I give up

[mocean]

I've been looking for an rv for almost a year. Each time I rent a car, put my dog in daycare and drive hours to see one, I'm met with a rig that is -nothing- like the ad. I drove 2 hrs to look at a class b coach house today. Based on my conversations with the seller and the ad, I was sure this one had promise. Just another disappointment. They left each and -every- bad item out of the ad, of course, waiting for me to drive 2 hours to show me, in person. Asking big bucks for an rv that I don't believe is worth half the price.

Sure wish folks were honest in their ads. I give up.

Just venting. Thanks for reading.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by mocean

I've been looking for an rv for almost a year. Each time I rent a car, put my dog in daycare and drive hours to see one, I'm met with a rig that is -nothing- like the ad. I drove 2 hrs to look at a class b coach house today. Based on my conversations with the seller and the ad, I was sure this one had promise. Just another disappointment. They left each and -every- bad item out of the ad, of course, waiting for me to drive 2 hours to show me, in person. Asking big bucks for an rv that I don't believe is worth half the price.

Sure wish folks were honest in their ads. I give up.

Just venting. Thanks for reading.

Try going to an RV dealer and looking at their used inventory and cost. That might recalibrate your expectations.

[mkguitar]

each unit you look at makes clear which questions to ask about the next...

before going somewhere use google maps to look at the address- if you see that RV in the pics, that is a good sign, if you see other rv's that indicates they are flipping junk*.

a title search through dmv can tell you if the unit have been changing hands


or car fax or even just google the vin- that will sometimes give you a wholesale auction return


look at the aerial and streetview of the home, property and the other possesions of the seller- junk or well kept?

you can do all this from home

mike

*we had a neighbor doing that - her ads always talking about "family owned" ( yes, some family) and sob story about having to sell for medical costs.
enough complaints and MVD over here shut them down.

[mocean]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Try going to an RV dealer and looking at their used inventory and cost. That might recalibrate your expectations.

I did do that a few weeks ago. It was an education. I wish I could bring myself to spend 60k on an rv, but I can't do it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the quality of rv's I'm finding in my search.

[mocean]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

each unit you look at makes clear which questions to ask about the next...

before going somewhere use google maps to look at the address- if you see that RV in the pics, that is a good sign, if you see other rv's that indicates they are flipping junk*.

a title search through dmv can tell you if the unit have been changing hands


or car fax or even just google the vin- that will sometimes give you a wholesale auction return


look at the aerial and streetview of the home, property and the other possesions of the seller- junk or well kept?

you can do all this from home

mike

*we had a neighbor doing that - her ads always talking about "family owned" ( yes, some family) and sob story about having to sell for medical costs.
enough complaints and MVD over here shut them down.

I have learned quite a bit inspecting rv's and I think my questions have improved, maybe almost enough to keep me from making a serious mistake. I couldn't arrange for a proper inspection today because the rv repair shop wanted to charge me $500 for it! Ridiculous. I had to rely on myself.

How do I do a title search via the DMV? I didn't know that was possible.

Google maps is a great idea! Thanks. Hadn't thought of that.

I've heard every story there is about why they're selling. It's become a red flag more than anything else. I'm glad that seller got shut down. I don't know which is riskier, buying from a private seller or a dealer.

Thanks for the guidance. I will use your advice to look for local rv's. No more doggie daycare, car rentals and driving.

[hbn7hj]

Just the luck of the draw, I guess. My problem seven years ago was they were always sold by the time I got there. Most ads wouldn't even return a call for the same reason. I finally found a Craigslist (Florida, I'm in Phoenix) ad four hours after posting at 11PM. Called at 8AM. Told her I'd buy it if it was as represented, checked the VIN number which matched her story, Sent her $1k and flew out the next week. Her phone was ringing off the hook. She under priced it so I added $3k to keep her happy till I could pick it up in two weeks.

That was in 2010 for a 2003 C190P with 44k miles and a total price of $30k. Plastic was still on the carpets, front and rear, and the dump system and stove had never been used. It did have a TracVision in motion satelite TV system.

It did have major Florida corrosion. I found out later the generator was putting out 165 volts (governor adjustment) and had major corrosion problems requiring a new mounting pan and other parts. I think it had been driven in snow in the northeast.

Anyhow, no regrets, but it is certainly a gamble. 100k now. You do have to be able to do your own RV systems repairs to make it financially viable. It would have been a disaster to hire the corrosion repairs and upgrades like HD TV and dash radio. It had taken a hit on the dump valves and tires were seven years old. Just thought I'd share the story.
Harry Roadtrek 2003 C190P

[hbn7hj]

If you find something in Phoenix let me know and I'll go look at it. We could at least tell you if it would be worth the trip.

I couldn't/wouldn't pay $60k, either, let alone the $100k for a new one. I'm amazed others can. More than a few here announce new purchases. I don't like the new ones anyhow with their full bathrooms and such.

What price range are you shopping in? Class C's are cheaper if you care.
Harry

[BBQ]

.

if you want a bargain, you have to travel further.
Nothing in Socal is cheap.
Nothing in CA is cheap.
Try the northern states.

[jrobe]

Originally Posted by mocean

Asking big bucks for an rv that I don't believe is worth half the price.

One possibility is that your perception of the value of a used Class B is way off. Every single new Class B started out as a $40,000-50,000 vehicle before anyone even started a conversion on it. It is easy to see how they get to $100,000 fast. Class B's then hold their value well partly because there are not many of them around compared to other RV's. I don't see many on the market very long. I suspect that your perception of the value of a Class B and the actual market value in 2017 are quite a ways off.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by mocean

I've been looking for an rv for almost a year. Each time I rent a car, put my dog in daycare and drive hours to see one, I'm met with a rig that is -nothing- like the ad. I drove 2 hrs to look at a class b coach house today. Based on my conversations with the seller and the ad, I was sure this one had promise. Just another disappointment. They left each and -every- bad item out of the ad, of course, waiting for me to drive 2 hours to show me, in person. Asking big bucks for an rv that I don't believe is worth half the price.

Sure wish folks were honest in their ads. I give up.

Just venting. Thanks for reading.

What are you looking for?

What is your budget?

[hbn7hj]

You are not alone. I've had a half dozen people knock on my door wanting to buy mine. One frustrated lady had just come from a failed purchase and happened to drive by. We have been approached at gas stations and rest stops, not just to look but to buy.

We had the same "forget it" attitude when, for some reason, I sat down at the computer for one last time. If you up your budget you will probably get your money back when you sell.

The lower end price range is definitely junk and you will have to improve it yourself. We were just at Anza-Borrego State Park in CA where the neighbor had a new $150k Pleasure Way 3500 Sprinter. Would like to have taken an inside look but didn't bother him. I preferred mine but was impressed that anyone could buy such a thing. Just ramblin', good luck.

You seem to know when to walk which is a very good thing. Owning a disaster is a disaster.
Harry

[mumkin]

A couple suggestions. If you are interested in a used Roadtrek, try this site:

Roadtreks for Sale - Road Trek International

Another is the Sportsmobile website where they help sell used models:

Sportsmobile Custom Camper Vans - Pre-owned Vans - California

Good Luck

[gerrym51]

if your not buying new this usually is an issue.

as someone else asked. What's your price limit-than i can comment on whether you should give up

[peppster66]

It took me nearly 4 months to finally find the one I really liked, that was in my price range, and had everything that I was looking for. I actually enjoyed the process, I learned a lot about the class b. by talking to different people about it, what they liked, and what they didn't like, by looking at the broken and the beaten, I really was able to narrow down what I wanted. I actually bought mine from a rv dealership, It was a trade in, that needed some repairs, and the rv dealership didn't want to get into those repairs, they were totally honest with me on what it needed, so I bought it as/is, where/is, and I got it for a great price. I was able to do a lot of the work myself, and the rest I knew it would be done properly. Now mind you, mine is a 1997 roadtrek, but even with the older year, I couldn't believe the range in prices for the same type of rv..Some guys were asking $24,000, and some as low as $2200 for a real piece of junk, and all sorts in between. My only advice is don't rush it, keep on top of the adds, and try to be on of the first to respond, youll know which is the right one,,,,good luck,,,,,

[Lennie]

I had to start looking at older and older class Bs to get to a price I felt I could afford. The dealers were out, they pretty much sell everything around $90-100K used. So. Cal is a tough market, lots of people with lots of money and anything that gets great gas mileage tends to go for more money than less efficient vehicles.

I thought I did okay but the vehicle I bought turned out to have several issues I didn't anticipate, I was the first one to see it and the seller had other people lining up to see it. I don't know if I got a good deal or not, I've decided to make the best of it. Arizona may be a good place to look, it's not that far from So. Cal.

[GeorgeRa]

We were looking for a B-Class RV in 2012 after selling our 21’ Bigfoot trailer which we did not use a lot. The realization that the trailer and the pulling truck were just too cumbersome for a few days’ trips as compared to our experience with 2 Westfalias in our past triggered the motion to change from the 50’ long TV and trailer combo to a 20’ long RV van.

Our price comparative baseline was a small trailer (15’ fiberglass) and smaller towing vehicle than a full-size truck for about $50-$60K. At these prices, there was nothing in the B-Class van market. Sportsmobile had some good designs but quality for us was questionable. As we like the Airstream trailers their Sprinter conversion seems as it was made by Mr. Hyde. While drooling about RV vans availability at decent prices in EU we just couldn’t find something we like in NA.

So, we opted to do DIY, with today’s market we would likely buy a commercially made RV van.

Since then, I predict lower price B-class campers will slowly penetrate US market. There are more tall vans than just Sprinters. Majority of EU van campers market is based on Fiat and its siblings, Fiat is here and most likely this will also happen here as well. The less expensive, wider and more squarish Fiat is very well suited for conversion. Hymer will do its best to get into NA via Roadtrek so the real competition will hopefully start.

In my observation cars and large RV motorhomes in EU are more expensive than in NA, but B-class prices are reversed.Some of the Sprinter van conversion are more expensive than diesel pushers, just weird.

See this one for $60K https://www.knaus.com/de-de/kastenwa...600/interieur/

George.