Looking at a RV

Roofer · March 11, 2003

My dad is looking at buying an RV motorhome. He wants a class A around 26-30 ft. long and price range around $20K. What brands are good to look for? Are some brands better or worse than others. A friend of ours has an Allegro and it seems to be a decent rig. I am somewhat new to all of it, but have owned a class C before. What should we be looking at in terms of brand and/or accessories?

Thanks for any help.

BTW, it will be used for regular camping and pulling a small horse trailer.

Shaners · March 12, 2003

A class "A" in that price size and price range will limit you some. Most definatly he will have to get a gasoline model if he wants to get anything newer than 10 years old.

Most manufacturers share just a handful of different chassis. Those chassis will either have the V10 or 460 Ford or a 454 GM motor. They will be front engine models, and alot of the chassis from back then were made by John Deere.

Most RV manufacturers also also share the same interior components, like AC, refrigerators, hotwater tanks. There are only a few companies that make this equipment.

With that said I would look at the obvious, like wear and tear items. This will give you some idea as to what quality the materials are in the coach. Compare it to the miles on the odometer and then you will have a good idea.

Also look at the exterior and the roof. If the fiberglass on the outside is rough, then stay away from it. It most likely was never waxed or maintained. Also look for an RV that has been stored indoors. That saves alot of wear and tear from the sun and other elements. Most likely the roof will be rubber so make sure it looks OK and no tears or patches. Check around the windows and roof vents for signs of leaks etc...

Allegro is a popular model and so is the Bounder (which may be an Allegro). Coachman has been in business as long or longer than most and they would also be a good choice.

RV manufacturers come and go... I would stick with a name brand that is still available today. The reason I say that is because the company must build a good product to stay alive in the RV market for more than 10 years.

Last of all I wouldn't buy from a dealer for a used class A. The premium the dealer would charge is alot more than the $800 you would have to pay to replace an AC unit or fridge (you supply the labor).

Have fun shopping, and kick alot of tires...

Greg · March 12, 2003

Shaners has a bunch of good points. You might also look into www.rv.org . It's a pay site, but you may be able to find their green book at a local library. They mainly rate new rvs and have some strong opinions, mainly negative about most Class A manufacturers. They say that many have too short of a wheelbase (less than 54% of overall length), poor workmanship, and poor crash protection. BTW, they don't like Bounders.

In the price range you're looking, you may have a problem finding Class As that are under 30 feet. It seems that the industry moved most Class As up over 30 feet in the last decade and are now just starting to re-introduce shorter models.

There's one brand (sorry, can't remember name right now) that specializes in 24-30' class Bs with a bed that lowers from the ceiling and offers some with 6.5L GM diesels.

tps0424 · March 12, 2003

A really good place to find out about RV's and everything that goes along with them is iRV2.com. Very good people there that really know their stuff when it comes to RVing.

Roofer · March 12, 2003

Thanks guys, good info.

We'll have to take a look at a few motorhomes and make some decisions.

I'll check out that web site also.

Thanks again.

Any more comments welcome.

k1500chevy97 · March 12, 2003

I know this is a little out of the price range you are looking for but my folks bought a 2000 alpine coach (diesel pusher) a few years back (its made about 20 miles from us by western RV http://www.wrv.com ) and it has been a great motorhome for them it has a rear engine cummins with an allison tranny but the price tag was about 180k

If he could spend a little more I would recomend a diesel pusher those are great RVs :thumb:

Roofer · March 12, 2003

I know this is a little out of the price range you are looking for but my folks bought a 2000 alpine coach (diesel pusher) a few years back (its made about 20 miles from us by western RV http://www.wrv.com ) and it has been a great motorhome for them it has a rear engine cummins with an allison tranny but the price tag was about 180k
If he could spend a little more I would recomend a diesel pusher those are great RVs :thumb:

A little??

I would have to sell my house for something like that.