Looking to Purchase My first Motor home.

[GaBassin]

Hello All,
I'm not new to camping, as a Child we did the tent thing. I currently own My second TT. Now that the Wife and I have raised our Children. We are looking at the Motor Home idea, to travel some.
I have some questions for some of You experienced owners.
First lets say We are looking at the 10K or less models. What are a few to look for, or stay clear of.
Thank You All for Your time.
Steve

 

[SeilerBird]

A 10k RV really doesn't cost 10k, it will likely need at least another 10k in repairs before it is usable.

 

[Dan23]

I'm not sure the above is literally true, having bought an RV for $13,500 and driving it 20k miles-- including Alaska-- without spending additional money on it and not a single crippling failure. That said, there *might* be a difference between a $10K MH and one for $3,500 more. On the other hand, there were numerous small things that I spent small amounts of money on. My wallet would look a lot different if I'd had to hire others to do the work. I will assume you have some source of income as most people who consider an RV do.

The best single piece of advice I can give to keep costs in check is to avoid stressing the rig by insisting on traveling FAST. Shorter days and lower speeds keep costs down. It always costs less to stay put another day than to travel down the road.

Hope that helps.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Let's just say the odds of requiring expensive repairs/replacements are much greater on a $10k motorhome. Realistically, you are buying both a house and a motor vehicle for that price, so you can't expect a lot.  Tires are one likely expense and a major one too - 6x $200-$400 is not chump change for most of us.  And if you aren't the handyman type, paying RV dealers or truck repair shops to do even minor jobs can quickly get really expensive. That said, I see no reason not to indulge yourself in an RV.  Just hold some $$ in reserve for maintenance & repairs.

I don't believe there are any particular brands to avoid or seek out, especially at that price & age level. Condition is far more important than brand, plus most RVs use pretty much the same chassis and same appliances anyway. The differences are largely in amenities, cabinetry, and fit & finish.

 

[driftless shifter]

A big ticket item overlooked on $10k class A gasser's is brakes. A brake job can cost more than a set of tires, depending on wear and rust on rotors. That said, if you are capable of doing a complete brake job on a rear drive car from Detroit, you can do a class A gasser. My Bounder had craters in the rear rotors, it was stored in a back filled area of the PO's yard.

Bill

 

[vanbuskirk]

Perhaps you should look for a Class C?  You will probably get a newer model Class C as opposed to a Class A for 10K.    My other suggestion is search privately rather than dealers.

 

[Dan23]

Let's just say the odds of requiring expensive repairs/replacements are much greater on a $10k motorhome. Realistically, you are buying both a house and a motor vehicle for that price, so you can't expect a lot.  Tires are one likely expense and a major one too - 6x $200-$400 is not chump change for most of us.  And if you aren't the handyman type, paying RV dealers or truck repair shops to do even minor jobs can quickly get really expensive. That said, I see no reason not to indulge yourself in an RV.  Just hold some $$ in reserve for maintenance & repairs.

Perhaps you should look for a Class C?  You will probably get a newer model Class C as opposed to a Class A for 10K.

Yes. Good advice from both. I was surprised on my trip to Alaska how many late 70s/ early 80s motor homes I saw, but as pointed out they were mainly class Cs. Many of them clearly would not have sold for more than a few thousand dollars. You could tell that some had been repaired to usefulness by buying supplies at Home Depot rather than using RV parts.

Doing that isn't my cup of tea, but the owners were having pretty much the same experience as they guy in the million dollar mega-bus. And that guy was as down to earth and pleasant to talk to as any other RVer. Turned out he was from my home area and we knew some of the same people.

If the original poster enters RVing at any price, he will likely find deals on homes that he may want to trade into. Like just about any activity worth doing, you can expect to spend some money. Items such as the previously mentioned tires and brakes are safety items that no one should ignore and old tires on a motor home that has been sitting cost a lot more than most people unfamiliar with RVs expect. Fortunately, the previous owner of my rig had put six new ones on a few months earlier. Possibly I got the deal of the century, but used RVs are a buyers market and always will be.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

Shop! Shop! Shop! Our first MH was a 22 ft. Flair that was 12 tears old. It was in excellent condition and cost us $16K. We used it about eight months before deciding we'd keep doing this and upgrading. That said, it's still sn old truck with a house on it! Things can be expected to go wrong and many of them can cost thousands. Be prepared for them.

Best of luck and happy travels,

Ernie

 

[hes4all]

My first was a 71 Winnie that I bought for $5000 and sold for $ 6000 after 6 years of use. I did do about $1200 in repair and service over the 6 years the I own it. It was a beast and rode like crap but did what I needed with a wife and tow young kids.

I will say that I have awesome memories with the Winnie. Takes me back to the "good ole days".

But I'll keep my 06 Mountain Aire over it!

 

[driftless shifter]

Back in 71 pretty much everything from Detroit drove like a beast.

Bill

 

[tomhugheslv]

I'm retiring soon and want to get a $10 - 12 K 23 or so foot class c. I plan to use it some, dry  camping a lot I think. It'll be just me, except for occasional brief trips with 1 or 2 riders. I'm not quite ready to buy, but it won't be long before I am. It's been very encouraging observing the markets for these things - looks to me like what I want to do will be doable. There are always trucks for sale in that price range. I just have to be patient until I find a good one.
Anyone going through this?
tomhugheslv 1/8/2014

 

[Charlie 5320]

I agree on upping the budget to $15,000.00, you'll find a much nicer coach, whether class C or A. Most but not all coachs in the $10,000 range may need some costly repairs. Depends if you can do the repairs yourself or not. I bought my coach several years ago in the 15,000 range and didn't have any costly repairs till the fall of 12, new tires. I've put several thousand miles towing my race cars with it.

One of my good friends bought a coach for 10,000 in the fall of 12, and has had some repairs, but he has been able to do them all his self. Generators and refrigerators are costly repairs that most people can't do themselves, so pay close attention to those items. 

Learn how to read the date code on tires so you know how old they are, and how much a new set will set you back going in. Just because they look good don't mean a whole lot. Most say 7 years on tires, but at 10 years they are not safe at all no matter what they look like, and if you need a tire changed at a truck stop they won't put one on for you if it's over 10.

 

[GaBassin]

Thank You all for the replies, Yes I am currently employed. Do 90% of all my auto repairs, at my own pace. I was a residential contractor for 20 years. Mostly Low voltage. So I really understand the 12v wiring system.
I consider myself pretty handy. A few years back I purchased a $400 dollar tt. LMBO. I remember My Wife's words when I pulled in the yard.                  " I'm Not sleeping in that thing."
Good I replied, This is My new Deer Hunting Camper. Guess who is on My tail to go with Me to Camp. LOL. At 15' its just too small, and its either buy a bigger truck and TT. or go the MH way.

I will consider the Class c route. This looks as if it would be like driving My old Van, Just a little longer.

Thanks again,
Steve