Looking for new motorhome…

[John___Christin]

I’m just looking for some guidance here and appreciate some suggestions. Be patient with me here… I’m going to go into a bit of detail because I think it may help you all help us.

Were a family of 4… Mom & Dad and 2 teen sons ages 15 & 17. We’re an adventurous family that does a lot of hiking, fishing, mountain climbing, boondocking and stuff like that. We tend to put a lot of miles on our trips going to a lot of National Parks and areas that have roads that are not well maintained. Also, my 2 sons are wrestlers and we go to a lot of events around the country.

Here’s what we’re looking for… Probably a Class C but open to B+ or A. Would like at least a queen bed for us and 2 other comfortable sleeping areas for the kids. A comfortable jackknife couch and a over the cab bunk would be good. As would a queen with 2 bunks. Would like a slide to add some room. A coach that could not necessarily go off road but one that is ok going down long gravel or unimproved roads. We would like a decent quality rig but our budget is around $100,000-$120,000. We need to be able to sleep turtled up but the kicker is… we need to be under 28’. Would prefer a new unit but not opposed to a used coach a few years old.

So, one that fits our needs is the Jayco 25R Class C. We’ve had Jaycos in the past and we’re happy with them.

So if your still here thank you. I just wanted to reach out and see if there is another brand and model we should look at?

[John___Christin]

ncrowley wrote:
I would look at Super C's. The Dynamax Isata 5 30FW would be a good choice. You can get it in 4 wheel drive, which would give you the clearance for rougher roads.

Great suggestion. More than I wanna spend but I’ll take a look.

[ncrowley]

I would look at Super C's. The Dynamax Isata 5 30FW would be a good choice. You can get it in 4 wheel drive, which would give you the clearance for rougher roads.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

wa8yxm wrote:
Well one thing I tell people is this:
As you move from place to place there are differences in the drinking water
Different bacteria, different mineral content.. This can have what I call "After Effects"

The length of 'Just a minute' depends entirely on which side of the door you are on.

Bath and a half models.. 2 doors. less waiting.

:h...:@

Sooooo..... a bath and a half is good for a quick - fresh, clean, non-contaminated drink of water with "no waiting"?..:R

But if you have "after effects" you should try planning ahead - and you'll only need one head!

Also, you shouldn't recycle grey water and/or if you're in Death Valley and see a sign that says, "Bad Water" - believe!..:W

[Dtank]

Y-Guy wrote:
.........

Good luck shopping and have fun!

Sage Moderator advice!!

Get out there and LOOK at what's available (new & used) - that fits YOUR needs, wants, and budget - not what "we" have or like!

And....yeah - the above can be "fun".

:W
.

[Brandon_the_Tra]

John & Christine wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Give the state of poor quality control I believe a good used RV would be the best bang for the buck.

If I were buying new I would look carefully at:

http://www.lazydaze.com/

I totally agree and we actually had decided on a mid bath however when I called to give my deposit I was advised that the delivery date was about 2 years out.

Yep, with motorhomes they need a chassis, and by that I don't mean some sheet metal welded together with glue guns by the Elkhart Kindergarten classes over at Lippert Components. Have you looked at the car dealers lately for inventory? I doubt chassis cabs for the RV manufacturers are even close to being on their priority lists right now. I was just told 20 to 24 weeks for a Travel Trailer....maybe, possibly, no guarantees. But you have to slap the non refundable coin down to even get a spot on the bench. Thanks but no thanks. This foolishness will come to an end, probably when this next recession hits like a ton of bricks which more than likely has already started. Those who can wait it out will be rewarded if they still have the means to buy. Then they'll have to figure out how to pay for the gas.

[John___Christin]

pianotuna wrote:
Give the state of poor quality control I believe a good used RV would be the best bang for the buck.

If I were buying new I would look carefully at:

http://www.lazydaze.com/

I totally agree and we actually had decided on a mid bath however when I called to give my deposit I was advised that the delivery date was about 2 years out.

[John___Christin]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The boys would do fine on a couch and an bunk over a cab. But they can’t sleep in the same bed for sure. They are brothers and love each other but I’m sure they would be beating each other up in their sleep. So a good size couch and the bunk over the can would be perfect. We need at least a queen bed.

Tents are not an option because we overnight in a lot of truck stops and rest areas.

[pianotuna]

Give the state of poor quality control I believe a good used RV would be the best bang for the buck.

If I were buying new I would look carefully at:

http://www.lazydaze.com/

[Grit_dog]

Sometimes this forum is too funny. OP asks about a full featured motorhome with a budget of $120k and suggestions come back with tents and fixer uppers.
No harm with tents. Did that for a few years with the old TC when it got crowded as the kids got bigger and I certainly am attracted to a good value, as a fixer upper could be, but these suggestions are like going to a seafood restaurant and asking if they can make you some pierogis!

I mean, on the off chance you find a Polish seafood restaurant, it might be a possibility, but the likelihood is about same as the OP wanting a tent and a Cousin Eddy RV to work on...

[Grit_dog]

wa8yxm wrote:
Well one thing I tell people is this:
As you move from place to place there are differences in the drinking water
Different bacteria, different mineral content.. This can have what I call "After Effects"

The length of 'Just a minute' depends entirely on which side of the door you are on.

Bath and a half models.. 2 doors. less waiting.

Say what?
Have you been drinking?
What does getting girardia, lol, have to do with buying a camper, and how many "short" campers have 1-1/2 baths?

And how often was this actually an issue in your world?

[toedtoes]

I agree that many of the bunks are cramped, especially for a pair of athletic teen boys. I would look at a 24-26ft C with an overhead bunk and dedicated queen on the floor. The sofa and/or dinette could be used in a pinch, but they are rarely comfortable longterm.

The 24-26ft size will give you more leeway in regards to campgrounds and campsites. It is also short enough to go without a toad for the most part.

As they boys are older, this size and layout can move with you into the future as a couple.

I do suggest a tent or two (I always like the idea of giving camping gear to teens for gifts). If the boys want to bring a couple friends along, the tents offer extra room. And as they get older and maybe don't want to travel with you as much, they can load their camping gear in their car(s) and meet up with you at times - without you having to plan ahead and stock the motorhome with "what if the kids join us" equipment.

[Y-Guy]

We've had our Winnebago bunkhouse Class A since 2007 and it's served us very well. That said once our kids hit the teens the bunks were not their fav, so one usually slept on the couch. So I'd be cautious about buying one based on their ages and if one is going to be off to college or out on their own soon that could change things too. Good luck shopping and have fun!

[PartyOf_Five]

I think they'll be cramped in the bunks- we used to sleep 3 over the can. As they grew, 1 moved to the couch and now everyone has space. Your boys could do the same- sleeping bags in an over the cab queen. It also sounds like they can "rough it" if you bring a tent or 2 along for some character building out there in the boondocks.
We're at 31' and if the armoire came out and with a couch/dinette combo, it could probably be 25'or maybe even less with a slide.
If you're handy, you could have some family time and take some minor repairs by remodeling an older one in good structural shape. That's what we've been doing with our 2001 that came with 50k miles.

[pitch]

I think that you need to look at as short of an overhang behind the rear axles.