Itasca Sunstar 35f or Fleeetwood Bounder 35k ?

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4tfamily

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2007
Posts
9
Location
New England
These are the two coaches we are considering.  Both have very similar floor plans including the L-shaped sofa which was the selling point for us.  Prices are similar.  I would definitely go for the Itasca based on better quality, however, the Bounder has one thing the Itasca doesn't.....a fireplace.  We are thinking we'll probably be selling the coach in a year or two, so we are very concerned with resale value.  So, what are your opinions on which is more important to resale? Fireplace? (even though it may not be used a lot, it just makes the motor home feel more like a "home") or the Itasca (Winnebago) reputation?  Any opionions are appreciated!  ;D
 
Are you talking NEW coaches, and already talking resale?  Even if you are talking slightly used coaches, you will most likely take a huge financial hit in a short turnaround.

A fireplace would be so far down on my wish list that I would probably consider it a total waste of space.  My guess is that I would not be alone in that assessment.
 
Just Lou said:
Are you talking NEW coaches, and already talking resale?  Even if you are talking slightly used coaches, you will most likely take a huge financial hit in a short turnaround.

Yeah.  I know.  Looking at leftover 2012's to ease that pain a little.  Looking at a 2 month cross-country trip and then not sure we will continue RVing after or not, so I have to keep open the possibility that we will be selling within a year or so.  Renting seems like it would be even more of a loss, and we have 2 dogs, which aren't allowed in rentals.  Older used coaches seem like they'd be very hard to resell.  :(
 
It's just my opinion, of course, but recovering more than 70% of your investment, in a one or two year time span, might prove impossible.  That's even considering that you get a real attractive discount off the MSRP.  Purchasing a good four or five year old coach, at the right price, could prove to be an easier resale with a much smaller loss.
 
Just Lou said:
Purchasing a good four or five year old coach, at the right price, could prove to be an easier resale with a much smaller loss.

Hmmmm... so you think a 6 or 7 year old coach would be fairly easy to sell?  Anyone else have thoughts on that?  I'd rather take a bigger loss on a newer one than be stuck with a older coach that I can't sell at all.  :-\
 
I would suggest that you try to rent a coach from a private party. Many RVers have pets of their own and most keep their units in good shape.

Are you going to tow a car? Sightseeing in a 35 footer will restrict where you can go and park.

If you haven't owned a coach in the past then the learning curve will be very high, and steep. Also, a new "off the lot" coach will have many faults that won't show until you are on the road or camped for a period of days or nights. You will certainly want to have a list of all dealerships along your planned route.

I camped at a local state park for two weeks learning about my 2012 and preparing a dealer fix-it-now list and a general punch list. Then, took it back to the dealer for repairs - twice - before my first 600 mile round trip. I'm building new lists now for the next trip back to the dealer before I head to the southwest for the winter.
 
I agree with Lou. I think if you shop wisely for a private party used coach, get it checked out by a professional, and buy it right, you could probably recapture most of your purchase price in a year even after a cross country trip.
 
So.  We took the advice we were given on this thread and bought a 2008 Fleetwood Excursion  (which we absolutley LOVED) at a good price.  We took our trip across the country and back and are now in the process of selling our coach.  So far, everything has worked out wonderfully.  Well let you know how the sale goes and how much of a hit we take, if any, on the resale! :)  Thanks for talking some sense into us! :)
 
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