Bird,
Your 100 percent accurate in everything you said. No disagreement at all from me in any of it.
Buying and RV is allot like getting a tractor. Especially the first one. We all start out with some idea of what we "think" we want, but the more we search and educate ourselves, the more the "original" idea changes.
Class C's are fine for weekenders and two people. For a family or on an extended trip, I think they are on the small side. It's allot of money to spend on something that you can never break even on when you sell, so it's a really good idea to get what you really want the first time.
Dealer support is critical. Motorhomes are portable houses, and they require repairs. Things happen that nobody ever expects that lead to other issues.
Diesel is the only way to go in my opinion for an RV. Class C or A. Gas engines don't last or hold up as well, the lack power and cost more to run. I don't know anything about the Mercedes diesel engine, but wonder if you can get it repaird in the middle of the Arizona desert is something goes wrong. I know for a fact that you can get a Cummins engine fixed just about anyplace, including the middle of Wyoming in a town of 1,000 people.
For $65,000 that's pretty cheap for a diesel RV. Almost scary cheap even for a Class C. I'll admit to not being up on the brands or prices, but I do talk to quite a few RV'ers and even though my focus is on what they do with their RV and not the RV itself, I still hear plenty of stories about them.
He's too late for Quartzite this year, but if he's in no rush, he really should go next year. Thousands and thousands of RV'ers are there and just about every manufacturer and major dealer is there as well. If you want a deal on an RV, you need to be in the Arizona desert in January or February. They are making deals there that nobody else will touch. The volume is staggering along with selection.
Eddie
