Used Class C under 20k?

[OnSabbatical]

I'm thinking about getting back into RVing after a few  years off. And I was toying with the idea of getting a used Class C. I see ads on Facebook and the like for some Class C motorhomes that are 20 plus years old and look like a good deal. Is it possible to get a decent used Class C for under 20k? Or am I fooling myself? How old is too old?

 

[Seon]

To answer your question, "yes".
But as always, buying used need thorough inspections and if need be, by a professional.

I recently sold my 2000 Itasca 27' class c with 33K miles for $17,500. I could have asked more with the seller's market being "hot" but it wasn't about making a killing.
We only used it twice during the last two years.  DW and I decided that a TT was more practical which reduces maintenance, DMV and insurance fees. Also being able to unhook and have a vehicle used to sight see.

Best of luck on your quest.

 

[Isaac-1]

Finding a rot free class C in that price range was challenging before the Covid RV craze, these days I suspect it is nearly impossible.    Part of the problems is that since class C's are built to be as light as possible, are often stored outdoors, and are not well maintained water gets in as the seals around the over cab bunk windows rot, which leads to wood rot in the walls and roof.  The same applies to the RPM and TPO membrane roofs and roof penetration lap sealant.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

The gap between "possible" and "probable" is pretty wide.  But even blind squirrels find acorns once in a while.  All depends on your level of expectation and effort expended.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[youracman]

One option might be to consider a used rental unit.  There is a thread concerning this over on rv.net that has been running since 2012 and is 127 pages long!  I have read quite a few posts and it seems like almost all the buyers would do it again.  Most rental units are quite "spartan" I believe, but some are not.  The rigs have high mileage, but most buyers believe that is more than compensated for by excellent maintenance.  Not for everyone, of course, but some interesting reading.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26035008.cfm

Good luck in the hunt; hope you get back into RVing soon.

Stay safe.

 

[TheBar]

As Isaac-1 mentioned prices are up right now. November to February is always the cheapest time to buy and maybe Covid will be less of a threat by then. Whatever your budget leave at $2K in the bank for new tires, belts, hoses, fluid changes etc. If you don't have cash you are limited by whatever a bank will lend so you are age limited there.

You'll usually only find great deals from desperate private sellers. RV dealers often sell junk and they are almost always overpriced. Less reputable than used car salesman if that is possible. Be careful of private sellers though. I found mine on Craig's List but over half were scams. A lot of bad titles and VIN numbers. Be warned for every success story there are 6 where they got burned and lost their whole investment. Read all those money pit stories on this forum. The 1st word of the title is usually "Help". If you don't know how to inspect an RV educate yourself. Be patient and keep looking for as long as it takes.

 

[Rene T]

When the last stimulus package came out, the RV market went crazy when many people purchased rv?s with their checks. I understand but have no living proof that dealers could not keep up with the demand. I?m wondering if in a few months some of these new RV owners realize that they bit off more than they can chew and there will be tons of RV?s up for sale. I?d wait a little while and see what the market does.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The gap between "possible" and "probable" is pretty wide. 

Sound advice from Mark.  I've seen a few $5000 C's (usually 1980's vintage) in remarkably good shape, but old is still old in terms of fuel economy, performance, aged mechanical components, ultra-violet bleached interiors, etc.  Moving up to $20k widens your choices a lot, but it's may be a long hunt for a good one - the old adage "you have to kiss a lot of toads to find a prince" applies.  Of course, if you have RV systems knowledge and some handyman skills, you can tolerate a lot more than someone who wants a sign & drive experience.
Condition is more important than age, though, and more important than mileage as well (within reason).

 

[TheBar]

When the last stimulus package came out, the RV market went crazy when many people purchased rv?s with their checks. I understand but have no living proof that dealers could not keep up with the demand. I?m wondering if in a few months some of these new RV owners realize that they bit off more than they can chew and there will be tons of RV?s up for sale. I?d wait a little while and see what the market does.

I've heard a lot of the unemployed bought RVs out of fear of being homeless. Or preppers who decided an RV would be their bug-out vehicle if Covid caused anarchy. Then there are the newbies looking for a safer recreational activity. The used market will tank because most of these people aren't really campers and will lose interest fast.

 

[oldryder]

Probably although maybe for a little more money.  Last year I bought a 2006 Winnie Aspect (30' gas, 2 slides, 42k miles, new rubber and recent service) for $27k. 

I shopped for several months, bought from a private seller.  I'm not sure what a good price would be today for the same thing.

Good luck.  the deals are out there and maybe the market will cool a bit with the coming of winter.

mark in MN

 

[Isaac-1]

Keep in mind that those handyman specials only go so far when you total up the cost of needed parts to make it functional, is that $10,000 coach really worth considering once you add up the cost of new refrigerator ($1,500), air conditioner ($900), water heater $400, generator $3,600, tires $1,800+, batteries $400+, etc. even if you are going to fix/replace all these things as a DIY projects, then comes the question of how much do you value the hundred or so hours of your time assuming you have the skills, tools, place, etc. to do the job.

 

[OnSabbatical]

So what would be a reasonable amount to imagine spending for a truly good, used, Class C camper, on the smaller end, between say 22 and 25 feet?

 

[Rob&Deryl]

If were me, I would find some models I like then set up some searches on RVTrader and see what shows up.

I have a search for a 36? 5th wheel and depending on year and condition I am seeing Prices from mid 20s to high 40s. One of the highest is also one of the oldest. I suspect in that case, they paid close to list for their 2014 and think they can recover most of it.
So, it varies.

 

[Isaac-1]

So what would be a reasonable amount to imagine spending for a truly good, used, Class C camper, on the smaller end, between say 22 and 25 feet?

Part of the problem here is that so few quality class C's exist even as new, Class C's are generally built using the lightest, cheapest materials available, mostly either on an E350 or optionally an E450 chassis, with the E450 being very hard to find in the shorter lengths. They are also generally built as entry level RV's as there is an attitude in the RV industry that bigger is better, and therefore only the larger RV's get built with (slightly) higher quality components.  As a result probably 9 out of 10 or more class C's are built with the lowest end components available, they will have plastic sinks in the kitchen and bathroom instead of stainless steel or solid surface, they will have flimsy shower surrounds, plastic toilets. etc.  In recent years some brands have tried to distract you away from this fact by installing things like flip up small granite counter top extension, or mounting 3 to 5 cheap low end flat panel TV's everywhere.

If you want to compare what a small coach could be go look at a Lazy Daze class C or on the higher end a Coach house

 

[LarsMac]

When we were shopping for our rig, every RV, class A or C, that we found for under 20K was a project.

Good luck on your hunt.

 

[JudyJB]

Putting a little more money in and looking for a newer until might be cheaper in the long run.  Also, consider that newer Class Cs have aluminum structures, not wood, so you cannot have "wood rot" in the walls. 

 

[Isaac-1]

Many / most still have wood incorporated into the layers of the walls and roof, even if they do use aluminum framing, so rot is still an issue.

 

[Tom55555]

I've owned multiple Class Cs over twenty years and I will tell you the Winnebago 22R Minnie Winnies are top notch for the money.

Others have mentioned plastic stuff and I have to agree in part. I replaced the toilet seat with the same one we use at home because they are easy to remove and clean. In addition, the cheap shower hose used in every RV I've seen was upgraded which keeps the shower head pointed in the right direction. I also added a T valve and 2' hose at the water pump to winterize quickly. Also installed a Roadmaster rear anti-sway bar.

With that said, in over five years the only failures were a blurry rear back up camera and the rubber casing on the land line got loose. Both were covered under warranty.

One complaint I have is replacing the propane detector every 5 years. Seems like Winnebago would pick a different supplier but maybe they're all the same. $50 and easy to replace so just FYI.

Other than that, not a single issue which I think is pretty good. The way they duct their AC vents and run their plumbing lines is excellent. Great one piece fiberglass roof and tank sensors. Cabinets are exceptional and the unit is rattle free. Very well engineered for storage and good quality control. You can't get more reliable than a Ford or Chevy chassis.

The challenge is price, they tend to hold their value and people keep them for a long time. These are popular rental units. I personally would stay clear of rental units but that's just me. They are normally sold when they get 40K miles and are only two years old.

 

[Isaac-1]

I have to partly disagree with that last statement, having watched the Cruise America and El Monte sales listing when the topic of used rental coaches comes up, it seems the vast majority units listed for sale have over 100,000 miles and are in the 3-4 year old age range.  Occasionally I have seen one listed with under 100,000 miles, but usually not by much.  Here you can see the current Cruise America for sale listing https://www.cruiseamerica.com/buy-used-rvs  at the moment they are selling 2016-2017 models, and after looking at a few random examples all had over 100,000 miles, mostly over 120,000

 

[Tom55555]

Isaac-1, I just Googled Winnebago 22R. Lot's of 2 year old units with around 40K miles come up. I wouldn't rent an RV with 100K miles on it. Many rental cars are sold after 10K miles.