Is This A Good Buy?

parttymer said:

I certainly understand your explnation. However, the difference in fuel mileage is negligible. Trust me, been there and done that (what you are thinking about). Towing is really easy. It takes awhile to get used to hooking up, but once you get the hang of it, its a piece of cake. Just make sure you always do everything in the same order every time. Don't let others distract you in any way when hooking up the towed vehicle.

Practice in a closed down K-Mart parking lot. Or any other large retailer that went out of business leaving the building with that huge parking lot sitting there doing nothing. We practiced hooking up and maneuvering the coach with the toad until we were comfortable. Just think of the tall light poles in the parking lot as stop sign poles. Learn to turn and how much clearance you need. Just takes a little practice.

Good luck.

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Got it - good ideas.

Homeskillet, it sure does look like a beautiful rv inside, especially for a 2009.  I think it might be a moot point, since it appears you will be looking at class A's, but to me, the price seems a bit high. Perhaps because it is being sold by Camping World. But I think $52,000 to $54,000 would be more reasonable if it had been sold thru a private party. 

The key to towing is "knowing" ... it seems really intimidating right now because you haven't learned anything about it.  If you know how to hook up, which mirrors to watch, how to back up, etc. then the actual "act" of towing is not that difficult.  There's a somewhat steep learning curve with those things, but you can pick it up quickly with some experience. 

Our first RV was a 35-foot Class A which I got used to driving quickly (and quite enjoyed), and eventually we towed our car behind it on a tow dolly.  Our second/current RV is a 32-foot travel trailer, which is a whole different towing experience than the tow dolly but I was excited to try and am getting used to it.  And I gotta say... cornering/back "mishaps" are going to happen with RV's so just be ready.    But you are driving/maneuvering really slowly most times so safely emerging from those gas stations and windy roads is certainly possible. 

Is there any chance you can save up cash to buy an RV outright to start/continue your traveling ministry?  That would be so much more freeing and less stressful than being tied down by monthly payments IMO.  "The borrower is slave to the lender" is wisely mentioned in Proverbs I believe.    RV's depreciate like mad (not as much with used units though) and that principle of being upside on your loan could become an unfortunate reality for your RV along with your truck.  Just something else to pray about and consider.

It's also important for you to know that RV's are basically houses bouncing down the road, and do require a fair amount of "tinkering" and familiarity (which comes over time) to keep things running smoothly.  Buying newer certainly does not prevent you from having these types of issues.  Keep asking questions here and we'll help you get this planning all smoothed out!

Please understand nobody is saying to tow the F150 on your first trip !!!!!  After a few trips, your comfort factor with the RV will be much higher.  Then, and only then, consider towing the F150.  Baby Steps.  Pulling the truck will have little effect on RV mileage - 1 mpg or less. 

The 5000# towing spec on the Class C may prevent towing with this RV.

cgmartin said:

Homeskillet, it sure does look like a beautiful rv inside, especially for a 2009.  I think it might be a moot point, since it appears you will be looking at class A's, but to me, the price seems a bit high. Perhaps because it is being sold by Camping World. But I think $52,000 to $54,000 would be more reasonable if it had been sold thru a private party.

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Okay - Same thing I was thinking. 

grashley said:

Please understand nobody is saying to tow the F150 on your first trip !!!!!  After a few trips, your comfort factor with the RV will be much higher.  Then, and only then, consider towing the F150.  Baby Steps.  Pulling the truck will have little effect on RV mileage - 1 mpg or less. 

The 5000# towing spec on the Class C may prevent towing with this RV.

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Really?  I did not know that.  I thought towing a truck that size - or any size for that matter - would dramatically reduce the MPG?

We're currently pursuing Class A's, but are not having too much luck right now.

Again, thanks to everyone for the advice.

Homeskillet said:

Really?  I did not know that.  I thought towing a truck that size - or any size for that matter - would dramatically reduce the MPG?

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I mentioned this earlier in the thread.
Weight has nothing to do with gas mileage. Wind resistance is the major factor.

You may want to start a new thread on mileage loss towing a "toad" to verify for yourself. 

The truck, towed 4 wheels down, adds virtually no weight to the MH chassis.  The weight is on the truck tires.  I does take a little extra effort to get that extra weight moving, but remember you have a 5000# truck, and you must already expend the power to get that 20,000+#  MH moving.  Pushing that MH through the air is big work, but once that "hole" in the air is made, the air drag from any toad is minimal.  Maintaining speed is basically overcoming all that wind resistance, which means the truck follows for (almost) free.

This is why you come here to ask questions.  Myths debunked and (hopefully) problems identified before it becomes a huge OOPS!!!

Again, if the Lord is calling, answer.  Just get educated on the physical things first!

grashley said:

You may want to start a new thread on mileage loss towing a "toad" to verify for yourself. 

The truck, towed 4 wheels down, adds virtually no weight to the MH chassis.  The weight is on the truck tires.  I does take a little extra effort to get that extra weight moving, but remember you have a 5000# truck, and you must already expend the power to get that 20,000+#  MH moving.  Pushing that MH through the air is big work, but once that "hole" in the air is made, the air drag from any toad is minimal.  Maintaining speed is basically overcoming all that wind resistance, which means the truck follows for (almost) free.

This is why you come here to ask questions.  Myths debunked and (hopefully) problems identified before it becomes a huge OOPS!!!

Again, if the Lord is calling, answer.  Just get educated on the physical things first!

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Ok, great explanation.  Thank you.

Now looking at this Class A:  http://www.suncityrv.com/detail-2012-forest_river-georgetown_360-used-13130162.html 


Payments would be approx. $540 on this one w. a good warranty & $7,500 down (they have already pulled credit). 

With insurance & credit card payment for down payment (we would be putting the down payment on credit card) - we would be looking at a cumulative note of about $750/Mo.  .

Or, we're also considering this one (note would be lower, but it's a smaller unit):

http://www.suncityrv.com/detail-2012-fleetwood-storm_m~28f-used-12677637.html

God Bless!

SeilerBird said:

I mentioned this earlier in the thread.
Weight has nothing to do with gas mileage. Wind resistance is the major factor.

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Oh, sorry for the overlook!  You & the others have provided excellent information....which is why I come here.

Payments would be approx. $540 on this one w. a good warranty & $7,500 down (they have already pulled credit). 

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There is no warranty on that Georgetown except what you buy at extra cost (a so-called "extended" warranty).  It is a consignment unit and sold "as-is" (as stated in the ad). Plan on a substantial expense to buy an extended warranty (service contract), probably $3000-$6000, depending on length of time and coverage.

Please seek out some wisdom from trusted partners on your financial decisions for this major purchase.  Diving into a huge debt hole (and using a credit card to finance a large upfront portion) is rarely the best method to buy anything, especially something guaranteed to lose value.  The only exception I could think of is if the upcoming jobs are guaranteed to be high-paying to the extent that you'd be able to pay everything off really early.

For instance, if your preaching jobs do not pan out or life throws an unexpected curve ball (and we've all experienced those!) that limits your ability to generate income for a period of time, you could end up in a major negative-balance situation that could financially tie you down for years and further limit your ability to do what you've been called to do.

Even though it goes against what we (the RV community) prefer doing, you could even start this ministry journey by traveling by car and staying in hotels (or perhaps even requesting hosting by members of churches you are visiting) while you continue researching the RV option.  In the short term, it would be a LOT cheaper than buying an expensive RV without really knowing (yet) what you are getting into.

Wow,  think I'd start out with something about 1/2 of what those cost, if it were me. There are some very nice coachs out there in the 02 03 range at a much more attractive price that are low mileage and have a great appearance too. I sure wouldn't buy one where I had to put the down payment on a CC. 

I agree with the last two posters. I feel it is not very bright to finance a $50,000 RV when you have no experience with RVing.  And putting the down payment on a CC is just plain dumb. You can get one hell of an RV for $20k:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classa/2003-Damon-Challenger-31456.htm

SeilerBird said:

I agree with the last two posters. I feel it is not very bright to finance a $50,000 RV when you have no experience with RVing.  And putting the down payment on a CC is just plain dumb. You can get one hell of an RV for $20k:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classa/2003-Damon-Challenger-31456.htm

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Is this the way you talk to those coming to you for help in an area that you know more about than them? 

To illustrate, I often teach on the original languages of the Bible, but would never dream of telling one of my students that what they're considering doing "is just plain dumb."

And, we did not acquire excellent credit by being "dumb"....quite the contrary.  Going forward, I'll just take advice in this area from those who know how to give it.

Nevertheless, I will look into the link you've provided above.  Thank you anyway.

Some folks here are more blunt than others...   But we really do all want to help you in this RV journey, if it the right solution for your wants/needs/plans.  It's really important you understand the financial risks so you don't bury yourself in debt unnecessarily.  If you do that anyway, well it doesn't impact anyone but you (and your family, and your mission, etc).  But we'd hate for you to have an avoidable "bad" RV experience.  There is a lot to learn up front about RV purchase and ownership, so try not to discount good advice just because it might come across a little harsh.  Retired folks get that way sometimes.  ;D

scottydl said:

Please seek out some wisdom from trusted partners on your financial decisions for this major purchase.  Diving into a huge debt hole (and using a credit card to finance a large upfront portion) is rarely the best method to buy anything, especially something guaranteed to lose value.  The only exception I could think of is if the upcoming jobs are guaranteed to be high-paying to the extent that you'd be able to pay everything off really early.

For instance, if your preaching jobs do not pan out or life throws an unexpected curve ball (and we've all experienced those!) that limits your ability to generate income for a period of time, you could end up in a major negative-balance situation that could financially tie you down for years and further limit your ability to do what you've been called to do.

Even though it goes against what we (the RV community) prefer doing, you could even start this ministry journey by traveling by car and staying in hotels (or perhaps even requesting hosting by members of churches you are visiting) while you continue researching the RV option.  In the short term, it would be a LOT cheaper than buying an expensive RV without really knowing (yet) what you are getting into.

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Thank you.  We've been doing the very thing you describe above for going on 3 years now - & we're both weary of it & want something of our own.

Our note on the smaller 2012 MH would only be around $400/Mo.  Our concern in getting an older unit is the inherent deterioration of both mechanics & cosmetics.  Just seems to make more sense to us to pay a couple of hundred dollars more per mo. & get something you don't have to worry about near as much (?).

But, that is just our perspective....still looking & considering.

Also considering this one:  http://www.suncityrv.com/detail-1999-safari-zanzibar-used-13070985.html

scottydl said:

Some folks here are more blunt than others...   But we really do all want to help you in this RV journey, if it the right solution for your wants/needs/plans.  It's really important you understand the financial risks so you don't bury yourself in debt unnecessarily.  If you do that anyway, well it doesn't impact anyone but you (and your family, and your mission, etc).  But we'd hate for you to have an avoidable "bad" RV experience.  There is a lot to learn up front about RV purchase and ownership, so try not to discount good advice just because it might come across a little harsh.  Retired folks get that way sometimes.  ;D

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Points taken & received  !

This forum truly is a huge blessing. 

Thank you much  !

Gary RV Roamer said:

There is no warranty on that Georgetown except what you buy at extra cost (a so-called "extended" warranty).  It is a consignment unit and sold "as-is" (as stated in the ad). Plan on a substantial expense to buy an extended warranty (service contract), probably $3000-$6000, depending on length of time and coverage.

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Right - meant to say that we would be buying the extended warranty at extra cost.

I just think it would be wise since we'll be full-timing (?)....No?