Motorhomes - Have you ever thought about one? This article (see link below) might make you at least think twice about one...

For the 5th wheel, what would be the single most expensive repair (Parts and labor) one might have to make?

A new propane refrigerator ($4200 + labor)?

A new roof ($10,000 including labor)?

Here is one article I read this morning concerning Motorhomes:

http://rvtravel.com/whats-the-biggest-bill-youve-received-for-repair-work/

Could you afford this type of repair if it was required?

I had considered several times taking it to the next step. This information just turned me off completely...Chances are small that it might happen. But what if it did?? :sick:

We looked long & hard at them,just before retirement & even was working on a deal for one, it didn't work out & have thanked our lucky stars it didn't.
There are pros/cons to owning one, the expense being one, not having to stop for others to go potty is a good one.
Had one fellow told me a fifth wheel is more roomy & a motorhome is a hallway with a steering wheel, on both counts I agree.
Class Bs or Cs in my opinion are a waste of money, class Bs especially & I'll take my RW over either of them any day.

I had similar worries about having to replace the engine in my 2008 F350 (pull off the cab). It's all relative I guess. A $40,000 tab would definitely hurt, but I don't think I've heard of them getting that high.

So far we haven't regretted our decision. It is a different style of travel, and for us trying to stay in the game with Dory's recovery, the convenience and automation can't be beat. We arrive air conditioned and rested, and if it is pouring rain, we don't even have to go outside if we don't want to - for days! Unless I need AC, I don't even hookup for overnighters anymore. I suppose the early rollers with 1 or no slides felt like a tube, but anymore they are pretty roomy.

But that said, I do miss the Redwood recliners. Many people hated them, but I found they were the most comfortable I've had in an RV.

Before I bought my new Redwood in August of last year I owned a 2006 National Tradewinds 40D diesel pusher for five years. My coach was on a Freightliner XCR chassis with a Cummins 400. National is an orphan coach but I never had issues getting any parts as most items are manufactured by other companies. I loved this coach but I would never own another Class A diesel motorcoach WITHOUT some kind of extended warranty protection.

There are pros an cons for both motorhomes and fifth-wheels. I miss the ease of driving and maneuverability of the motorhome when towing my Jeep. The Class A was easier to drive/maneuver and offered a more comfortable ride. Storage space was also much better in the Class A due to all the basement storage. For the fiver I like that all the interior space is usable as you lose a couple of feet in the Class A due to the dash, etc. Fuel economy is much better with my fiver. I only saw about 6.5 mpg with the Cummins 400 while I see over 12 mpg with my 2017 Ford Super Duty diesel.

I think the one very noticeable difference was in build quality. A quality class A motorhome costs a lot more than even the most expensive fifth-wheels. My National was built much better than my Redwood and the other premium brand fivers I shopped for.

Lastly was the cost of maintenance. Tires alone for my Class A were over 4 grand even with a Family Motorcoach discount. The last year I owned the coach the rear suspension bushings had to be replaced at a whopping cost of $3700. I fought with my extended warranty company and they eventually covered the repair but it was a battle. An engine, transmission, differential failure on large Class A diesel could easily set you back $20K hence my advice to always maintain good extended coverage on this type of rig.

I was already apprehensive before this info...40-45' Diesel Pusher...

8 batteries at $150 each = $1200

10 tires at $600-700 each = $6000-$7000

Oil changes at $450 each

Fuel mileage at 4-6 mpg

What about a tow when you break down costing $2000-$3000?

I would propose that only the rich need apply...I got better things to spend the money on...

Talking about money I forgot to mention the depreciation. My Class A was in need of a new full body paint job that was likely to cost 15 to 20K. I looked at replacing it with a new coach - a Newmar Ventana which is a lower line of the Newmar coaches. New I was looking at around 300K equipped the way I wanted. I started really thinking about the depreciation we see in all RVs (except for Airstream) and decided that 90K for a new fifth-wheel and 70K for a new Super Duty was much better for my wallet initially not to mention the depreciation once you drive the RV off the lot.

My personal rule of thumb negotiating...

New:

MSRP and subtract 45% (in this price point range).

Throw in some "extras" (i.e. W/D, Satellite, and a new hitch), maybe we can talk. The price offered WILL include Tax, Title and License.

Used:

Same as above, but since the first person drove it off the lot, that's an automatic 20% off.

Then, every 5 years, ALL RV's loose 50% in depreciation for its life. If it is less than 5 years, I dollar cost average the 5 years.

Now...EVERY RV (and brand) is different. You have to consider the differences in each.

You also have to consider the motivation behind each. Are you an impulse Buyer? Is the Seller hiding problems and just wants to dump their RV off onto someone else? Is it their first day on the market?

The REAL selling price is what a Buyer is willing to Pay and what a Seller is willing to sell for. That's the free trade society. NOT by what some NADA, Kelly Blue Book or bank says something is "worth". Those are just average sales prices (wholesale and retail) that are recorded. And as we all know, many were ripped off in the first place. What about those sales that are not recorded?

Calculate your own rig and see where you were in relation to the formulas above.

This formula won't work with every buyer or seller, but it has excellent averages for me. You may have to see multiple rigs to get to this price. There are other strategies to work with as well. Don't be in a hurry. Keep the salesman tied up all day (right up to closing time or past). Pick a slow time of the year. Stay away from RV Shows (for buying). Stick to your budget price. And so many others. I once negotiated for 2 weeks to by a brand new pickup. Many will average 20-25% off on a new vehicle. I was able to get 34% off. There are things like dealer holdback, incentives for selling a certain number of vehicles (a dually counts as 2), among others. How desperate is the dealer for a sale? Buy again during off-peak seasons.

Back to the original post, even with enough discounts, I just could not stomach 1 $40,000 problem. Likely, this wasn't the only problem for that individual. They would still have had the normal maintenance items already suggested. Even without that engine failure, future maintenance costs would be catastrophic for those who don't have a silver spoon or who have been fortunate enough to amass a substantial reserve fund. We haven't even discussed the insurance or warranty program costs. Then, you still have to fund and insure a tow vehicle. I really had considered a Class A as the best method of travel. But after extensive research on this, the 5th wheel would seem to have the best of both worlds when retired. Some of you may disagree and that's OK. It's just too much risk for us.

I can't wait for the first dealer to read this and try to debunk it...What do you think they are going to say???

Close 🙂

I was already apprehensive before this info...40-45' Diesel Pusher...

8 batteries at $150 each = $1200 On a good day they are $150! Never when you actually need them 🙂 My 6 AGMs we $225 each

10 tires at $600-700 each = $6000-$7000 I don't know of any motorhomes that take 10 tires. Mine takes 8 and I think that is about it. The tag axles are single wheels. Good part is, the tires last a whole lot longer (6-8 years)

Oil changes at $450 each 299 regular dino, 399 semi-synthetic, 499 full-synthetic but all include 2 oil and 2 fuel filters and lube (Speedco). Technically Cummins says 20,000 mile intervals which could take years, but I have been doing it every spring

Fuel mileage at 4-6 mpg We have been fortunate - closer to 8 with the Allison 3000 and 8.9 ISL. If I pull the Jeep it drops to 7 to 7.5. I can say in all honesty, my F350 dually 3.73s pulling the Redwood never got better than 8. I figure it was a fair trade off, and I hold 150 gallons so I don't have to stop at every town.

What about a tow when you break down costing $2000-$3000? Free - GS sent a 3 axle rotator to get mine when I hit road debris and popped a coolant line. no charge

I would propose that only the rich need apply...I got better things to spend the money on...

PunksRedwood and GypC make some good points! Our Class A is built like a tank - the door closes like a vault, etc, but there are costs to keep it running. I cashed in my warranty after the first fight with them over a relay in the AC. I'm running self warranted 🙂