RV brands/which rank highest & resale

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cheryltx

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Joined
Jun 4, 2009
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5
We are looking to buy 1st RV..what brands should be look at as being good value for investment and which hold their value the best..we will probably buy used unit so not hit so hard on depreciation so give feedback on that and which are good used RV's that will last long time with minimal repairs ..I know this may be different for everyone but your input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Cheryl

Here is modification to post..we are now empty nesters & have sold our house..husband is adjustor so will be on road several months a year & will prob live in full time..hard to justify expense of home when you are gone alot..so we are looking at RV's and 5th wheels but with truck investment they can amount to as much as RV..thanks for your ideas
 
Hi,

This is a difficult question to answer as lots of factors come into play.  Also are you looking at trailers, 5-wheels or motor homes?  Also are you looking to just use it a couple of weeks and weekends each year, or to use it 5-6 months out of the year or full time.  Different brands provide different quality.

Also, an RV is not an investment, it depreciates as the years move on.

Let us know how you plan to use it.

Marsha~
 
RVs are a disaster as far as holding value - they depreciate rapidly. The higher end brands typically hold up better to wear and tear and have a certain cachet that makes them more desirable on the used market, but their value as a percentage of the original cost is little different.  It's best to consider the price of the RV as rent rather than an investment. Find one that suits you and chose on the basis of that.

In my opinion the better motorhome brands are Newmar, Monaco, American Coach and Country Coach. Newmar and  Monaco are full line manufacturers, so their upper end models are the best choices if the budget permits. Also consider a used Wanderlodge or Prevost bus conversion - an older one may be affordable and they are built like tanks.  Among the trailers I would be looking at Carriage/Carrilite, Nuwa (Hitchhiker), Excel, and maybe a Montana or a Cardinal. Don't make that your short list, though. Look around and see what you like, then check back here for pros and cons.
 
FrontrangeRVer said:
Well, Gary left out Winnebago as a brand of motorhome with one of the best built structures on the planet today.  They celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, and have one of the best roof to sidewall construction techniques in the industry.  

Whoa!  Why are there two multi page threads running currently on this forum about Winni roofs coming unsealed from the side panels constantly and repeatedly ???  I realize we are talking about the outer shell here, but isn't that part of the roof to side wall construction?

"best built structure on the planet today"?  Hardly seems possible ;) :D
 
Pride of brand ownership is one thing, but unsupported claims of "best" anything are a disservice to the questioner.  We have had 0 structural problems with our Holiday Rambler with steel framing and a very thick roof sandwich, but I won't claim it's the "best" structure.
 
We wanted a motorhome and not a 5th wheel.  Then after quite a bit of research, we narrowed the manufacturers to Tiffen, Newmar, and Winnebago and decided on a Winnebago Industries product.  If you found the right  deal on a Fleetwood or Monaco, that should also be considered, they have good products as well.
 
In addition to Winnebago, I also left off Tiffin (Allegro) and the regular Fleetwood line (other than American Coach) , all of which are good coaches that I certainly would be willing to own if one of them suited my needs. I was probably a bit narrow in my response, but I was thinking of the very best overall and her desire for maximum resale value. My comment  about not limiting the shopping to this short list was intended to leave it open to other brands, many of which would do a good job for Cheryl.

Lou's point about Winnie roof issues illustrates a point that needs to be recognized: ALL the manufacturers produce products with significant defects and the percentage of such "lemons" is disconcertingly consistent, even for the "good" manufacturers.  That's one of the reasons we recommend manufacturers such as American Coach and Tiffin that have a strong factory service organization and a real dedication to direct factory customer support.  When things go sour, it is nice to have the factory team working directly on your rig and management that believes that "doing the right thing" is a way of life rather than a business decision.
 
RV and investment don't belong in the same sentance.  I bought a three year old for way less than half it's MSPR with only 14k miles on it. When shopping for it my purchasing decisions went something like this: 5th wheel or motorhome? Motorhome. Gasser or diesel? Diesel. Then I started looking at floor plans and got an idea of the layout I wanted. Then I decided on the must have options (washer/dryer, central vac, outside entertainment center, etc) and then I narrowed down the brands that produced a model that fit my needs. I narrowed it down to Fleetwood because they gave me the best bang for the buck. But I would never say you should buy a Fleetwood. I love mine and I would buy it again, but your needs and wants are totally different than mine.

My advise is to visit a lot of RV dealers and walk through and drive a lot of different coaches. And while you are there completely ignore the salesmen's advice. They are only there to seperate you from your money.

For the last year the high priced market has been even deader than the mid and low priced market. Do a search on eBay for used motorhomes, then look at the Completed Sales and you will see just how dead the high end market is.
 
Ned said:
Pride of brand ownership is one thing, but unsupported claims of "best" anything are a disservice to the questioner.  We have had 0 structural problems with our Holiday Rambler with steel framing and a very thick roof sandwich, but I won't claim it's the "best" structure.




I agree Ned. I have a 16 yr. old Fleetwood Pace Arrow that has had 0 roof or sidewall problems. All I have done since buying it 7 yrs. ago is clean the roof every year or so and wash and wax the exterior walls. I believe its a solidly built coach but wouldn't go anywhere near saying it was the "best".

Woody
 

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