Big diesel RV qs

Anybody got any experience or suggestions to brands avoid.
We're looking at 10 to 20 year old tag axle diesels. Plan to tow a 4wd truck with a bike in the back. Probably an Adventure bike if the wife is willing.
Plan is to travel 70 to 80 degree temps and winter back in FL.

 

Zertrider to the white courtesy phone.....

 

What price range? I know of a 2013 Monaco Diplomat for sale.

 

AZ Expert says the BEAVER rv's are the best Class A ever made. He owns a 25-30 yr old Beaver coach.

 

I had a couple. Last one was Newmar and if I would buy another one it would probably be Newmar again.

 

I lived in my 42' tag-axle 2007 Travel Supreme for a couple years and still use it pretty heavily.

#1 thing to know about it is: You will become an RV mechanic. Period. Anything and everything will break. None of it's hard to fix, but you will not have a choice: You will be fixing most of it. It doesn't matter how much money you have; you do not have enough money to pay shops (or mobile repair specialists) to fix everything for you. Any big items, sure - if the A/C goes out, or your generator goes on the fritz etc, yeah - but literally not a day goes by in my RV where I don't discover something niggly needing repair.

#2 thing to know about it is: It's fucking awesome. I love the nomad life. I love the big nice fancy house life too, but nobody writes books about Life on the Open Livingroom.

#3: For the age range you're talking about, brand doesn't matter. They're all built equally shittily. Shop by feature: How many A/C's? How big a water tank? What engine? How many slides, what layout? Etc.
#3a: Get the biggest engine you can find. Contrary to what you'd think, the bigger engine will be more fuel-efficient. Fuel efficiency means low RPM and for the same road speed the bigger engine will spin slower.

#4 hmu with any other questions you might have.

 

#5 THE RV IS A HIGHWAY VEHICLE.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Diesel pushers are basically more-fragile semi trucks. So, anywhere you would not expect to find a tractor-trailer combo, do not take your diesel pusher. This includes:
1) Lawns
2) Dunes
3) Joshua Tree National Park
4) Campgrounds that do not specifically advertise "RV Spots"
5) The beach
6) Joshua Tree National Park
7) Most residential neighborhoods
8) Joshua Tree National Park
9) City Centers
10) Joshua Tree National Park

I could probably think of more places not to take your RV, but I feel like this list should probably give you a good sense to start.

 

Tiffin.

 

Get a Freightliner chassis. You can find with them with a car but you will come across more with a Cummins in them. Get as high as horsepower as you can find and afford. If your going to pull a trailer with it a side radiator is gonna be the best but no a deal breaker.

They are like a garage get bigger then you think.

What state are you in?

 

How many times did you get stuck at Joshua Tree National Park?

You didn't learn the first time???

 

FL. Buying a smaller place to rent or Airbnb while we're traveling.

 

IF you can fix things and are ok with a little older...look at Wander Lodges...built on bus chassis by blue bird....more durable than a cheap AL walled RV on a frame.

Ive seen the AL walled Class A's built...nope. I wouldnt buy one.

Buy a bus framed one and fix as needed.

 

What's your price range again?

 

.https://rvshare.com/rvs/details/1679400

Rent one for a long weekend.
They are like a full time job... but worse.

 

Super C The go parts are made to cover miles safely and easily. The coach components are all from the same companies. ( water heater, pumps, furnace, AC and fridge and so on )

 

Buy a bad ass diesel pickup and get a tow behind 5th wheel unit

 

Under 250k. I looked at new ones but they're built like shit at 4 times that price and depreciate like a condom.

 

If you stay with Newmar, Tiffin you can't go too far wrong. On Monaco products, watch for slideout floor problems. The have a tendency to have the skin underneath to separate and collect water, which will rot out the wood (particles board) floor.
American Eagles are a pretty good product.

Stay away anything involved with Forest River, Damon, or Thor.

 

And as a suggestion, look north of the border. With the current exchange rates at around 40%, the prices up here make them damn cheap down there.

 

New R/V's will experience mechanical failures. Used versions will have more improperly functioning equipment. Add any sort of motor to this R/V equation and each one increases your labor and time it spends in a shop.

I wish you all the best!