Looking for reliable Class A motorhome

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eowade

eowade

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2023
Posts
14
Location
Texas
Hi folks,

My wife and I are grandparents, and ready to jump into the motorhome life. My question is to ask from the wisdom of experience within this forum, what is a good, reliable, quality used but financeable motorhome brand/make/model under $70K?

I still have my Commercial drivers license for being a former truck driver... if that helps
 
Assuming it doesn't have problems when you get it, Tom's comment about reliability is mostly right, but many factors go into making a rig right for you. What you plan to do with it, how long/where you want your trips to be, whether you have preferences of diesel or gas, perhaps other things, would help us be more specific, so a bit more about your intent would be helpful. Even new or used, old or of recent vintage can make a difference within your budget.

The appliances and many other items in a motorhome are from a small group of suppliers, often even the chassis and engine are from a very few choices. But it's not like Toyota good Hyundai bad, or whatever prejudice guides some people's car buying, and there's no Consumer Reports style reporting out there that I'm aware of.
 
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Thanks, Larry. As subject line indicates, I'm seeking a Class A, preferably diesel, as I expect there may be occasion it will have prolonged idle time, and that isn't really what a gasoline engine is designed for.

We may on occasion do some boondocking, but most of the time, it would be used to transport us on the interstates to our bucket list of places like National and State parks, probably even take coastal Highway from Southern Cali all the way up into Washington state, etc. Our tow vehicle is a Tundra.

Also, I'm not a big fan of slide-outs, as I tend to think the more moving parts you have, the increased likelihood of leaks and breaks. I guess the quality of the build will greatly affect that the most.

Can I send you a link for what I had in mind? It seems to match your coach.
 
I advise everyone to do this…
Look online, at your friends RVs, at local dealers and find a floor plan that you like.
Then go to a local dealer that’s not a chain and get friendly with a salesperson. Inform this person of what you want and what you’re able to afford.
Let the dealership do its job. They will find something. Having a great relationship with a local dealer is worth so much in terms of reduced aggravation and having local experts at your fingertips. Lucky for you, prices are still dropping on RVs in general. A 5 year old, low mileage Class A can be found for $70k.
It’s going to be difficult to find anything modern (less than 10 years old) without slides, I think. My 6 year old slides do not leak and I have been in some torrential storms.
Also a diesel is going to run the cost up. New gas motors aren’t like the old carbureted models. Fuel mileage is on par with diesels and maintenance is much cheaper.
Nearly all Class A MHs have generators, so probably no need for long-time idling…
 
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It's probably better to just post here, so that others can put in their $.02 worth (or should that be 3¢), especially since there are those who know such stuff better than I. You'll need to look for a considerably older coach than mine if that's the general style you have in mind, given your stated budget, but certainly Newmar makes good coaches, as do quite a few others. And note that I have three slides, the drivers side one being almost the full length of the coach.

BTW, another benefit to posting here is that many folks benefit from a lot of our posts many years after the post was made, so that just adds to what we have for people to look up.

As to slideouts, problems are fairly rare with such, and they certainly make the coach much more livable, though there are still some here who feel as you do.
 
Larry N. said:
It's probably better to just post here, so that others can put in their $.02 worth (or should that be 3¢), especially since there are those who know such stuff better than I. You'll need to look for a considerably older coach than mine if that's the general style you have in mind, given your stated budget, but certainly Newmar makes good coaches, as do quite a few others. And note that I have three slides, the drivers side one being almost the full length of the coach.

BTW, another benefit to posting here is that many folks benefit from a lot of our posts many years after the post was made, so that just adds to what we have for people to look up.

As to slideouts, problems are fairly rare with such, and they certainly make the coach much more livable, though there are still some here who feel as you do.
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eowade said:
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Do note that your link is to a Ventana LE, using a lesser chassis, and check out the loading capacity. It's not a bad rig (generically speaking) but it's pretty easy to overload. You can download brochures for the Ventana LE and the Ventana (and other Newmar units) here: Newmar brochure archive: 1980-2021 | Newmar

Compare the specs on p. 20 of the Ventana and p. 17 of the Ventana LE. I'd also check over the rig in your link very carefully before committing to anything, and I'd wonder why all the "new" parts, including windows and much else. That price is a red flag, to me. It might even be a scam with the picture being of some other unit.
 
Spend a LOT of time on RVTrader.com and RVT.com, also the Specs page of RVUSA.com Once you find floorplans you like and which manufacturers have that layout, set up saved searches. When you find a good candidate, have a professional inspector evaluate it. Be prepared to travel if one of your preferred units in good condition isn't in your neighborhood. Good luck! We just got our in December, after starting the search in June.
 
Finding a quality used motorhome under $70,000 is certainly doable. Financing that motorhome if it's more than 10 years old could be a problem. You would benefit from checking a few lending institutions to see what their age restrictions are.

The Vantana motohome you linked indicates a for sale price of $64,000. NADA suggested average retail on that model is $187,150. That tells me, the ad is possibly bogus or the motorhome has major problems.
 
Thanks for the great feedback, eveyone. For the link I posted, I instantly assumed scammer, and if not, then wondered if it had roof leaks, or other major issues only being hinted at for that price. We are looking something produced after 2013, and actively looking on RV Trader, RV on AutoTrader, and occasionally look at dealer posts on CraigsList. Now, I will add RVT to the sites. The plan is, once we find one, to hire a pro to pick it over with a fine-tooth comb. The big challenge is knowing what we should be looking for in quality and durability. I'm not one to pursue a 'money pit' if I can possibly avoid it, thus seeking out the wisdom of this forum.
 
eowade said:
Thanks for the great feedback, eveyone. For the link I posted, I instantly assumed scammer, and if not, then wondered if it had roof leaks, or other major issues only being hinted at for that price. We are looking something produced after 2013, and actively looking on RV Trader, RV on AutoTrader, and occasionally look at dealer posts on CraigsList. Now, I will add RVT to the sites. The plan is, once we find one, to hire a pro to pick it over with a fine-tooth comb. The big challenge is knowing what we should be looking for in quality and durability. I'm not one to pursue a 'money pit' if I can possibly avoid it, thus seeking out the wisdom of this forum.
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I think buying used is a good idea. A used rig that’s a few years old likely has all the bugs worked, the new problems fixed under warranty, and is modern enough to not need upgrades. Also, the newer engines are so much more efficient, reliable, and need less maintenance.
 
A decent diesel pusher under $70k and finance-able are all but mutually exclusive. Even an entry level diesel is probably well over 10 years old to fall into that price range, and financing is nigh-impossible.

A well-cared for mid-high end DP is should be fine, but remember you are buying more than just the vehicle. It's also a house, with furnishings and appliances, plus it has its own water, electric and sewer utilities onboard. Even if it wasn't traveling a lot, it would still have maintenance needs as well as components that wear out or otherwise need replacement. If you are thinking to buy something for several years of carefree enjoyment, it's probably not going to happen.
 
CDL and OTR history will help mostly with knowledge of air brakes and diesel power plant (maintaining and operating—using engine brakes, doing regen burns, etc), perhaps bringing some comfort to driving a rig that (with toad), clocks in at 50,000 lbs and 65 feet.
When we started out, green as could be, we had a pretty steep learning curve with a big class A gasser.. a diesel would’ve been overwhelming for us, but probably not you. The only thing you’ll need to get used to is driving from on top of, or slightly in front of, the steering axle.

We knew when we bought that first coach that she was our starter rig. Two and a half years later we traded to our current coach. You’ll be much happier with a diesel pusher.

Buying used, imo, is wise; but I wouldn’t limit myself to only after 2013. There are some real luxury gems out there for $70K, but you’ll have to look at older years. I haven’t any evidence, but I’ve always figured that when somebody spends on the high end that they would be inclined to, and could afford to, be vigilant about maintenance. And diesels that are well maintained will go a million miles or more. To me, a big reason to look to 2014 and newer is the electronics have evolved quite a bit since, say, before 2010. Again, someone who can afford the higher end coach will be more inclined to upgrade to the thinner smart TVs and such.

As far your travel plans go, a big ol’ diesel pusher isn’t going to get you into some state and national parks, but there are plenty of commercial parks nearby and your toad is your ride for exploration and sightseeing.
 
Laura & Charles said:
I haven’t any evidence, but I’ve always figured that when somebody spends on the high end that they would be inclined to, and could afford to, be vigilant about maintenance.
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Wish it always worked that way, but some of those with the big bucks don't seem to much care about maintenance, so you can easily be burned if you think that way.
 
Larry N. said:
Wish it always worked that way, but some of those with the big bucks don't seem to much care about maintenance, so you can easily be burned if you think that way.
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Totally true. There’s no easy, for certain, way to devine the unicorn/hidden gem. Just offering the man, at his budget, what to hope to find. There’s no hard and fast method… it’s all a crap shoot in the end; but looking for higher end, used coaches that were treated well has worked twice for us.
 
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