative comments about the plywood in RV roofs all the time, but that is really no different than residential construction. The plywood sheathing is there merely to physically support the waterproof layer (rubber or metal or fiberglass sheets) and make it practical to walk up there if needed. Whether in a house or RV, the wood substrate can rot if leaks are not repaired promptly. And due to effects of movement, leaks are more common in RVs than houses. The better grades of RVs often laminate a sandwich of materials for the roof substrate, but there is usually a layer of luan somewhere in the sandwich. Likewise, fiberglass sidewalls are usually vacuum-bonded to a luan substrate to add some mechanical strength while keeping it light.
 
scottydl said:
It sounds strange I know, but desensitizing yourself (by overexposure) to the emotion and dazzle of the buying process will help you make a more objective decision.
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Thanks Scotty.  Nope, doesn't sound strange.  I'm there now : )
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
EPDM rubber roofs are typically laid over a luan plywood substrate, with some sort of insulation (styrofoam or whatever) layer underneath. Most RVs these days use metal structural supports in the roof and walls, but the most basic (read low-priced) ones might still have wood. What is known in the industry as "stick & tin" construction, a wood frame with metal siding. I doubt if any fiberglass sided RV made in the last 20 years has any wood structure.

I see negative comments about the plywood in RV roofs all the time, but that is really no different than residential construction. The plywood sheathing is there merely to physically support the waterproof layer (rubber or metal or fiberglass sheets) and make it practical to walk up there if needed. Whether in a house or RV, the wood substrate can rot if leaks are not repaired promptly. And due to effects of movement, leaks are more common in RVs than houses. The better grades of RVs often laminate a sandwich of materials for the roof substrate, but there is usually a layer of luan somewhere in the sandwich. Likewise, fiberglass sidewalls are usually vacuum-bonded to a luan substrate to add some mechanical strength while keeping it light.
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Interesting, thanks.
 
ualdriver said:
Hello-

I'm in the exploratory phase of buying a used RV (A or C, 30 feet-ish long, 2011-2014).  This will also be my first RV. As I'm searching along here, I have a few questions....


2) I'm looking at RVs that are 1-5 years old, and very often I'm seeing that they have "new tires" as a selling point in the ad.  Many of these RVs, though, have less than 30K miles.  I thought it was unusual to see tire replacements with such few miles on the rigs.  How long do these "little" RV tires last?  Do they have similar life spans as car tires, or do they simply not last as long?
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We put new tires on our RV when we purchased it a year ago.  The tires were only 3 years old but had been severely under inflated when we bought it.  They may have been fine, but as others mentioned, it's the inside condition that's important.  One thing you could do is take them to a dealer and have them inspected. 

3) Brakes/rotors on these Triton V10 powertrains.....assuming one isn't towing anything or coursing through mountain highways, how long do brakes tend to last for?  I realize that brakes could last 10K miles or 60K miles depending upon a multitude of factors, but I'm looking at some rigs that have around 30K to 40K and was wondering if I should be expecting a brake/rotor change around that mileage?  How much does a brake and rotor change cost on these Triton V10 powertrains?  Comparable to a SUV?
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Rear brakes and rotors on our motorhome at 72,000 miles cost $950.00. 
 
When we were Class A shopping we went and looked at numerous RV's, just to practice looking for problems. Some privately owned, most at dealers, we learned to spot probable leaks from a distance. Could see delamination easily as well. We ended up finding ours within 20 miles of home. It did need a lot of chassis work, which I was able to do my self. PO had a rebuilt long block put in, the hard part was well done, the important parts were not, I basically had a punch list of details to fix to make it roadworthy. Ultimately, between the purchase price and parts cost we had an RV that cost about the same as a good condition equivalent only we have a new engine, new cooling system, and new brakes, along with other bits. The PO had really tried to care for it the house part was in great shape, every thing worked as it should, the refrigerator had been rebuilt 3 years ago. If you have skills, it is really like buying a used car or truck, only you need practice looking at the house part.




Bill
 
Ualdriver, you inquired about the Ford V10 engine. I am curious if anyone here has changed out their spark plugs yet in that engine? I relmember changing mine out in a Class C with the Ford 460. Was able to change out 7 but no way to change the 8th. Found out later the repair shops actually undo the motor mounts and jack up one side of the engine to change out that 8th. plug. Who knew. That is why I ask about the V10.


Bill
 
billwild said:
Ualdriver, you inquired about the Ford V10 engine. I am curious if anyone here has changed out their spark plugs yet in that engine? I relmember changing mine out in a Class C with the Ford 460. Was able to change out 7 but no way to change the 8th. Found out later the repair shops actually undo the motor mounts and jack up one side of the engine to change out that 8th. plug. Who knew. That is why I ask about the V10.


Bill
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Yikes. 
 
Class A is much easier than a class C, you go through the removable inner fender well while sitting on a stool. Much better then bent over, wishing you had two elbows and a backward wrist, trying to reach that one spark plug.

Bill
 
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