Total RV newbie from TX :0)

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msdoolittle

Active member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Posts
42
Location
The Piney Woods of E. Texas
Hi all!  We're in the planning phase of getting our first RV/MH.  My husband and I both had great experiences in our youth in RVs and we want our kids to experience the same.  I'm full of questions, so hope you're all ready.  lol!
 
Check the Library, the checklists are not to be missed.  They will really help you when picking out a new unit.  Also, if you search for every type of RV you're considering you will find answers to many things you hadn't even considered yet.  Enjoy.
 
Click on The RV Forum Community to get to the root forum.  Then in the search box put "class c" include the quotes and you will learn a lot about class c motor homes.  I did the same when looking for mine.  I did a, b, and c.  Another one is diesel and gas, which reading all those posts helped me to decide on the unit that was right for me.  At the same time it provided many, many hours of reading pleasure. 

Another great search term is "Alaska", it will bring up many diaries of Alaska trips.  This, not only was very enjoyable reading, but led me to consider other items I may want in a MH.  Enjoy the search, and don't make a rush to purchase.  Those MH's I "lost out on", I was glad it happened that way, when I finally found what I was looking for, at a price I was happy to pay, and they were happy to accept.  Nada.com is a good guide, but after you've looked at about 20 units, you'll know a good deal is, in addition to using Nada as a guide.  So time is your friend.  Enjoy your searching.
 
Click on The RV Forum Community to get to the root forum. Then in the search box put....

No reason to do that; Just click on the Search button in the toolbar above from any forum page.
 
The key is to use the SEARCH button on the tool/menu bar and NOT the Search box in the upper right corner of the page. The search box searches only the current forum, whereas the Search button searches all forums.
 
Welcome MsDoolittle.  What part of Texas are you from...where will you be doing your camping?  We are just up the road from Houston.  When you get your questions in order, don't hesitate to post.  People here love to help others out.
 
I am in San Marcos if you need help in person or online.  I have a class C and will only recommend one thing.  DO NOT get one with a forward facing window.  I also noticed that the PPL consignment place at exit 193ish off of I-35 between Austin and San Antonio has a ton of class C.
 
Thanks, everyone!  We are just outside of Jacksonville.  We have been looking off and on at RVs for about 4 years now, but haven't gotten too serious about it, until now!  Fortunately, I am married to 'Mr. Fix-It', so we are able to avoid total clunkers and at the same time, aren't intimidated about routine (and major) repairs.  Yay to that. 

Just been lurking on Craigslist for a few years, but have made no major moves.  Just taking our sweet time!  We've been to a couple of RV lots and a ran down a couple of CL leads (wow....), but we weren't impressed. I will follow up on the PPL tip; thanks!  I can use all the help I can get with this. 

Initially, we're going to take short trips close to home (we stayed at Crater of Diamonds in a tent 2 years ago...loved it), and then eventually I want to see places like the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and buzz around the Appalachians a bit :0)  I want to see it all!  lol

When you say forward facing windows, do you mean the ones in the loft area?
 
Yes, Specifically to the Cab over area.  DO NOT  buy one with a forward facing window.  If you stand in front of a Class C you DON'T want one with a window in the cab over section over the windshield.  Private Message me or search the forums for the reasons why not. 
 
Thanks for the heads up.  I will do a search on that.  I am so silly...we have also looked at Class A's and I found some very nice ones in our budget range (read: cheap) that look lovely on PPL Houston.  I had no idea about PPL.  Has anyone here done business with them? 

:D
 
About 140 miles from you is Kennendale Campers.  That's where I found mine.  They make sure everything works before you leave, although they don't guarantee the cruise control or tank level indicators, so check those out before you give them the check.  But they took 4 hours with me when I picked mine up to show me everything working, and how all the systems worked.  We found a leaking water pump, and a window that wouldn't crank.  They couldn't fix the water pump so they replaced it, and they fixed the window.  They have a good variety of all kinds of used units.  All they do is sell used RV's.  Here's their website :
http://www.kennedalecampersales.com/ for your web shopping pleasure.
 
msdoolittle said:
Thanks for the heads up.  I will do a search on that.  I am so silly...we have also looked at Class A's and I found some very nice ones in our budget range (read: cheap) that look lovely on PPL Houston.  I had no idea about PPL.  Has anyone here done business with them? 

:D

I have not had any personal dealing with PPL but have known a couple (and read about a few more) that went through PPL.  All had good things to say.  I think I remember one where the service wasn't what they expected, but I can't be sure of the details.  It would be worth a trip down for sure.
 
Thank you for mentioning Kennedale.  Looks very nice, but currently I do not see anything in our $ range. I think we are going to drive down on Saturday or Sunday to Houston to look at PPL and see what they have going on.  I wish we had more to spend, but I have seen several floorplans on some MHs down there that I really, really like that are in our budget.  :0)

Too bad we don't win the lottery, huh?  lol 
 
Yes..big thanks on Kennedale Campers. I could not figger out what was up with that place. The town is not too uppercrust so to speak. The folks who hang out there normally carry the switch blades in the open position.

 
UncleShiloh said:
Yes..big thanks on Kennedale Campers. I could not figger out what was up with that place. The town is not too uppercrust so to speak. The folks who hang out there normally carry the switch blades in the open position.

Oh, but it is.  If you get off 287B through town, there are many really nice neighborhoods.  They have been in business since the 50's and are friendly down home people.  Because they post lots of nice pictures on their site, I was able to look at lots of units, how they really are, as opposed to some of the private party pics, which were from how they were when THEY bought them.  I had been looking for well over 6 months, the last three months were every weekend.  So it was a breath of fresh air when I got there, and was treated so well. 

http://www.mhsrv.com/ is less than 10 miles from them and were very nice as well.  In that when I got to MHSRV, they gave me a golf cart, told me to look around and take 25% off any sticker price.  But Kennendale just bargained with me on the price they had it marked.  I had seen a similar unit, albeit in rough condition from a private seller, and offered the same price, they got close, and told me everything but the cruise control, and tank meters were guaranteed to work when I left, after that, no warranty.  So I made sure everything worked before I left.  If the cruise didn't work, that would have been a deal breaker for me.
But they assured me, even after I signed the papers, that I hadn't bought the unit until after my test drive, I gave them the check and drove it off the lot.  It was a very pleasant experience.

Although I didn't count how many units I looked at from Craigslist, I was never comfortable looking at those units, and they never lived up to my expectations.  In addition, I took the following precautions when going to see a CL listing; 
1.) Always informed neighbors and friends where I was going.
2.) Always left a printout of where I was going (phone numbers, addresses), and the order of my visits.
3.) Always carried protection, and am highly trained to handle various situations.
4.) Always made it clear to whoever I was going to visit that I will not be carrying cash.  But made it clear I am a serious buyer.

The advantage of looking for so long, at so many units, which I had a NADA value for each unit.  This helped me, as I looked as all classes and fuel types of units.  So I really knew the market when I made my purchase.  In addition, I looked as far east as Shreveport, LA, south to Houston and San Antonio, west to Abilene and Wichita Falls, and as far north as Oklahoma City.  And each visit was a learning experience, so I had a true market value before I made a purchase.  I should have joined this forum before I started looking, but still had access to the libraries, and read just about every forum topic before I made my purchase, then joined right after I signed the papers to purchase it. 

But one of the best things you've done in your search of the perfect RV for you, is to join this forum first.  The people here are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.  I'm looking forward to meeting some of these people that have helped me here so much, in person. 

In the PU process, the checklists are very helpful, they can be found in the library.  I used them when I went to PU my unit.  Rushing through the process, could be a mistake.  Waiting is your friend, until after you've made that purchase.  So take your time, and look at everything you think you may be interested in before you buy.
 
Thanks for the input. I was joshing about Kennedale. I knew there bound to be normal folks around there somewhere. Surely a notch above Forest Hill. Now each time I google for RVs I run into links for this place. http://www.exploreusa.com/texas/fort-worth/?ppc=true&gclid=COLR9P6br7QCFQKRPAodrToAbA. They have the photo speads etc. Is that not a good one maybe?
 
They seemed nice enough, I just didn't find what I was looking for there.  Looking for the MH was about like looking for a house with a few extras.  When I walked into the door of the one I bought, I knew it was the one I wanted.  Then the job came to finding reasons not to buy it.  It can't be an emotional attachment, those always cost you lots of money.  Then the negotiating started and they came close to NADA and made everything work before I left with it. 

But, at a private party, or any other dealer, if it was a unit that I liked, I would have purchased one.  It was only after I had been looking for about three months that I had looked at enough units to know what the market values were as compared to NADA.  I don't like to purchase until the market prices are known by me through proper research.  Many though, when I drove up, it struck me as one that was not for me.  Others that I looked at were nothing like what was advertised.  Good luck with your search.
 

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