RVs not to buy

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fklskv

Active member
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
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27
    Last year was my first year RVing. I bought a ollder class A and fixed it up and had a ball with it. I tell you, everything I learned in here made me look like an expert the first time out!! Thanks all!!
    So now i have biggeritis so...... I will be buying a used one but instead of asking about the best ones to buy, which one would you experts recommend staying away from. Class A, Something in the 35 foot range $20,000 to $30, 000.
    I understand everyone has an opinion so lets not get offended *L*
thanks
Frank
   
 
Frank,

Glad you had a good experience RVing. I can't say what not to buy but I do know Allegro does have a great reputation along with several other manufacturers. I guess people might want to know if you are looking for gas or diesel though, from the price range, I expect it will be gas.
 
It's the question that really has no answer.  I mean, for every person that doesn't like a certain make/model, you'll probably have other people who are happy owners of the same.  It will really come down to condition of the MH you find, and how well it's been cared for and maintained over its life.  Sounds like you've done the research here, so you know all the important things to look for on used units - remember regular use & maintenance is usually better than low, low miles and hardly any use on a motorhome.
 
I won't attempt to answer that. I know brands I would not buy, but there are always others who say they were/are entirely satisfied with one they owned/own.

I will recommend that you look at the higher end brands - they are better built, have more useful or convenient features and have better factory support available if needed. And the additional cost is largely erased when you are considering older ones.
 
Like Gary there are some coaches we would never consider.  However, a used high end coach is probably the better way to go.
 
Roamer and Ron

I would be interested to hear what you consider to be a 'good buy' of a used 'high-end' Class A coach, under $30K (the original poster's upper$$$ limit) - assuming it is in good, roadworthy condition.  IMO anything in that price range will be significantly older, likely to have more issues - purely due to age -  and less likely to have features more commonly found in newer 'lower-end' units.  At this budget, I would be looking for 'value pricing'. 

I have looked at quite a few 'older' higher-end units, which are frequently sans pop-outs. Interiors are often shabby, odorous and unfashionable.  Surfaces are often well-worn and / or covered in material less superior to today's materials.  Also flamability becomes an issue in older coaches which may not be subject to fire and toxicity regulations.  Mileage may also be an issue and prior mainenance very questionable, especially if the coach has had several owners.  An older but well put together rig may be heavier with consequential MPG.  'Higher-end',  is in no way any guaranty or indicative of the unit's integrity any more than it is relative to a 'low-end' unit.  That's kind of like saying autos which were built in the 80s are superior and more reliable than those built a decade or so later.  And if they are not, you get better service from the dealership because they cost more in the first place.  Try taking that argument to Camping World for a service if the original manufacturer is no longer in business or is 2000 odd miles away.  Sure you may get good customer service if roll up at the gates of the 'High-end' coach manufacturer's facility but in the real world how many of us can look forward to that support? 

My limited advise to the original poster is buy what you like, within your budget, as long as all the components in the MH are in working order or you are prepared to fix or replace.  Most coaches use similar equipment throughout and everything is fixable one way or another.  Those 'non-generic' items sometimes peculiar to older 'Higher-end' units may be more difficult and expensive to replace to OEM, with frustrated owners searching junk and salvage yards. 

I would tend to get the newest unit my $30K would get simply because later units have tended to follow in the chronological steps of 'high-end' units, due to (a) Industry standards change and (b) public demand.    'High- end' or 'low-end'  - if you like it and it suits your needs, take the plunge and enjoy.  That kind of price range you are probably looking between perhaps '95 and '99 year models - with the older year coach being the 'higher-end'.  For resale purposes - though it ain't much either way, the newer coach is, perhaps, going to give slightly more bang for the buck but DPs usually command a few more $$$.  e.g. on my local Craigslist you will find a '95,  34' Allegro DP (not necessarily 'high-end' but a DP nonetheless)  or a '98,  34' Fleetwood Bounder Gasser, for basically the same price.  Most anything 'higher-end' will likely be older than the '95.

BT


 
Buddy,
I wasn't necessarily thinking a diesel in that price range, though you can find some nice old non-slide units in that price range. For any older rig, condition and maintenance is everything. And there are older coaches out there that were lovingly maintained.  They may take some looking, but they aren't really rare.

I'd pick a 98 Pace Arrow over the 98 Bounder you mentioned - high end vs low end in the same coach line. The price difference is only few thousand or two in the same model year but you get more bang for the buck.
 
They are basically all the same type of construction. A heavy duty cardboard box stapled together and placed on a rust persistent frame.
 
which one would you experts recommend staying away from

Frank,

Stay away from anything made by SMC, which is Safari or Beaver made by SMC in the years prior to the company's demise in about 2003.  Apparantly Safari's made by Monaco, which acquired Safari's assets is making a better product, but I don't have first hand experience with those.

I did, however have first hand experience with original Safari's and Beavers and most if not all had serious, and un-repairable manufacturing and engineering deficiencies.  They usually appear as very good deals on the used market, but buying one is an invitation to trouble.
 
Steve,

I was aware of issues with pre-Monaco Safari products, but hadn't heard of problems with pre-Monaco Beaver products.

For the benefit of readers thinking about buying these brands, all reports I've read or received say that Monaco is doing a great job of supporting products built by the companies they acquired, including Safari, Beaver and Holiday Rambler. Doesn't mean that pre-Monaco builds won't have issues due to pre-Monaco manufacturing, but now they have a good company standing behind them.
 
Tom,

I don't know all the details about Beaver motor homes but do know those built around 1990-92 were quite fantastic. Chet Parks has, I believe, a 1990 Marquis which is probably one of the most impressive coaches I have seen. The cockpit alone looks like a commercial jet liner and the woodwork is fantastic. He keeps talking about trading and I keep telling him he can't do much better than what he has!!! ;D
 
Jim,

That's also my recollection of Beaver motorhomes, which was why I didn't understand Steve's comment.
 
Tom,

Not sure if Steve has seen one of the early '90s Beavers. Haven't seen any around here but really haven't looked. I'm trying to recall if SMC always made the Beaver or purchased them in later years. Too many changes in the industry! Most Safari owners that we know have moved on to other products.

I have been through some of the newer Beavers and do not care for their polished finish on the cabinets. Makes it look more like a laminate.
 
I have been through some of the newer Beavers and do not care for their polished finish on the cabinets. Makes it look more like a laminate.

It is a laminate Jim. All Monaco brand cabinets are now made in the old Safari cabinet shop on site at the Monaco service center in Harrisburg, which was one reason that Shawn Davis' father had to move into custom work. That Harrisburg site used to be Safari's manufacturing plant, and Monaco kept the cabinet shop going. They seem very proud of that burlwood finish which I understand is only used on the Marquis.
 
The Beavers that were built before Safari bought them were high quality.  Chet has on of the pre-Safari Beavers.  After Safari got them they went down hill from what I have been told.  Hopefully Monaco will bring them up to the original quality.
 
which was why I didn't understand Steve's comment.

In my comments, I said the SMC made Beavers shared the same and/or similar problems as their Safari brand counterparts.  I know pre- SMC/Safari Beavers were a different product completely.

Beavers made by SMC were pretty mych Safari's with different interior decoration, but they were designed by the same incompetent engineers and built by the same unskilled laborers.
 
Thanks for clarification Steve. I misread your earlier message and missed the "SMC" part. Didn't connect SMC and Safari in my mind first time I read it.
 
Tom,

I think it's the high shine that really turns me off. I don't mind some Vitricore finishes. The ones that the Nathan's had on their previous coaches were just fine. I'm sure the current one is as well. :) The really high shine just doesn't look natural in a well finished motor coach.
 
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