About To Be A Full Timer

[Sburd52]

Hi,  we looked for quite some time for a used diesel Tiffin.  You have to be prepared to jump when you find one as they sell very quickly.  We love ours and as with any vehicle purchase new or used nothing is a guarantee or maintenance free.  Do your research and take some test drives at a dealership. My hubby then went to RV tech training.  Good Luck

[manholt]

Thanks Tom!

Studebrucer.  Welcome again!  I think the IRS is 5 months or more a year for a second home/vacation home...don't know about 2 years and a day, just what my CPA tells me!  Happy trails!

[hank164]

I agree with you on purchasing a diesel pusher. I also agree with the person suggested you rent one to get an idea of what you might want or need. We bought a diesel pusher with 4 slides out an are glade we did. We bought a 2008 Mandalay Persidio 400 in winter of 2015. and have been on the road ever since. By the way we owned an RV before so for us it was upgrade to a pusher.

Look at all of then don't just settle for Tiffin or Newmar or Fleetwood, or Winnie. Get what you want regardless of who make it.

[ispjs]

I think Hank164 makes some good points.  After being full time in a fiver and now considering being full time in a DP my perspective on coach selection is slightly different.   The floorplan is extremely important and your perception of how reliable the coach will be is ultra important, or at least it is to me.

While traveling full time in our fiver I was more concerned with making sure my F350 never broke down.  If something had to be repaired on the fiver and it had to be in a shop for a couple days or longer we always had the truck to load some stuff into and go find lodging.  Now when considering being full time in just a DP puling an enclosed trailer what if it has to be in the shop for a few days.  I would have to find a secure place for the enclosed trailer plus we would be very limited on what possessions we could take with us in just our Mini Cooper.  A much more uncomfortable situation to be in with a DP compared to a fiver.

Now it becomes extremely important for me to search out the most reliable higher end brand of used DP I can afford.  That doesn't mean there is any guarantee I won't have issues with a used Newmar or Tiffin, but maybe my chances will be a little less than compared to a used cheaper brand.  

[ispjs]

Studebrucer, any progress?  We got a signed contract on the house last night.  Suppose to close in 33 days.  Probably start selling some furniture and moving a little stuff into small storage facility but can't move ahead with too much until we actually close.   Looks like November will be busy.

[keithannwood]

On 9/21/2017 at 7:37 AM, Studebrucer said:

My wife and I are about to slide into retirement.

Several years ago we got the RV bug, while traveling with a friend. We have never owned an RV before. We are going to buy used, and work out of pocket, so the budget dictates the year we buy.

We are going diesel pusher. I have narrowed down my brands in the following order. Newmar, Tiffin, Winnebago, and Fleetwood.

Would appreciate any pluses or minuses you might know about these manufactures. I have found doing research, that to buy a Tiffin or a Newmar, we will have to buy a coach that is 1 to 2 years older than other brands.

Do you believe that the value of the Tiffin or Newmar, are worth the age trade off? If we buy a Newmar,in our budget, it will most likely have only 2 slides. Do you believe there is a noticeable, difference with 3 or 4 slides veruses 2?  

We are planning to attend the Perry Georgia event, and thought we would wait until after the event to purchase. We are thinking we might get to meet folks who would be able to offer advice about these questions, and possibly there might be some people selling their RVs there?

Lots of questions, greatly appreciate any advice.

We had two toy haulers prior to our first DP, a 42P Providence by Fleetwood.  It was a good learner DP.

 Looking at our second we debated between the Tiffin and Newmar.  Heard nothing but WONDERFUL things about Bob Tiffin and his facility in Red Bay, AL.  We ultimately decided our second, and probably last DP would have a large bath in the AFT of the coach.  So liked the plans with Tiffin and Newmar had those.  It really came down to price and quality.  

We had some close friends who had just bought the 4369 Dutch Star in 16.  We liked theirs.  My husband does 99% of the driving, and we test drove, Allegro Bus, Entegra Anthem, and the Dutch Star.  It ultimately came down to the comfort drive and steerable tag axle for my husband.  We went with the 4369 Dutch Star and have NOT been disappointed.  The half bath and rear bath are awesome.  I am a bigger girl.  I enjoy the full wall slide and two opposing slides in the Dutch Star.

 I STRONGLY recommend on the test drive to walk around while the slides are in.  As I said, I am a bigger gal and if I was to get too much bigger, maneuvering in the coach while in transit would be a pickle.  

Lastly, GET an extended warranty!  Since you are looking to buy used, you might need that to fix others issues.  Money well spent.

Good Luck!

 

[wildebill308]

7 hours ago, keithannwood said:

Lastly, GET an extended warranty!  Since you are looking to buy used, you might need that to fix others issues.  Money well spent.

You might want to do a little research on the warranty issue. Start with this post in Motorhome Extended Warranty.

http://community.fmca.com/topic/11615-american-guardian/

Bill

 

[tbutler]

On 10/3/2017 at 5:18 AM, ISPJS said:

If something had to be repaired on the fiver and it had to be in a shop for a couple days or longer we always had the truck to load some stuff into and go find lodging.  Now when considering being full time in just a DP puling an enclosed trailer what if it has to be in the shop for a few days. 

We full timed for 10 years in our coach and had only one day, one time in a paint shop that we were out of our motorhome.  Since then we've had a couple of times with major body repair that would have had us out (maybe, we had the option to leave the coach at this time) but the ten year period with no problems indicates the rarity of being out of the coach during service.  We spent many a day locked in the shop grounds.  Sometimes our coach would be pulled out of the shop for the evening.  Most places we dealt with were willing to work things out for us so we could stay with the coach.  Factory service for Monaco has always been in the shop for the day and out in the afternoon.  Cummins has Coach Care centers that do the same.  Both have electric, sometimes water and a dump for the longer stays.  We've found the same at RV dealers everywhere we go.  If you are in RV service, full timers are your bread and butter.  They are the RV'ers who really use their RV's.  In short, I wouldn't factor that into my purchasing decision.

[wildebill308]

On ‎9‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 6:41 AM, Studebrucer said:

 We have not camped much, and I do not believe life in a class A diesel, is camping.

Well I have camped a lot. In more  different ways than I care to enumerate. All I can say is Thank God I am now camping in a class A diesel!!!

Bill

[studebrucer]

On 9/26/2017 at 5:09 AM, manholt said:

Thank you Tom.  You shed some much needed light on my own situation!  I spend most of my time in the Coach or outside the US, Linda also has a large DP and travel with me !  She has 2 ranches that we both love and I have the large (3,700+ sq. foot) house on Galveston, Island.  Plus a ranch of my own!  The Island house is For Sale, but that still leaves a lot of land and homes in Texas, from Three Rivers to Gilmer!

We have been talking of me selling my ranch and her giving the main residence to her son as a life residence, then it would go to her 3 Grandkids.  That would still leave the Barnominium as a home base!  I have no children.

My cousin say's you can't have to much land...true, but he does not travel by motorhome!  Linda and I love the RV life style...I'm over 50 years, she 34 years off Class A ownership and we are currently looking to getting 2 new ones.  She wants a 43', current 40' and I want a 40', current 45'....NO, I don't want a 2006 Phaeton!  I do think that, like you, if we get everything down to "One Tipi", it will be a lot less stress and a whole lot less expensive!

Is our thinking correct ?

 

On 9/23/2017 at 6:29 AM, manholt said:

Thank you, for staying in touch ! 

If you come across a coach that you and your wife (especially wife) want, then please list the make, year, model and VIN#.  We have members that can do a background check on any problems, like a accident in the past or engine problems, and give you a feed back.

Good hunting!

Thank you for the offer. How long would it take to perform this research? Is there a Fee?  What type of info would the check provide?

[wasppandd]

My wife and I are now full timing in our antique Safari motorhome DP. I get a kick out of the standard arguments about diesel vs gas coaches and especially the cost to maintain the diesel coaches. Yes a service for a DP coach will cost more...it holds more oil has a more robust fuel filtering system and even has a coolant filter ..oh my! Those differences are why an engine will last for many many miles. If your buying a coach for a couple years of travel go gas but if your looking at a longer commitment diesel is the way to go. Get what you want, for me a simple as a stone pre electronic diesel with conventional suspension and hydraulic brakes was what i wanted. Simple like me!