These are motor homes types that were rejected
Fifth Wheels - Two reasons; the expense of buying a heavy duty pickup truck and a fifth wheel would be far too expensive. Reason #2, Laurie would never pull a trailer. She has pulled the jet ski behind our pickup truck and complained she didn’t like it at all, not to mention I don’t care for it myself.
Travel Trailers - Same 2 reasons as listed with the Fifth wheels.
Class C - Our first RV was a class C and we liked it very much except the limited storage space, not to mention these are way too small to live in full time.
Class B - These were not even a consideration as they are way too small to live in full time.
We’ve decided to stick with the class A style Motorhome.
A 1998 or 1999 is around what we can afford. A newer coach would be great but it’s not our intention to go into debt or to spend all kinds of money on our coach. We have been looking mostly at diesel motor homes for the fuel economy and power.
For Full Time RVing we feel this is the best fit for us. Below is a list of the reasons why.
Budget - We want the best we can afford within our budget. Our budget is no more than $40,000. At first we were hoping for a coach newer than a 98 or 99 but after looking at newer ones we soon discovered we need to make a choice, diesel vs. gas. If we choose gas we could get a unit 4-5 years newer than if we choose a diesel. Given our budget that put us in the 2002 to 2004 range for a gas model vs.1998 or 1999 in a diesel model. With some luck maybe we’ll find a newer diesel in great shape within our budget.
Fuel Economy - We want a motor home with the best fuel economy we can get within the Class A field. We are going to try and stick with the diesel engine. Diesel has far more power than a gasoline powered engine and gets nearly twice the miles per gallon (mpg). From our experience, our last motor home (gas powered Class A 33 foot) averaged 6 mpg and the diesel models that we have been looking at average 10-12 mpg. Granted diesel fuel is higher in price but the
added mpg is a no brainer.
added mpg is a no brainer.
In the end, the decisions we make have to be what we want...not what others say we need or what we think we need. Each will have our own reasoning for why we choose what we do and the bottom line is this decision is right for you both...after all at the end of the day, the only one you have to answer to is one another and yourselves.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in finding the perfect fit!
I agree, you'll find a rig that is perfect for you! But pulling a jetski and a fifth wheel are two VERY different beasts! A regular pull-behind trailer is a real pain in the ass but our first rig (a 35ft fifth wheel) was a breeze. Buying new is over rated too - when we first started rving we talked to a man who just bought a million dollar rig and as it turns out the pipe that put the black water into the tank wasn't hooked up correctly and was dumping blackwater directly into the floor! The entire rig was deemed "destroyed" and he had to go through the entire process all over again! A lot of people think that a new rig won't have the issues a used rig does. I just talked to a friend that bought a really "nice" Mercedes class C and within two months it was on fire! I agree on the diesel pusher - that's the way to go - but we couldn't afford one with our measly budget! :)
ReplyDeleteWe love our 1989 35' Holiday Rambler. Should have bought it years ago.
ReplyDeleteDo you find that some campgrounds will not let you stay there if you have a Class A that is more than 10 years old? I heard that there are some out there like that?
ReplyDeleteNow is actually a great time to buy a pre-loved RV especially in this economy right now I'm sure many are selling theirs.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice we love our Class A. Hope to see you on the road soon!
ReplyDeletegreat choice we just sold our home and decided to become full time rvers,we love ours we purchased it in march,we also went with a diesel,a 38ft 1994 holiday rambler navigator,our buget was also 40k,we got a great deal on this rig it ts a one owner great shape 90 k miles for 22'500,has no slides but your only in the rv when you sleep or its raining and we also decided we didnt want slides heard differences between the 2 and chose no slides good luck with your purchase
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