Opinion on RV - newbie

[rbeheler]

Hi all,
My wife and I are ready to step out of the tent and into a RV. We have found a 2004 Coachman Freedom in great condition with 28,000 miles for $24,000.

Because I am a novice, is this price reasonable? The sellers are an elderly couple who are done traveling. The gentlemen seller really knew his stuff and took the time to show me everything. They seem to be good "salt of the earth" people.

They live about a mile from our house and he said that he would go over any and all questions that I have and will have in the future.

Two questions:

Is that a fair price
Any pros and cons for this RV?

Thank for the help!

Rich

 

[Clay L]

Re: Opinion on RV - newbie

NADA average retail for the three Freedom models is;
23 foot M200 RB is $19,320
27 foot M250 DB is $20,055
31 foot M289 QB is $20,874

It appears that he is at least $4000 high with his asking price.

Note that if the tires are original they are about due for replacement - even if the tread is great.

Depending on the model I would probably offer him $16,000 to $18,000 . I would deduct the cost of tires from those numbers if they should be replaced.

 

[rbeheler]

Re: Opinion on RV - newbie

thanks Clay! I really appreciate the help.

Good call on the tires - any idea how much 4 new tires cost?

Rich

 

[Clay L]

Re: Opinion on RV - newbie

rbeheler - 5/16/2010 11:52 AM

thanks Clay! I really appreciate the help.

Good call on the tires - any idea how much 4 new tires cost?

Rich

Sorry I don't. I have a Class A with bigger tires and don't know about Class Cs.

 

[HappyCamperBlogs]

Re: Opinion on RV - newbie

Rich,

The only advice I can give is to not jump too quick. At that price I your not going to loose out on a great deal so give yourself a little time.
Why are you going with a Motor home over a Travel Trailer for your first RV? There is a long list of pros and cons when it comes to towables verses motor homes. Also, money now or in the future may not be a concern to you, I just don't know. But I can tell you a newer model RV will depreciate very quickly. You will also have problems with the unit itself as time moves on. If you want a RV that will last a lifetime and not depreciate much then a used Airstream is a good option. If your budget is 20K you can have a very nice rig just don't jump too quick. Ebay is a great place to find the fair market value of a unit. Just make sure you search completed auctions and you should find something similar that has sold in the past. Anyway good luck with your hunt for your first RV, nothing is much more exciting!

Russell