Need Advice

[rvdreamer18]

We are rv hopefuls and have been enjoying scanning the forums. We are in the market for a motorhome, but we are overwhelmed and need some more opinions with such a big expense. We have no experience with rv’ing and money is tight. But, if we are ever going to make this lifelong dream happen for our family, it needs to happen now. So I’m hoping your knowledge will help us decide which path to take.

We have a budget of $30,000… not much, I know. We have a large family of adult children and young ones as well. We are looking at traveling with 8-10 people and this is why we need a motorhome over a travel trailer or 5th wheel.

I figure in a class a, we can place 2 opposing sleeper sofas, the sleeper dinette and the queen bed for sleeping 8. In a Class C, I would hope to get a 10 sleeper with bunks.

We plan to pay for a thorough inspection. I’m just not sure exactly what model I should be looking for. I don’t know if the risks of a 16-20 year old class A Diesel are worth taking, so I’m hoping you can help.

I have been scanning rvtrader for months now and it appears that we can afford:

a 16-20 year old Class A, Diesel. (approx 45,000 to 145,000 miles)
a 10-12 year old Class A, Gas (approx 35,000 - 100,000 miles)
a 6-10 year old Class C, Gas (approx 30,000- 100,000 miles)

1) Is gas powered that much of a negative that we should seek out the old diesel?
2) How many miles is too many on a gas and/or diesel engine?
3) How many miles are too few on a gas and/or diesel engine?
4) Any brands to totally avoid?
5) Is it smarter to buy from a private seller who maintained it well or a dealer?
6) Will we feel too cramped traveling with that many people in a class C? Though they sleep more, they seem a bit cramped compared to the openness of a class A.

Any helpful thoughts, tips and advice are sincerely appreciated.

[2gypsies1]

Sorry to say no RV is made for that many people. Why not get something that's perfect for just you? You will probably by the ones using it the most. Invite a couple grandchildren at a time to take a trip with you. It would give you quality time with each one without the interference of their parents being around. If you want to do a big family gathering then the other families could bring a tent or two and get the site next door to you .... lots of fun for everyone. Good luck!

[tatest]

There is nothing in the RV industry designed to accommodate that many people. Road crew coaches built for the entertainment industry come close, with Pullman-type bunks and travel coach seating, based on shells for 45-foot motorcoaches. With all that sleeping and seating space, other RV amenities (cooking, lounging) are minimal. And even there, with original costs on the order of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 (depending on amenities, the shell costs more than $800,000) getting down to a $30,000 budget means something really, really old.

On the other hand, my family traveled for two months with four adults, six children age 2 to 15, in a station wagon hauling a nominal 16-foot travel trailer (but that was box length, and it had an bunk overhang over the tongue, so maybe a 20 footer by today's measures). It did mean on pair of adults fit into a dinette, two teens slept in pipe bunks, and four of the children shared a single queen bed. We had minimal kitchen and potty.

So anything is possible, if you can adjust your standard of living to what the space and budget provides.

[lfcjasp]

campigloo wrote:
Many years ago we went Beverly Hillbilly style. Four boys age six to eight. One teenage girl and her friend. Mom and dad and sister in law:
All with a pop up. Me and two girls in the truck, mom and two boys in the car pulling the boat with bicycles in it and sis in law with two more boys. The girls slept in the bed of the truck under the camper shell. They loved it! The rest of us slept in the camper. Oh we were a sight to see. We had a great two week road trip and many many weekend and short trips. I don’t even remember having any fights. It can be done for way less than 30 grand and still have a great trip.
However it winds up I hope y’all have great results and fun trips!!!

This goes in the best direction when considering a camping adventure for a large group.

When we were camping with my sisters and their families, the single biggest crowd was four of us in one truck towing a trailer. Another sister and BIL had their own trailer, their kids a tent and a van; another couple their own trailer and TV; another family their own trailer and TV...you get the idea. There was no such thing as 8-10 in one vehicle and no 8-10 sleeping in one trailer.

I've seen other extended families/groups with more than one or more vehicles and multiple tents and/or RVs.

A tent gazebo would be great for enjoying the outdoors and if the weather turns messy, would offer more room than crowding into one rig.

Guess what I'm recommending is skip the motorhome or trailer for now (you're already tight on money); suggest your grown, adult children drive their own vehicles with tents and stuff. If YOU want a trailer or motorhome, by all means. But go with what works for YOU. Those grown young people can tent just fine and the kids will love that.

Keep us posted with what you do decide and by all means...get out there and have some fun!

[majordad]

One of the things with a van and trailer is you still have weight considerations. Our E350 van could seat all 12 of us but if we hitched our 10,000 lb trailer to it, we were seriously overweight, so since we never went more than a few hours from home, I could tow the trailer with my pickup, and mom would bring the kids in the van.

As the kids have aged out we have now moved to a DP and are looking for a smaller toynauler to house the remaining kids and allow for something motorized also

[PastorCharlie]

My Newmar has adequate storage, seating and sleeping for 10 but we limit it to 2. 🙂

Here is what I would recommend for consideration and they can be found in different price ranges depending upon age and condition. ENTERTAINER SLEEPS 12 Here is their complete selection. CLICKY

[Grit_dog]

Hopefully the naysayers didn't scare off a good family from Rveeeing...
I agree though, on a budget, I'd be thinking Van/truck + Travel Trailer and a car tag a long if using a pickup truck.

Then you don't have to worry about an RV or heavy truck shop for repairs and trailers are simpler.

[campigloo]

Many years ago we went Beverly Hillbilly style. Four boys age six to eight. One teenage girl and her friend. Mom and dad and sister in law:
All with a pop up. Me and two girls in the truck, mom and two boys in the car pulling the boat with bicycles in it and sis in law with two more boys. The girls slept in the bed of the truck under the camper shell. They loved it! The rest of us slept in the camper. Oh we were a sight to see. We had a great two week road trip and many many weekend and short trips. I don’t even remember having any fights. It can be done for way less than 30 grand and still have a great trip.
However it winds up I hope y’all have great results and fun trips!!!

[JAC1982]

mowermech wrote:
For every doom and gloom naysayer there are quite likely 10 people who have been rving/camping for years with no major problems, and haven't bragged about it.
We have never owned a diesel motorhome. We have had a Class A with Dodge 440 engine, a Class A with a GM 454 engine, a Class C with a Ford 460 engine, and now our Class A with the Ford V10.
We towed either Jeeps or a Dodge 1500 behind most of them (the 454 engined one didn't have a hitch).
IMO, forget about how many can sleep in it, what is important is where you are going to put them on a rainy day!

We've never really had a major problem with either of our trailers. The worst thing that's happened to us, twice, was the AC breaking while boondocking in summer time, both times covered under warranty (two separate trailers and two separate causes). But my comment was just based on the maintenance and fuel costs of having a trailer. I am not as familiar with RVs, but I'd guess they'd have similar maintenance/fuel costs as our set up...and probably more maintenance costs because they'd be looking at an older rig.

I just don't think RVing is a thing people who are already tight on funds should get into. I can't imagine being tight on funds and spending $30,000 on an older used RV only to have it sit unused or deteriorating quickly because they can't afford the maintenance or repairs.

[Optimistic_Para]

For 10 people, including more than 2 adults, I'd consider TWO rigs, either motorhomes or trailers as you see fit, driven as a mini-caravan. Possibly a third vehicle, a multi-passenger van, driven also rather than towed.

[ncrowley]

I also agree that you should purchase a van and a trailer. As stated, you can then use the van to comfortably carry around everyone once you get to your destination. You can carry a tent to extend the area of the trailer. Kids can sleep in the tent. Owning an older motorized RV can be expensive and then you need to pull something large enough for everyone to travel in once you get there. The vans that are big enough will be heavy so you need to pay attention to what the RV will pull.

[Earl_E]

BizmarksMom wrote:
Some thoughts;
If you use a 1 ton van and a travel trailer, you have a vehicle to use for sightseeing and errands after you set up camp. (This is exactly why I have a travel trailer and not a motorhome.) The van also gives everybody a safe place to ride.

If you go with a motorhome, what is your camping style? Will you want to poke around the area and explore? Or do you like to stay put and hike or read? If you like to wander around, you will either have to break camp every time you head out, or have a tow vehicle. If you have another vehicle, somebody can drive it behind the motorhome, offering more safe and comfortable seats.

My own family does a big campout once a year. We siblings have our own rigs, and we use my parent's motorhome for the family gathering. We have our own space and sleeping arrangements, plus additional kitchen space to put together family dinners. It works really well.

x2 A fan will carry all of you. A carrier on top will help with the gear. It's trailer gets too tight you can pitch a tent. And for a lot less bucks for upkeep.

[free_radical]

rvdreamer18 wrote:
We are rv hopefuls and have been enjoying scanning the forums. We are in the market for a motorhome, but we are overwhelmed and need some more opinions with such a big expense. We have no experience with rv’ing and money is tight. But, if we are ever going to make this lifelong dream happen for our family, it needs to happen now. So I’m hoping your knowledge will help us decide which path to take.

We have a budget of $30,000… not much, I know. We have a large family of adult children and young ones as well. We are looking at traveling with 8-10 people and this is why we need a motorhome over a travel trailer or 5th wheel.

I figure in a class a, we can place 2 opposing sleeper sofas, the sleeper dinette and the queen bed for sleeping 8. In a Class C, I would hope to get a 10 sleeper with bunks.

We plan to pay for a thorough inspection. I’m just not sure exactly what model I should be looking for. I don’t know if the risks of a 16-20 year old class A Diesel are worth taking, so I’m hoping you can help.

I have been scanning rvtrader for months now and it appears that we can afford:

a 16-20 year old Class A, Diesel. (approx 45,000 to 145,000 miles)
a 10-12 year old Class A, Gas (approx 35,000 - 100,000 miles)
a 6-10 year old Class C, Gas (approx 30,000- 100,000 miles)

1) Is gas powered that much of a negative that we should seek out the old diesel?
2) How many miles is too many on a gas and/or diesel engine?
3) How many miles are too few on a gas and/or diesel engine?
4) Any brands to totally avoid?
5) Is it smarter to buy from a private seller who maintained it well or a dealer?
6) Will we feel too cramped traveling with that many people in a class C? Though they sleep more, they seem a bit cramped compared to the openness of a class A.

Any helpful thoughts, tips and advice are sincerely appreciated.

30 grand will NOT buy you any rig where 10 people can comfortably travel live..
Anything 15 years or older will most likely need expensive repairs,,
I wouldnt even consider buying that old,unless it was old Greyhound bus and had extra money to fix whatever needs done.
You could also buy old schoolie bus and take a big tent or two along to sleep in.
The reality is:
Some dreams arent going to happen,

[Rick_Jay]

rvdreamer18,

Since you asked these questions, I guess I'll take a stab at answering them, with a few personal comments & opinions thrown in for good measure.


1) Is gas powered that much of a negative that we should seek out the old diesel?

Not in my opinion. A diesel chassis usually adds things like air-ride suspensions and such, plus with the engine in the back, it's a much quieter ride up front. They MAY offer a much larger cargo carrying capacity, but not necessarily so.

In my opinion, you DO need to know about chassis weight ratings. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, Axle Weight Ratings and Gross Combined Weight Ratings. There have been some motorhomes (class A's and C's) manufactured which are over an axle weight rating just loaded with water and fuels. In my opinion, if you wish to travel safely, you need to know and respect the weight ratings of these vehicles. You should try to estimate the MAXIMUM amount of people, food, water and stuff you will be bringing along. With 8-10 people, that estimate will probably be a minimum of about 2,500 lbs.

One thing you should be aware of is that almost anywhere you go, when you're in an RV, you're immediately perceived as "rich" with a lot of disposable income. RV dealership shop hourly rates, from what I've heard, now are in the $150/hour range. Diesel rigs will probably be more expensive to repair than gas rigs, but part of that is because the parts are designed to last longer, so you'll pay for that "privilege" when you replace them. And again, if you have to pay someone to do the work, it WILL be expensive.


2) How many miles is too many on a gas and/or diesel engine?

With proper maintenance, I think most modern gas engines should be good to about 200k miles, and diesel engines to well over 500k, and probably well beyond that. That said, however, parts fail at any time. My estimate is that any major engine repair or replacement on the road would probably be in the $3000-$5000 range at a minimum. Rubber items and such can age out rather than wear out, so they are more a function of time than mileage.


3) How many miles are too few on a gas and/or diesel engine?

Probably doesn't matter gas or diesel in this case. But I'd be wary of any rig which didn't have an average of 3-5,000 miles per year. Now, if it's stored indoors in a climate controlled garage, then maybe less than that would be OK. Again, things can age out.

I'd be more concerned about low generator hours. Most generators that don't get enough use will have carburetor/fuel system problems. Again, a good average might be 50-100 hours per year. Our generator manufacturer (Onan) recommends fairly frequent regular use to keep everything working, and I think most generators are similar in that regard.

4) Any brands to totally avoid?

This will depend upon who you ask. For older vehicles, I think proper & regular maintenance is more important than the manufacturer. Some names of which ones you SHOULD look at are Newmar, Tiffin & Winnebago. If you look at anything on a Prevost chassis, than that would probably be a keeper too! 🙂

5) Is it smarter to buy from a private seller who maintained it well or a dealer?

People tend to not be fully forthcoming about items when they're trying to sell them. With most dealerships, that's almost a given, though there are some good ones. Private sellers? There are lots of honest people out there and there are a lot of people out there scamming people out of money trying to sell them a non-existent RV. Buyer beware. Always!

6) Will we feel too cramped traveling with that many people in a class C? Though they sleep more, they seem a bit cramped compared to the openness of a class A.

Class A or Class C, you WILL be cramped with 8 people, 10 people would be almost hard to imagine even IF you could find seating for all of them. Again, in my opinion, you have to be careful of weight limits. 8-10 people, with an average weight of 150 lbs/person often used for such calculations implies 1,200-1,500 lbs. of human weight. Add in another 500-700 lbs. for water, plus food, clothing, etc., and you will easily be approaching 3,000 lbs. of needed weight carrying capacity even if you pack VERY lightly. Our rig has about 3,000 lbs. of such capacity and we can make it work with our crew, but our family weight is about 800 lbs. (Ok....a good part of that is me! LOL). If we had to shed 700 pounds of "stuff" to make room for additional passengers, that would be tough to do for anything other than just a day trip.


I'd like to respond to another thing you mentioned. You mentioned putting 2 people on each sofa and the dinette. Well, that is pretty optimistic UNLESS these are pre-teen kids. First of all, with the two sofas, one is usually an RV full or possibly queen fold-out, which can sleep 2 fairly easily, though they're usually not comfortable for adults. Kids? They'll sleep on anything! LOL Also, the opposing one is usually a jack-knife sofa and that can usually only sleep one. Plus, in many rigs, there is not enough aisle width to extend the sofa bed AND the jack-knife at the same time. Ditto, the dinette can probably only sleep two if the people are smaller (again, pre-teen) and well under 5'. In fact, ALL of the sleeping spots from sofas & dinette will probably be shorter than a near 6' adult would find comfortable. If they don't mind sticking their feet over the arm rests, or sleep with their knees bent, it'll work. If they like to stretch out, then they won't be comfortable.

Oh, I should also say that as a rule, the sofas and dinettes can be different lengths/widths in different floorplans, so not all dinettes are the same. Ditto the sofas. Usually, the longer the motorhome, the larger the dinette & sofas will be.

Ok, hope this helps. I still think your best bet is a full size van pulling a bunkhouse travel trailer. I also think you need to start going to local RV dealerships & RV shows and walk around inside. (In our early stages of research, I was looking at floorplans and thinking that a Class B conversion van could work for the 6 of us. Sure looked like it would from what I saw online. Just seeing a real one the first time ended THAT fantasy! LOL) My recommendation is DO NOT talk to any salespeople. Most have never been camping, so they really can't give you much info. A little bit of research and you will easily know more than most RV salespeople. Don't let on that you're even thinking about buying at this point. Just look. Ask US the questions. 🙂

Good Luck in your search.

~Rick

[BizmarksMom]

Some thoughts;
If you use a 1 ton van and a travel trailer, you have a vehicle to use for sightseeing and errands after you set up camp. (This is exactly why I have a travel trailer and not a motorhome.) The van also gives everybody a safe place to ride.

If you go with a motorhome, what is your camping style? Will you want to poke around the area and explore? Or do you like to stay put and hike or read? If you like to wander around, you will either have to break camp every time you head out, or have a tow vehicle. If you have another vehicle, somebody can drive it behind the motorhome, offering more safe and comfortable seats.

My own family does a big campout once a year. We siblings have our own rigs, and we use my parent's motorhome for the family gathering. We have our own space and sleeping arrangements, plus additional kitchen space to put together family dinners. It works really well.