New need advise

[Loaitayem]

Hello everyone,


I am trying to purchase RV but I am completely new to this life, I want to live in the RV full time with my dog, I need some suggestions about best used class C RV's out there that is not more than 75k.

Any insight into Nexus Triumph RV? Anyone has any experiance with them? I found a good one but the reviews on them does not look very great.



Any additional advice for a new person is much appreciated.



Thanks in advance!

[mountaintravele]

bobndot wrote:
Loaitayem, have you considered towing a small to medium size travel trailer with a van ? I think it might be a better financial and practical option for you.
Something like a ‘Tab 400’ is light with different floorplans that might work for you. Your tow vehicle could offer additional storage space.

If your class C rv is your only vehicle and it has to be repaired for mechanical or body shop work, it might be ‘out of use’ for a long period of time. They usually have to go to truck shops or rv shops with large doors and heavy duty lifts.
You would need to find transportation as well as housing for yourself and a dog.
I think having a trailer and a tow vehicle might be a better option for a lone person living with a dog.
A van or pickup truck can fit into any service station bay. Making appointment may be a lot easier and less expensive.

A trailer under or even in the 5,000-6,000 lb range can be towed by a van or pickup without having any special suspension upgrades in place.
In other words, you could lease new 150/1500 pickups every 3 years and always be covered by bumper to bumper warranties.
If you buy a used class C , you really do not know what you are getting into as far as reliability. You plan to live in this.

I personally don't see how a truck + trailer is better from financial standpoint.
I'm full timing in my class C right now and, as I wrote in my own thread the rig had cost me 43K with all fees in great condition and 13K miles on it, and it's E450. If you look at prices of trucks, which are absolutely insane and a total rip off, new basic F150 with basic towing capacity is 44K. Used are not much cheaper. And you still have to pay something like 20K for a used trailer on top of 40-60K truck, if you want a reliable one it better be low mileage and not getting overloaded, so it' won't be the cheapest one.

Motorhome insurance for full timers usually pays about 2K a year for housing expenses if motorhome is in the shop, this can cover 1-1.5 months, if one pays weekly or monthly for a short term rental. I'm not talking in San Francisco or some expensive Florida place, I'm talking in rural areas where I travel. Yes, it's much better to have a truck as a separate thing from living unit, in cased of a break down, but with prices of trucks now...they don't make sense anymore. Shops that work on motorhomes, especially non-diesel, are hard to find, but insurance usually will tow to the closest shop that works on a motorhome at not additional cost, whatever mileage it is. A shop might drop you off at the hotel and give you a ride back.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Loaitayem wrote:
Hello everyone,


I am trying to purchase RV but I am completely new to this life, I want to live in the RV full time with my dog, I need some suggestions about best used class C RV's out there that is not more than 75k.

Any insight into Nexus Triumph RV? Anyone has any experiance with them? I found a good one but the reviews on them does not look very great.



Any additional advice for a new person is much appreciated.



Thanks in advance!

I'd like to suggest to consider the Winnebago RV brand. You can't beat Winnebago for overall, 360° satisfaction in motorhomes.

Just my opinion as a long time Class C owner, but if I were buying a new coach, I'd be buying a Winnebago brand new from Lichtsinn Winnebago Sales and Service, Forest City, Iowa.

That's from whom, and where I plan to buy my next new motorhome from.

Not sure you can buy one for "$75K" though...

[Grit_dog]

S
P
A
M

[Rick_Jay]

Loaitayem,

Welcome to the Forums!!!

I think it would be helpful if you could provide us a bit more information about how you intend on using the RV.

For example: You said you want to live in it full-time with your dog.

Are you retired or are you working? Budget is a HUGE part of the planning process. Living in an RV is not necessarily cheap, depending upon where you need to be. That $75k you mention, I would suggest you have at least another $10k set aside as a safety net for on-the-road repairs. Knowing whether or not you're on a fixed income or have the ability to earn more money, if needed, can be useful. I ALWAYS over-estimate my expenses for projects of this magnitude. You don't want to commit most of your resources to find out you can't swing it and then have to sell everything at a huge loss.

When you say "full-time", does that mean you will have no "sticks & bricks" location to leave the things behind you won't be able to fit/bring in your RV?

Understand that all RVs have weight limits which should be obeyed. Just because there may be large storage bins on the rig, doesn't mean they can all be filled up. This is all part of the shopping process you should be familiar with BEFORE you put your money down or even get too serious. Some rigs run close to their weight capacities loaded just with fuels, water and minimal supplies.

How handy are you? Do you tend to do your own vehicle and home maintenance? If you can do a lot of the work on your RV yourself, you can save A LOT of money over the years. BUT...now you need to devote a good part of you storage space to carrying the tools you'll need. And some campgrounds are not too keen on any major work being performed in their campground.

It was mentioned that a van or even a pickup truck with a trailer would be a better option for you. At this point, I'd tend to agree with that. Perhaps in a few years after you get more comfortable with the RV lifestyle and you learn more about the ins and outs, then you could investigate the motorhome options. But it will probably be least expensive to do a truck/van and separate RV trailer. It just offers more flexibility. It does come at the cost of reduced convenience when setting up...BUT...having a separate vehicle while camped is, in my opinion, indispensable. Others do it, but if you need to run to the store to pick up something, breaking camp and bring the entire RV can get old quick.

That said, towing is a learned skill in itself. It's certainly easier (in my opinion) to back a motorhome into a spot than a trailer, but in the end, it comes down to what will work best for you.

I would also echo the recommendations to keep things as simple as possible. The newer the rig, the more likely it is to have fancy remote controlled devices. They're great when they work, but my preference is an appliance with a control panel of buttons and knobs! 😉

Well, Good Luck. Please feel free to ask additional questions. Just be patient. You have a lot of learning ahead of you. 🙂

~Rick

[klutchdust]

Absolutely have a mobile rv mechanic inspect anything before you purchase. A few hundred now may save you thousands later.

An Rv will shake itself loose. I have a book i keep on the table and write down everything I need to look at or repair before next trip. Rv's are not maintenance free, far from it. Now, those items are usually minor that I like to keep up on so they don't become big items.

Rent one! See if this is something you want to drive through tight campsites or along two lane roads. Drive it down the interstate and see how it feels when big rigs pass. Back it up, all those fun things to the new camper.

Take your time and get plenty of advice and anytime you see a salesman on the lot moving his lips.....well...he may not be telling the whole story. ( that was being polite) Ohh yeah. extended warranties..... they are a joke. self insure. Whatever the warranty cost....add that to a savings account and pay the repairs yourself. todays engines and drivetrains are very reliable. Don't believe the nonsense "if your engine blows up or your transmission fails....they seldom do.

As was mentioned, have an expert examine for water damage. Take your time, ask questions, talk to those you see with an RV you like, they will be most helpful I'm sure.

Full time. RV's can get small real quick.Look for one that you can keep the necessities and still have living space. Slide outs help a lot.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

The "best" RV is one that has been carefully maintained, and preferably stored indoors. Branding isn't all that important, since they are ALL a collection of components made by other companies, and assembled at the RV factory.

I agree with others - for full-time living, a trailer is the better way to go, because repairs won't leave you without transportation.

Also research where you plan to park it - many places like state parks, have limits on how long you can stay - and in the winter in FL, campsites are hard to find.

[SJ-Chris]

If you are completely new to RVing, I suggest you rent one for a week and I suspect you will learn a lot about things you like and don't like about a particular RV (or RVing in general).

These forums are great for helping with issues...and you will likely have issues as RVs are like homes undergoing constant earthquakes (while traveling). It helps a lot (in the bank account) if you are a do-it-yourself type and knows how to fix things. Otherwise, be advised that RV shops charge very high rates and they often have long delays to get to your rig (especially during the busy seasons).

-Chris

[bobndot]

Loaitayem, have you considered towing a small to medium size travel trailer with a van ? I think it might be a better financial and practical option for you.
Something like a ‘Tab 400’ is light with different floorplans that might work for you. Your tow vehicle could offer additional storage space.

If your class C rv is your only vehicle and it has to be repaired for mechanical or body shop work, it might be ‘out of use’ for a long period of time. They usually have to go to truck shops or rv shops with large doors and heavy duty lifts.
You would need to find transportation as well as housing for yourself and a dog.
I think having a trailer and a tow vehicle might be a better option for a lone person living with a dog.
A van or pickup truck can fit into any service station bay. Making appointment may be a lot easier and less expensive.

A trailer under or even in the 5,000-6,000 lb range can be towed by a van or pickup without having any special suspension upgrades in place.
In other words, you could lease new 150/1500 pickups every 3 years and always be covered by bumper to bumper warranties.
If you buy a used class C , you really do not know what you are getting into as far as reliability. You plan to live in this.

[bobndot]

Look for a floorplan that can be used with a slideout retracted.
In case of a mechanical malfunction , you will be able to have use of your rv . If you’re not rv mechanical , looking for a non slide floorplan would be one less thing to worry about.

I would try to keep things as simple as possible. Try to find an rv that has a network of available help. Some rvs use Truma heating and water systems but not every dealer will or can repair Truma systems because they are not in the authorized dealer network.
The more electronic ‘bells n whistles’ the greater the risk to fail. Keep things simple till you learn what you’re doing.
Always have a plan in place for rv repair help. Know where mobile rv mechanics are in the area you are staying. If you are living in it, try to limit your down time for repairs.

[pianotuna]

Hire a mobile RV repair man to inspect ANY rv you are serious about.

look for water leaks. Look HARD for water leaks. LOOK EVEN HARDER FOR WATER LEAKS.