Covid gave us an opportunity to sell our trailer for what we owed on it! For our new RV, we found the make, model, and layout that we wanted last year, but due to the covid-enhanced demand, we could not find one anywhere close by. We had one on order with our local dealer, but orders were delayed and not expected to be fulfilled for months. Finally I found one in Pennsylvania (we're in So California, so as far away as it could be!). It was actually $2000 less brand new than the one we had on order. So we loaded up our truck and headed out for a fast 4-day journey cross-country to purchase it from the dealer there. Hotels on the way, camped our way back. The $2k savings on the unit basically funded the cost of the trip. As of today (7 months later) the unit we would have ordered still has never come into stock. So we know we made the right choice! We got to see a lot of the country on the way there and back. It was actually a fun and special trip!
We live in Montana and are purchasing our 5th Wheel from Indiana. It’s very close to the factory where it’s being built. It’s over $4;000 less expensive. Even with the drive over and back, the difference has covered the cost of the hitch, the drive over and back, the solar with a second panel and a few other accessories. 😃 It should be ready in 2-4 weeks!! Can’t wait!! 🤩 I enjoy watching your adventures! ❤️
My whole life owning dumpy RVs I wanted to have a brand new one just once. Well we did it in 2007 and it was a mistake. I spent a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of negotiations with the manufacturer for almost 2 years. I finally wore down the dealer and the manufacturer and ended up with a cash reimbursement for my expenses. If I ever had to do this again I would recommend to buy a coach that was two years or three years old. And somebody else has probably already made the repairs and suffered the pain. I have to admit I still have my 2007 Monaco because it’s exactly the coach that I’ve always wanted and I made it what it is today. Thomyt
My first RV was a 2000 Coachman Sunseeker which I purchased in about 2006. The first year or so was great but the third year we blew a tire on I-90 on a super hot Memorial Day with lots of traffic. Luckily we got help replacing the inside driver side tire. The next year another one pealed the outside rubber from another rear tire. That was on July 4 weekend. Another slow crawl home. I learned that tires last only 6 or so years so now I change them before they dry rot and cause blowouts.
We made the mistake 5 years ago of buying a used class A from Camping World without having a qualified inspector look at it. After we got it home, we found out that the toilet flush valve would stick open. So we decided to replace the toilet. When we did that, we found that the bathroom floor had been badly damaged (spongy) from the previous toilet overflows when the prior owner had it. Needless to say, when we were looking for a newer class A a couple months ago, we had someone inspect the newer class A (Texas Best RV Inspections), including all fluids. It was well worth the cost as he found several items that we likely wouldn't have found if we had inspected it ourselves. We had the dealer repair most of the items and we were happy with the purchase, sight unseen.
We did our homework and narrowed down our choices to 3 manufacturers of class A motorhomes. We bought a used 2014 Newmar Mountain Aire from a Newmar Dealer in Florida. We had it inspected by a NRVIA inspector and purchased a warranty through a company that highly advertises in RV trade magazines and was highly recommended. The report came back positive and unit was purchased. The day after purchasing the unit we drove 150 miles to take driving lessons. Upon arrival we noticed the odometer had not changed from the time we purchased it. The first day of training the engine light went on. The issue was determined to be the ICU in the dashboard that communicates with the ECM on the engine. The ICU was inoperable. The engine light was caused by a defective NOX sensor. Long story short... The dealer refused to do anything regarding these issues and the warranty company dropped us even though it was an inspector they recommended and we reported the problem as soon as we noticed it. Sometimes, even though you do everything correct issues can still arise. If we had it to do over we would have done a LOT more research on the dealership and warranty company! We have found it to be very challenging to find reputable repair facilities but through our experiences we have received excellent help, advice, and repairs from Freightliner 24/7 line, Silverleaf, OASIS/ITR and Dometic.
I bought ours brand spanking new...so being that it was our first travel trailer, I trusted that the dealer would take care of the punch list, not so much, ended up taking 7 months to get everything repaired. My number 1 advice to give to new buyers, take your time, trust no one, and every single item you want fixed/adjusted/repaired, get it written down on the "we owe" sheet, and get a copy for yourself (my punch list disappeared from their system). Hopefully you won't have the pain in the neck I've had... On the bright side she's all ready to go and as soon as the Mrs. finishes her college classes for the summer we're taking off!!!
I bought mine from a private party that was 1200 miles away. We had searched and did our homework for a year and a half before we actually started looking for the right rig. It took a couple of months before the right one showed up. With conversations and pictures going back and forth we agreed to buy it pending the inspection by a certified inspector. He found a few things but none of them deal breakers. He even did a video walk through with us after his inspection. We got a great deal and were very happy with the seller and the RV.
We purchased an older (06) high end diesel pusher from an individual with a history of maintenance and service 18 months out and we are still happy. Very happy.
Wise advise!! As for the two young ladies purchasing a trailer site unseen is a big no.no!!! Sounds to me like that trailer flooded from a bad storm, the dealer did a basic clean up, and sold it to the first person he could scam. A big warning to anyone buying an RV, make sure the RV wasn't a recovered RV from a weather related issue.
I picked up a 91 Montara for 1000$US. Everything in the "house" section needs to be replaced. But all of the bones and drive line are good. For me it's perfect as I would want to 'make it mine' and modify it anyway.
Loved the video. Very informative. When watching the video, all I could think of was what kind of dealership would sell a unit with this much damage without full disclosure. Sad for such a prominent dealership in the state. The older I get the more I say integrity is everything. Thanks again.
It's very sad that they didn't disclose it and opted to show us video that didn't include areas with damage. We were the fools to believe everything we saw in pictures and videos emailed to us were good quality or at least something we could tackle as a project. I would never buy an RV site-unseen again. We learned our lesson. 💜 Angie
The purchase of the Jayco 1999 Eagle was at a dealership called Paul Sherry RVs in Piqua, Ohio. On the other hand the Jayco we have now was purchased at Southern Rvs in Deland Florida & they were outstanding. They sent video & pictures of all the repairs, they did 3 full walked throughs, they included the weight distribution system and they checked up on us for 3 weeks by email & text. Family owned & operated, Scott the head tech is a master craftsman. Lou
Good video thanks for sharing boy you are right have a budget stick to it. When we were out looking seems like the salesman wanted to sell us more than we need, want it. Didn't think too much about our budget. Saying you can stretch your payments out. Had a little inheritance money wanted to pay cash or half down. We look out got a one-year pre-owned got a good deal.
I bought a TT from a friend because she needed the money. She did tell me that part of the floor needed to be replaced which I was fine with that. But what she didn't tell me was the roof was shot. I ended up parting it out and was able to get my money back and then some to buy my first 5th wheel with a slide out. It's now a few years later and with all the helpful tips and a lot of research from you guys and a few other full time rvers I follow. I'm now a proud owner of a GD Reflection 150 260RD.
My mistake was going cheap on my first RV and realizing I made a mistake by not buying what I wanted first. Spend the money within your budget and buy the best RV for that money you can. Sometimes an older higher quality rig is a much better deal than the newly slapped together, cardboard cabinet rig with blue LED's lighting things up.
Our first RV was a Tiffin turned out to be a lemon Tiffin stood behind their name and took it back upgraded us to the next size up no problem. Now we love our new RV. We rented a class A pusher to see the floor plan we wanted I would suggest that to any first time buyer.
HI. We have owned all kinds of RV's over the years. 3 5th wheels, an Airstream, and a small couples Coachmen bumper pull. Our first was a HUGE 1984 triple axle 5th wheel that we pulled out of the woods and renovated. It was a blast and a great learning experience. Then we had a brand new Chaparral 5th wheel that was perfect for us and a tornado took her from us in 2011. Needless to say we have a lot of experience with buying and using RV's. That being said, I had always wanted a class B RV through it all and when we decided this last time to make another RV purchase I developed a case of tunnel vision. I was dead set on a class B. We shopped and looked at several and finally settled on a 2020 Gemini with the Ford chassis. "Turtle" would have been perfect, except that now that we are older, the camper was not conducive to our age, but my tunnel vision didn't let me see that until it was too late. The Gemini RV and others like them are very nice and built more for an much younger crowd, in our opinion. We are also 100% disabled and the tight space in the bathroom and high set bed in the camper was difficult for us to use. Fortunately, after I wrote an email to Thor, they reached out to a local dealer here in town and helped us trade in, without bearing the cost of depreciation for a much more comfortable 2019, (still new) Cougar 5th wheel. I guess the point here is, even though you may have experience with RV's, make sure that your desire keeps up with your age and health limitations before you sign the paperwork. If it weren't for Thor, we would've been stuck with a camper that we couldn't use.
We bought a TT TH and in less than a year we knew what really wanted. I googled my wish list and it came up with 1 trailer that's not made anymore. We found a used 1 about 120 miles away. It was 1 year old. We are now the proud owners of a 2018 Wildcat 29RKP. We've had people ask us to let them know if we're ever going to sell it. What was most important to us was a patio, self leveling, 5er, full length bed, and rear kitchen. Happy trails!
A video walk through of an RV is no substitute for a personal inspection. I've looked at several RVs in my life, and finally bought one, but pictures don't show anywhere the amount of detail you will see in person. I know it's a hassle to go look at an RV but it's still cheaper than getting one like the women in the video. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
We researched for over 3 years, decided on a Tiffin Valano 5th wheel. We felt it was very well made, beautiful interior white cabinets etc. Did not buy used, too many things that could be hidden problems. One manufacturer cupboards would fall off in your hand when you opened the door! We saw this problem over and over again. We bought from Explorer USA in Seguin, Texas gave us a very good price. Thank goodness we bought when we did! High demand has made prices go up. This will be our second summer in it, haven’t found any problems yet. Highly recommend Tiffin😀
We made many mistakes when we bought our 5th wheel. It came with the In-Commend unit and it has been nothing but trouble. Make sure that you inspect the roof for any damages. We went to a well-known RV dealer and we thought we had checked the important stuff. We ended up spending close to $3,000 to fix some things. We ended up dropping the belly and found wires broken and hanking all over. They had sprayed foam over the wires. Our RV is a Cougar 25RES 2019. I have taken out the In-Command unit and installing switches. We all so stripped the couch and table and put two recliners and a small table with two chairs. We didn't like the L-shape counter, so we put in a straight counter with more space and I made the countertop out of Resin. We also pulled the stove out and put in a big hot plate, since we cook outside most of the time. I just put in a 3000-watt converter and 6 Lithium Batteries and two 400 watt solar panels, so we can go places we could go before. Yes, we have put $15,000 into it, but we love it. Do have someone inspect what you get and we will the next time and ours was new. I enjoy all the information that you put on the video. Thank You!!
Good info. I spent 2 years looking for the right RV. Lots of reading, UA-cam videos and RV shows. At the end it was Tiffin and Newmar. Spent a couple of month looking at Tiffins and they which was older just wasn’t up to the build of Newmars for me. Then spent a year looking for a lightly used one. The first was just not up to my standards after a 3 hour review. Then found a lightly used 6 month old Newmar with 1300 miles. Spent 6 hours inspecting it. Checked everything at least twice. Used a Newmar prebuilt check list. Did find that the rear AC was broken. Dealer replaced it before I bought it. Also walked the roof to make sure everything was ok. Got a great deal on a used RV. Do your research and check everything. Been across the country from NJ to Cali and Canada to the US south. Best buy I ever made but do your homework you are spending a lot of money make an educated decision. BTW I have been part timing for 5 years in this same RV. Loving it and think I found my last RV, unless I can swap it for a decent Prevost LOL.
I purchased a used travel trailer from a local guy. It was an honest deal and I was very lucky that everything was in perfect working order. Took me a year to get the courage to pull it myself. Spent three months out in it last summer. LOVE it! For reasons I cannot explain, I saw the next size up in the same year and brand for sale on Facebook and decided to take a look. Bigger bathroom and walk around bed made my perfect for me even better. The listing was actually for a dealership. MY camper was paid for. Bought it outright in the beginning. Decided it was too much trouble to sell mine myself, so I traded it at the dealership. Long story short, I got a little less than half of what I could have sold it for myself and by the time the “magic” of dealership math, I am paying the full amount I paid for my first camper all over again (financing it)! I paid 9,990 for my first camper and the new (used)one was 10,990 from the dealer. I went in thinking I was only going to need to pay the difference but that’s not what happened. I WAS STUPID because I really wanted the bigger version of my camper. I walked away wondering how I managed to make such a big financial mistake but I was so happy to have found a second camper in great condition, that I didn’t figure it out right away. So, my point is...impulse buying a camper is a stupid thing to do for many reasons. The good news is, I love my camper and it is great working order just like my first one...ultimately I got lucky.
After camping as a kid, introduced by wife to a pull trailer (inherited) which worked well, but as we learned what was important to us and what questions were important we traded to a 32ft class C. The class C was great-started traveling greater distances-and we learned even more about what we wanted/needed. Now we are getting to know a Class A, and are loving it more with each trip! Pretty much used your tips when searching for the class C and A. Great video and I second all your suggestions!
I waited 4 years to get our fifth wheel. I did my homework as you said. wanted a bunkhouse (have a lot of people stay with us at the Iowa State fair and our grandson goes with us all the time.) but I didn't want the bunkhouse to be in a slide. So I waited, went to many rv shows (before Covid) knew what I wanted. Took my husband (Poor man lol) dragging his feet to 3 different Rv centers. Knew how much we could afford and got it. We are so very happy with our choice, thank goodness he can about fix anything that would possibly break on Blondie. Next it is retirement time in 2 to 4 years. Really enjoy your channel!
Some of the best advice given here. Is learn your RV! You must learn to fix the minor issues on your own. I'm a General contractor with 5 jobs in 5 dif states.Have worn out 4 coaches since 95. 3 of them being Liberties. no mater how much you spend all coaches have problems! You will break your self if you can't fix many of the small issues yourself. Our current coach is a 2016 Liberty with 1700000 miles on it. Can't tell you how many times I have fixed things on it. Many! We pick up our New one in June and hope to see many of you on the road as I have sold the company and will be traveling to finally see something other than the road on the way to a job site
Great tips, I would add to consider the type of travel you are planning to do. If , like us, you like to be able to go wherever whenever, a smaller RV may work better than a bigger rig with a vehicle in tow. We like to take the small rural roads where many times we had to turn around at the end of a dead end street or in a small parking area. Having a class B RV is better suited to the type of travel we like.
Be very careful selecting your inspector. We used NRVIA to find an inspector. We contacted 10 inspectors. None were available for several weeks so we used an inspector who on paper appeared competent but in the end was not. He failed to inform us about water damage in the slides. My suggestion is ask how many inspections he has done on the class of RV you are buying and get lots of references.
Hey Neil, I would get a hold of NRVIA's POC, Stephanie Henson, and let her know your issues. She works very hard to ensure the inspectors are doing what they should be doing.
Was able to trade down and receive a check for my 5th wheel to small Cougar TT, something that wouldn't have happened pre covid but due to unit shortages my dealer was glad to swap and write me a check. Same thing with my Ram dually, sold it to the dealer I bought it from after 18 months for the same price, unreal the current situation truck dealers are in.
The dreaded “B”word!! Budgeting is not a fun habit to learn, but most certainly a great lifestyle changing one! The more you manage your money, the more you money won’t manage you 😃 great video!
We did a lot right. We did the inspection and research. Our problem came when we filled out the bill of sale on the title. The seller insisted we fill it out before leaving. It should have been filled out by the bank we financed it through. 17 months later we still don’t have the title and registration for our rig. The bank is in no hurry to get it to us.
Your channel is top notch guys! Our first was a 5th wheel which my wife actually picked out and purchased while I was working out of town. We had looked for some time and I trusted her. We loved living in that rig! A tornado wiped it out some years ago. Fortunately, not a soul was injured from that twister. Anyway, GAP insurance is a really good idea. We did not have it.
Wonderful advice, particularly about getting your rig inspected. We purchased our RV in February and, although it's not quite yet on the production schedule, it's supposed to be ready sometime in July and I've already contacted 3 inspectors to see if they're available (and in the area where we purchased the RV) during that time frame. I think that it would give both me and my husband some priceless peace of mind. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
Great video. If you do own inspection make sure you have them press up the tanks(fill to capacity). Love RV shows but that one from Lazy Days drove me crazy. They would ask the folks their bottom line then almost everyone they showed was 20% higher !
I did my research over a 5 year period. Looked at a lot of floor plans and models. Visited a number of RV shows. I'm very happy with my choice. only thing it doesn't have is a washer and drier (Hahaha). Never be in a hurry!!! Stick to your budget and you'll be happier with your choice....
We didn’t want a huge 5th wheel and so we ended up with a 32’. With that size comes NO washer and drier and I really dislike laundromats. So....I went to Amazon and bought a do-it-yourself washer. It’s about the size of a laundry basket. We are leaving for a 4 month trip and I am anxious to see how it works out. I figure I will place it in the shower to drain the tub and I will hang up clothes to dry. We’ll see how it works. :)
@@kevinlucey875 I bought a portable washer (one side to wash/rinse & the other side spins) and tried it at home. I will say these things about it... 1) Don't overload it 2) Use plenty of water 3) It only takes a smudge of detergent 3) The wash side is bigger than the spin side - you will have to "split-up" the wash side to do the spin. 5) The clothes I did in it, came out clean just like from my regular washer (though I did only wash everey day worn clothes and nothing heavily soiled). Overall, I'll say I'm happy with it.
Since we're not 'full timers' our long list was to find one 'without a washer & drier) as we had no plans to use it, and didn't want to carry the additional weight. Same thing with the tv, many Class A's have a tv right up front above the dash, and we wanted to find a coach 'without' that particular tv, and waited until we found one. It had to have a Cummins, and our coach was upgraded with a residential fridge, which is nice for the room, ice & water, but it's a power hog, so we now know that wouldn't be at the top of our list of 'must have's' any more! So having a list of must have's is important, along with knowing how old the tires are, when the last maintenance was etc.
Hi you two we just got home from down south and we was at the same airport you guys were at a few of the planes had been damage and one was upside down, Tuskegee airmen memorial thanks for sharing
Your video was right on. Now that you are at 115K subscribers I see you have a full camera crew to shoot multiple angle B roll shots. Say hi to the crew. Love the footage.
We bought/ordered a brand new Tiffin 33aa this year, sight unseen. Big mistake but with the way things are right now, there were none on dealers lots to see. We sold it after one month and reordered a Phaeton. Love the Tiffin product but as you mentioned, floorplan can be a deal breaker. We are waiting on delivery of our second new 2021 coach this year! Wish we had seen your video in 2020!
Really good information. We just bought an Entegra Emblem 36H and pretty much did exactly what you're talking about. It's a little harder right now (with little to no inventory) to physically see lots of different models, but with all the reviews available on UA-cam, RVInsider, etc., we were able to narrow it down. One really important point you made is, get on the same page about budget! I tended to drift to really expensive DPs and my wife was completely happy looking at small class Cs. :)
My biggest mistake when i bought my first RV was not checking around at different dealers for their price. I bought locally thinking that i got deal, however i could have saved 5-10 thousand dollars just by driving a few hrs away. Shop around and dont fall for pressure to buy something just because it sounds like a good deal. I would drive to the other side of the country to save big $$$. hope this helps.
We’re in exactly the same place! Add to that the fact we now have our first grandchild arriving in June and there is no way we were going to start traveling this year.
We recently bought a used (2016) TT. Very happy so far. It was definitely so much cheaper than a new one. It only needed tires and a TPMS. Everything else was sold to us along with it! We did a lot of research and we are happy. But I do have my eye on a new one for later. It’s just so expensive...!
I owned a 1500 truck and bought a lighter trailer than the one I really wanted because of weight. Two months later, I bought a 2500 diesel truck and immediately wished I had bought the heavier trailer.
Just like buying a car, don't be afraid to walk away if it doesn't feel right, or if you are feeling pressured. Don't let anyone rush you into it, and don't fall for the "We have other offers" - if it's right for you, it's right. You may have to wait a little bit longer that way, but in the end you will be far more satisfied with your purchase and have far less buyers remorse possibilities.
Our first RV was a 2016 Leisure Travel Vans Unity Murphy Bed, a class B+. We ordered it and waited 10 months for it to be built and delivered. I don't think we made any mistakes with that purchase. Leisure Travel Vans builds a quality product, and if you want a new one, you're going to pay a premium for it and wait many months for them to build it. Most dealers won't offer any discounts on them, but our dealer was a Vietnam vet and was a big fan of the military. He gave us a 10% military discount. Our second RV, our 2018 Tiffin Allegro RED 33AA, is where I feel we could have done better. We did our research and decided that Tiffin's reputation for quality and customer service after the sale was very similar to what we experienced with Leisure Travel Vans. We couldn't find a used Tiffin from our local dealer before someone from out of state would purchase it sight unseen, so we decided we had to go with a new one. The mistake we made was not haggling with the dealer. He gave us an offer for our Leisure Travel Vans and quoted us a price for the Tiffin built to our specifications, and instead of negotiating, we accepted it. I think we could have saved a few thousand dollars off the price by negotiating. Still, like you, we love our Tiffin. We ordered it in early 2017 and took delivery eight months later. She has been a wonderful home on wheels for us. I paid attention to the many camera angles you used in this video. I can't imagine how much work it takes to produce one of your videos, but Barbara and I can't wait to watch your new one every week.
Great info for new buyers Phil and Stacy. My sister and bnl have the bug. (Have had for a while) Gonna recommend your video. Thanks for all your hard work, Gator
Like you, we made a list which we broke down into "Musts" (Go/No Go items) and "Wants" (which we weighted on a scale of 1 - 10). It must have worked because we've had the same RV for 19 years and it is the only one we will ever own - we just love it too much!
Previously Owned RV = Always Necessary to See it yourself, Inspect it & remember SMELL TEST before PAYING! We were very fortunate when purchased our 1st TT. After that, we made our lists, His & Hers lists. Then we purchased our 1st TT. Over a couple of years, we realize our "WANTS" changed. We made our lists again after knowing more from our Travels. Yes, we purchased another New TT which included the trade. SHORTLY, approximately 1 yr. later... WE KNEW then what we wanted! A Toyhauler! The point of OUR story is, Life Changes, Needs & Wants Changes, Travels and The LOVE of RVing Changes. Be prepared to Change and ENJOY LIFE! Happy Travels!!! Thank you Stacy and Phil. FYI: Less Expensive is a much nicer phrase than "cheaper" RVing is NOT ALWAYS CHEAP. 😁
Really good points. We are blessed that Todd can fix anything and he has. We bought a 2015 travel trailer. Haven't had many problems but he's been able to fix them all. He even had to fix a leak in the shower pan. I think that was our biggest fix so far. I agree if you aren't a handy man get it inspected!
I attended NRVTA in Texas, great place with great people. We are hoping to take of business Cross Country RV Tech and Solar on the road and be full-time by the end of 2021....
I found the perfect RV for this point in my life. Thanks for the information on researching for the next one. I am considering going through the same class that you went through. It never hurts to be more educated.
Well DONE! Thanks MUCH as I wish all had seen this before I bought my first Class C; as you stated, the lack of knowledge on my part became very obvious, and I sold it a year later as not the right RV for me... Again, thanks MUCH for the share and video! All the BEST to BOTH of you and Cheers from PNWEst! :0
Agree with your steps for buying. I would add that for us, we decided diesel over gas even before deciding on a floor plan. We also paid for the fluid samples in the inspection. Money well spent. Dealership fixed all the things found in the inspection before we signed on the dotted line. Love our Tiffin and being able to go to Red Bay for any work or extras.
We just did a video on this too, LOL. We think an RV inspection is very important! We wound up getting 2 RV inspections before we ever hit the road. The first RV inspection revealed that the RV was a lemon, so we kept looking and the second RV inspection revealed we had a good RV! It was money well spent. You get your sticks and bricks inspected, why not an RV, especially if you are going to be living in it. Thanks for sharing! ~ Shion and Matthew
Inspection - Inspection - Glad my husband is now a Certified RV Technician and can do the Inspections on RV's especially the new one we are still waiting on.....
We thought we were well informed but realized we weren’t, but with that said we got lucky and the rv we bought used was very well taken care of and in prestine condition . Luck was on our side. We did check for leaks in cabinets etc but didn’t think to check if air, furnace or heat pump or anything worked. But they all did and we were very lucky we realized later how dumb we were and could have gotten a lemon.
OK..... I'm not sure who is doing the editing on your videos,,,, BUT they need a raise. What every you are paying them pay'm more. Really nice job. Another good video guys.
We also had a budget and yet we weren’t on the same page for a floor plan. However my dear wife saw that we needed to go bigger without busting the budget. We have had our motor home for nearly 10 years now and we’ve been very happy.
Looks like we went the same path. I work still :-( and real office space was necessary. Obviously many other points, but we got that list done and budget set and our 2008 Holiday Rambler Ambassador we found checked almost all the boxes. A very little over the budget but nothing to worry about. I think THE LIST makes all the difference in the world. Have a great day :-) Norm
thank you ... I have my eye on an rv for awhile now ... its the perfect layout for our needs but has been at the lot over the year ... I think because of the price ... but I want to have it inspected ... now I know where to find an inspector ... Thanks!
I think we got very lucky. We bought our first travel trailer from family. Before we committed they set it up for us in a state park campsite we lived in it for a week, learned what we needed to repair, and at the end of the week told them we wanted it. That was 2 1/2 years ago we have since made mods to the floor plan and have a better idea of what we want for our next RV in about 3 yrs.
Thanks for a general price on that. We have a campervan but are about ready to change over to an RV and wondered what all we would need and how much $ it would be.
Excellent video! You didn't mention RV Dealerships. Where you buy it can make a big difference also. Some RV dealers are like used car dealers...take your money and zero support. Others provide incredible support that goes on for years. One I love provides 5 years road side assistance, videos on how to use almost everything in the RV & how to troubleshoot problems, plus a 24/7 phone number to the dealer for help when you need it with a 'living' person who works at the dealer (not a call center in some far away land) to help you.
Our RV dealership was quick to take our money but HORRIBLE with service. Their time frame for simple fixes was unreasonable and so we do not use them. So....if we ever buy new again, SERVICE will be just as important as the quality of the RV.
Ok all we been following shortly after you all started and settled on a size range for our next rig between 36’ to 40’. Not rushing in to buy because the pricing is inflated but steadily looking. Well a 45, rig fell into our laps hits 95 percent of our list must haves except length, from yours or anyone’s experience will the extra 5 ft make or limit us that much in our travels ? Enjoy your channel enjoy the military banter, but mostly the good advice, thanks Aim High Retired Air Force.
Thanks for sticking with us Bob and thanks for your service. We have heard that some State and National Parks have shorter sites, but we have not had an issue (although we are only 35ish in length). When you book a site online, it will say the length to know if you will fit. Sometimes, you may have to call.
We went to look at some class C’s at a dealer after a show here in Florida a few months ago. We were looking at C’s, and across the lot was my perfect rig a 2021 Jayco Seneca, they were a little pushy and I saw minor issues I wanted fixed before we bought it. They said no all that would be done after we bought it by warranty. I thought about it overnight as we were going the next day to test drive it. I had a really intense bad feeling about the rig. I called and cancelled the test drive. My husband had the same feeling too. We walked away from it, it is actually still for sale at the dealer. I was able to find the new 2021 Seneca Prestige 37K for a great price that had just finished being built. Waiting on delivery, no propane which is a plus for us traveling with birds and a dog. The price was so good I didn’t feel I had to haggle. I will get an independent inspection done, so worth the money. I feel we passed on the first one to get something better.
Hi. I was wondering should you have a brand new Motorhome from the factory inspected before you sign on the dotted line? I am concerned with the business relationship I will have with the RV Dealer if I choose to have the rig inspected.
Yes, it is. The dealer may waffle at the idea, but it is YOUR money. Don't let them tell you they inspected it....of course they will say it is good to go. If they won't let an inspector come in.....I'd be nervous they are hiding something and walk away. In fact, we had ours inspected at a dealer and they said we didn't need it.....but we did anyway.
We bought a used older Holiday Rambler 38ft class A . We got it very cheap and I updated all of the mechanical and gutted the interior and updated everything. We don't owe anything on it and now i am waiting on my wife to get off from work.
Having a list of needs is key. There are lists online, easy to customize. Remember there is no perfect RV. Figure out what you're willing to compromise on.
Not sure it was a mistake but maybe don't buy the rig for a season. We bought a Class C for an epic trip from FL to AK. It was perfect for that trip and I wouldn't change that. Now that we are back in FL it does not fit our "weekend warrior" needs.
Our mistakes: travel trailer was too heavy for our tow vehicle - within the manufacturer’s recommendation but couldn’t pull it over hills or small mountains at speeds greater than 45 mph; Class C purchase mistake was getting an extended warranty - deal was that if extended warranty was unused after five years we would get our $5k back - firm went out of business and dealer did not honor commitment (lost our $5K); Class A purchase mistake - paying extra for leather furniture only to find out the leather was really leatherette (vinyl) and the thermal pain windows were not dual pane, just one pane labeled as “thermal” glass. Do your due diligence, question everything and get it in writing. In spite of the above we have made many cherished memories on our adventures. Best of luck!!
Bought our first travel trailer and had almost the same “bad” experience Found after the fact that the roof had a huge rotten spot! Couple grand to fix that, then a few years of trouble free camping, and then I started to wonder why a large rusty bolt was hanging down from the under the front corner of the frame. Long story short, I pulled the entire front of the structure off, down to the frame and back in to the interior about 4’ I was able to save the exterior, and what I couldn’t, replaced with diamond plate. Then another year of trouble free camping. And just like the Gals bad story, sold it on craigslist in 4hours! Full price 😎 (yes with full disclosure and pictures of the repair) All is well that ends well Steven
When researching a manufacturer, join the owner's forum at FaceBook, irv2, and other places. You will see if there are problems with warranty work, poor quality, or other things by all the post about it. An example. What I noticed on the Newmar forum was most of the things posted were on 10+ yr. old RVs where a different manufacturer owner's form had lots of them on new and newer units. Red flag!
I just want a travel trailer. I had a keystone sprinter in the past. My biggest mistake was buying a rig over 30 feet. It will limit where you can go. If you want to dry camp in state parks and national parks. I suggest under 30 feet. I want a dodge Ram to pull my trailer and I want to keep a house and have a place to come home too. I think I’ll get a Cougar under 30 feet. Keystone cougars are well built. My last keystone last 14 years and left our family looking great. No leaks. It was well taken care of and it lasted. It’s a bunk house so another family with kids can enjoy it as much as we did.
I spent two years researching, and within our budget, we found an older Tiffin or Newmar where the two choices we would look seriously at. We watched RV Trader for quite some time, but most Class A's in the 37' size (one of our have to have's) the pricing was higher than we wanted to put out, so we remained patient. We found we'd have to get one with a few more miles on it to get into our price range, but the problem was 'size' in that as soon as we'd see a 37' it was gone, and we wanted one knowing it would fit in our driveway, and we wouldn't need storage. With RV Trader, we found we could add many of the options we wanted, the make/model etc., and they would contact us as they became available. It worked out that one did come up, was in our price range, but was in Pheonix (we're in southwestern Canada) so we asked a LOT of questions, and the owner sent us many photo's, explained that he had every receipt they had ever put into the motorhome (which they did, as it was a private sale) and they where also willing to sell us their 'towed' (2014 Honda CRV) for a great price, which included the Roadmaster tow setup, and Air Force One braking in the SUV. Also, there was a hydraulic motorcycle lift attached to the Phaeton, which wasn't really needed, but I ended up taking it off and selling it for a good $$. Knowing we'd have a month of usage, prior to getting there, we packed our bags, with everything from sheets, to knives and forks and more....before flying down to do a 'check it out' completely before paying for it. We took it for a drive, both my wife and I drove it, the owner explained everything (most went over our head of course, as it was too much too quick) so we left in the afternoon, got to Quartzite as it was getting dark, and didn't even know how to put the lights on! We eventually found the switch of course, and it's now been 3 happy years thankfully. I just washed the roof, waxed the roof, and she's ready for the road!
Learned that time is your friend, not the enemy. What I mean is that take your time to research, I took probably close to 18 months looking, watching UA-cam videos, reading RV sites like RV -Dreams. Early on I decided I wanted to be able to disconnect from my “home” as a full timer. It provided me with the peace of mind that if something happened to the tow vehicle, we still had a place to stay while it was getting repaired. At this point of our journey, 3.5 yrs in, I don’t see the need or desire to change what we decided on. Have we had issues, absolutely. But you can have a sticks and brick and have mega issues. 5 months prior to going full time, we got hit with a $17,500 bill for our roof. Patience and flexibility can be your friend on anything you end up buying.
Thank you. I was going to purchase a Sprinter Van and people told me to buy an RV instead. After researching, I think I will stick with the sprinter van as a solo person
Great tips! As we were interested in Airstreams, we found campgrounds with setup Airstreams available for reservation. That helped us feel comfortable about moving forward with a no slide unit.
I never experienced RV world I watched you guys back in 2019 I was searching for RV and how does it work til you amazing couple made me love to try it.. also thank you for helping me in my English vocabulary I’m still learning English is my second language and I love your accent, thank you guys a lot and God bless you 💓🥰
Covid gave us an opportunity to sell our trailer for what we owed on it! For our new RV, we found the make, model, and layout that we wanted last year, but due to the covid-enhanced demand, we could not find one anywhere close by. We had one on order with our local dealer, but orders were delayed and not expected to be fulfilled for months. Finally I found one in Pennsylvania (we're in So California, so as far away as it could be!). It was actually $2000 less brand new than the one we had on order. So we loaded up our truck and headed out for a fast 4-day journey cross-country to purchase it from the dealer there. Hotels on the way, camped our way back. The $2k savings on the unit basically funded the cost of the trip. As of today (7 months later) the unit we would have ordered still has never come into stock. So we know we made the right choice! We got to see a lot of the country on the way there and back. It was actually a fun and special trip!
Great success story. The stars were aligned for you guys for sure! That's wonderful! May you continue to have many more special trips.
We live in Montana and are purchasing our 5th Wheel from Indiana. It’s very close to the factory where it’s being built. It’s over $4;000 less expensive. Even with the drive over and back, the difference has covered the cost of the hitch, the drive over and back, the solar with a second panel and a few other accessories. 😃 It should be ready in 2-4 weeks!! Can’t wait!! 🤩 I enjoy watching your adventures! ❤️
Glad it worked out for you! Sometimes you need to go with your gut and hop in the truck and make it happen!
@@carolwylie1176 I love to hear these kinds of happy stories. Good for you! Enjoy!!!
Thanks for sharing your fun and helpful story! We’re debating driving to Indiana from Idaho to do the same.
My whole life owning dumpy RVs I wanted to have a brand new one just once. Well we did it in 2007 and it was a mistake. I spent a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of negotiations with the manufacturer for almost 2 years. I finally wore down the dealer and the manufacturer and ended up with a cash reimbursement for my expenses. If I ever had to do this again I would recommend to buy a coach that was two years or three years old. And somebody else has probably already made the repairs and suffered the pain. I have to admit I still have my 2007 Monaco because it’s exactly the coach that I’ve always wanted and I made it what it is today. Thomyt
My first RV was a 2000 Coachman Sunseeker which I purchased in about 2006. The first year or so was great but the third year we blew a tire on I-90 on a super hot Memorial Day with lots of traffic. Luckily we got help replacing the inside driver side tire. The next year another one pealed the outside rubber from another rear tire. That was on July 4 weekend. Another slow crawl home. I learned that tires last only 6 or so years so now I change them before they dry rot and cause blowouts.
We made the mistake 5 years ago of buying a used class A from Camping World without having a qualified inspector look at it. After we got it home, we found out that the toilet flush valve would stick open. So we decided to replace the toilet. When we did that, we found that the bathroom floor had been badly damaged (spongy) from the previous toilet overflows when the prior owner had it. Needless to say, when we were looking for a newer class A a couple months ago, we had someone inspect the newer class A (Texas Best RV Inspections), including all fluids. It was well worth the cost as he found several items that we likely wouldn't have found if we had inspected it ourselves. We had the dealer repair most of the items and we were happy with the purchase, sight unseen.
We did our homework and narrowed down our choices to 3 manufacturers of class A motorhomes. We bought a used 2014 Newmar Mountain Aire from a Newmar Dealer in Florida. We had it inspected by a NRVIA inspector and purchased a warranty through a company that highly advertises in RV trade magazines and was highly recommended. The report came back positive and unit was purchased. The day after purchasing the unit we drove 150 miles to take driving lessons. Upon arrival we noticed the odometer had not changed from the time we purchased it. The first day of training the engine light went on. The issue was determined to be the ICU in the dashboard that communicates with the ECM on the engine. The ICU was inoperable. The engine light was caused by a defective NOX sensor. Long story short... The dealer refused to do anything regarding these issues and the warranty company dropped us even though it was an inspector they recommended and we reported the problem as soon as we noticed it. Sometimes, even though you do everything correct issues can still arise. If we had it to do over we would have done a LOT more research on the dealership and warranty company! We have found it to be very challenging to find reputable repair facilities but through our experiences we have received excellent help, advice, and repairs from Freightliner 24/7 line, Silverleaf, OASIS/ITR and Dometic.
I bought ours brand spanking new...so being that it was our first travel trailer, I trusted that the dealer would take care of the punch list, not so much, ended up taking 7 months to get everything repaired. My number 1 advice to give to new buyers, take your time, trust no one, and every single item you want fixed/adjusted/repaired, get it written down on the "we owe" sheet, and get a copy for yourself (my punch list disappeared from their system). Hopefully you won't have the pain in the neck I've had... On the bright side she's all ready to go and as soon as the Mrs. finishes her college classes for the summer we're taking off!!!
I bought mine from a private party that was 1200 miles away. We had searched and did our homework for a year and a half before we actually started looking for the right rig. It took a couple of months before the right one showed up. With conversations and pictures going back and forth we agreed to buy it pending the inspection by a certified inspector. He found a few things but none of them deal breakers. He even did a video walk through with us after his inspection. We got a great deal and were very happy with the seller and the RV.
We purchased an older (06) high end diesel pusher from an individual with a history of maintenance and service 18 months out and we are still happy. Very happy.
Wise advise!! As for the two young ladies purchasing a trailer site unseen is a big no.no!!! Sounds to me like that trailer flooded from a bad storm, the dealer did a basic clean up, and sold it to the first person he could scam. A big warning to anyone buying an RV, make sure the RV wasn't a recovered RV from a weather related issue.
I picked up a 91 Montara for 1000$US. Everything in the "house" section needs to be replaced. But all of the bones and drive line are good. For me it's perfect as I would want to 'make it mine' and modify it anyway.
Loved the video. Very informative. When watching the video, all I could think of was what kind of dealership would sell a unit with this much damage without full disclosure. Sad for such a prominent dealership in the state. The older I get the more I say integrity is everything. Thanks again.
It's very sad that they didn't disclose it and opted to show us video that didn't include areas with damage. We were the fools to believe everything we saw in pictures and videos emailed to us were good quality or at least something we could tackle as a project. I would never buy an RV site-unseen again. We learned our lesson. 💜 Angie
It was a private seller. But there are dealers out there just as shady.
The purchase of the Jayco 1999 Eagle was at a dealership called Paul Sherry RVs in Piqua, Ohio. On the other hand the Jayco we have now was purchased at Southern Rvs in Deland Florida & they were outstanding. They sent video & pictures of all the repairs, they did 3 full walked throughs, they included the weight distribution system and they checked up on us for 3 weeks by email & text.
Family owned & operated, Scott the head tech is a master craftsman.
Lou
@@EatSleepRVRepeat I'm glad you were able to get a great rig to enjoy your travels. 😊
@@cherylspiel3864 Thank you Cheryl. We renovated it and made it our own. We have to say, we are in love with our tiny home.
Lou
Good video thanks for sharing boy you are right have a budget stick to it. When we were out looking seems like the salesman wanted to sell us more than we need, want it. Didn't think too much about our budget. Saying you can stretch your payments out. Had a little inheritance money wanted to pay cash or half down. We look out got a one-year pre-owned got a good deal.
I bought a TT from a friend because she needed the money. She did tell me that part of the floor needed to be replaced which I was fine with that. But what she didn't tell me was the roof was shot. I ended up parting it out and was able to get my money back and then some to buy my first 5th wheel with a slide out. It's now a few years later and with all the helpful tips and a lot of research from you guys and a few other full time rvers I follow. I'm now a proud owner of a GD Reflection 150 260RD.
Glad it all worked out!
My mistake was going cheap on my first RV and realizing I made a mistake by not buying what I wanted first. Spend the money within your budget and buy the best RV for that money you can. Sometimes an older higher quality rig is a much better deal than the newly slapped together, cardboard cabinet rig with blue LED's lighting things up.
Our first RV was a Tiffin turned out to be a lemon Tiffin stood behind their name and took it back upgraded us to the next size up no problem. Now we love our new RV. We rented a class A pusher to see the floor plan we wanted I would suggest that to any first time buyer.
HI. We have owned all kinds of RV's over the years. 3 5th wheels, an Airstream, and a small couples Coachmen bumper pull. Our first was a HUGE 1984 triple axle 5th wheel that we pulled out of the woods and renovated. It was a blast and a great learning experience. Then we had a brand new Chaparral 5th wheel that was perfect for us and a tornado took her from us in 2011. Needless to say we have a lot of experience with buying and using RV's. That being said, I had always wanted a class B RV through it all and when we decided this last time to make another RV purchase I developed a case of tunnel vision. I was dead set on a class B. We shopped and looked at several and finally settled on a 2020 Gemini with the Ford chassis. "Turtle" would have been perfect, except that now that we are older, the camper was not conducive to our age, but my tunnel vision didn't let me see that until it was too late. The Gemini RV and others like them are very nice and built more for an much younger crowd, in our opinion. We are also 100% disabled and the tight space in the bathroom and high set bed in the camper was difficult for us to use. Fortunately, after I wrote an email to Thor, they reached out to a local dealer here in town and helped us trade in, without bearing the cost of depreciation for a much more comfortable 2019, (still new) Cougar 5th wheel. I guess the point here is, even though you may have experience with RV's, make sure that your desire keeps up with your age and health limitations before you sign the paperwork. If it weren't for Thor, we would've been stuck with a camper that we couldn't use.
Glad it worked out for you!
We bought a TT TH and in less than a year we knew what really wanted. I googled my wish list and it came up with 1 trailer that's not made anymore. We found a used 1 about 120 miles away. It was 1 year old. We are now the proud owners of a 2018 Wildcat 29RKP. We've had people ask us to let them know if we're ever going to sell it. What was most important to us was a patio, self leveling, 5er, full length bed, and rear kitchen. Happy trails!
A video walk through of an RV is no substitute for a personal inspection. I've looked at several RVs in my life, and finally bought one, but pictures don't show anywhere the amount of detail you will see in person. I know it's a hassle to go look at an RV but it's still cheaper than getting one like the women in the video. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
We agree!
We researched for over 3 years, decided on a Tiffin Valano 5th wheel. We felt it was very well made, beautiful interior white cabinets etc. Did not buy used, too many things that could be hidden problems. One manufacturer cupboards would fall off in your hand when you opened the door! We saw this problem over and over again. We bought from Explorer USA in Seguin, Texas gave us a very good price. Thank goodness we bought when we did! High demand has made prices go up. This will be our second summer in it, haven’t found any problems yet. Highly recommend Tiffin😀
Tiffin does make a great RV...but are not free from issues. Glad yours has worked for you.
We made many mistakes when we bought our 5th wheel. It came with the In-Commend unit and it has been nothing but trouble. Make sure that you inspect the roof for any damages. We went to a well-known RV dealer and we thought we had checked the important stuff. We ended up spending close to $3,000 to fix some things. We ended up dropping the belly and found wires broken and hanking all over. They had sprayed foam over the wires. Our RV is a Cougar 25RES 2019. I have taken out the In-Command unit and installing switches. We all so stripped the couch and table and put two recliners and a small table with two chairs. We didn't like the L-shape counter, so we put in a straight counter with more space and I made the countertop out of Resin. We also pulled the stove out and put in a big hot plate, since we cook outside most of the time. I just put in a 3000-watt converter and 6 Lithium Batteries and two 400 watt solar panels, so we can go places we could go before. Yes, we have put $15,000 into it, but we love it. Do have someone inspect what you get and we will the next time and ours was new. I enjoy all the information that you put on the video. Thank You!!
Glad it all worked out for you.
Good info. I spent 2 years looking for the right RV. Lots of reading, UA-cam videos and RV shows. At the end it was Tiffin and Newmar. Spent a couple of month looking at Tiffins and they which was older just wasn’t up to the build of Newmars for me. Then spent a year looking for a lightly used one. The first was just not up to my standards after a 3 hour review. Then found a lightly used 6 month old Newmar with 1300 miles. Spent 6 hours inspecting it. Checked everything at least twice. Used a Newmar prebuilt check list. Did find that the rear AC was broken. Dealer replaced it before I bought it. Also walked the roof to make sure everything was ok. Got a great deal on a used RV. Do your research and check everything. Been across the country from NJ to Cali and Canada to the US south. Best buy I ever made but do your homework you are spending a lot of money make an educated decision. BTW I have been part timing for 5 years in this same RV. Loving it and think I found my last RV, unless I can swap it for a decent Prevost LOL.
We all want to swap it with a decent Prevost....LOL
An RV inspection is so important and it doesn't matter if it is new or used. And, NRVIA does a great job helping consumers to find an RV.
I purchased a used travel trailer from a local guy. It was an honest deal and I was very lucky that everything was in perfect working order. Took me a year to get the courage to pull it myself. Spent three months out in it last summer. LOVE it! For reasons I cannot explain, I saw the next size up in the same year and brand for sale on Facebook and decided to take a look. Bigger bathroom and walk around bed made my perfect for me even better. The listing was actually for a dealership. MY camper was paid for. Bought it outright in the beginning. Decided it was too much trouble to sell mine myself, so I traded it at the dealership. Long story short, I got a little less than half of what I could have sold it for myself and by the time the “magic” of dealership math, I am paying the full amount I paid for my first camper all over again (financing it)! I paid 9,990 for my first camper and the new (used)one was 10,990 from the dealer. I went in thinking I was only going to need to pay the difference but that’s not what happened. I WAS STUPID because I really wanted the bigger version of my camper. I walked away wondering how I managed to make such a big financial mistake but I was so happy to have found a second camper in great condition, that I didn’t figure it out right away. So, my point is...impulse buying a camper is a stupid thing to do for many reasons. The good news is, I love my camper and it is great working order just like my first one...ultimately I got lucky.
Great story with a happy ending! Glad it worked out.
After camping as a kid, introduced by wife to a pull trailer (inherited) which worked well, but as we learned what was important to us and what questions were important we traded to a 32ft class C. The class C was great-started traveling greater distances-and we learned even more about what we wanted/needed. Now we are getting to know a Class A, and are loving it more with each trip! Pretty much used your tips when searching for the class C and A. Great video and I second all your suggestions!
I waited 4 years to get our fifth wheel. I did my homework as you said. wanted a bunkhouse (have a lot of people stay with us at the Iowa State fair and our grandson goes with us all the time.) but I didn't want the bunkhouse to be in a slide. So I waited, went to many rv shows (before Covid) knew what I wanted. Took my husband (Poor man lol) dragging his feet to 3 different Rv centers. Knew how much we could afford and got it. We are so very happy with our choice, thank goodness he can about fix anything that would possibly break on Blondie. Next it is retirement time in 2 to 4 years. Really enjoy your channel!
It pays to research and know what you want.
Some of the best advice given here. Is learn your RV! You must learn to fix the minor issues on your own. I'm a General contractor with 5 jobs in 5 dif states.Have worn out 4 coaches since 95. 3 of them being Liberties. no mater how much you spend all coaches have problems! You will break your self if you can't fix many of the small issues yourself. Our current coach is a 2016 Liberty with 1700000 miles on it. Can't tell you how many times I have fixed things on it. Many! We pick up our New one in June and hope to see many of you on the road as I have sold the company and will be traveling to finally see something other than the road on the way to a job site
Sorry 170000
Great advice!
Great tips, I would add to consider the type of travel you are planning to do. If , like us, you like to be able to go wherever whenever, a smaller RV may work better than a bigger rig with a vehicle in tow. We like to take the small rural roads where many times we had to turn around at the end of a dead end street or in a small parking area. Having a class B RV is better suited to the type of travel we like.
Be very careful selecting your inspector. We used NRVIA to find an inspector. We contacted 10 inspectors. None were available for several weeks so we used an inspector who on paper appeared competent but in the end was not. He failed to inform us about water damage in the slides. My suggestion is ask how many inspections he has done on the class of RV you are buying and get lots of references.
Hey Neil, I would get a hold of NRVIA's POC, Stephanie Henson, and let her know your issues. She works very hard to ensure the inspectors are doing what they should be doing.
@@todayissomeday Thank you very much for the advice! Very considerate of you.
You, Me & the RV where does she reside? im planing to buy one in houston, tx
Was able to trade down and receive a check for my 5th wheel to small Cougar TT, something that wouldn't have happened pre covid but due to unit shortages my dealer was glad to swap and write me a check. Same thing with my Ram dually, sold it to the dealer I bought it from after 18 months for the same price, unreal the current situation truck dealers are in.
The dreaded “B”word!! Budgeting is not a fun habit to learn, but most certainly a great lifestyle changing one! The more you manage your money, the more you money won’t manage you 😃 great video!
So true!
We did a lot right. We did the inspection and research. Our problem came when we filled out the bill of sale on the title. The seller insisted we fill it out before leaving. It should have been filled out by the bank we financed it through. 17 months later we still don’t have the title and registration for our rig. The bank is in no hurry to get it to us.
WOW!
Your channel is top notch guys! Our first was a 5th wheel which my wife actually picked out and purchased while I was working out of town. We had looked for some time and I trusted her. We loved living in that rig! A tornado wiped it out some years ago. Fortunately, not a soul was injured from that twister. Anyway, GAP insurance is a really good idea. We did not have it.
Great advice, Tim.
Wonderful advice, particularly about getting your rig inspected. We purchased our RV in February and, although it's not quite yet on the production schedule, it's supposed to be ready sometime in July and I've already contacted 3 inspectors to see if they're available (and in the area where we purchased the RV) during that time frame. I think that it would give both me and my husband some priceless peace of mind. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
Good info Phil and Stacy! This is must see tv for those buying a RV .
Danny and Lynn
Thank you!
A good inforative video. I am still in the dream stage.
Great video. If you do own inspection make sure you have them press up the tanks(fill to capacity). Love RV shows but that one from Lazy Days drove me crazy. They would ask the folks their bottom line then almost everyone they showed was 20% higher !
Thanks for the tip!
I did my research over a 5 year period. Looked at a lot of floor plans and models. Visited a number of RV shows. I'm very happy with my choice. only thing it doesn't have is a washer and drier (Hahaha). Never be in a hurry!!! Stick to your budget and you'll be happier with your choice....
We didn’t want a huge 5th wheel and so we ended up with a 32’. With that size comes NO washer and drier and I really dislike laundromats. So....I went to Amazon and bought a do-it-yourself washer. It’s about the size of a laundry basket. We are leaving for a 4 month trip and I am anxious to see how it works out. I figure I will place it in the shower to drain the tub and I will hang up clothes to dry. We’ll see how it works. :)
@@kathykeene2092 Would really like to know how it works out for you. Looked at some on Amazon too. Just waiting to see how others feel about them.
@@kevinlucey875 I bought a portable washer (one side to wash/rinse & the other side spins) and tried it at home. I will say these things about it... 1) Don't overload it 2) Use plenty of water 3) It only takes a smudge of detergent 3) The wash side is bigger than the spin side - you will have to "split-up" the wash side to do the spin. 5) The clothes I did in it, came out clean just like from my regular washer (though I did only wash everey day worn clothes and nothing heavily soiled). Overall, I'll say I'm happy with it.
Since we're not 'full timers' our long list was to find one 'without a washer & drier) as we had no plans to use it, and didn't want to carry the additional weight. Same thing with the tv, many Class A's have a tv right up front above the dash, and we wanted to find a coach 'without' that particular tv, and waited until we found one. It had to have a Cummins, and our coach was upgraded with a residential fridge, which is nice for the room, ice & water, but it's a power hog, so we now know that wouldn't be at the top of our list of 'must have's' any more! So having a list of must have's is important, along with knowing how old the tires are, when the last maintenance was etc.
Hi you two we just got home from down south and we was at the same airport you guys were at a few of the planes had been damage and one was upside down, Tuskegee airmen memorial thanks for sharing
Oh wow! It was a nice memorial for sure.
Your video was right on. Now that you are at 115K subscribers I see you have a full camera crew to shoot multiple angle B roll shots. Say hi to the crew. Love the footage.
You are funny, Jim! We WISH we had a camera crew! It is just Stacy being creative with the camera.
We bought/ordered a brand new Tiffin 33aa this year, sight unseen. Big mistake but with the way things are right now, there were none on dealers lots to see. We sold it after one month and reordered a Phaeton. Love the Tiffin product but as you mentioned, floorplan can be a deal breaker. We are waiting on delivery of our second new 2021 coach this year! Wish we had seen your video in 2020!
Wow. Glad it all worked out and you are still in a Tiffin!
Really good information. We just bought an Entegra Emblem 36H and pretty much did exactly what you're talking about. It's a little harder right now (with little to no inventory) to physically see lots of different models, but with all the reviews available on UA-cam, RVInsider, etc., we were able to narrow it down. One really important point you made is, get on the same page about budget! I tended to drift to really expensive DPs and my wife was completely happy looking at small class Cs. :)
My biggest mistake when i bought my first RV was not checking around at different dealers for their price. I bought locally thinking that i got deal, however i could have saved 5-10 thousand dollars just by driving a few hrs away. Shop around and dont fall for pressure to buy something just because it sounds like a good deal. I would drive to the other side of the country to save big $$$. hope this helps.
We SO BADLY wanted to purchase our first RV this Spring. But with today's supply and demand, we are gonna wait another year.
Good choice. The used RV market is bound to explode in the next year or so.
We think so too!!
Smart Move!
Same here. Waiting 2 to 3 years.
We’re in exactly the same place! Add to that the fact we now have our first grandchild arriving in June and there is no way we were going to start traveling this year.
We recently bought a used (2016) TT. Very happy so far. It was definitely so much cheaper than a new one. It only needed tires and a TPMS. Everything else was sold to us along with it! We did a lot of research and we are happy. But I do have my eye on a new one for later. It’s just so expensive...!
I owned a 1500 truck and bought a lighter trailer than the one I really wanted because of weight. Two months later, I bought a 2500 diesel truck and immediately wished I had bought the heavier trailer.
Just like buying a car, don't be afraid to walk away if it doesn't feel right, or if you are feeling pressured. Don't let anyone rush you into it, and don't fall for the "We have other offers" - if it's right for you, it's right. You may have to wait a little bit longer that way, but in the end you will be far more satisfied with your purchase and have far less buyers remorse possibilities.
Our first RV was a 2016 Leisure Travel Vans Unity Murphy Bed, a class B+. We ordered it and waited 10 months for it to be built and delivered. I don't think we made any mistakes with that purchase. Leisure Travel Vans builds a quality product, and if you want a new one, you're going to pay a premium for it and wait many months for them to build it. Most dealers won't offer any discounts on them, but our dealer was a Vietnam vet and was a big fan of the military. He gave us a 10% military discount.
Our second RV, our 2018 Tiffin Allegro RED 33AA, is where I feel we could have done better. We did our research and decided that Tiffin's reputation for quality and customer service after the sale was very similar to what we experienced with Leisure Travel Vans. We couldn't find a used Tiffin from our local dealer before someone from out of state would purchase it sight unseen, so we decided we had to go with a new one. The mistake we made was not haggling with the dealer. He gave us an offer for our Leisure Travel Vans and quoted us a price for the Tiffin built to our specifications, and instead of negotiating, we accepted it. I think we could have saved a few thousand dollars off the price by negotiating.
Still, like you, we love our Tiffin. We ordered it in early 2017 and took delivery eight months later. She has been a wonderful home on wheels for us.
I paid attention to the many camera angles you used in this video. I can't imagine how much work it takes to produce one of your videos, but Barbara and I can't wait to watch your new one every week.
Glad it worked out for you. Stacy really appreciates the feedback on the editing.....she works really hard to tell the story!!!
@@todayissomeday it shows! If we didn't know she was a nurse practitioner, we'd guess she were a professional videographer!
Great info for new buyers Phil and Stacy. My sister and bnl have the bug. (Have had for a while) Gonna recommend your video. Thanks for all your hard work, Gator
Awesome, thank you!
Like you, we made a list which we broke down into "Musts" (Go/No Go items) and "Wants" (which we weighted on a scale of 1 - 10). It must have worked because we've had the same RV for 19 years and it is the only one we will ever own - we just love it too much!
Previously Owned RV = Always Necessary to See it yourself, Inspect it & remember SMELL TEST before PAYING! We were very fortunate when purchased our 1st TT. After that, we made our lists, His & Hers lists. Then we purchased our 1st TT. Over a couple of years, we realize our "WANTS" changed. We made our lists again after knowing more from our Travels. Yes, we purchased another New TT which included the trade. SHORTLY, approximately 1 yr. later... WE KNEW then what we wanted! A Toyhauler! The point of OUR story is, Life Changes, Needs & Wants Changes, Travels and The LOVE of RVing Changes. Be prepared to Change and ENJOY LIFE! Happy Travels!!! Thank you Stacy and Phil. FYI: Less Expensive is a much nicer phrase than "cheaper" RVing is NOT ALWAYS CHEAP. 😁
Really good points. We are blessed that Todd can fix anything and he has. We bought a 2015 travel trailer. Haven't had many problems but he's been able to fix them all. He even had to fix a leak in the shower pan. I think that was our biggest fix so far. I agree if you aren't a handy man get it inspected!
I attended NRVTA in Texas, great place with great people. We are hoping to take of business Cross Country RV Tech and Solar on the road and be full-time by the end of 2021....
Hope to take that course as well, before I get my RV.
I found the perfect RV for this point in my life. Thanks for the information on researching for the next one. I am considering going through the same class that you went through. It never hurts to be more educated.
Glad it was helpful!
Well DONE! Thanks MUCH as I wish all had seen this before I bought my first Class C; as you stated, the lack of knowledge on my part became very obvious, and I sold it a year later as not the right RV for me... Again, thanks MUCH for the share and video! All the BEST to BOTH of you and Cheers from PNWEst! :0
Glad it was helpful!
Agree with your steps for buying. I would add that for us, we decided diesel over gas even before deciding on a floor plan. We also paid for the fluid samples in the inspection. Money well spent. Dealership fixed all the things found in the inspection before we signed on the dotted line. Love our Tiffin and being able to go to Red Bay for any work or extras.
We just did a video on this too, LOL. We think an RV inspection is very important! We wound up getting 2 RV inspections before we ever hit the road. The first RV inspection revealed that the RV was a lemon, so we kept looking and the second RV inspection revealed we had a good RV! It was money well spent. You get your sticks and bricks inspected, why not an RV, especially if you are going to be living in it. Thanks for sharing! ~ Shion and Matthew
Great video guys I enjoyed
Wanted to say thank you to the couple for being transparent about their rig
🇺🇸🇵🇷😊👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼🖖🏼🚌
Our pleasure! Jump on over to their YT page and give them a shout.
Inspection - Inspection - Glad my husband is now a Certified RV Technician and can do the Inspections on RV's especially the new one we are still waiting on.....
This is got to be the best video you have made! Thanks !
Wow, thanks!
Wow this is so true about buying an rv. We went thru this on 3 motorhomes. Great info and video..
We thought we were well informed but realized we weren’t, but with that said we got lucky and the rv we bought used was very well taken care of and in prestine condition . Luck was on our side. We did check for leaks in cabinets etc but didn’t think to check if air, furnace or heat pump or anything worked. But they all did and we were very lucky we realized later how dumb we were and could have gotten a lemon.
OK..... I'm not sure who is doing the editing on your videos,,,, BUT they need a raise. What every you are paying them pay'm more. Really nice job. Another good video guys.
Thanks for that! Stacy really appreciates this feedback. Her hard work mostly goes unnoticed!
Major mistake we made was waiting too late in life to get one!!
How late is too late?
@@TScottWoll Yesterday
I hear ya!
@@TScottWoll You aren't promised tomorrow, so if you can do it now, why not go for it.
Enjoy each and every single day to the fullest! Have Tons of Fun.
We also had a budget and yet we weren’t on the same page for a floor plan. However my dear wife saw that we needed to go bigger without busting the budget. We have had our motor home for nearly 10 years now and we’ve been very happy.
Looks like we went the same path.
I work still :-( and real office space was necessary.
Obviously many other points, but we got that list done and budget set and our 2008 Holiday Rambler Ambassador we found checked almost all the boxes.
A very little over the budget but nothing to worry about.
I think THE LIST makes all the difference in the world.
Have a great day :-)
Norm
thank you ... I have my eye on an rv for awhile now ... its the perfect layout for our needs but has been at the lot over the year ... I think because of the price ... but I want to have it inspected ... now I know where to find an inspector ... Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I think we got very lucky. We bought our first travel trailer from family. Before we committed they set it up for us in a state park campsite we lived in it for a week, learned what we needed to repair, and at the end of the week told them we wanted it. That was 2 1/2 years ago we have since made mods to the floor plan and have a better idea of what we want for our next RV in about 3 yrs.
When setting a budget don’t forget you will also need about $2000 worth of things like gps, elms, hoses etc.
misread hose as horse at the first sight😆😆😆
Thanks for a general price on that. We have a campervan but are about ready to change over to an RV and wondered what all we would need and how much $ it would be.
I was just researching the 3 models I like. This is perfect timing!
Perfect! You can hit me up anytime with questions.
Excellent video! You didn't mention RV Dealerships. Where you buy it can make a big difference also. Some RV dealers are like used car dealers...take your money and zero support. Others provide incredible support that goes on for years. One I love provides 5 years road side assistance, videos on how to use almost everything in the RV & how to troubleshoot problems, plus a 24/7 phone number to the dealer for help when you need it with a 'living' person who works at the dealer (not a call center in some far away land) to help you.
Our RV dealership was quick to take our money but HORRIBLE with service. Their time frame for simple fixes was unreasonable and so we do not use them. So....if we ever buy new again, SERVICE will be just as important as the quality of the RV.
Great advice!!
and ur dealer was?
@@tomzhang8675 IWS Motor Coaches of Mountain Home, Idaho
Ok all we been following shortly after you all started and settled on a size range for our next rig between 36’ to 40’. Not rushing in to buy because the pricing is inflated but steadily looking. Well a 45, rig fell into our laps hits 95 percent of our list must haves except length, from yours or anyone’s experience will the extra 5 ft make or limit us that much in our travels ? Enjoy your channel enjoy the military banter, but mostly the good advice, thanks Aim High Retired Air Force.
Thanks for sticking with us Bob and thanks for your service. We have heard that some State and National Parks have shorter sites, but we have not had an issue (although we are only 35ish in length). When you book a site online, it will say the length to know if you will fit. Sometimes, you may have to call.
We went to look at some class C’s at a dealer after a show here in Florida a few months ago. We were looking at C’s, and across the lot was my perfect rig a 2021 Jayco Seneca, they were a little pushy and I saw minor issues I wanted fixed before we bought it. They said no all that would be done after we bought it by warranty. I thought about it overnight as we were going the next day to test drive it. I had a really intense bad feeling about the rig. I called and cancelled the test drive. My husband had the same feeling too. We walked away from it, it is actually still for sale at the dealer. I was able to find the new 2021 Seneca Prestige 37K for a great price that had just finished being built. Waiting on delivery, no propane which is a plus for us traveling with birds and a dog. The price was so good I didn’t feel I had to haggle. I will get an independent inspection done, so worth the money. I feel we passed on the first one to get something better.
Good video! We are presently looking for a class A, making my list. Thank you for all you do.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent advice. Thank you guys for sharing. Stay safe, stay well and safe travels.
Great info! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Super helpful. We have our fav rig, but there’s a lot I didn’t even think of. Thank you.
Our pleasure!
Information is the key to buying and owning a RV👍👍
Absolutely!
Great video guys. What is the model of your TOAD? Are you happy with it or not?
Yes we are. It is a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. Great for flat towing.
Hi. I was wondering should you have a brand new Motorhome from the factory inspected before you sign on the dotted line? I am concerned with the business relationship I will have with the RV Dealer if I choose to have the rig inspected.
Yes, it is. The dealer may waffle at the idea, but it is YOUR money. Don't let them tell you they inspected it....of course they will say it is good to go. If they won't let an inspector come in.....I'd be nervous they are hiding something and walk away. In fact, we had ours inspected at a dealer and they said we didn't need it.....but we did anyway.
@@todayissomeday o
We bought a used older Holiday Rambler 38ft class A .
We got it very cheap and I updated all of the mechanical and gutted the interior and updated everything. We don't owe anything on it and now i am waiting on my wife to get off from work.
Having a list of needs is key. There are lists online, easy to customize.
Remember there is no perfect RV. Figure out what you're willing to compromise on.
Not sure it was a mistake but maybe don't buy the rig for a season. We bought a Class C for an epic trip from FL to AK. It was perfect for that trip and I wouldn't change that. Now that we are back in FL it does not fit our "weekend warrior" needs.
Our mistakes: travel trailer was too heavy for our tow vehicle - within the manufacturer’s recommendation but couldn’t pull it over hills or small mountains at speeds greater than 45 mph; Class C purchase mistake was getting an extended warranty - deal was that if extended warranty was unused after five years we would get our $5k back - firm went out of business and dealer did not honor commitment (lost our $5K); Class A purchase mistake - paying extra for leather furniture only to find out the leather was really leatherette (vinyl) and the thermal pain windows were not dual pane, just one pane labeled as “thermal” glass. Do your due diligence, question everything and get it in writing. In spite of the above we have made many cherished memories on our adventures. Best of luck!!
Bought our first travel trailer and had almost the same “bad” experience
Found after the fact that the roof had a huge rotten spot!
Couple grand to fix that, then a few years of trouble free camping, and then I started to wonder why a large rusty bolt was hanging down from the under the front corner of the frame.
Long story short, I pulled the entire front of the structure off, down to the frame and back in to the interior about 4’
I was able to save the exterior, and what I couldn’t, replaced with diamond plate.
Then another year of trouble free camping.
And just like the Gals bad story, sold it on craigslist in 4hours! Full price 😎 (yes with full disclosure and pictures of the repair)
All is well that ends well
Steven
When researching a manufacturer, join the owner's forum at FaceBook, irv2, and other places. You will see if there are problems with warranty work, poor quality, or other things by all the post about it. An example. What I noticed on the Newmar forum was most of the things posted were on 10+ yr. old RVs where a different manufacturer owner's form had lots of them on new and newer units. Red flag!
Your advised is good except getting it inspected. Who do you contact or where do you go?????
It is in the "show more" section under the video. Here is the link: National RV Inspector Association: nrvia.org/locate/
I just want a travel trailer. I had a keystone sprinter in the past. My biggest mistake was buying a rig over 30 feet. It will limit where you can go. If you want to dry camp in state parks and national parks. I suggest under 30 feet. I want a dodge Ram to pull my trailer and I want to keep a house and have a place to come home too. I think I’ll get a Cougar under 30 feet. Keystone cougars are well built. My last keystone last 14 years and left our family looking great. No leaks. It was well taken care of and it lasted. It’s a bunk house so another family with kids can enjoy it as much as we did.
I spent two years researching, and within our budget, we found an older Tiffin or Newmar where the two choices we would look seriously at. We watched RV Trader for quite some time, but most Class A's in the 37' size (one of our have to have's) the pricing was higher than we wanted to put out, so we remained patient. We found we'd have to get one with a few more miles on it to get into our price range, but the problem was 'size' in that as soon as we'd see a 37' it was gone, and we wanted one knowing it would fit in our driveway, and we wouldn't need storage. With RV Trader, we found we could add many of the options we wanted, the make/model etc., and they would contact us as they became available. It worked out that one did come up, was in our price range, but was in Pheonix (we're in southwestern Canada) so we asked a LOT of questions, and the owner sent us many photo's, explained that he had every receipt they had ever put into the motorhome (which they did, as it was a private sale) and they where also willing to sell us their 'towed' (2014 Honda CRV) for a great price, which included the Roadmaster tow setup, and Air Force One braking in the SUV. Also, there was a hydraulic motorcycle lift attached to the Phaeton, which wasn't really needed, but I ended up taking it off and selling it for a good $$. Knowing we'd have a month of usage, prior to getting there, we packed our bags, with everything from sheets, to knives and forks and more....before flying down to do a 'check it out' completely before paying for it. We took it for a drive, both my wife and I drove it, the owner explained everything (most went over our head of course, as it was too much too quick) so we left in the afternoon, got to Quartzite as it was getting dark, and didn't even know how to put the lights on! We eventually found the switch of course, and it's now been 3 happy years thankfully. I just washed the roof, waxed the roof, and she's ready for the road!
Great story! Glad it all worked out for you. Patience is key when you want what you want.
Our mistake to purchasing an RV can be summed up in two words........Camping World!!!
really? camping world is not a good dealer?
@@tomzhang8675 They look real shitty in person.... I also think they resale rentals which is probably a mistake.
@@votesudanusa not all rentals are bad. It would depend on how they are maintained and if they are private or company rentals.
Camping world in my area ( Cocoa Fl ) is great . A fully stocked dealer and store. I bought a RV from them and I could not be more pleased.
Thank You for information!!! Great ideas! Love the snap bracelet idea too!
Glad it was helpful!
Phil has the questions on the top list, Stacy just makes me laugh so much! Thank you both for sharing all your adventures!
Learned that time is your friend, not the enemy. What I mean is that take your time to research, I took probably close to 18 months looking, watching UA-cam videos, reading RV sites like RV -Dreams. Early on I decided I wanted to be able to disconnect from my “home” as a full timer. It provided me with the peace of mind that if something happened to the tow vehicle, we still had a place to stay while it was getting repaired. At this point of our journey, 3.5 yrs in, I don’t see the need or desire to change what we decided on. Have we had issues, absolutely. But you can have a sticks and brick and have mega issues. 5 months prior to going full time, we got hit with a $17,500 bill for our roof. Patience and flexibility can be your friend on anything you end up buying.
Thank you. I was going to purchase a Sprinter Van and people told me to buy an RV instead. After researching, I think I will stick with the sprinter van as a solo person
Glad it was helpful!
@@todayissomeday keep 'em coming
Very informative. I'm glad you shortened the intro but the wavy words makes my eyes go cross-eyed...🤪😍
Great tips! As we were interested in Airstreams, we found campgrounds with setup Airstreams available for reservation. That helped us feel comfortable about moving forward with a no slide unit.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for confirming everything I am doing before we make the big purchase.
Good advice on the fluid analysis. How's the shoulder Phil?
Thanks, Frank. The shoulder is doing great....still don't have all my strength and mobility back, but so much better than before surgery!
I never experienced RV world I watched you guys back in 2019 I was searching for RV and how does it work til you amazing couple made me love to try it.. also thank you for helping me in my English vocabulary I’m still learning English is my second language and I love your accent, thank you guys a lot and God bless you 💓🥰
That is awesome! Glad we could help.
@@todayissomeday I love guys so much 😭❤️❤️❤️
Do your research - the more you know, the more you save and the better the experience. It's just that simple.
Great video! Thanks for doing this. 🤗
You are so welcome!