Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please


charcaramia

New Member
Hello Everyone,
I am looking to purchase a used Class A motorhome in early December.
I would greatly appreciate feedback from all owners about their own R.V.s
What yr/make/model. do you own?
Which ones have the best performance?
Which ones are just lemons?
Good dealerships and warranties vs bad?
and so forth.
I realize that in everything "BUYER BEWARE" but any information that anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated :)
I would also like your feedback in the areas of extended warranties.
best insurance deals, and best R.V. associations and or clubs to belong to.
I know that there are a lot of books out there concerning these subjects, but at this point in time, I am saving up every cent to purchase my R.V. and all that goes with it. And I would much rather hear from current owners, because I consider them the best and most reliable source of this information.
Thank You So Much in Advance :blush:
And I hope to be seeing you on the road soon.
:shy:
 

Poppa

Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

Hi, Just food for thought. My wife and I hunted for a while and scratched our heads and pocket book.

The best piece of advice i can give is to look at an older model TOP of the line. They usually have lower mileage and are in better condition. The best thing is the anminities are great.
 

sepisllib

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

I second the thought for top-of-line older unit. We looked at Class A's for many months and read everything we could on thoughts, troubles, input, etc. Finally decided that we wanted - 1 a diesel older unit - but not too old (90s and up). 2- a good sized unit - 37 foot and up, 3- no slides because the earlier models has had a lot of complaints about slides.

Then we started eliminating makes and one of the first to go was the Winnebago (because of past trouble reports). Then we started looking at what we wanted for interiors and etc - deciding that we wanted something light and cheery (if we wanted to keep out sanity living in it for months at a time).

We finally settled on light (nearly white) woodwork of is possible all white.

The coach search started out with 93 and went up to 99 (as pricing was important too).

We finally settled on a 1993 Gulfstream Tourmaster 8391 with side aisle and full bath room. It is totally white inside with wet bar, and all the nicetities except for a washer/dryer (wanted that too but this particular unit did not have it and it was not an option on this one).

The unit has a 8.3 cummings diesel with 250 hp and a 7.5 kw nose slide mounted diesel generator. We flew to Texas in mid summer and drove it home. Ran the generator for 3 full days to operate the inside air conditioners all the time and still arrived home after 1100 miles and over 6 mpg (even with generator running full time).

The unit has some TLC needs and I am attending to that. Plus we do want an awning and that will be installed next spring. Our full - time home away from home is lovely and I will include a couple photos for you to look at.

Good luck in your search.

Bill and Judy.
c22rr

c46si
 

sepisllib

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

Forgot to add - the second photo show my aunt visiting (she was scheduled for surgery the next day - and did well through it). The lady with back to me is my wonderful wife - Judy.

The best thing is I was able to negotate the price so we ended up paying for it in cash and owe no one anything on it. Up to now (Oct 22nd) our outlay for repairs and improvements is just under $3000 (does not include the $3000 state taxes and licensing we had to pay when we received the title). I expect to spend around $1000 more on the unit before we start traveling next spring.

Good luck - and god bless.

Bill and Judy from NE Iowa
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

If you wish to be sure that you are getting a quality RV that has been well cared for, it is not going to be so simple as asking a question like this. It takes a lot of homework to learn what you need to know. Even if you buy the best built RV there is, if it has been used you need to know how to tell if it was properly cared for. And the fact is that we do not all agree as to who builds the best RVs on the market. I know of not one company that has no unhappy customers, and I don't think that there are any that have no happy customers either. So to ask us is to depend upon the opinions of total strangers when you are about to spend your hard earned money. I strongly suggest that you consider joining the RV Consumer Group and not only read the books that they send, but you need to study the educational materials as well. You can find them at www.rv.org. It will cost you about $100 but it could save you thousands!
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

I agree with Kirk's comment about no units out there are completely free from complaints. The key, in my opinion, is: DID THE OWNERS TAKE CARE OF IT AND DO THE REQUIRED MAINT, ETC.??
I bought an older (1989)31 ft Winnebago Chieftain that only had 5,800 miles on it. No slides and I had to put tires on it, but so far (two trips to Florida for winter and a few side trips) no major problems. Of course, I only have 11,000 miles on it now.
So, guess I'm trying to say, it is totally up to the buyer as to whether they like what they bought, paid what they felt was fare, and are having fun.
Good luck ;)
 

charcaramia

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

To "POPPA", Bill and Judy, and "ARCHER" thanks for the input so far. All very useful advice. Which I will take hede to.
I have been doing lots of research at every R.V.er's site I can find. And have spent the last 3 nights, reading every topic in every forum on this site. Have found tons of useful advise, vast amounts of information, and hundreds of R.V. issues to think about. At times it seems overwhelming. BUT ! ! ! I really am excited about joining the ranks of the R.V.ing community.
:laugh: Thanks Again for replying, and I'm looking forward to hearing more great advice :blush:
 

charcaramia

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

P.S. Oops sorry for leaving you out Kirk :blush: , and thanx for adding the photos Bill and Judy :cool:
 

janicenlarry

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

Char knowing your circumstances, you do not want the expense and rig size associated with a diesel engine. I agree that you should consider top of the line (used). You need to be looking for a small Class C or A if you are looking only at motor homes. Looking at one of your other posts, are you planning to work camp as you go. By the way, my experience with Winnebago is outstanding, both from a quality stand point and manufacturer backup. Owner surveys continually rate them as tops.
 

charcaramia

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

Larry,
I had already decided against anything Diesel just because of the cost of parts from previous experiences with a Diesel Pickup. the added mpg would be nice, but not at the expense that Diesel purchases/repairs would entail. I've been browsing used R.V.'s nationawide and locally and have seen several really nice rigs with very reasonable prices. I've seen many Fleetwoods with especially low prices for example: 1993 30' low miles (24,000) great appearance, all the amenities,WAS $15,000 Now only $10,500! Thankfully due to reading this forum I have the insight to know that this rig has probably spent more time in the shop than on the road. From what I've read, Fleetwoods are problem vehicles from the get go. However I must also consider that the consigners contract with the consignees for 90 days at a time, and it could be that they're just trying to move these vehicles before the contracts expire???? If anyone has any opinion of my observations., your comments are most welcome. And if anyone has had any experiences with PPL R.V. consignments in Houston, I would like to hear from you.
Thanks
And yes I am also considering workamping. :)
 

Larry

New Member
Motorhome Reviews from Owners Please

Char,

I have a Fleetwood product (Bounder) and from my observations, it is no more nor no less likely to have problems than most other brands. A fact that I think you need to be aware of is that a 10-11 year old vehicle and/or house will have some problems that must be addressed.

Finding a MH that has had an owner who fixed things as they broke will mitigate this but there will still be problems. Those of us with older MH find that maintaining our home on wheels is part of the fun.

I purchased my '88 Bounder in 1997 when it was 9 years old. It now has 97,000 miles on it and is still going strong. Maintenance of the house is about what you would expect from a 16 year old house and maintenance of the truck is about what you might expect from a 16 year old truck.

An issue that you might want to consider is how any motorhome you intend to buy has been used. If it sets a few weeks or months and is then used that is good. A unit that has set for several years and has low mileage might be a problem. Pumps, seals, bearings and other mechanical things don't do well if they sit for extended periods of time. Check these things out before you buy.

Larry
 
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