Patrick future buyer of a pusher

[Scarypat]

hi everyone,

I’m Patrick, actively shopping for a Class A pusher. Why? I want to tow my 2109 slight modified Wrangler JLU (added weight from under carriage plates, steel front bumper and a 12,000 lb winch), and I need to space as we are traveling with 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs. Looking for a 2008 or older coach as it seems those fit my budget better and are bulletproof. Trying to figure out the right brands/models to look for that period…

 

[rvlifer]

Love bearnese mountain dogs. You will probably benefit from a larger rv. Those arent small dogs.

I dont think any rv is bulletproof. It is severely difficult to put a house on wheels and not have any problems.

Take your time and find the right one. Do your research. Have any rv inspected before you buy it. You can find a certified inspector at Home - NRVIA

Not cheap but it is well worth it.

Welcome to the forum. Ask lots of questions. Do you have a floorplan you like?

 

[Scarypat]

thanks rvlifer! Will definitely hire an inspector. But right now, I’m trying to find ressources to help figure out if the prices asked out there are in line with any « official » resale value range like Kelley’s infamous Blue Book… I’m way better with cars than DPs!

 

[rvlifer]

Rv values are tough to determine. Nada does valuations but those are suspect. Best thing to do is look at asking price over time on rv sites. You can get a decent estimate after looking at those for a while and factoring in condition as best you can from the pics and description.

Unlike homes there is no legal requirement to disclose known issues so buyer beware. Avoid camping world. They will screw you a million ways to sunday. Find a good rv dealer or buy private.

 

[rvlifer]

The folks on this forum are incredibly helpful. If you post the year, make, model, and price you are looking at i am sure they will let you know if is in a reasonable price range.

Dont be afraid to negotiate the price down. It may pay dor surprises they dont let you know about. Joining an owners group for a particular brand and researching common issues with a specific model or brand helps too.

 

[Laura & Charles]

Welcome to the forums!! rvlifer gives sound advice above. Can we assume you’ve already determined how you’re going to tow your Jeep? (Dinghy [aka flat or four wheels down], dolly, or trailer). Not all vehicles can be dinghy towed. Probably a good idea to get your Jeep weighed (with all equipment onboard and a full tank).
Do you have experience driving a class A rv? Or any long, straight frame vehicle?

 

[zulutron]

Looking for a 2008 or older coach as it seems those fit my budget better and are bulletproof. Trying to figure out the right brands/models to look for that period…

What's your budget?

"Bullet proof" . . . my choice is a Country Coach.

 

[Scarypat]

Right now, I’m looking at private sellers. I’m seeing a few units that are stored for winter here and the timing would be good to have a look since we have no snow on the ground yet

Welcome to the forums!! rvlifer gives sound advice above. Can we assume you’ve already determined how you’re going to tow your Jeep? (Dinghy [aka flat or four wheels down], dolly, or trailer). Not all vehicles can be dinghy towed. Probably a good idea to get your Jeep weighed (with all equipment onboard and a full tank).
Do you have experience driving a class A rv? Or any long, straight frame vehicle?

Hi and thank you for the warm welcome! Here’s some answers:

1) I’ll flat tow the darn thing, using a Blue Ox system. Wranglers are perfect for that, considering that you just make sure to put the transfer case in neutral, then the transmission in park. The only « worry » I have is that I do have a moderate lift on it (2 in.) which may have an impact on the front suspension geometry (the Jeep may not « recenter » itself).

2) I do not have aton of experience, but I did rent twice a smaller class A gasser (Tiffin Allegro 31 ft) for vacation. I did own a 27 ft. camping trailer pulled by a crew cab RAM 1500 for a few years. I’M trying to find the shortest DP - ideally 36 feet - but keep my mind open on anything good deal, even if a little bigger.

Nowm here are what I identified as my needs in term of usability, outside the towing cap:

1) I’d like to have a 4 sitting dining area. I know that DPs rarely have it, but I like the idea of a dinette, simply because I’m thinking about travelling with my grand daughter and her parents once in a while. This brings me to

2) have a good hide-a-bed couch. Don’t mind the inflatable time.

3) Slides: this is where I need to see a few coaches…. I need something that allows the dogs to move around with the slides pulled in. I did like the 2 slides set-up on the Allegro I rented, but do like the space of those coaches with opposing slides in the front. Also, I do understand that more slides = more water inflitration risks and more failure points

4) I need to point out that I’m mechanically inclined, therefore most of the light to medium maintenance work on the coach will be done by me. Actually, my wife says that the only time I never swear doing work is when I’m elbow deep in grease. I’m also very handy concerning electrical and plumbing work, so I’m not to daunted with coach maintenance. My biggest worry - like everybody - is water damage/trying to find leaks.

5) typical usage: at the time in my life, I consider we’ll be weekenders / vacationers. I still have another 3 to 5 years of full time work, then will look at part-time - just enough to cover the cost of running this beast.

I’m also aware of the 10 to 15 years rule put in place by some RV places. I hope that going for an older coach will not bite me in my ample behind too much. But I think that travelling with 2 big dogs will also have an impact of where we can stay…

 

[old RV guy]

Right now, I’m looking at private sellers. I’m seeing a few units that are stored for winter here and the timing would be good to have a look since we have no snow on the ground yet

Hi and thank you for the warm welcome! Here’s some answers:

1) I’ll flat tow the darn thing, using a Blue Ox system. Wranglers are perfect for that, considering that you just make sure to put the transfer case in neutral, then the transmission in park. The only « worry » I have is that I do have a moderate lift on it (2 in.) which may have an impact on the front suspension geometry (the Jeep may not « recenter » itself).

2) I do not have aton of experience, but I did rent twice a smaller class A gasser (Tiffin Allegro 31 ft) for vacation. I did own a 27 ft. camping trailer pulled by a crew cab RAM 1500 for a few years. I’M trying to find the shortest DP - ideally 36 feet - but keep my mind open on anything good deal, even if a little bigger.

Nowm here are what I identified as my needs in term of usability, outside the towing cap:

1) I’d like to have a 4 sitting dining area. I know that DPs rarely have it, but I like the idea of a dinette, simply because I’m thinking about travelling with my grand daughter and her parents once in a while. This brings me to

2) have a good hide-a-bed couch. Don’t mind the inflatable time.

3) Slides: this is where I need to see a few coaches…. I need something that allows the dogs to move around with the slides pulled in. I did like the 2 slides set-up on the Allegro I rented, but do like the space of those coaches with opposing slides in the front. Also, I do understand that more slides = more water inflitration risks and more failure points

4) I need to point out that I’m mechanically inclined, therefore most of the light to medium maintenance work on the coach will be done by me. Actually, my wife says that the only time I never swear doing work is when I’m elbow deep in grease. I’m also very handy concerning electrical and plumbing work, so I’m not to daunted with coach maintenance. My biggest worry - like everybody - is water damage/trying to find leaks.

5) typical usage: at the time in my life, I consider we’ll be weekenders / vacationers. I still have another 3 to 5 years of full time work, then will look at part-time - just enough to cover the cost of running this beast.

I’m also aware of the 10 to 15 years rule put in place by some RV places. I hope that going for an older coach will not bite me in my ample behind too much. But I think that travelling with 2 big dogs will also have an impact of where we can stay…

Water intrusion will be the least of your worries with big slide outs. Otherwise, how much will your toad weigh? If it's ~5k or so you could get by with a gasser, especially if you're going to be just knocking around mostly locally. Then trade up when you go prime time.

 

[Laura & Charles]

@Scarypat: it sounds like you’re giving good forethought and research to this BEFORE spending $$. So many newcomers here come after the buy; often with regrets.

“The only « worry » I have is that I do have a moderate lift on it (2 in.) which may have an impact on the front suspension geometry (the Jeep may not « recenter » itself).”

Drop hitches can be installed upside down to increase height. I was told you never want the tow bar to angle down toward the coach.. that in case of a sudden stop it could pole vault the toad into the back of the coach. I keep ours angled up by about 2” but read somewhere that up to 3” is acceptable. (Also always cross the safety chains/cables under the tow bars. In case of disconnect, they cradle the tow bars and prevent pole vaulting.)

 

[Scarypat]

What's your budget?

"Bullet proof" . . . my choice is a Country Coach.

From looking at what is available in my area, I put my budget between CDN 65K to 95K. Those are pre 2008: 2005, 2003, 2007s. I think a lot of those are now on sale here for multiple reasons: 1) the 15-year rule (those I identify because tht do have very low maileage, so they were most probably ownded by snowbirds staying in the same RV park all winter long), 2) people too old to camp anymore 3) those who got into Rving during covid who can’t afford it anymore (I’m most wary of those, mostly because of RV maintenance).

Right now, I’ve put my sight on the following DP for sale in my area.

1) 2008 Tiffin Allegro By 35 TSB (CDN $76K) - 91,000km (about 65,000 miles).
2) 2004 Winnebago Journey 36ft (CDN $64K) - no mileage indicated and not ready to contact the seller yet. This one as a dinnette.
3) 2005 Rexhall Rose Air 40ft (CDN $59K) - 97,000 miles. This one seems to be the best maintained (lots of upgrades and maintenance done recently) and the flooring would be perfect for big dogs.
4) 2008 Forest River Berkshire 40ft (CDN $76K) - 117,000 km. New tires, brakes, has invoice for a total chassis and engine maintenance made in 2024.
5) 2005 Fleetwood Excursion 39L (CDN $76K) - 54,000 miles. Upgraded and recent engine/chassis maintenance done.
6) 2007 Gulfstream Crescendo 38 (CDN $85K) - 104,000 km. Not much info. It has a dinette

 

[Scarypat]

@Scarypat: it sounds like you’re giving good forethought and research to this BEFORE spending $$. So many newcomers here come after the buy; often with regrets.

“The only « worry » I have is that I do have a moderate lift on it (2 in.) which may have an impact on the front suspension geometry (the Jeep may not « recenter » itself).”

Drop hitches can be installed upside down to increase height. I was told you never want the tow bar to angle down toward the coach.. that in case of a sudden stop it could pole vault the toad into the back of the coach. I keep ours angled up by about 2” but read somewhere that up to 3” is acceptable. (Also always cross the safety chains/cables under the tow bars. In case of disconnect, they cradle the tow bars and prevent pole vaulting.)

Thanks for the info. I’ll have to consider the tow angle, not much from the lift, but because I was thinking about increasing the tire height on the Jeep for offroad clearance (got 32s, lookign at 35s which would increase the bumper height by another 1,5 in. above my suspension lift of 2 in.). I still have to original tires on their original rims, and I suspect towing on « road » rubber instead of big knobby tires would be better…

 

[Scarypat]

Water intrusion will be the least of your worries with big slide outs. Otherwise, how much will your toad weigh? If it's ~5k or so you could get by with a gasser, especially if you're going to be just knocking around mostly locally. Then trade up when you go prime time.

I’ve considered it. But a 4-door Wrtangler JLU is already rated at 4,500 to 5,000 lb. Add 100 lb of under plating (I offroad the thing), a big steel bumper and a winch, I’m sure I’m well over 5,000lb. Also, one of the places we like to go (PEI) makes us drive over the Appalachian Mountains - did it in the Allegro I rented, and boy do the engine (Triton V10) gets busy, and that’s without towing. Adn it was a 31 footer. Also, at the prices I’m seeing right now (but bare in mind that I have not pulled to trigger to do an initial basic inspection by me or a thorough inspection from a specialist), I could get away with a pretty nice machine at a good price. Finally, from what I read, I would get away with a less noisy ride, and with a somewhat more solid build than a gasser. For instance, some have household fridges, washer dryers (honestly, not really needed except to wash towels used to dry the dogs). I also like the fact that, although more expensive to maintain, diesel engines can last forever IF maintained properly. I know you can replace a Triton engine for cheap as they are relatively easy to find in the « wild » and cheap to maintain, but I really need to pull something fairly big anyway if we want to explore with the dogs. A DP will give me that safety margin. I’ve been scourging Youtube, and all advices I saw about size is that it’s better to be too big than too small…

But, whether a gas or diesel, it is very daunting to pre-select brands. At least I’ve identified a period…

To you all: I appreciate the help and insights. It’s a great sanity check!!!

 

[rvlifer]

Do some research on different slide systems and common problems. I have a rack and pinion type and cable slides on mine. I am probably using the wrong term. The cable slides have been problematic in the brand i own. Lots of people eating through cables all the time. The company claims it is a maintenance issue. Ours were fine for a few years then started having the problem.

When i had to replace the slide motor i had them go over and adjust everything. Turned out the manufacturer installed it poorly. They didnt align stuff correctly and the cables would run off the pullies. I havent had any trouble since but i wish i didnt have a cable system on it. You might think if it worked for a while it might be a maintenance issue but when you see how it was originally installed it is clearly an installation issue.

Personally i prefer to have floorplans that avoid putting refrigerators and heavy stuff in the slides. In general the less belks and whistles and the less weight the less problems. Weight is less an issue in a class a cause of the chassis but as a general rule of thumb i think it still applies. Fewer features in class a's can help a lot. They can be nightmares to troubleshoot electrically is what i have been told. Never owned on so cant say from any firsthand experience.

If the rv is properly maintained the 10 or 15 yr rule in a lot of campgrounds shouldnt be much of an issue. Most ask you to send pics if you exceed the age rule. Some places are trying to avoid eyesores and some are worried about people abandoning old rvs at their campgrounds.

Going to rv shows and looking at as many as you can helps a lot with figuring out which floorplan will work best. Spending time in them before you buy helps a lot too and sounds like you have already done that.

What year is your jeep? I have a 2017 rubicon recon. Great vehicle for looking for boondocking locations. We traveled in 2 vehicles so never towed the jeep.

 

[Scarypat]

Do some research on different slide systems and common problems. I have a rack and pinion type and cable slides on mine. I am probably using the wrong term. The cable slides have been problematic in the brand i own. Lots of people eating through cables all the time. The company claims it is a maintenance issue. Ours were fine for a few years then started having the problem.

When i had to replace the slide motor i had them go over and adjust everything. Turned out the manufacturer installed it poorly. They didnt align stuff correctly and the cables would run off the pullies. I havent had any trouble since but i wish i didnt have a cable system on it. You might think if it worked for a while it might be a maintenance issue but when you see how it was originally installed it is clearly an installation issue.

Personally i prefer to have floorplans that avoid putting refrigerators and heavy stuff in the slides. In general the less belks and whistles and the less weight the less problems. Weight is less an issue in a class a cause of the chassis but as a general rule of thumb i think it still applies. Fewer features in class a's can help a lot. They can be nightmares to troubleshoot electrically is what i have been told. Never owned on so cant say from any firsthand experience.

If the rv is properly maintained the 10 or 15 yr rule in a lot of campgrounds shouldnt be much of an issue. Most ask you to send pics if you exceed the age rule. Some places are trying to avoid eyesores and some are worried about people abandoning old rvs at their campgrounds.

Going to rv shows and looking at as many as you can helps a lot with figuring out which floorplan will work best. Spending time in them before you buy helps a lot too and sounds like you have already done that.

What year is your jeep? I have a 2017 rubicon recon. Great vehicle for looking for boondocking locations. We traveled in 2 vehicles so never towed the jeep.

My Jeep is a 2019 Wrangler Sahara 4D (JLU) with the Altitude package. Got a lift kit from Ironman 4x4, plates (engine, transcase transmission, front and rear diffs) from Rough Country. And a 12,000lb Badland APEX winch from HF, running on BFG KM3s. Open diffs, though…

I agree with more sdtuuf = more potential issues, so I’m not necessarily looking for 4 slides, home fridge etc. But I’ll take them if the MH is shown to have been well maintained and within my price range. but I’m not looking to paymore because of those things, considering our usage. And I agree: I’m not to keen either toward kitchen side slides (still, I’m no small guy, so I probably weight the same as a fridge, so a dinette/couch slide would have to handle the same weight with me on it ;-). )

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You seem to have a pretty good handle on your wants & needs, and 35-40 feet is the common length range for coaches in the years you are looking at. Older ones are more likely to have the dinette than table & chairs, simply because styles changed over time. My main advice would be to focus on the higher-end models. They may have more whiz-bangs, but they also have better "bones" throughout. Usually a more capable chassis, superior cabinetry, better quality plumbing and electrical systems, and typically better workmanship as well. Their original MSRP was higher and the factory didn't cut as many corners.

With two BIG dogs, yourself, and maybe some guests onboard, I'd be looking for 38-40 feet or more and at least two slides. Rack & pinion or hydraulic slides are the most reliable. And hydraulic jacks rather than electric.

 

[rvlifer]

I like my residential fridge other than it is far larger than we need. Wish the fridge was smaller and freezer bigger. Imo a residential fridge is less problems than rv fridge if you are set up to power it when you arent connected to shore power

 

[garyb1st]

Usually a more capable chassis, superior cabinetry, better quality plumbing and electrical systems, and typically better workmanship as well. Their original MSRP was higher and the factory didn't cut as many corners.

Are you referring to the actual plumbing and wiring or the additional systems the higher end coaches have?

 

[Larry N.]

Are you referring to the actual plumbing and wiring or the additional systems the higher end coaches have?

I'd say both, Gary, as well as the (usually) better execution, based on my experience. Even the "entry level" DPs tend to be an upgrade from most, if not all, gas coaches in most areas.

 

[Laura & Charles]

X2^^^