Looking to buy first time!,help please...

[Rvivy]

I am looking for a rv to stay the winter in Fl just be my wife and me,,,  We have look and look but what we like we can't find I like to here the good and the buy about these rvs...thanks for your time..

Holiday Rambler endeavor
Tiffin allegro
Gulf Stream
Newmar
National dolphin
County coach

We r wanting a diesel pusher something a round 40 footer

 

[SeilerBird]

If you are buying used then I feel that condition is way more important the brand. You need to find a floor plan that you love, not a name tag that impresses. Most all RVs are built on essentially the same chassis either made by Freightliner or Spartan. The appliances are generally the same ones. The basic differences between manufacturers are floor plans. RV manufacturers are basically RV assemblers. Once they have been used for a few years the amount of maintenance the RV has received and the condition it is in becomes most important.

Don't give up. Finding the perfect RV requires a lot of shopping. I spent four months shopping for my current RV. The best place I have found to look is Craigslist.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As Seilerbird says, many of the components will be the same in any brand you choose. However, [in my opinion] there are subtle differences that make the higher end brands somewhat better. Fit & finish is part of it, but they also do things like labeling wiring, providing access panels for hidden components, using significantly better materials in cabinetry and furniture, and specifying heavier duty chassis components.

As for your list, Country Coach and Newmar built excellent coaches for the most part and the Holiday Endeavor (and its Monaco Diplomat sibling) are quite good too. Among the Tiffins, Allegro Bus is a good one, or perhaps a later model Phaeton.  National RV - Dolphin is not a diesel coach but was a good mid-level gas chassis rig. The 2003 and later National RV Tropical was pretty much the same coach on a diesel chassis.

 

[jagnweiner]

I spent four months shopping for my current RV. The best place I have found to look is Craigslist.

I echo what Tom says.  I spent a year looking nationwide, but ended up buying from my local Craigslist.  Two caveats about Craigslist:

1)  There will frequently be scam listings on Craigslist.  The standard MO is to list a really nice looking diesel pusher that is maybe 4-5 years old and should be selling for $100K+ for a price that is literally too good to be true, say $30K-40K.  Usually, the listing will have a somewhat generic e-mail address, like a gmail or hotmail account and no phone number.  I believe the general object of the scam is to try to get you to send a wire transfer without actually seeing the MH (which doesn't really exist).  Watch out for that one.

2)  The other problem you will sometimes have with Craigslist is that the seller will be a private seller who either is upside down (owes more than the MH is worth) or, because he has only listed locally and has no real idea what the national market is like, lists the MH for a ridiculously high price (close to what he paid for it).  In that scenario, it usually won't do you much good to try to negotiate to a reasonable price because the seller is unrealistic.  Some people haven't come to grips with the fact that it is truly a buyer's market and RVs depreciate like crazy.

My advice is to spend some time on the national websites like rvt.com and rvtrader.com or a place that is a volume reseller like pplmotorhomes.com to get an idea for what the market is like.  Then, if possible, try to buy local so you have more control over the inspection process, etc.