Potential Buy Tonorrow Please Help

[kalauver]

Hi all you seasoned RVers!

I need some help. I feel like there is so much conflicting info out there and I need some help to decide if I'm about to make a bad purchase or not.

I found a 2016 coachman pursuit 30FW. I've heard good and bad about coachman and I've seen amazing reviews of this coach and not so great ones.

This coach is coming from a dealership, used, 13k miles, $66k. Outdoor kitchen, outdoor TV, queen bed, drop bed, dinette and jack knife sofa. They have agreed to put 6 brand new tires on it as well since I called them out on having tires from 2016 on the thing.

I looked it over and it seems to be in good condition. Passed inspection etc. Anything I should run away from with coachman? I did ask them to reseal the Grey and black water valves as it looks like they may have been reinforced? No water damage or leaks.

Let me know what you all think as I am considering closing a sale tomorrow or Monday.

Thanks so so much!

 

[Kirk]

Coachman is not a high end RV but it does have a reasonably good reputation. They one of the brands built by Forest River who owns several other brands as well. NADA shows that coach to have an average retail of $66,850 and a low retail of $55,500. With used RVs, condition is everything and this one at 5 years has unusually low mileage as most average around 5 -7 thousand miles per year. That low mileage cold be a very good thing, or a bad one since it could mean light use or it could mean that the previous owner had such a bad experience that they didn't use it. For that reason a professional inspection before you buy is critical. If the inspection that it passed was by a professional that should be a good indication.

I did ask them to reseal the Grey and black water valves as it looks like they may have been reinforced?

I have no idea what you mean by this? I have replaced dump valves before but never resealed any and I have never heard of reinforcing them. If there is some problem with those valves they should be replaced with new ones.

 

[Isaac-1]

I responded on your other thread you have going on the same subject, but just wanted to add that there are no high end 30 ft gas class A's on the market, and none have been built since the 2009 economic downturn, even before then a high end 30 ft gas coach was a rare thing as their is an attitude in the RV industry that bigger is better, and that no one will buy a higher quality smaller motorhome.

 

[kalauver]

Coachman is not a high end RV but it does have a reasonably good reputation. They one of the brands built by Forest River who owns several other brands as well. NADA shows that coach to have an average retail of $66,850 and a low retail of $55,500. With used RVs, condition is everything and this one at 5 years has unusually low mileage as most average around 5 -7 thousand miles per year. That low mileage cold be a very good thing, or a bad one since it could mean light use or it could mean that the previous owner had such a bad experience that they didn't use it. For that reason a professional inspection before you buy is critical. If the inspection that it passed was by a professional that should be a good indication.

I have no idea what you mean by this? I have replaced dump valves before but never resealed any and I have never heard of reinforcing them. If there is some problem with those valves they should be replaced with new ones.

Truthfully -- "resealing" may not be the best term. When I look at the tanks, I noticed that the black pipe (im so new to this so im sorry my verbiage isn't really correct) looked like someone has put a "ring" (another poor term i know haha) on it and maybe some type of caulk which made me wonder..

Where would I find a professional inspector? This is at a dealership so they "inspect" it before it goes out but. I don't necessarily but faith in that. hmmm . What would you do ? Supposedly this was a "trade up."

 

[kalauver]

I responded on your other thread you have going on the same subject, but just wanted to add that there are no high end 30 ft gas class A's on the market, and none have been built since the 2009 economic downturn, even before then a high end 30 ft gas coach was a rare thing as their is an attitude in the RV industry that bigger is better, and that no one will buy a higher quality smaller motorhome.

Interesting! I've been in some HUGE RV's -- newmar's, winnebago, Tifton, etc that are 45 ft diesel pushers and they are NICE! haha but yea -- way outta my budget at $200k+ . I mainly just wanted to be sure that Coachman isn't an absolute flop brand. Like I hear Winnie's are safer coaches and safety is huge for me since I will be carting my little one in this. One thing I am NOT ok with is the fact that none of the coaches ive seen, even new ones, have child seat anchors. I know you can get them installed but its a liability. I just want to be sure this rig is safe and decent quality. How can I hire an inspector to come to the dealership with me? Is there a service or website you know of for this? Thanks so much for your help !

 

[Isaac-1]

Yes, look for a level 2 inspector using the NRVIA.org inspector locator tool, expect a full inspection on a 30 ft class A coach to be in the $700 ballpark, more if you add on the bells and whistles options depending on part of the country etc. Also trust dealer inspections about as far as you can throw them as they have ZERO incentive to finding potential showstopper issues that may make the coach nearly unsellable.

p.s. what have you heard bad about Winnebago? Overall they tend to have better than average build quality, and some of the best long term technical support and parts support in the industry.

 

[kalauver]

Yes, look for a level 2 inspector using the NRVIA.org inspector locator tool, expect a full inspection on a 30 ft class A coach to be in the $700 ballpark, more if you add on the bells and whistles options depending on part of the country etc. Also trust dealer inspections about as far as you can throw them as they have ZERO incentive to finding potential showstopper issues that may make the coach nearly unsellable.

p.s. what have you heard bad about Winnebago? Overall they tend to have better than average build quality, and some of the best long term technical support and parts support in the industry.

I havent heard anything bad about winnebago. I was saying I hear they are amazing . I wish I could afford one but everyone I have looked at is 90k+ .

Wow -- that's expensive for the inspector. Right now there is no inspector near me. Closest ones are 2ish hours away. Oh man -- so you're not making me feel good about this buy hahah! *sigh*

 

[Isaac-1]

A proper RV inspection for a class A gas coach will take 5-7 man hours to complete, plus another couple of hours to write up and format the report, and perhaps another hour or so to run recall checks, etc. Given the typical shop rates for RV technicians are $100 per hour or higher, $700 is actually a fairly good deal for what you get if it is done to NRVIA standards.

 

[kalauver]

A proper RV inspection for a class A gas coach will take 5-7 man hours to complete, plus another couple of hours to write up and format the report, and perhaps another hour or so to run recall checks, etc. Given the typical shop rates for RV technicians are $100 per hour or higher, $700 is actually a fairly good deal for what you get if it is done to NRVIA standards.

Yes it seems reasonable. Just don't think I can do that right now so wondering if I should take the dealerships word or just nix this buy ...

 

[Rene T]

Good luck taking the dealerships word. There main goal is to get you into that rig and off their lot. Good luck trying to get anything fixed after you leave.

 

[Isaac-1]

Sorry, but I don't have any good words of advice for you on this one. I just know personally I would not buy a coach from a dealer like this without either inspecting it myself or hiring an independent inspector to do a detailed inspection. As even with an inspection things can happen, without one you really are trusting the dealer, and RV dealers on average have a reputation that makes the typical used car dealer look reputable.

 

[DonTom]

even before then a high end 30 ft gas coach was a rare thing as their is an attitude in the RV industry that bigger is better, and that no one will buy a higher quality smaller motorhome.

Then I am that "no one" who was looking for what does not exist. At least not in Class A.

But what about the quality of those 250K$ class B's I was looking at? I hope those are not low quality.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Edd505]

What service records do they have with it? The records can tell you a lot about it and the prior owner.

 

[kalauver]

What service records do they have with it? The records can tell you a lot about it and the prior owner.

Good point ! This is typically something I ask about and for some reason I forgot. Thanks for the reminder as I will look at that today.

I've looked at so many used RVs and this is the first one I have gotten in that really feels ....I dunno ...like its perfect for me especially with the price point. It also feels more drivable to me than any other class A I've been in due to the lower dashboard. I can't help but feel like everyone here has given good advice but also been super pessimistic haha. Only one person on the other thread said " this sounds great go for it "

I feel like any RV you get has issues or will have issues from what I've heard. I don't have a bunch of cash to dump into this so having a money pit isn't ideal but there is no certified inspector near me to look at this thing. I also don't have any mechanic buddies . Hmmmm any other advice ? I def don't wanna jump if it isn't a good buy.

 

[Laura & Charles]

‘Mechanic buddies’ would help with inspecting the chassis. At five years old, that’s likely fine. If they can’t give you maintenance records, see if they’ll do those routine maintenance items. (Fluids and filters for main and generator, chassis and slides lube.) They’re already popping for new tires, they may deal on that stuff, too. If you don’t have maintenance records, that stuff should be done now regardless who pays for it.. it’s the only way you’ll know when they’re next due.

The professional inspection folks are talking about here is about the house, not the chassis. At five years old, I would expect the issues (it seems) all new rigs come from the factory with would have been addressed. You said ‘no water damage or leaks’ and it feels perfect for you and the price point works; I’m inclined to agree with Tom and say, ‘go for it’.

You may want to consider an extended service contract. Lots of differing opinions on those here, and they’re certainly not for everybody, but we’ve had one on both our coaches and they buy a lot of peace of mind. (We came out way ahead with the one on our first coach. We’re about 1/3 of the cost on this coach. Of course, YMMV.)

 

[NCSU Dad]

We just bought a Class C or I should say my wife bought it. A 2020 with 2,800 miles on the odometer. (I could not get her past the "Class A is SO big" phobias so she bought this one) Right or wrong here's what I think with my limited knowledge. As far as I know less than high-end manufacturers use a hand full of the same chassis, powertrain, and components. The RV manufactures use a handful of the same manufacture appliances, plumbing & wire materials, and windows. What I saw that set RV's apart was the roof materials, cabinetry & finishes, upholstery, lighting, controls, and most of all just how well it was all put together. I was amazed at the number of RV's we went into that had trim pieces missing, saw dust in cabinets, and miss-matched/messed up things in general that had passed quality control inspection at the factory.

So we tossed the dice with the hopes the one she bought had all the bugs worked out by the previous owner and it looked showroom new so maybe the previous owner was gentle with it. We spent the money a ran a Carfax on the VIN which showed one owner, no damage, and gave us the date ownership & start mileage FWIW. I've read negative and positive stuff about Forest River and like most folks in 2021 take online comments with a grain of salt. Good Luck!

PS - Don't trust the dealer and make the delivery technician slow his show down and video tape the presentation.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Hi all you seasoned RVers!

I need some help. I feel like there is so much conflicting info out there and I need some help to decide if I'm about to make a bad purchase or not.

I found a 2016 coachman pursuit 30FW. I've heard good and bad about coachman and I've seen amazing reviews of this coach and not so great ones.

This coach is coming from a dealership, used, 13k miles, $66k. Outdoor kitchen, outdoor TV, queen bed, drop bed, dinette and jack knife sofa. They have agreed to put 6 brand new tires on it as well since I called them out on having tires from 2016 on the thing.

I looked it over and it seems to be in good condition. Passed inspection etc. Anything I should run away from with coachman? I did ask them to reseal the Grey and black water valves as it looks like they may have been reinforced? No water damage or leaks.

Let me know what you all think as I am considering closing a sale tomorrow or Monday.

Thanks so so much!

I don't think anyone is trying to talk you out of it but for me a $66k investment is worth a $700 inspection even if you have to wait to close the deal. And if the dealer pressures you then it wasn't meant to be.

At 13k miles and that price it is very likely a good deal. I did a little googling and there is a pretty active Forest River Forum.

I found this one specific thread on the (apparently) very big slide. I would recommend you post on that forum and I bet current owners could help you figure out the weak points and what to look for.

2016 Pursuit 30FW, the saga of the slide - Forest River Forums

Wasn't sure I was going to document our experience, but after reading other threads of owners with issues with their new RV's, I decided I should make the effort. After researching models and features,

www.forestriverforums.com

 

[BDFRY]

Good point ! This is typically something I ask about and for some reason I forgot. Thanks for the reminder as I will look at that today.

I've looked at so many used RVs and this is the first one I have gotten in that really feels ....I dunno ...like its perfect for me especially with the price point. It also feels more drivable to me than any other class A I've been in due to the lower dashboard. I can't help but feel like everyone here has given good advice but also been super pessimistic haha. Only one person on the other thread said " this sounds great go for it "

I feel like any RV you get has issues or will have issues from what I've heard. I don't have a bunch of cash to dump into this so having a money pit isn't ideal but there is no certified inspector near me to look at this thing. I also don't have any mechanic buddies . Hmmmm any other advice ? I def don't wanna jump if it isn't a good buy.

We are a new Buyer too. Looked at many. We went thru the same questions and concerns.
Not needing a Money Pit. Getting Value for your dollars.
It really came down to the FEEL, you admitted.
There are so many factors to consider, pros and cons.
You can only have Everything if you pay the price. And then no guarantees'.

Your Dealer seems to want to work with you. Tire Upgrade.
Some Local Dealers take Pride in their Work and Services. And want you back spending more money.
Service Contracts are not always a bad thing, If they offer such.

Our final decision was based on believing the Past Service Records.
We had a MB Dealer Inspection, but no professional Coach Inspection. Rely on Records and PO.

If it really feels Right, And it Fits your needs. DO IT.

 

[RV&HD]

Don't take this wrong. You need to ask yourself if you can afford this. If you balk at a $700 inspection that might save you from a bad $66K purchase, or maybe points out something that cost $1,000s to repair then you may be running your tank too close to empty and find yourself stranded.

 

[DonTom]

A 2020 with 2,800 miles on the odometer.

My new 2022 RV had more miles than that the first day I saw it, with no previous owners.

-Don- Reno, NV