Patrick future buyer of a pusher

[Scarypat]

Thanks for the all the infos. Seems like I’m pretty much on the right track. So…. Now I’m at the stage of identifying desirable brands that were « reliable » in 2000-2008 (or could be later, but I’m not sure my budget would allow it. Heard good things about Tiffin from that era (Allegro Bus, Phaeton). What about Fleetwoods, Rexhall, Winnebago? I made a list of MHs that are for sale within a 300km radius from home on a earlier post. Any thoughts on these?

Thx!

 

[Laura & Charles]

American Coach, Kountry Coach, Monaco, Beaver, Holiday Rambler, anything on a Prevost chassis, Newmar are all higher end products that I’d put up against the ones you mentioned.
What matters most is how well they were cared for and maintained.

 

[rvlifer]

There are lots of good ones but none are flawless. Helps to find out about common problems. Tiffin for example had trouble with holding tank supports and slides. They supported thwir rvs and fixed the issues which goes a long way.

A lot of the class a's werent as goid at safety features as they ptobably should be. They arent built to withstand accidents like autos. Many didnt have much support in thw pillars as one example

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Welcome to the friendliest RV Forum on the Net. A lot of seasoned RV experts can be found here with loads of helpful advice and maybe answers to your situation.

Post #22 talks about some great coach builders but for something in the class Laura and Charles talks about you probably would have to get something a little older.

If you are looking to buy from a private seller make sure the rig is paid off and there is a clean title on it. Ask about any maintenance records and receipts they may have. When shopping privately, check out their home living area for care and upkeep to give you a sense of how they took care of the RV. Inside the different rigs look for obvious wear and tear and does it seem normal for the year of the rig. People living in their rigs for months on end like maybe a snowbird or long-term campground stays will have a lot more interior use and wear than just judging by mileage.

If you are a good vehicle driver you should have no problems adapting to driving a motorhome with a tow. My wife drives and backs into campsites with our 36' DP almost as good as me.

Regarding price, don't be afraid to throw out offers thousands less than the seller is asking. Most RVs for sale are way overpriced, especially those that still have a loan on them. I have bought three used motorhomes using a simple formula of deducting 30% off of the "when new" price (check out JD Powers who bought NADA for MSRP new prices), then I deduct 10% off each year old. Example; $100,000 new - 30% (or $100,000 x .70) = $70,000. One year old, deduct $7000 = $63,000, and so on.

Good luck with your search.

 

[rvlifer]

If you are looking to buy from a private seller make sure the rig is paid off and there is a clean title on it.

Curious about why you included this one. If the loan is with a legitimate financial institution they will send the title to the buyer as soon as the loan is paid off. What issues are there with trying to sell an rv with an outstanding loan?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

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

The actual plumbing:

• Layout and workmanship, e.g. tubing & pipes fastened well, protected from physical wear, etc
• The design, e.g. the inclusion of shutoff valves for branch lines, access panel in floor or wall to get at things if needed, etc
• Better tank quality and tank supports
• Crappy plumbing shortcuts are rare.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

What issues are there with trying to sell an rv with an outstanding loan?

Say you buy a used rig for $50,000 from a private person. They still owe $20,000 on it. You hand them a check for $50,000, they write you a receipt and maybe the registration and you make arrangements when you can pick up the RV. What do you own? Nothing. You are trusting the seller to promptly take $20K from the monies received from you to the lending institution, often in another state without a local office, and pay off the note. Only then will the lending business issue a title release that you take to your local DMV to re-title and register the RV in your name.

Or, the seller can take the whole $50K to the local casino and blow it all.

 

[Scarypat]

Thiings are a little different here in Quebec. Loans on vehicules are registered in a government database, so it is easy to check on liens for anything on wheels.

 

[rvlifer]

Say you buy a used rig for $50,000 from a private person. They still owe $20,000 on it. You hand them a check for $50,000, they write you a receipt and maybe the registration and you make arrangements when you can pick up the RV. What do you own? Nothing. You are trusting the seller to promptly take $20K from the monies received from you to the lending institution, often in another state without a local office, and pay off the note. Only then will the lending business issue a title release that you take to your local DMV to re-title and register the RV in your name.

Or, the seller can take the whole $50K to the local casino and blow it all.

use of an escrow account protects you. They can also protect you when you hire a contractor and need to give them a large deposit. I would expect the seller to cover any fees related to using an escrow account.

https://www.rvingknowhow.com/selling-camper-with-a-lien/

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thiings are a little different here in Quebec. Loans on vehicules are registered in a government database, so it is easy to check on liens for anything on wheels.

They are in most (if not all) US states as well. The point is you have to make sure the seller has the title (free of liens) or you make a reliable arrangements to get it free of liens as part of handing over your payment. A registered dealer has his government license to sell vehicles at stake so he has a lot of incentive to avoid fraud complaints, but a private seller might not be so cautious. Or have good intentions but succumbs to temptation.

 

[rvlifer]

Not rv related but i think very useful. When you are a contractor best practice is to use escrow accounts for all customers when you take deposits. You arent supposed to use a deposit from one job to complete another. I have rarely seen that done by contractors but i have required it as a customer once or twice. When you buy a house via a realtor they do it. Goes a long way to protect both parties and would protect a buyer of an rv with an outstanding loan.

 

[garyb1st]

It's been a while but I'm pretty sure a car-fax report lists creditors. Also, at least in California, a title (pink slip) will identify a creditor if one exists. I suspect many states are similar.

 

[rvlifer]

It's been a while but I'm pretty sure a car-fax report lists creditors. Also, at least in California, a title (pink slip) will identify a creditor if one exists. I suspect many states are similar.

I havent been able to find anything like a carfax on towable rvs. I think there is something for motorized

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

I havent been able to find anything like a carfax on towable rvs. I think there is something for motorized

I think rvlifer is correct about the towables, but I don't believe there is one for DP's. Maybe smaller Ford chassis-based rigs or smaller class B's built on van chassis'. Maybe Gary or Kirk have more info on this.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I got a Carfax report for my 2004 American Tradition DP - I think that was around 2007 when I got it. I've never seen or heard of one for a towable, but maybe there is such a thing. If not Carfax, maybe one of the other companies that do vehicle title research. Generally, though, there won't be much data on the Carfax, just title changes and title liens. RV dealers and shops rarely ever contribute to any repair database. Even insurers typically do not report on RVs.

 

[Scarypat]

quick update to everyone. Pulled the trigger, bought a 2005 Newmar Kountry Club 3910. Still winterized, but drove it a bit. Planning on doing oil & filter changes (engine, transmission, fuel, , generator and possibly rear axle) since engine oil is 2 years old (less than 1000 miles done in 2024 with it), the ex-owner of 14 years does not remember ever doing the transmission or the axle…

I’m going to ask on a separate thread where I can get parts such as the instrument cluster. I noticed a potential voltage issue to diagnose but the voltage gauge on the cluster is faulty - it zeroes at 14 volts and jump out of range when running. However, the charging system on the inverter control board indicates 15,1V which I find a little high. Will check both battery banks (chassis and RV) to see if there might be an issue with them (low water etc., check for battery life - got the tool) and check for the voltage at the batteries when engine is running as well as out of the alternator.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Scarypat, congratulations on your new-to-you Newmar.

When I bought my motorhome, it had sat in a yard for a few years while the previous owner dealt with health issues. He finally gave up the chase and called local dealers for the best cash price he could get.

When I started using the rig, the radio/back-up camera screen was sporadic, the gauges jumped around, and sometimes the air horn wouldn't work. I figured the rig sat for a couple of years and built up moisture and maybe a film on the contacts. As we used the RV more and more, and the different electrical items were used, heat from use made all of the glitches go away, never to return.

Perhaps this is the same issue you are facing.

 

[Laura & Charles]

Congrats on your new (to you) rig! (If you add coach and toad info to your signature, it’ll help a lot going forward.)

 

[Jackiemac]

Congratulations. Hope you enjoy it.