Motorhomes

[utahrd]

There has been some interest in the board on learning more about motorhomes. I will kick off this thread with a general overview and some food for thought.


First, you have to understand my knowledge base: I have owned tents, tent trailers, bumper pull hardwalls, and finally a motorhome. My inlaws also have a sprinter-chassis style motorhome that I am very familiar with. Like my boat, I spend extensive time making little mods here and there to adapt these RV's to our specific needs. Since each person has a particular need, and style of "camping" or "glamping" What works for me may not work for you. Anyways, here are some general insights not necessarily found in the literature.


What Type of Motorhome is right for you?


Motorhomes are basically broken up into three categories: Class A (the bus looking style), Class B (van conversions, and Class C (the cab over truck design commonly seen with the CruiseAmerica brand). Sometimes these lines get a little blurry, because there are hybrid style products.


Some of the initial questions you need to ask yourself to help you decide: Again, these are my OPINIONS, feel free to offer yours!

• How many people will be living in the motorhome
  • if only 2 persons 24 feet and longer will be minimally sufficient
  • if 4 persons 31 feet and longer is much more comfortable
• Do you plan on staying in State and National Parks routinely?
  • if not, you have no length restrictions and you won't care about water and power and sewer capacity
  • Like National Parks? if you want to stay in the park, MANY parks have a restriction of <35 feet.
• Are you interested in "Dry Camping" (no water, sewer, or electrical external hookups)
  • This is the biggest issue new campers don't understand. If you like camping where there are no external power,water, or sewer resources, than the holding tank capacities of your rig MATTER A LOT. From my own experience, a couple with 2 kids will blow through 40 gallons of fresh water in 3 or 4 days. A toilet with a 20 gallon black capacity will fill in about the same time, and a grewater tank of 30-40 gallons will also fill in about 4 days. This assumes miserly dish washing, normal bathroom habits, normal eating habits, and each person taking a "Navy Shower" each 3 days. You can assume about a 20 amphour depletion daily. Stated differently, a group 24 or 27 deep cycle house battery will be pretty drained in 3-4 days (depends on a lot of things). Your onboard generator can supply all your power needs, but many campgrounds have limited generator hours due to the noise.
  • Class A motorhomes, in general, have MUCH BIGGER WATER AND SEWER holding capacities. in my Vista, I have 80 gallons of fresh, 40 or so gallons of black, and 50 gallons of grey. I get low on everything in about 6-7 days with my family of 4.
  • A lot ofpeople don't realize you will have no AC power unless you run on generator. This is standard equipment in motorhomes, but remember, you may only be allowed to run the generator at inconvenient times according to the campground rules. You can also get AC power off of your batteries with an inverter. These are not standard equipment in Class C's, but are standard in Class A's. I view an inverter of at least 1000 W A MUST HAVE IF YOU DRYCAMP
  • I solve my power problems by putting solar panels on the roof, which feed into a 4 golf cart battery system, and a 1000 watt inverter to give me AC power. If you don't have a built in inverter, you will need one. Cost to get a decent solar setup with enough panels, charge controller, and battery capacity will run you about 800 bucks.
• What is a typical trip duration for you/family
  • If you go out for 3 days at a time, all these power and water capacities are inconsequential.
  • If you like to do extended trips, like a week or more, you need to seriously consider the storage capacity of your motorhome for your “stuff”
  • Class A motorhomes have SIGNIFICANTLY more storage capacity than a class C. People in Class C often complain that they don’t have enough storage. In addition, the SPRINTER CHASSIS units (learn more below) have VERY LIMITED storage. My inlaws own this type of chassis and basically regret buying it and are now shopping for larger class A units
• How much can you spend?
  • A brand new Class C or A entry level GAS coach is between $80,000 and $120,000. Lots of great lightly used ones around for $45,000
• Once you reach the destination, will you stay put or need to be able to tour?
  • Having a car at the destination is extremely helpful if you have a large rig (like over 27 feet. You will either need to rent a car or Tow a car behind the motorhome. This can be a whole separate topic. Many cars are not equipped to flat tow behind a motorhome from the factory. You also need to consider the tow capacity of your motorhome, etc. More on this when I have more time to post. If you have a small Class C or a Sprinter Chassis Motorhome, you will probably just use the motorhome. This kindof sucks, because these types of rigs usually don’t have an autoleveling system, which is an extremely nice feature when you are parking to camp. Almost all Class A motorhomeson non-sprinter chassis have autolevel which means you arrive at your camp, press a button, and you are literally done. In a class C, you will spend the next 20 minutes leveling your coach…
• What are the weights you need to tow?
  • Ford v10 Gas engines with Ford Chassis are usually rated to tow 5000 lbs
  • Sprinter Chassis rated at 3500 to 5500, but always underpowered
  • CAT and Cummins Diesel Pushers: 10,000 lbs or more. Big premium on cost for diesel pusher motorhomes. Chassis length almost always 38 feet or greater
• Do you care about gas mileage
  • If yes, don’t buy a motorhome

I will plan to add a lot more content to this original post as more time becomes available. For now, I need to get something out there so MEL @txav8r can negotiate a good deal!


p.s., I store my rig outside year round, covered in winter, paint looks great after 3-4 years. Put REJEX and forget about it.


p.p.s I love what I have…. I think a 32-35 foot motorhome in a Class A chassis is the best no compromise rig for most people. try to get at least 70 gallons fresh and 50 gallons greywater if you drycamp.

Lots more coming when I have time…

 

[GTBRMC]

"Do you care about gas mileage

• If yes, don’t buy a motorhome"

Accurate. Succinct. Brilliant.

 

[Big Shasta]

I hope to retire with a class A and tour the country with my lady!

That reminds me, I need to up my retirement investments.

 

[Zarrella]

I hope to retire with a class A and tour the country with my lady!

That reminds me, I need to up my retirement investments.

I did a similar thing.....I "retired" at age 35 took the motor home and boat all over the US and Canada. We did this for 10 years and than at age 45 went back to work. I didn't want to be one of those guys who dropped dead 2 years into retirement. So now I plan to "re retire" at age 65.

 

[txav8r]

@utahrd I appreciate the time y0u put into this Jon, it is just the type of intel I was looking for. One of the questions I had was about storing it outside. The Texas heat will bake most anything into submission and like a boat, I wondered if it would deteriorate the motorhome as well. The dealer has two 2014 Vistas in the 31' range with less than 20K on them, in the $78K range if I remember correctly, both gelcoat and graphics. The have a new Vista 35 I think, and it is painted and with many more features than the other two. The 35 has two roof a/c units which I can't imagine the others with one keeping it cool in the daytime around here. I think the asking price on MH's is always capable of being lowered a good deal, so knowing what you can get one for is tricky. Sounds like buying a boat! One thing we had considered, is getting one in the next year or two, and using it for fun short trips and maybe a few of several weeks in length. But keeping it basically stored until retirement and then seeing the country. I don't know if deterioration is a factor here or not. What do you think the Vista line is good for in terms of miles and age? Did you buy yours new?

 

[Jrash]

There has been some interest in the board on learning more about motorhomes. I will kick off this thread with a general overview and some food for thought.


First, you have to understand my knowledge base: I have owned tents, tent trailers, bumper pull hardwalls, and finally a motorhome. My inlaws also have a sprinter-chassis style motorhome that I am very familiar with. Like my boat, I spend extensive time making little mods here and there to adapt these RV's to our specific needs. Since each person has a particular need, and style of "camping" or "glamping" What works for me may not work for you. Anyways, here are some general insights not necessarily found in the literature.


What Type of Motorhome is right for you?


Motorhomes are basically broken up into three categories: Class A (the bus looking style), Class B (van conversions, and Class C (the cab over truck design commonly seen with the CruiseAmerica brand). Sometimes these lines get a little blurry, because there are hybrid style products.


Some of the initial questions you need to ask yourself to help you decide: Again, these are my OPINIONS, feel free to offer yours!

• How many people will be living in the motorhome
  • if only 2 persons 24 feet and longer will be minimally sufficient
  • if 4 persons 31 feet and longer is much more comfortable
• Do you plan on staying in State and National Parks routinely?
  • if not, you have no length restrictions and you won't care about water and power and sewer capacity
  • Like National Parks? if you want to stay in the park, MANY parks have a restriction of <35 feet.
• Are you interested in "Dry Camping" (no water, sewer, or electrical external hookups)
  • This is the biggest issue new campers don't understand. If you like camping where there are no external power,water, or sewer resources, than the holding tank capacities of your rig MATTER A LOT. From my own experience, a couple with 2 kids will blow through 40 gallons of fresh water in 3 or 4 days. A toilet with a 20 gallon black capacity will fill in about the same time, and a grewater tank of 30-40 gallons will also fill in about 4 days. This assumes miserly dish washing, normal bathroom habits, normal eating habits, and each person taking a "Navy Shower" each 3 days. You can assume about a 20 amphour depletion daily. Stated differently, a group 24 or 27 deep cycle house battery will be pretty drained in 3-4 days (depends on a lot of things). Your onboard generator can supply all your power needs, but many campgrounds have limited generator hours due to the noise.
  • Class A motorhomes, in general, have MUCH BIGGER WATER AND SEWER holding capacities. in my Vista, I have 80 gallons of fresh, 40 or so gallons of black, and 50 gallons of grey. I get low on everything in about 6-7 days with my family of 4.
  • A lot ofpeople don't realize you will have no AC power unless you run on generator. This is standard equipment in motorhomes, but remember, you may only be allowed to run the generator at inconvenient times according to the campground rules. You can also get AC power off of your batteries with an inverter. These are not standard equipment in Class C's, but are standard in Class A's. I view an inverter of at least 1000 W A MUST HAVE IF YOU DRYCAMP
  • I solve my power problems by putting solar panels on the roof, which feed into a 4 golf cart battery system, and a 1000 watt inverter to give me AC power. If you don't have a built in inverter, you will need one. Cost to get a decent solar setup with enough panels, charge controller, and battery capacity will run you about 800 bucks.
• What is a typical trip duration for you/family
  • If you go out for 3 days at a time, all these power and water capacities are inconsequential.
  • If you like to do extended trips, like a week or more, you need to seriously consider the storage capacity of your motorhome for your “stuff”
  • Class A motorhomes have SIGNIFICANTLY more storage capacity than a class C. People in Class C often complain that they don’t have enough storage. In addition, the SPRINTER CHASSIS units (learn more below) have VERY LIMITED storage. My inlaws own this type of chassis and basically regret buying it and are now shopping for larger class A units
• How much can you spend?
  • A brand new Class C or A entry level GAS coach is between $80,000 and $100,000. Lots of great lightly used ones around for $45,000
• Once you reach the destination, will you stay put or need to be able to tour?
  • Having a car at the destination is extremely helpful if you have a large rig (like over 27 feet. You will either need to rent a car or Tow a car behind the motorhome. This can be a whole separate topic. Many cars are not equipped to flat tow behind a motorhome from the factory. You also need to consider the tow capacity of your motorhome, etc. More on this when I have more time to post. If you have a small Class C or a Sprinter Chassis Motorhome, you will probably just use the motorhome. This kindof sucks, because these types of rigs usually don’t have an autoleveling system, which is an extremely nice feature when you are parking to camp. Almost all Class A motorhomeson non-sprinter chassis have autolevel which means you arrive at your camp, press a button, and you are literally done. In a class C, you will spend the next 20 minutes leveling your coach…
• What are the weights you need to tow?
  • Ford v10 Gas engines with Ford Chassis are usually rated to tow 5000 lbs
  • Sprinter Chassis rated at 3500 to 5500, but always underpowered
  • CAT and Cummins Diesel Pushers: 10,000 lbs or more. Big premium on cost for diesel pusher motorhomes. Chassis length almost always 38 feet or greater
• Do you care about gas mileage
  • If yes, don’t buy a motorhome

I will plan to add a lot more content to this original post as more time becomes available. For now, I need to get something out there so MEL @txav8r can negotiate a good deal!


p.s., I store my rig outside year round, covered in winter, paint looks great after 3-4 years. Put REJEX and forget about it.


p.p.s I love what I have…. I think a 32-35 foot motorhome in a Class A chassis is the best no compromise rig for most people. try to get at least 70 gallons fresh and 50 gallons greywater if you drycamp.

Lots more coming when I have time…

It is my favorite way to travel with my family by far. I have more than 30 years experience of service and repair in the RV industry. Your initial write up is great with lots of helpful information. Hit me up any time with questions, or for another point of view.

 

[utahrd]

@utahrd I appreciate the time y0u put into this Jon, it is just the type of intel I was looking for. One of the questions I had was about storing it outside. The Texas heat will bake most anything into submission and like a boat, I wondered if it would deteriorate the motorhome as well. The dealer has two 2014 Vistas in the 31' range with less than 20K on them, in the $78K range if I remember correctly, both gelcoat and graphics. The have a new Vista 35 I think, and it is painted and with many more features than the other two. The 35 has two roof a/c units which I can't imagine the others with one keeping it cool in the daytime around here. I think the asking price on MH's is always capable of being lowered a good deal, so knowing what you can get one for is tricky. Sounds like buying a boat! One thing we had considered, is getting one in the next year or two, and using it for fun short trips and maybe a few of several weeks in length. But keeping it basically stored until retirement and then seeing the country. I don't know if deterioration is a factor here or not. What do you think the Vista line is good for in terms of miles and age? Did you buy yours new?

Mell, I did buy mine new. I paid about 97,000 but that was in 2012 and bunkhouse models dont move very fast. Mine was on the dealers lot for awhile. Well, I would imaging Texas Summer is not unlike salt lake summer. High desert. I would say most of the time in July, August, my rig sits in this heat. I keep some of the windows cracked open to vent it in the summer, and have never had a problem. I do, however, have shade for some of the day so it is not in full heat. When I am at Lake Powell the inside and outside get to 100 degrees for hours on end. No noticeable issues so far and I have a 2011. When I park the rig, I keep the wheels on plywood, and I think if the wheels get direct sun, I would invest in wheel covers. My in laws bought a brand new 2015 VISTA 27N TODAY! and I helped them with that purchase. They basically had a lot of nice extras thrown in, full body paint, the drop down bed in the cab, exterior entertainment. they paid $105,000. You usually pay $5000 to $7000 more for full body paint over gelcoat and graphics. Nevertheless, I don't think there is anything wrong with Gelcoat and graphics. 78K seems like a fair price for a 2014 model, although 20k was alot to put on a 1 year old motorhome. I have 25K on my rig and I think it runs just like new. NADA guide on my 2011 32k model is $69,000 retail (I looked it up today while negotiating my inlaws rig). 2 ac units are a must in 31k and over size. when parked at Powell, I keep the AC running while we are boating. If you start from a 100 degree interior, the dual AC's cant really get it down fast enough.

There are lots of brands out there, and Winnebago has a very long shelf life. you will tire of your rig before the rig wears out. like anything, new features and experience get you itching for a newer unit after about 5 years. i am certain you can easily get 10 years out of a vista before real mechanical issues arrive. chances are, the vista is great for you right now with occassional outings and some extended trips. if you are serious about travelling around in earnest in retirement, you will likely upgrade to a bigger, more residential style diesel unit. the average RV owner buys 4 in their lifetime.

@txav8r, you are excactly right. the motorhome is really a lot like a boat. you will be very comfortable with care of the exterior etc. Go For IT!!!