I shouldn't have looked...

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
rvannie23 said:
My eyes cannot roll and further back in my head at this comment.
;D Apparently, you have never been in the middle of a LONG trip with a Mama that ain't happy!  I don't care what size your RV is - It becomes the size of a Honda Civic.

 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
That sounds like an attractive deal, so take Mama to see it and explain why it's an opportunity.  Assuming you are right about the condition and the present owners, it's may be too good to pass up.

The asking price is above average, but at that age condition is everything. Unlike cars, the market price varies a lot by condition, region, and season, so you can't go solely on NADA values.  If it has been well cared for and lightly used, the price may not too far out of line. I'd negotiate, though, and try to get it for 20k or so.  View the RV Buting checklists in the RVforum library and assess the condition and potential costs if you buy. Tires are a huge expense, so if the tires are several years old, plan on replacing them and figure that into the price.

Completely agree on the price comments.  Condition and if was stored indoors AND from someone you trust mean I would bump my price up several thousand.  I agree with Gary though twenty thousand seems more in line.  At some point no matter how good it was taken care of it breaks down.  Also, that year has the four speed tranny and I think a slightly lower hp engine.  I think it was four years later they upgraded to the five speed.
 
Sometimes it is better to just jump, rather than getting caught up in analysis paralysis
But I think with impulse buying it's hard to take off the rose colored glasses, as someone else suggested.
And when dealing with friends it may be hard, even if on a sub conscience level, to be critical

My other thought is, that if this is the first MH you've looked at, you may find that the floorplan really isn't that great of a fit for you.  Floorplan is very important, and if it "fits" you and your needs.
I think what I might do if I were in your shoes, is if after taking DW to see it she's open to the idea.... then I might take a quick trip down to the local RV dealership to step into as many other com parables as you can.
You might get spoiled with the new bells and whistles and that might make it hard to go back to old and used.... that is a risk
you might find that there are features that are really important that don't exist in the Georgie Boy
or you might firm up that it really is a great deal and a good fit for you.

Hey, if it is a good buy even if not a perfect fit, you could always use it for a couple years to better figure out your wants and needs, then trade up later.
 
blw2 said:
Sometimes it is better to just jump, rather than getting caught up in analysis paralysis
But I think with impulse buying it's hard to take off the rose colored glasses, as someone else suggested.
And when dealing with friends it may be hard, even if on a sub conscience level, to be critical

My other thought is, that if this is the first MH you've looked at, you may find that the floorplan really isn't that great of a fit for you.  Floorplan is very important, and if it "fits" you and your needs.
I think what I might do if I were in your shoes, is if after taking DW to see it she's open to the idea.... then I might take a quick trip down to the local RV dealership to step into as many other com parables as you can.
You might get spoiled with the new bells and whistles and that might make it hard to go back to old and used.... that is a risk
you might find that there are features that are really important that don't exist in the Georgie Boy
or you might firm up that it really is a great deal and a good fit for you.

Hey, if it is a good buy even if not a perfect fit, you could always use it for a couple years to better figure out your wants and needs, then trade up later.
:)) :)) :))
Good advice Brad. I would add that you might consider either renting an RV for a weekend or see if you can borrow the one you are looking at and go camping in that one. Even if it is just an overnight in your driveway it will be very revealing.
 
I will just add my thought.  If you don't really need it for 2 years and won't be using it really, maybe you should figure in the fact that it will depreciate some over those 2 years.  Another words, in 2 years you could buy the "same coach" for less money when you are actually ready to use it.  Also consider that a lot can happen in 2 years and you may be having different ideas about what you want and will do.  That said, if you could buy it at no greater cost than mid-NADA suggested price, you may not lose much if you decide in 2 yrs you want to go in a different direction.  If you pay 5-10 thousand over book now, plus cost of storage and upkeep for two years, you won't be coming out very well dollar wise, especially if you have to sell it.

Now, all that I said is just head thought.  Sometimes if something presents itself to you out of the blue and seems right in your heart, that is the right thing to do.  You can't put a price on peace of mind and 'fate'.

 
Well here's my 2?.

It's usually not a good thing to let a MH "sit" unused for long periods of time.
This one is 16 years old and only has 26K miles?  That just over 1600 miles per year. 
And now your not going to use it much for 2 more years?

Well you got one part right - I usually tell people to buy bigger then they think they need so a Class A is way better then a Class C - IMO.

Some of it will depend on how you planned to use it - when you do retire.  Weekends a few times a year is way different
then month's at a time or more.  When the slides are in - could the wife walk to the bathroom?  Easily? In some you can't.
Did you ever think about if you wanted to tow a car behind a MH? 

I'm not saying don't buy it - just that you are new to this and probably don't know what you want yet because you haven't studied it enough.
That comes with time.  Yes sometimes a good deal appears and this might be a good starter MH for you.
But make no mistake, MH's are in need of maintenance on a regular basis, unless you don't care about the shape it stays in.

Please keep us informed as to what happens with the wife and how she reacts to this new venture you want to take on.

 
Perhaps you could get her to take a look on the basis of it being a "learning experience" so you'll both have a better idea of what you might want in your motorhome when the time comes. Who knows, she might just surprise you!
 
My overwhelming thought is that when you find "the" RV you both like and want, then go for it.  You've got two years to USE it off and on before retirement.  Why do people always say they'll do something after they retire??  We started RVing when we were in our 30s and we're still RVing 45 years later and well into retirement.  Life is too short to wait to do and see things.  If you want to go RVing then start now even if it's only a week here and week there.

ArdraF
 
A few thoughts ...

Many folks here would agree that they wish they had started sooner.  We moved up to a Class A from a popup trailer maybe 10-15 years ago.  It was a 28 foot 1999 Coachmen Mirada, no slides, a basic entry level coach.  As I recall it had about 30,000 miles and we paid around 29K (best I can remember), daughter has it now.  We used it on weekends and longer trips ... several weeks out after we retired.  Used it to go to grandkids sports events.  Nice place to hang out when they have a game in the morning and another several hours later.
While wife was still working as an RN at 2 different facilities she mistakenly scheduled a swing shift at one, and day shift 8 hours later at the other.  Got permission to park at 2nd facility, picked her up about midnight, drove to 2nd.  She went to bed on the way (a few miles).  Got up next morning, showered, had breakfast and went to work at 7am, much more rested than if she had gone home between shifts.
Me ... I went home for a cup of coffee and a nap!  ;D

Point being there are lots of ways you can use the RV even between trips if you like.  And it's nice to just get away for a couple of days at a local nearby campground ... no lawn to mow ... can't paint the house.  And really great when on a trip ... clothes, food, bed ...  everything you need just feet away.

Floor plan is very important.  When we looking for the coach we have now, I learned to send wife in first ... wait about 30 seconds, because that was about all it took if she didn't like it.  If she wasn't already back I would go in and look too !  :)

So sounds like potentially a good deal ... if DW (Dear wife) likes it, buying from someone you know and can easily go back to for the inevitable questions you will have ... there is a definite learning curve ... maybe not priceless, but definitely valuable.
Remember we're not getting any younger ... other things being equal, enjoy it.  ;D

Howard
 
Im with the ones who say go for it. Really, there is no reason to wait. My DH and I waited, found a coach we wanted, bought it, now he is sick and will be lucky enough to live till next year. Our travels have to be planned with his health issues in mind, and we can't plan ahead for things like rallys.

So what if you only use it a few weekends a year. Thats a few weekends more than you would have if youd not bought it. I also think that you just may use it more often than you think you will.
 
ArdraF said:
My overwhelming thought is that when you find "the" RV you both like and want, then go for it.  You've got two years to USE it off and on before retirement.  Why do people always say they'll do something after they retire??  We started RVing when we were in our 30s and we're still RVing 45 years later and well into retirement.  Life is too short to wait to do and see things.  If you want to go RVing then start now even if it's only a week here and week there.

ArdraF

Amen!
 
It can take months or even years to find a good used unit. I looked at a lot of dogs trying to find a good one. Private sellers sometimes lie to sell the coach. I have driven hours only to find stuff broken and not working that I asked about on the phone. Dealerships will never give you a good deal. They sell mhs for a living, so you will pay full price. It appears the coach you are looking at is on the high end of the pricing. Maybe they will budge a bit on the price. If where you live requires a  safety inspection, make sure it is included. Even if it is not required, make the sale hinge on a complete rv inspection, even if you have to pay for it. You dont want to pay top dollar, then have to start replacing brakes, tires ect and find out certain things need repaired. This would make it way over priced.  If it is in as good a shape as you say, they wont mind having an outside inspection done. Im sure the sellers would not lie to you, but they may not be as knowledgeable as they think, and are not aware of certain problems. The roof and sealants would require a good inspection on a unit that old. Once you buy it, its your headache. Better to spend a few hundred on an inspection, then be out thousands in repairs. See the thread sour lemonade on this forum. His story is about a trailer, but its basically the same thing. Good luck and happy camping. No time like the present to get started.
 
We bought our first RV in 1997, 23' +/- 5th wheel, I was 38 wife was 35. Don't wait till you retire. Enjoy life NOW. My signature line tell you what we have now.

You said you have the money......GO FOR IT!!!
 
Well, The Bear got to see it today. Of course she liked it, but without a point of reference she really didn't know how much or little. The seller told us that someone had looked at it earlier today and said they would take it, but he had no money in hand, so we know that means basically nothing. I took a picture of the original sticker with all the options and used them on the NADA estimator. I didn't really understand all of the option choices, but I came up with a value just under 25K. The tire date codes are 3600, so it appears that these are the tires it was born with. Furthermore, the fronts are Goodyear G159 which I understand are rolling bombs, on top of being 17 years old.

So, armed with this info this MH seems to be worth 20-22K. Since we are in no hurry we will probably leave it be for now. If he still has it when winter rolls around I may offer him 20K. Most likely someone else will grab it and start enjoying it right away. If that happens I'll be happy for them.

This forum is a great resource. Just the tire advice saved me thousands, not even considering the safety factor. Thanks 
 
With those date codes I wouldn't want to take it for a test drive. :-\
Hearer is a good place to do research as they have a section that tells you what things sold fore. http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/
PPL is a consignment dealer.
Bill
 
You are not using NADA properly. You do not add in the options. You missed this line found on every page listing options:

"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."

In other words just skip the options totally. They are all basically worthless anyway since most of them don't age very well.
 
GeorgeandTheBear said:
I just went by the window sticker. There was a section for standard equipment and a section for options. I added in things that were listed as options.

It sold for just over 92K new.
I don't know how you came up with price. Everything on the coach won't be an option. I come up with $16000.00, which is low retail for that coach. The reason I say low retail is because it needs tires, and those are NOT cheap. If he hasn't replaced the tires, one must wonder what else wasn't maintained. I did figure as options electric step, awning, and hydraulic levelers. Here's a link  to what I think it's worth.
http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2001/Georgie-Boy/M-3515DS-Ford/3006728/Values.

What else do you think it has as an option?
 
GeorgeandTheBear said:
I just went by the window sticker. There was a section for standard equipment and a section for options. I added in things that were listed as options.

It sold for just over 92K new.
I would go look at PPl so you can get a better idea for what used coaches are going for. There are some nice coaches for $25,000 or less. You might look at the diesel coaches to,you never know.
In gas coaches I would get as new as you can afford. The newer have better engines and transmissions. Plus better amenities. You can get financing on a 10 year or newer coach much easier than a coach over 10 years old.
Bill
 
I know everything on the coach won't be an option. That's why I only went by what was listed on the OPTION section of the sticker, nothing from the standard equipment column.

The owner is 76 years old and I think this is the only one he has ever owned. Many, many vehicles are on the roads with tires over 7 years old. I doubt that he ever knew that tire age could be an issue. It has only seemed to rear it's head in this era where everyone seems to want to sue over every single thing. I know these people, they are meticulous about everything, just probably don't get, or even know about tire dates.

I have no desire for a diesel coach. The local Ford dealer's best tech also moonlights and I use him when I can. If at all possible I will buy one with the Ford gas powertrain. As I said in an earlier post, I don't need financing.
 

Latest posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
131,670
Posts
1,382,734
Members
137,455
Latest member
MtnRV
Back
Top Bottom