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Newbie buying small class A and nervous as hell

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floridagramps

RVF Newbee
Joined
Sep 17, 2020
Messages
4
I am 78 and I sold my lakeside cottage in Maine yesterday. I plan on buying a 28-30 foot diesel class A in CO
and driving to Alaska w my 72 year old bride and our golden doodle. 40 years ago I rented 32 foot class C and
drove Boston to LA via all the big parks and then my family of 6 flew to HK for a 6 year stint in Asia.Great trip, loved
it and Chinese finance manager in HK said.."company no-pay for RV and firewood....but the company did pay since I was new sales manager for Asia
for Digital Equipment Corp

How can I buy w confidence and not get burned w problematic RV. Do I avoid Thor, Forest River, Fleetwood and other
low end models and look for a Newmar or Tiflin bargain in the 100K range and pay for a complete inspection by XYZ....need suggestions.
Also need suggestions on a couple books that I should order tmw to open my eyes to many many things I have not thought about

I want to buy a 3 to 4 year old RV in great shape that has been totally debugged. I am not good at doing my own repairs. My wife drove 50%
of trip 40 years ago.......her honeymoon.......she will drive 60-70% going to Alaska. I married well and she is still working via the web

We will sell Florida home and abandon our $1000+/mo HOA fees and expensive wind and flood insurance. WE are looking for new primary home in Blue Ridge mountain area
perhaps Luray VA or a similar town. 3BR, 2BA, fenced yard, pool near shopping......mountain views a big plus.......will look for same in CO but RE much more expensive there.

One last question......I would like to carry an 8 foot dinghy and outboard on the back of my RV but I cannot find the HW to attach it. I am assuming
I can carry 2 motorized bikes on front of RV. I do not plan on towing a car......is that a mistake?

Thanks in advance or your suggestions

Rhanks for your help
 
Chattanooga is nice, in the mtn’s., and you have 4 states to choose to shop in. TN, NC, GA, and AL depending on taxes. :)
 
Welcome to RVF, @floridagramps; glad you found us.

Here are a few of my observations that may be applicable to your questions. First..."right on," I like your style; live life on your own terms. (y)

As for purchasing a motorhome, my mantra is "you get what you pay for." And, there is no such thing as a "totally debugged" RV; sorry. They all need routine maintenance. The best you can do is to start with a quality product that has been properly maintained. For me, that means a Newmar, Tiffin or Entegra, in that order. Going with a second-tier or third-tier Class A coach just increases the likelihood of problems.

And, when buying a used coach (a very good option), it is ALWAYS wise to have a qualified, independent RV inspector go over the coach with a fine-tooth coomb. I stress "independent" since an inspection by someone affiliated with the seller is not worth the paper it is printed on.

Regarding carrying a small boat and not towing a vehicle, I think you would quickly regret not having an independent local transportation option. You might consider towing a small pickup with a boat rack on it. Two problems solved with a single solution.

Good luck with your new adventure.

TJ
 
How can I buy w confidence and not get burned w problematic RV.
Agree 100% with @TJ&LadyDi, spend the money and get a good, thorough RV inspection. I felt I was pretty savvy on what to look for when I made my last used RV purchase, and I spent several hours going over all the systems. Even then I missed several big items that I just can't believe I missed.

So yes, nothing wrong with a used, well cared for and properly maintained RV. But don't buy on looks alone, get it inspected.

And welcome to RV Forums, glad to have you guys on board!
 
Where would you suggest getting RV inspection of a used motor home
Welcome to RVF, @Redbus1; glad to have you join us.

Do a web search for RV inspections + your location and you should find several listed. There's at least one (Lemon Squad) that seems to have a network of inspectors around the country. I have not used them, so am not making a recommendation; just suggesting a company to consider. Someone on the forum may have used them and would be able to provide their evaluation.

Good luck.

TJ
 
I am 78 and I sold my lakeside cottage in Maine yesterday. I plan on buying a 28-30 foot diesel class A in CO
and driving to Alaska w my 72 year old bride and our golden doodle. 40 years ago I rented 32 foot class C and
drove Boston to LA via all the big parks and then my family of 6 flew to HK for a 6 year stint in Asia.Great trip, loved
it and Chinese finance manager in HK said.."company no-pay for RV and firewood....but the company did pay since I was new sales manager for Asia
for Digital Equipment Corp

How can I buy w confidence and not get burned w problematic RV. Do I avoid Thor, Forest River, Fleetwood and other
low end models and look for a Newmar or Tiflin bargain in the 100K range and pay for a complete inspection by XYZ....need suggestions.
Also need suggestions on a couple books that I should order tmw to open my eyes to many many things I have not thought about

I want to buy a 3 to 4 year old RV in great shape that has been totally debugged. I am not good at doing my own repairs. My wife drove 50%
of trip 40 years ago.......her honeymoon.......she will drive 60-70% going to Alaska. I married well and she is still working via the web

We will sell Florida home and abandon our $1000+/mo HOA fees and expensive wind and flood insurance. WE are looking for new primary home in Blue Ridge mountain area
perhaps Luray VA or a similar town. 3BR, 2BA, fenced yard, pool near shopping......mountain views a big plus.......will look for same in CO but RE much more expensive there.

One last question......I would like to carry an 8 foot dinghy and outboard on the back of my RV but I cannot find the HW to attach it. I am assuming
I can carry 2 motorized bikes on front of RV. I do not plan on towing a car......is that a mistake?

Thanks in advance or your suggestions

Rhanks for your help
I don’t think you’re going to find :
1. Newmar or Tiffin 29-30 ft class A diesel at all.
or 2. Newmar or Tiffin 4-5 years old for $100,000.
I’ve been researching a LONNNNNNG time, and if I find a 4-5 yr old Tiffin or Newmar for $100K, I’ll buy the heck out of it, ?
And hanging all that stuff on the front and back??? On the Alaska roads? *shudder*
 
Search for RVIA certified inspector - Find An RV Inspector – NRVIA

Where were you last November? I just traded a beautiful class C, which I spent 4 years vetting and modifying. It was as close to perfect as an RV gets. Lost a lot of money. on that one. :cool:
 

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