Question Would you consider buying a used motorhome or RV?

[Neal]

Some of us seem to prefer NEW. I'm one of those. Obviously with RV's the depreciation is huge. That means there are some great deals to be had when purchasing used. But can you do it? Why would you or wouldn't you? As I browse RV Trader for fun tonight for Newmar's it's amazing the deals out there. I've seen relatively recent Essex's go for half of MSRP. What are your thoughts on buying used and what are your reservations? Is it good or bad?

For those that have bought used, what are your experiences?

 

[MapNerd]

Personally, probably not. When it comes to large purchases, I’ve always been of the mindset that if I’m going to drop that kind of cash, it’s going to be customized for my preferences which was why I was so happy when I discovered Newmar.

The other concern I had about a used RV is that you don’t really know how the previous owner treated it. I also wanted to minimize my involvement with a dealer as much as possible.

My last consideration was that we were going full time from the get-go with kids and because of that, I wanted reasonable level of confidence that our start should be relatively smooth with only minor hiccups. Issues encountered should mostly be operator error or newbie mistakes, not functional issues that leave us stranded somewhere and that if that did happen, it would most likely be fully covered under a warranty.

5 months in, we haven’t really had a single issue that could be ascribed to a manufacturing defect or maintenance issue. That’s really only thanks to the quality of a Newmar motorhome and the knowledge everyone shares on this forum and others.

I spent 18 months on RV forums every night before making a purchase and I wouldn’t do it any different today. That’s just what worked for us. YMMV.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Our 2014 Ventana LE 3436 was purchased used...technically. It was originally purchased by a couple who took one 370-mile trip in it and returned home, only to have the husband pass away. It sat on the dealer's consignment lot for about a year before we bought it.

I did a pretty thorough inspection on it and it appeared to be in excellent condtion, so we made an offer...which was initially refused. I believe the selling dealer thought he could up his commission by holding out for a higher price. We thanked him for showing us the coach and left our phone number in case he changed his mind. A couple weeks went by and I got a phone call from the dealer offering the coach at a bit less than the asking price. We, again, said no. About five minutes later, we got another call, accepting our initial offer.

It was a good coach and we enjoyed it. Found out that the original owner had not registered it with FL for warranty and FL allowed us to register as the original owner, dating our warranty from the date WE bought the coach. That was nice as it effectively added a year to the warranty period.

Would I buy used again? Sure, if the deal was right and the coach was in top shape. That said, I am inclined toward buying new unless I was getting something I couldn't otherwise get.

TJ

 

[dave burns]

the first coach I ever purchased was new. The last 4 were used and it’s the only way I would do it. I have found the best deals are on high end stuff 2 to 3 years old, seems to be a sweet spot. I think you have to be prepared to fix some stuff but that’s the norm in RVing. Just my preference.

 

[AbdRahim]

Only as a very last resort. I prefer a bed never slept in and tanks never pooped in. That said, I always bought used cars until age 50. It was the only way to get the quality I wanted. I tend to keep them for a long time. I hope to do this with the MH also.

Another thing is, I am a fanatic about maintenance. Buying used, I have no real idea of how well everything was cared for by the previous owner. In addition a gas engine is only good (trouble free) for 100,000 -160,000 miles or so. I want to maximize the number of miles I can put on the engine and generator without worrying about major service issues. Nothing is guaranteed, but I try to hedge my bets, so to speak.

Also, having experienced many roof leaks on a new RV, I like to get RV Armor on the roof as close to day 1 as possible, thus significantly reducing the major places where leaks can occur.

There is enough effort involved in getting a new one to the condition that we expect from a new vehicle or home, as it is.

 

[sheridany]

There is nothing wrong with a used coach. I have had one and I did a thorough inspection and it was fine. The depreciation hit is ridiculous on new coaches and the first year of ownership can be a lot of work dealing with warranty repairs. On top of that, you have CA sales taxes which can be over 15k or higher.

I have given thought to moving to a Dutch Star and would consider a recently new used one in a 40 foot. Why not, there could be some good deals and you do hear or see the stories that people get into it and it just not their thing.

The other day I saw a relatively new King Aire with 3500 miles on it. Going for 1/2 of what the owner had in it. if I wanted a King Aire I would have really considered it.

There are deals to be had especially now.

 

[MapNerd]

The other day I saw a relatively new King Aire with 3500 miles on it. Going for 1/2 of what the owner had in it.

Where? I wanna see!

 

[sheridany]

@MapNerd

 

[Neal]

I think if I went high line I'd have to seriously consider used. I get the ebeejeebies about sleeping in a used bed so I'd be all for changing that out to make me feel better. Other than that if they are non smokers I think I'd be okay with it. Yes, a lot of unknowns and assumed risk but also the shake down is done, hopefully they were as OCD as me in getting things fixed. You can still take it to Newmar (or a dealer that you trust with service, for me it's only Newmar) to get things fixed up if needed. I think the other hard part and this is where a forum like this helps is understanding the downfalls of that model year coach.

 

[sheridany]

There is or was an active used market in bus conversions like Prevost or Newell. If my budget was in the high line series of coaches, I would consider a used Prevost assuming I could find one well maintained with good service records. Marathon in Oregon does remodeling and updating of the older coaches that can take an older coach and make it uniquely yours.