I have never owned an RV but we're itching to buy a Class C. Here are my main questions but would welcome any advice:

• Should I buy new or slightly used?
• If used, what's the best way to do it. RV trader, website?
• What are best brands for Class C? (Looking at either Tiffin or Winnebago but open to others.)
• Interest rates seem high for financing. What's the best strategy for paying them off?

TIA!

We are too. Watching this thread.

Txmoe said:

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I have never owned an RV but we're itching to buy a Class C. Here are my main questions but would welcome any advice:

• Should I buy new or slightly used?
• If used, what's the best way to do it. RV trader, website?
• What are best brands for Class C? (Looking at either Tiffin or Winnebago but open to others.)
• Interest rates seem high for financing. What's the best strategy for paying them off?

TIA!

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A lot of folks buy used. If you buy used, ask for any maintenance records, wreck history, tire age, etc. I would also have the owner start everything on it, from the AC units, refrigerator, TV, jacks, slide out, water heater and lights. I would even want to see the sewer dump to ensure its not plugged. Keep in mind if you buy new, your RV depreciates 20% after driving it off the lot. Many individuals sell on RV Trader, but so do dealerships. So watch closely who you're buying from. Don't buy one that's too old. Some higher-end RV parks have age limits on RV's they allow in their parks. (10 yrs or older)

As far as financing, I found the best deal thru my insurance company. Its rare that you make money when you sell them. I usually settle for book price or what I owe to break even. I started with a 5th wheel and now have a Class A diesel pusher. I enjoy them for a few years, sell and buy a bigger rig. The strategy to getting a good used price is to keeping it clean, clean, clean, out of the sun and everything in good working order.

Interestingly, a fiend just totaled hers (freak accident, hit by a tornado while driving is S Dakota. Everyone is ok miraculously). Anyway, it was about 4 years old and they got more for it then they paid. Demand is so hi they gave them current value. So, you guys aren't alone in buying one right now.

FWIW. I have a 30' trailer hitch travel trailer. It's been very good for our family over the past 5 years . Places we've been able to go I'd have never gone to without it. It's a game changer. Good luck

Appreciate all the feedback so far! Lots of good advice for us to begin the search. Bumping in case some folks TexAgs while at work.

Growing up we were fortunate enough to take RV vacations all across the United States and have many great memories in them which I would not trade for the world.

HOWEVER, I will never purchase one.

My parents have a top of the line 5th wheel and everything breaks all the time. Electric awning motors going out, slide motors going out, generator control board shorting out, minor leaks where caulking has shrunk, etc. They bought it new 6 years ago and is kept inside and meticulously maintained. THESE THINGS WILL BREAK AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIME AND PLACE. The time you have to spend working on them during vacation will take away from the actual relaxing and enjoying time with your family.

I would recommend renting one on an as needed basis and making the routine maintenance someone else problem


Now the answer to your questions:

I would buy slightly used with a majority of the kinks worked out. the last RV was in and out of the shop the first 4 months of its life getting fine tuned for warranty issue on minor items.

I would not look so much at source but at the quality of the build and wear and tear on the unit. Keep your eyes peeled why driving. Be patient and something will pop up that is perfect for your family.

If you want to buy a used RV, make sure the person selling you the RV has the title in their name. A good friend bought a used RV, and when she was shopping around, she was surprised that many did not have title.

Txmoe said:

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I have never owned an RV but we're itching to buy a Class C. Here are my main questions but would welcome any advice:

• Should I buy new or slightly used?
I'd say that's completely a decision you have to make. As mentioned, if you're more comfortable with the immediate depreciation of buying new vs. possibly inheriting a former owner's problems that you will want to fix, then buy new.

• If used, what's the best way to do it. RV trader, website?
We scoured websites until we found what we wanted. If I had it to do over again, I'd have rented different floorplans before buying.

• What are best brands for Class C? (Looking at either Tiffin or Winnebago but open to others.)
We had a Winnebago (just sold it a couple weeks ago). F450 chassis. Never had any major problems and it got used quite a lot. Did have to fix minor stuff, for instance the A/C return grille fell off once (screws stripped), some trim came loose, rear camera died, etc.

• Interest rates seem high for financing. What's the best strategy for paying them off?
Same as paying anything else off. Put all you can down at purchase and pay more monthly than scheduled.

TIA!

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Some things to consider about Class C's (all in my opinion):

They're generally too big to use for any kind of sightseeing and a PITA to unhook/hookup, say, for a quick trip for groceries. Same for a Class A, you'll most likely end up wanting to tow some other vehicle which brings tow bars, tow vehicle lighting and auxillary brakes to the picture. Or tow dollies. Lots of considerations here.

You're driving a rolling earthquake. Cooking ware, stuff in drawers, etc. are right behind you, and it will all end up rattling regardless of how well you pack. Couple that with wind/road noise and the fact you're driving a 5 - 6 ton shoe box, it'll wear you out quicker than you might might think.

Get automatic levelers. Blocking tires is an effort to get level, and even when you do the suspension still moves when you're moving around inside, the wind blows, etc.

Always carry a spare. And have the equipment and know-how to change an inner rear. Because you'll have to at some point unless you're OK with being completely at the mercy of road service. For whatever dumb reason, some class C's don't come with a spare.

I managed 8 mpg, ONCE, with a good tailwind and not running the A/C on a single fillup. I usually got about 6 mpg. I do have a heavy foot.

Pretty much everything else is similar to bigger motorhomes and trailers, proper maintenance goes a long way to helping ensure enjoyable trips.

Here's our experience with a 24.5' class C. We sold it last year, but had it for a number of years. Very easy to get around, minding the height of course. We could take it anywhere we wanted to go. Our trips were either to a specific state park, or just touring around for 1-2 weeks. We never had the need for a second vehicle. If we were going to a specific destination, we took everything we needed for that trip, so no need to go anywhere once we were set up. If it was a touring trip, we did our sightseeing and grocery shopping during the day, and then went to a park to spend the night. No need for a second vehicle. If we liked the park well enough to stay an extra day, we had what we needed when we arrived, so again, no need for a second vehicle. We were always where we wanted to be, so no need for another vehicle to go somewhere else.

Setting up and taking down everything is extremely easy. Bring in the slide, unhook H2O and electric, and off we go. We did not have auto-levelers, so on the occasion where we needed leveling blocks, we had to take the extra 30 seconds to stow them away. But overall though, it is a very easy way to camp. We did not want auto-levelers because they take about 400lbs from your overall CC, and they are prone to failure (I'm sure someone will be along shortly to state their levelers never failed). Using lightweight plastic blocks, it takes just an extra minute to level your rig.

Diesel mileage was 12.5 to 15.5 mpg. A nice thing about a 24.5' C is that it is very quick, so I could pretty much always keep up w/traffic. The only time it felt somewhat slow was going up a steep hill from a complete stop. Driving our C was a joy. You sit up high, and it handled very well. No excessive rattles too, since it was built pretty well.

We had a Winnebago. It is one of the few brands I would ever consider. My parents had one, my brother still has a Class A. None of them ever had any issues at all. Our C was twelve years old when we sold it. We had no issues with the "house" portion. No leaks, no structural issues, no issues with any of the systems. The only issue we had were with the chassis portion, when we had a driveshaft bearing go bad. Other than that, it was normal maintenance. Other than Winnebago, I would consider LTV or Coach House. Most other motorhome makers I would avoid. It's surprising to almost shocking how badly some of them are built.

I would suggest that if you haven't used a class C before, to rent a few times so you get a feel for what you want in the overall layout. And buy one with a fiberglass roof, so you won't have to spend extra money in 10-15 years (if you're lucky) replacing a rubber roof.

C

If you can I would wait a year after the COVID scare is over and pick one up on a fire sale when people are dumping them left and right.

Bumping this thread to get some additional thoughts on RV'ing. I am close to pulling the trigger on a Class A diesel coach. I am looking a used Country Coaches which are generally around 12-14 years old. Not an insignificant investment, but the depreciation curve on these is not very steep assuming I make a decent deal and don't overpay.

How often will you use it? Motorhomes don't like to sit.

Ogre09 said:

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How often will you use it? Motorhomes don't like to sit.

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We will use it quite often during the summer and I think that if I am being realistic if we use is 5-6 times between fall and spring, that's about all I can expect. I know one thing, if you want to go anywhere these days trying to get a hotel is next to impossible. Just having the ability to take an RV to the hill country or the beach or any mini-vacation will be nice.