Advice on a motorhome please

[daugen]

wow, that's quite a contraption, but when you feel the need...

Looked at the 36 today, the blue one, and it was nice. But honestly nothing special and smelled like they had a dog
in there. Not a big turn on. But then of course there was a much nicer one nearby, basically a top of the line Fleetwood, older, more miles,
needs all new tires, but they are part of the deal, a bigger model, tag axle and lots of room inside including a king bed. I showed the pics to my wife
when I got home and naturally that one got her attention. Owned by a local guy who apparently was successful in dirt track racing, or something like that, but the coach
was spotless so clearly he was a neatnick. And no weird smells at all inside. Underneath storage is huge and other than wondering what it's like to drive, which with my hard collar on is still going to be a week off, it has everything we want. But I went looking for a newer Buick and found an older Cadillac. That apparently gets 7mpg. Hmmmm.

Used American Coach American Tradition for sale in Hatfield PA | 2005 American Coach American Tradition 42' 4 slide Diesel Pusher For Sale from Media Camping Center in Hatfield Pennsylvania - RV Inventory: Media Camping Center: Hatfield Pennsylvania

The front black mask was ugly and I asked to have it partially taken off. Ahaaa.....nice little water blisters from leaving it on wet...wonder how many of them are all over the front.

part of this morning's experience was very disappointing. There is no MLS in the RV business, like there is in boating. There apparently aren't any overriding industry ethical/legal standards at work either. So "my guy" can only sell me what's on his lot. His office doesn't even cooperate with the other two same company offices! Sounds like a real dog eat dog sales proposition. Basically they are all used car dealers with a lot of "creampuffs". Not what I was hoping for. So there is no compelling reason to go to just one person, and amazingly, no one seems to know anything about these trade ins, where they were run, kept, anything about them. All pure caveat emptor. None of which motivates me to offer any more than the lowest possible price on one of these. I'm willing to pay more for good service, good advice, and most importantly, some one to watch my back. The dealership has a good repair facility but other than that, it seems like the Wild West.

And when I found fine line sidewall cracking on all of the Michelin radials on the smaller unit, they were dismissed as just cosmetic, plenty of tread left on these tires. Ok....
The guy I'm dealing with has been there thirteen years, by far the old guy there, is a real "Christian" and always talking about taking kids to bible camps, and whatever, and I don't think would lie to me. But no way is this guy going to volunteer any info that would kill the deal.

 

[Pixguy]

Be sure to check out the date code on the tires. Most keep their tires from 5 to 7 years depending on miles and conditions.

 

[daugen]

Be sure to check out the date code on the tires. Most keep their tires from 5 to 7 years depending on miles and conditions.

The blue one with the tiny cracks in the sidewalls was a 2008, likely original tires. The 2006 tires looked brand new, but had little tread and will be all new for the deal.
If there is a deal.

 

[nc redneck]

I second RV.Net great sight. I spent a lot of time there before I bought. I would go for shortest wheelbase you can stand with a lot of slides. Makes getting in and out of camp sights less stressful. Going to new unfamiliar campgrounds can be as bad as docking in new unknown marina with high wind. We ended up with a 5th wheel Toy Hauler, mainly because we wanted to take our own golf cart. Most of the nicer resort type campgrounds are large 20 to 100 acres and are very golf cart friendly . Golf cart rental can easily be more than daily fee to camp. Most are set up so you don't need a car. Also 5th wheels articulate just like 18 wheeler s so it it much easier to park. You will run into a lot of tight campgrounds. I dislike loud graphics also, you may want to look at KZ Escalade Toy Hauler. Also make sure you check how you and your wife like Motor home wide slides in just as if you were going down the road. Hope this helps
Scott

 

[Bird]

part of this morning's experience was very disappointing. There is no MLS in the RV business, like there is in boating. There apparently aren't any overriding industry ethical/legal standards at work either. So "my guy" can only sell me what's on his lot.

And it just might be even worse than you expect. As with any business, there are good and bad people in the RV business. There's no legal requirement that new RVs have "window sticker" prices, as with automobiles. Some manufacturers do put such stickers with the units; other do not. So, some dealers handle brands that do not have manufacturer's prices shown and then they make up their own price stickers to "look" like the manufacturer did it.

We visited a motorhome factory in Oregon where they built rigs with the best floor plans of any I've seen, but they wouldn't even talk at all about prices; left that entirely up to the dealers. Well, we didn't buy one of their motorhomes, but a couple of years later I happened to be at an RV dealership in Texas and there was one of those Oregon motorhomes in the shop for electrical problems and the dealer was having trouble getting any information from the manufacturer, and the owners of the rig were furious when they learned that they paid $120k for that rig, when they could have bought the same rig from a different dealer for $80k.

 

[daugen]

well I registered on RV.net and it will take a while to figure out how that works. don't want to post in the wrong area.

The 42 American Tradition has a 400hp Cat. I remember small Cats when they were 3116's and 3126's but not sure of the current C series.
I'm curious what the torque rating on this engine is and whether it can be dialed up. The dealer said it had plenty of power and I'm sure he's right.
They are all slow and have to merge with some planning, but once you get up on cruise, I read somewhere you are only using about 80hp on level ground to keep it going.
It's all about the hills... and we want to do hills for sure.

My understanding is the tag axle is an unpowered axle and is just there for the weight capacity and stability. So a motorhome has one wheel drive? As in two tires on one side of the drive wheel? Limited slip would be nice for wet/muddy areas I bet.
This larger rig I'm looking at needs all ten tires replaced and the dealer knows it. Wondering if a higher traction drive tire is worth any road whine, not that I expect to drive in snow, but
I can see backing up too far into soft ground as a possibility.


and Bird, most of us want to deal with folk we like and trust. So far the like is ok, but trust?
Like you, old enough to know better.

 

[daugen]

Engine: Cat® C9 400 HP, 8.8L Torque: 1150 lb.-ft. @ 1400 RPM

I wonder if the same engine is now rated higher; this spec came from a 2006 brochure
At least at this age this should be a fairly mechanical engine without too many ECU's involved.
Gosh, my brother in law gave me a pair of Cat socks for Christmas. Seems it's all he wears or drives as an excavator.
Perhaps I should put them on for the test drive...

 

[edlegault]

We have a 32 footer gas motor home. We mostly bought it to live in while we have a house built this summer (soon to be a new thread). I was not keen on a motor home. I wanted to pull a trailer, but my wife and daughter wanted a MH so they could play cards, watch DVD movies, get up and go the the bathroom, fix meals, etc., while I drive (LOL).

I have pulled many boat, utility, and camping trailers over my lifetime. The MH scared me a little the first time I drove it around town. Then I drove a 26 foot U-Haul truck with a car transport for over 1000 miles. Then the MH handled like a dream after that experience!

We probably won't make too many long trips with the MH. No slide outs, buts lots of room inside, with a queen bed. Was REALLY nice inside the MH last week when it was raining in WA state! Lots of room for 3 people while in a KOA campground.

We bought used and got a great deal last winter from an RV dealer (MH was on consignment). Our trip last week was a "shake down" cruise to figure out if everything works. Mostly does, and no leaks in body during the rain storms.

Whatever you get, make sure it is big enough to "live" in... should be at least as much space as your boat had. If I was doing a lot of miles a year in cross country travel, then I would go for a diesel pusher. But for just short trips and living on our property during the house/shop build process, then this will work for the two of us (daughter is gone for most of the summer and then she is returning to college this fall).

Most of all go visit and walk thru models; look at the storage space inside and outside; see if it could "feel" like a home for you.

 

[farmgirl19]

OK! Here is my $0.02. Go for a blue one! You can always say it is the color of the water! :laughing:

(And here I sit with a 21 foot, 1987 Trailseeker Travel Trailer!)

 

[Turbys_1700]

well I registered on RV.net and it will take a while to figure out how that works. don't want to post in the wrong area.

The 42 American Tradition has a 400hp Cat. I remember small Cats when they were 3116's and 3126's but not sure of the current C series.
I'm curious what the torque rating on this engine is and whether it can be dialed up. The dealer said it had plenty of power and I'm sure he's right.
They are all slow and have to merge with some planning, but once you get up on cruise, I read somewhere you are only using about 80hp on level ground to keep it going.
It's all about the hills... and we want to do hills for sure.

My understanding is the tag axle is an unpowered axle and is just there for the weight capacity and stability. So a motorhome has one wheel drive? As in two tires on one side of the drive wheel? Limited slip would be nice for wet/muddy areas I bet.
This larger rig I'm looking at needs all ten tires replaced and the dealer knows it. Wondering if a higher traction drive tire is worth any road whine, not that I expect to drive in snow, but
I can see backing up too far into soft ground as a possibility.


and Bird, most of us want to deal with folk we like and trust. So far the like is ok, but trust?
Like you, old enough to know better.

The coach you are looking at is the same coach my Dad owned except his was an Eagle...
The Eagle had the 500 Cummings with the tag axle...
I think that the Eagle had marble floors and upscale interior but the chassis is the exact same sans engine...
That Spartan chassis is IMHO the cat's meow...
Side radiator for easier service...
I don't know how that coach will perform with the 400 but I would think that it would be fine...
I would not be concerned with the mileage but I would want to see service records if possible...
Check the hours on the generator too...
Make sure that if you purchase it they show you everything about it and that everything works...
There is a lot of electronics on those things and lots of stuff that can go wrong...
The price they have gives them lots of room to move down...
Lots...