RV gurus...

rockcity

rockcity

everyday is a chance to get better
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Greenville, NC
Been looking at some RVs to pick up in the next few months for some of my long distance traveling with ECORS now and for 2012 :D ;)

Wife hates it when I'm gone and I hate being away from my beautiful little twin girls. So, I'm looking for an RV to bring them along for the trip! A need for an RV has been observed!


Requirements: Class A or C
prefer diesel as I'll have an enclosed trailer with my buggy and other "race" junk
affordable
Wife "wants" Class A, I realize we could afford a C. Both are considered :D




So, what of each class is something to look for or stay away from? What kind of insurance and financing is out there for these things?

Specific brands you all prefer?
For class C, what chassis is preferred?

For those of you that have one or have had one, what are your thoughts and opinions?
 
On class c look for leaks and sagging around the overhang...

Either I would recommend getting a slide-out if it's it the budget. Also separate toilet & shower are a nice plus.

Look at the generator and if the appliances are both gas & electric.

I would say the ford chassis is better if gas... The 460/v10 typically out powers the 454.

What's your price/age/mileage range, length, emenity requirements.
 
You might want to take a ride with the wifey in a class C before you buy one. They're basically big plywood boxes.
 
Here is what I've picked up from various operators and the intarwebs. Oh and I've had a few so if there is some misspelling, sorry, I don't care.

Diesel. Yes, its more expensive but you get what you pay for. Yes, the gasser is cheaper but the diesel has BALLS. Of course looks at gas vs. diesel 1 ton trucks, same concept.

My dad's friend has a cab-back style RV (whatever that is when they take a E-350 chassis and cab and build off that) and its a gasser. It sucks, especially on the hills. He tows a Lotus Europa which is the epitome is lightweight, and it just weighs it down even more.

Oh and I used to drive chassis cab buses (I'm a few in tonight, forgot the name). The fords really did suck (sorry ford guys, BTW I like some ya'lls other stuff). The Chevy 5500's with the Duramax had BALLS and could scoot. Got better MPG too, and I was a 20 year old kid so you know I wasn't easy on it. Drove it like it was a rental...BECAUSE IT WAS :lol:. Oh and the Duramax held up to me and a bunch of other drivers who didn't care while the Powerstroke went straight into the shop after 2 weeks.

If you end up with the smallest one, get the bedroom in the back. Not just over the cab. Your lady will appreciate this.

If you are gonna camp like, 2x a month, get a big one. If only a few times a year then the smaller one will be cheaper and easier to deal with.

Biggest problem with a camper is you don't have a vehicle to run into town in once you park the camper, you don't want to move it again. So either have your gal follow you in her car or get a big ass trailer or just be prepared to bum rides/be static.

Research about gas stoves. Remember some buzz a while ago about them causing fires. This brings the depress. Make sure you look at the appliances and see if they will cause death.

RVs...and you thought rock crawlers were money pits :lol:

Research Toy Haulers. That is the new thing. Probably cheaper and easier to deal with while still providing you with a run-around vehicle while on site/if someone needs to run into town (the tow rig!). Also you don't have to worry about a Toy Hauler starting after sitting for 3 months.
 
I've had 5 diesel pushers since 1995. I started out in a class A DP entry level and hated it. Everything was overloaded,brakes, generater,water system, suspension,storage etc. I pulled a 22ft trailer 82,000 miles and it's a miracle it lasted as long as it did! From there I moved up to a real coach and been happy ever since! Real Jake breaks and so on. 150 gallons of fuel, 100 gallons of fresh water, 1,450 ft pounds of tourqe, 9-11 miles to the gallon, 15,000 rated towing and 1,500 tounge weight. Pulls hills great and is a pleasure to drive and safe! Tax it out as a second home IF it is big enough! I have two at the moment and one is on e bay if interested. Be careful, many companies closed up or went bankrupt and these RV's are priced cheap on the market now to the uninformed. If the stripes on the outside are stuck on, walk away.
 
Have you considered the option of getting/building a long fatty trailer that doubles as both living space and buggy hauler?
This avoids the above mentioned problem of being "stuck" wherever you go b/c you don't have a second vehicle.
 
A friend of mine did just that. Problem is now he's got $35,000 in a cargo trailer 5th wheel and it can only be insured as a cargo trailer. It was professionally built by Forest River In Elkheart, In. It is also not RIVA certified. It has a square front and tows like a cinder block!
 
Take a look at John Thomas enclosed trailer. That thing is pretty sweet and didn't cost a fortune.
 
having a 5th wheel toy hauler is not an option. The main reason behind finding an RV is so the wife and kids don't have to be strapped in to the cab of my truck for a 12+ hour drive.

so, Class A or C is the only thing I'm considering right now.


I plan to have a 28' or 32' tag along enclosed trailer with buggy and another vehicle inside for running around, so I should be OK if I need to drive to the store, etc...

gasser is cheap and in budget but I def. want/need diesel. a pusher would be ideal but a Class C diesel would be an option. Since its our first, that may be the more viable option.

I expect to use it twice a month on trips for ECORS and other adventures.

Budget? I guess I could go up to $35K if the financing length was OK...
 
2 things come to mind.
1 - Class A RV + 32" trailer makes for a very loooong vehicle. Not a huge deal, but logistics/steering etc becomes non-trivial.
2 - What are the options for child seats/proper restraints in these? Those kiddos will have to be strapped down somewhere regardless of whether its a truck cab or a fold-out couch ;-)
 
Your Hot Dog Guy! said:
A friend of mine did just that. Problem is now he's got $35,000 in a cargo trailer 5th wheel and it can only be insured as a cargo trailer. It was professionally built by Forest River In Elkheart, In. It is also not RIVA certified. It has a square front and tows like a cinder block!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've been looking hard for a converted cargo trailer. They're not an ideal solution, but honestly, I don't think anything is. My biggest complaint about them is that there isn't a lot of variation out there. There are about three different layouts you'll see, and two of them suck.

I think Work&Play puts nose cones on their trailers, but the rest of the W&P trailers... meh.

The nice thing about them is you can title them as house trailers, so you don't need as much weight on the truck tag.
 
rockcity said:
Been looking at some RVs to pick up in the next few months for some of my long distance traveling with ECORS now and for 2012 :D ;)
Wife hates it when I'm gone and I hate being away from my beautiful little twin girls. So, I'm looking for an RV to bring them along for the trip! A need for an RV has been observed!
Requirements: Class A or C
prefer diesel as I'll have an enclosed trailer with my buggy and other "race" junk
affordable
Wife "wants" Class A, I realize we could afford a C. Both are considered :D
So, what of each class is something to look for or stay away from? What kind of insurance and financing is out there for these things?
Specific brands you all prefer?
For class C, what chassis is preferred?
For those of you that have one or have had one, what are your thoughts and opinions?
Click to expand...

I was in the same spot you are. I bought a 38' diesel pusher class A and have never regretted it. It's older (94 model) but it get the job done for me. A few things YHDG taught me. Most important is chassis. Everything else is second. The way we load them, you need air ride. You need 22.5" wheels with semi tires. The class C's and small class A' with 18" and smaller wheels have tire trouble all the time. I only have to stop 1 time on any trip I go on. I stop more often to take advantage of truck stop diesel prices. Diesel gensets are where it's at. Mine is LP and I wish it were diesel. But, it works great. You don't "need" slides. The are extremly nice to have, but thats it. If you go with an older unit, slides may leak and give you trouble. I travel with my rig, wife, 5 year old daughter and 2 year old son. No slides and its cramped on the road. Get camp set up and its not too bad. Most of the stuff goes outside.

Your Hot Dog Guy! said:
I've had 5 diesel pushers since 1995. I started out in a class A DP entry level and hated it. Everything was overloaded,brakes, generater,water system, suspension,storage etc. I pulled a 22ft trailer 82,000 miles and it's a miracle it lasted as long as it did! From there I moved up to a real coach and been happy ever since! Real Jake breaks and so on. 150 gallons of fuel, 100 gallons of fresh water, 1,450 ft pounds of tourqe, 9-11 miles to the gallon, 15,000 rated towing and 1,500 tounge weight. Pulls hills great and is a pleasure to drive and safe! Tax it out as a second home IF it is big enough! I have two at the moment and one is on e bay if interested. Be careful, many companies closed up or went bankrupt and these RV's are priced cheap on the market now to the uninformed. If the stripes on the outside are stuck on, walk away.
Click to expand...

What Terry said ^^^! I own 2 homes and its perfectly legal. They are expensive to work on, but there are ways around it. RV shows, the right brand, etc... gets you set up so the repairs aren't so bad. The best part, I role down the road at 40,000 lbs on $25 tags, have air brakes, and its all legal!
 
American Coach are great coaches and have a unbelievable factory support! AC coaches actually went UP in value last year as far as used goes. 95% of them are on Spartan chassis (fire truck and such are made on these) some 2004-2005 are on Freightliner chassis, stay away from those! Country Coach, Bluebird,Monaco are a few to stay away from! The components inside are the same, AC,furnace, water heater,microwave and such. What you are BUYING is the way it is MADE. I have friends that have made big mistakes. Don't buy new! Let some body take the big loss and they can fix the problems. Been there done that. Rob, PM or call me if you wish, I'll tell you some tricks to save $$$$$.
 
What about Fleetwoods? How about other brands? Itsaca?

American Coach is nice, prob out of our budget since it won't be (initiallly) used for just "camping" but rather a buggy hauler and somewhere to crash at races and somoewhere for the wife and kids to hang out on the trips. I'm not looking to drag something around that looks like "home" but something that works for what I need at a reasonable price
 
American Coach, Discovery, Bounder and so on are Fleetwood. Fleetwood is the biggest manufacture of RV's in the industry. From popups to $900,000.00 AC Heritage. Rob go to RV Trader.com and search there. It is a huge site. Also IRV2.com, that is a forum with about 68,000 members. You can check out the brands and see the probs with each.
 
So Fleetwood is decent? I'm looking for middle of the road Class A... honestly, the more affordable the better for us so long as its a newer (post 2000) diesel pusher.

I'll use it for racing and Bri and I MAY use it 2-3 times a year other than that, so we aren't making it a hobby, its just nice to have something to relax in WHILE driving down the road with the kids. I'd sleep in the back of my pickup if it was up to me but to bring the family along, we've got to have something a little nicer than that. Hotels work but are off-site and we still don't get past the issue of comfort during the long trips...
 
1996 american dream for sale $36,000 in Georgia. This is a deal, probably a 300hp 8.3litre with allison and jakes.
 
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