Not an RVer yet - dreaming and could use advice

[meladrama]

Hi everybody. My husband and I have been tent campers, but at 56 and having been rained into hotels once too often, I'm thinking I want to try a camper.

I've done a lot of research. I am certain that I want a class c not too long and not new to start with.

We found a 1984 Jamboree that seemed like a good deal but someone offered cash before our mechanic could look at it.

I've now found a 1985 Tioga 24" that is owned by a local mechanic. He seems to have dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's but I  still want my mechanic to look at it. My husband isn't sold on the idea yet - so I am looking for some thoughts from people who know. Thanks! 

 

[RedandSilver]

Welcome to the forum.

I guess some of what your will want depends on how you plan to use it.

If your just wanting to get your feet wet then a small older RV could be your stepping stone into the RV world.
But IMO that's all it will be. 

I'm just trying to save you some money.

You say you did a lot of research.  Have you spent any time in a 24' RV?  That is really small for even one person let alone 2.
A RV that old is likely to have problems regardless of your mechanic saying it passes and it's OK to buy it.

One of the most common things I see here is someone starting out too small and then upgrading over and over.  That gets expensive.
But for some people that's the route they HAVE to go through for one reason or another. 
Some people are afraid of buying something too big because they fear driving it or parking it or something else.

Good luck and welcome again.

I hope things work out and you become a RV'er like so many of us.

 

[winslow]

Welcome! I'm new here, too, but not to RVing. Maybe our experience can help.

My understanding is that the average number of rigs people go through before they find the right one is 4 (!!!) We are on our second. The first was a 35' 5th wheel that we built. It was just too big and we weren't excited about driving it around. The second one is a 27'6" overall travel trailer, and it suits us perfectly. I think we got lucky, though, and also had a little experience.

We started out thinking we'd like to convert a school bus, so we marked out the space inside a bus on our house floor with tape and lived only in that space for about 6 months. That space, btw, is 7'X25', not a lot of space! We did fine there, but could see how more space would be nice, and that's how we decided to build that 35-footer. We found the frame on craigslist and didn't want to modify it.

What we know for sure is that you should try hard to identify what is most important to you and not compromise on that (or those) things. To us, a quality build, good insulation, everything working properly (i.e. NEW), and the right layout was most important. We refused to compromise on any one of those points when we put out almost $30k, and have not been sad for one second that we did.

I am not sure it would do a marriage good to have a rig that one person was not excited about. There are so many out there, there really isn't a need to "take what you can get," in my opinion. Check out RV trader online, for example. Hundreds of thousands of rigs for sale!

Even if you don't want to buy new, go to some lots and walk through as many as you can. Visualize your day, night, weekend, breakfast, Sunday morning, gathering of friends, whatever scenarios you might find yourself in and ask yourself, "Would this layout/rig do OK in that situation?" Maybe even prioritize that list. Perhaps you don't like other people in your home, so that doesn't matter at all, but you love to make pancakes or a roast on Sunday and the kitchen is super important to you.

If just being out of the rain is the main objective, a hotel room or even a rental cabin at an RV park may well be cheaper in the long run with no associated fuel costs (and zero commitment!)

There is always the option of renting an RV to try it out. That could tell you a lot right there. And have fun exploring!

 

[Daffy]

Fairly new to the RV thing, first off they are a labor of love.

The way we went isn't for everybody, straight to a Class A.

I looked for over a year before finding what I wanted at the right price and have been very happy ever since.

Since you say Hubby aint sold on the idea, I'd go to the largest RV lot near you and start looking them over, that's free.

I'd also rent one or two or more times to see what your likes/dislikes are. Then go back to the RV lots and look some more.

Then looking to craigslist/ebay/rvtrader, etc.

Take Notes!!

 

[donn]

Before you buy, have you considered renting for a week?  One thing about a lot of older RVs is they will cost you a lot of money to keep running. 

 

[SpencerPJ]

How do you plan to use it.  Local, weekend trips?  Or do you want to travel across states?

I had an 83 Jamboree, Loved it.  Little small, but for weekend trips with the kids during elementary school, just awesome times.

If you want it to travel across states, keep in mind, most every rubber hose, etc is 33 years old.

Have you considered a Travel Trailer or Pop-up?  An upgrade from a tent for sure, and a lot less maintenance than a Class C.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Presumably an RV of that vintage is no more than about $5000, so it's an inexpensive way to get your feet wet, as Red says. At least initially - older RVs can easily become a money pit.

Get your hubby and go sit in the dinette, stand in the shower, sit on the commode. Pretend you are making the bed or cooking dinner, to get a feel for what its like. Everybody here loves RV living & travel, but it's not all romance.

We have RV buying checklists in the RVForum Library - suggest you get one and use it.

 

[Our First RV]

My advice is to not even consider a motorhome with a carbureted engine!  Save yourself the drivability headaches, ESPECIALLY if you live in a state/county that requires emissions testing, or live at a higher elevation.
I'm not sure when Chevy switched to TBI on the 350 & 454, but Ford put EFI on the 460 engines starting on 1988 chassis.  So if you find an '88 Ford class C, you'd have to check the door tag and make sure it says 1988 and not 1987!  If you decide to move up to Class A instead, be careful of a Ford drivetrain on a John Deere chassis, they had carbureted 460's up till '92!