First time Class A buyer, HELP!

[DCrawf]

New Member here hoping to be in a used coach soon and would appreciate any advice from the experienced talent on this site. My wife and I are looking at used 32'-36' Class A's and I have more questions than I can fit in this post so any advice would be appreciated. I've never owned a RV (rented before) so I need all the help I can get to avoid buyers remorse. I would like a diesel since we plan on traveling through some mountains and I want the power to be available when needed. I plan to hire an inspector before purchasing. I have a concern with some of these 10 year old coach's with very low mileage,should I? What type of gas mileage should I expect to get on a diesel? Looking for advice on brands, chassis, engines as well as what to completely steer clear of. but any advice would be appreciated.

Thank Y'all for your time.

Don

[rossboyer]

Diesels do perform better in mountains, but over the long haul, diesels are more expensive to maintain and fuel usage is less than a gasoline engine. MPG if under 22,000 pounds probably up to 10, but over 24,000 pounds nearer 6 mpg. I have had a 1990s vintage gas and got 10-12 mpg, but long grade west of Cheyenne, WY, got down to 30 mph. Our 1999 and 2006 diesels, 50-60 mph on the same grade. But once a year, is a higher priced diesel worth the price. 
 

When we were traveling 18,000-24,000 miles per year, yes, diesel; but now that we are traveling under 10,000 miles per year, I would buy a gas engine. We probably will not sell our current 2006 diesel to buy a gas motor home. We have 122,000+ miles in it. The two before had about 140,000. We have only one more long trip, 4000 miles, to do. After that 300-400 miles round trip, 6-8 times a year. We are both 80 this year and slowing down. 

Suggest that you buy used. All 3 of ours have been used at least for the first one to get to know what you really want  

Your first motor home will not be your last. Most buy 3 or more. 32-34 feet 1st, 38-45 feet 2nd and back to 34 or less 3rd. And there are those that will never give up their 45 ft 36,000# bus conversion. 

[richard5933]

Best advice is to look at LOTS of motor homes. Take lots of photos, compare specs, look at lots more.

There are many differences between the gas-powered and diesel-powered units besides the fuel and engine. Suspension differences, braking differences, engine placement, steering geometry, etc. etc. etc. 

If you're able to go to an FMCA rally or an RV show, pick the brain of every company rep you can asking what the differences are. 

A ten-year-old coach with lower mileage is not always a problem. You do want to find out about the reason for the low mileage, and I'd personally prefer one that was used occasionally rather than parked in one location for a few years.

In the end, you've got to weigh all the pluses and minuses and pick the one that meets your needs best.

[redandsilver]

I know this posting is a few weeks old but I'll put in my 2 cents worth.

I was in the OP's shoes a few years back. 

So let me start by saying that I would recommend that someone buy the biggest MH they can afford.  The OP limiting himself to 32 to 36 feet is only valid (IMO) if he can't store the MH in his driveway or yard or there are other restrictions that he can't overcome.  The reason being is everytime you upgrade it will cost you a lot more money.  So to avoid this, buy bigger than you think you need to - and you may not have to upgrade for a long long time, if ever.  But you have to do your research before hand, to kind of know what you want first.  My 1st MH is 40ft and I wouldn't want anything smaller and I'm alone, so that might go double for 2 or more people using a MH.

The larger the MH usually the larger the motor.  When I was shopping I knew I would be going over mountains too and so decided that I wouldn't accept anything less than 330hp.  I ended up with 350hp and have a program that shows my horsepower and torque while driving, and I use 95% of the power and torque going up mountains, but I don't lose too much speed like Semi-trucks do.  So I'm glad I have a little bigger motor than the minimum I would have accepted.

A lot depends on how you plan to use it.  If your going to live in it for more than a month at a time then a washer/dryer is a nice option to have.  Again usually available in bigger units.     There is more storage the bigger you go too. 

The OP asked about fuel mileage.  Driving  55-58mph I get about 8.2mpg and it makes almost no difference if I pull my trailer or not.  I you plan to pull a vehicle the bigger MH with a bigger motor will usually be easier.

Some people are afraid to get something too big thinking they would be able to handle it.  My MH + Trailer is 65ft and I haven't had any problems and this is the first MH I have ever owned. So it can be done.

Another thing is don't limit yourself to only 10 years old.  Mine was about 14 years old when I bought it.  Because it was top of the line when it was made and the previous owner took good care of it - it was still in nice condition and should last me many more years.  Most people commit how nice it is when they see it.

If the OP sees this I hope it helps some.  I know everyone is different and there are different strokes for different folks.  So maybe not everything I mentioned will apply to this person.

Good luck in you search if you haven't found or bought one yet.

[obiwan_canoli]

An observation on 10-year-old MH's... many RV parks will not rent to those with MH's more than 10 years old, regardless of condition. Others will allow some wiggle room... You can probably save up to 50% on the cost of buying an MH that's less than 5 years old, so consider something a bit newer if you can...

[rayin]

3 minutes ago, obiwan_canoli said:

An observation on 10-year-old MH's... many RV parks will not rent to those with MH's more than 10 years old, regardless of condition. Others will allow some wiggle room... You can probably save up to 50% on the cost of buying an MH that's less than 5 years old, so consider something a bit newer if you can...

We bought our MH in 2013 and have yet to encounter an RV park that denied us site rental. It was built in April 2000. We have been in 46 of 50 states, 11 Canadian provinces.

To DCrawf;

IMO the first decision may perhaps be floorplan, if one of you don't like the floorplan it will never get better later. As we got older we realized the value of 1½ bathrooms. Some gas model MH's have a small cargo carrying capacity. Gas engine MH's usually have a 5,000# towing capacity, later years of some models may have 7,500# towing capacity. Diesel pushers have a 10,000# towing capacity, later years of some models have a 15,000 towing capacity. Both gas and diesel will get you there safely, they just have different limitations.

We chose quality over newer and have never regretted the decision. In 2000 our MH was Winnebago's top of the line, limited production model. Were we to make the decision today we would look at older Newmar, Foretravel and other similar quality brands.

 

[wayne77590]

I agree whole heatedly with Ray on layout. That was our first consideration.

Scenario: (entry) You walk in and you are in the kitchen with the living room is the next thing back towards the bedroom.  You have several guest over so you swivel the pilot and co-pilot chairs around so everyone can chat.  The people sitting in the pilot and co-pilot chair have to talk to others "through the kitchen."  Not for us. We want to step into a living room and have the kitchen on the way to the back bedroom.  In our last MH it was a mid entry (entry was just behind the passenger seat) and we stepped into the living room. The mid entry was very nice for taking things in and out, the only con was that once the door was closed the stair well was an unusable space encroaching on the living room.  Our present MH is front entry, into the living room once pass the co-pilot chair. We have just recently had 12 people in their sitting and chatting.

Another consideration of ours is the placement of the television. There are many different configurations but the worse to us is the one that comes up from behind the opposing couch.  Scenario: You invite a couple friends over to watch your favorite sports program.  You are in your recliners or couch and they are on the opposing couch in front of where the TV comes up. They are kneeling down on the couch so they can see the television 1 foot away and you are praying that the don't have a plumber's crack, or worse that their belt don't slip and lets the mooning begin.

Another location is a TV that hides behind the slide when the slide is in.  If you stop for a lunch and want to catch up on your favorite recording, or whatever, you can't put the slide out in many places to watch television.

Yep, we think the layout is by far one of the most important things to consider when purchasing an RV.

We love our 2013 Winnebago Tour 42QD. It is 42' 11" long. Look it up for an idea or two, then go shopping.

Edited April 25, 2021 by wayne77590
grammar, spellin, typos

[aztec7fan]

I can't speak on the diesel portion of your post, since we prefer gas units, but I certainly agree with the other posts that layout is the most important thing.  We just purchased a 2003 Dolphin, and probably looked at several thousand coaches (online), before falling in love with this unit.

     We really wanted the corner sink and the full dinette and sleeper couch to have enough room for our kids and/or guests to sleep when they stayed with us.  We also love the hard shower and bedroom doors (no curtains).

[SteveNJan]

My suggestion would be to research units with great reviews. ( higher Quality) then look at floor plans you like. . thats what I did bought a unit that I thought will be the least problematic . it had several minor issues, toil light lenses , marker light not working, but all where minor repairs I could do myself. I have about 300.00 in parts and I'm about half way done with issues. I was careful to stay away from troublesome units that just looked pretty.

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, SteveNJan said:

I was careful to stay away from troublesome units that just looked pretty.

Which ones would that be?

Bill

[DCrawf]

Thank you all for your opinions. Being a beginner every piece of information helps. We have looked at hundreds of coach's on line but none in person yet. We thought we would narrow it down to exactly what we want (brand, length, engine, age) prior to getting out to look in person so as not to waste the sellers time or ours. The floor plan layout suggestions were great, we hadn't thought much about it (buying used as opposed to new we just thought it is what it is). We have changed and narrowed our search some since we began looking, our current search options are below. Also I am really liking what I have read about Holiday Ramblers manufactured during the model years we are searching for.

Up to 40'

2005-2008

Diesel Pusher

330HP, Minimum

Cummins engine

3 slides, minimum

One piece fiberglass roof, must have

Booth Dinette

Sleeps 4, minimum

Thanks all,

Don

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[manholt]

So, what's wrong with Beaver, Country Coach, Safari and Foretravel?  Meets or exceeds your request. I would go with 2003 - 2007.

[wildebill308]

Don, where  do you live and where have you been looking? I would be looking at all the coaches Carl mentioned including Newmar. I have even see a couple Newels in that range.

Go test drive a Newmar with comfort drive. Go drive several coaches of different length. You will be surprised how ease they maneuver. 

Bill

Edited May 31, 2021 by wildebill308

[jleamont]

Other than the years, he wants my coach .

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, jleamont said:

Other than the years, he wants my coach .

True, can you help him out? I  bet if the price was right You could add in a Jeep towed. 

Bill

[DCrawf]

19 hours ago, wildebill308 said:

Don, where  do you live and where have you been looking? I would be looking at all the coaches Carl mentioned including Newmar. I have even see a couple Newels in that range.

Go test drive a Newmar with comfort drive. Go drive several coaches of different length. You will be surprised how ease they maneuver. 

Bill

14 hours ago, wildebill308 said:

wildebill308,

I live in Michigan, Newmar is another coach that we really liked but generally they tend to be a bit more expensive than our budget. However if I follow Carl's suggestion and go back to 2003 then possibly a Newmar would work within our budget.

 

[DCrawf]

21 hours ago, manholt said:

So, what's wrong with Beaver, Country Coach, Safari and Foretravel?  Meets or exceeds your request. I would go with 2003 - 2007.

Carl,

 I did also like the Beaver and read good things about it and found a couple of those listed. I haven't seen many of the others you mentioned listed in Michigan but will be watching for them in the future. wildebill308 as added Newmar and if I follow your 2003 suggestion I may be able to fit that in the budget as well.

Thanks for the suggestions,

   Don

[fagnaml]

Dcrawf --

If I interpret your last post correctly, you live in the great state of Michigan -- correct?   Presuming the answer is "yes" I did a quick search on RVTrader.com for 2005-2008 diesel pushers within a 250 mile radius of Lansing and found 52 coaches in those model years for sale --> 48917 - Used 2005-2008 Class A Motorhomes For Sale - RV Trader

From that listing, one coach that caught my eye is a 2007 Damon Astoria Pacific Edition 3774 for sale in Brownstown, MI --> 2007 Damon Astoria Pacific Edition 3774 For Sale in Brownstown, MI - RV Trader  The Damon brand of coaches for some reason is not often mentioned probably because is an entry to mid-level diesel pusher coach in terms of amenities (Damon is much better know for their gasoline engine coaches).  Damon merged with Four Winds some 20 years ago to form what is Thor today.  

A Damon Astoria is a great "starter" coach for first time motorhome buyers who, after some time, may love or hate the coach and RV life style.  The build quality is not much different than that of current Thors (e.g. mid-level quality) but comes with a lower price tag than high-end coaches such as Newmar, Tiffin, etc.   

My first coach was a 2007 Damon Astoria 3774 (base model not the upgraded Pacifica Edition) that I would likely still own today if not for the vinyl graphics on that Astoria cracking and looking really ugly (the Pacifica Edition has full body paint!).    My Astoria had very few problems and the beauty of a 2007 year model is that is the last year of no DEF / elaborate exhaust treatment systems !

Good luck in your pursuit of a new-to-you coach.  Let the forum know what you decide to purchase!

 

 

[urbanhermit]

On 5/31/2021 at 8:46 AM, DCrawf said:

Thank you all for your opinions. Being a beginner every piece of information helps. We have looked at hundreds of coach's on line but none in person yet. We thought we would narrow it down to exactly what we want (brand, length, engine, age) prior to getting out to look in person so as not to waste the sellers time or ours. The floor plan layout suggestions were great, we hadn't thought much about it (buying used as opposed to new we just thought it is what it is). We have changed and narrowed our search some since we began looking, our current search options are below. Also I am really liking what I have read about Holiday Ramblers manufactured during the model years we are searching for.

Up to 40'

2005-2008

Diesel Pusher

330HP, Minimum

Cummins engine

3 slides, minimum

One piece fiberglass roof, must have

Booth Dinette

Sleeps 4, minimum

Thanks all,

Don

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be advised that REV (current owners of Monaco and Holiday Rambler) cannot proive any tech support for Monacos, and I presume for Holiday Remblers, years 2002 through 2006.  When REV bought Monaco truckloads of technical information disappeared.  This information came to me the hard way soon after I bought a 2006 Monaco.  It's rare that a fully professional and competent shop would need manufacturer tech support and the odds are good this situation won't come into play, but it did with mine over a wiring question -- schematics are not available. That said, I've grown quite fond of mine, which is Holiday Rembler's more expensive brother.  The engineering is substantially the same.

[aztec7fan]

Also make sure you are looking at as many sources as possible:

Rvtrader.com

Rvt.com

Craigslist.org

Facebook marketplace

Ebay.com

Nextdoor 

Also check the inventory of local rv stores.

[wildebill308]

8 hours ago, urbanhermit said:

schematics are not available.

The wiring diagrams/scamatics I have seen are so rudimentary as to be useless. This applies to most of all the makers.  Big chief tablets and crayons is what I see from most of them. 

I would  not let that slow me down if the coach fit your needs. Any competent RV teak can trouble shoot problems and fix them.

Bill

[urbanhermit]

My engine coolant temp gauge died.  A very major multi-state, extremely professional Freightliner dealer/heavy truck service center traced the problem to somewhere in a centralized electrical harness and coujld go no farther, and thus they and we found out REV is of no technical help at all, for any problem, with 2002-2006 Monacos.  (All or most chassis parts are available.)  The solution in my case was the construction of a wholly separate temp gauge sytem including a separate gauge added to the dashboard.  Within reasonable distance from my location, Pensacola, FL, the facility i use is the only major serice center for diesel RVs between Mobile, AL, and (possibly) Tallahassee, FL.  The situation with REV and the Monacos may not be a reason not to buy one, but a buyer should be aware of it. 

[manholt]

Herman Mullins has a Monaco Dynasty, he knows his elect. ask him.

 

[hermanmullins]

I have a book of electrical schematic, I will see what I can find and send it to you on a PM.

Herman 

[kaypsmith]

On 6/6/2021 at 8:49 PM, wildebill308 said:

I would  not let that slow me down if the coach fit your needs. Any competent RV teak can trouble shoot problems and fix them

Yes, if the tech is worth his salt, he will just run another wire around the problem, if the harness cant be easily repaired.