Back at it again! Maybe a Class A this time?

[highdesertranger]

yes be careful. not much info in that ad. what drive train? highdesertranger

 

[ProfessorChaos]

Camping World usually sells old rentals that were used by people who have no idea how to take care of an RV.

 

[Cammalu]

Camping world is the worlds worse place to buy an RV. They will tell you anything. They certainly are t going to fix anything they find wrong and probably aren’t going to even check the systems.

That seems like WAY too much money for that old a vehicle also

Stay away.

https://www.rvtravel.com/website-ranks-camping-world-second-worst-in-customer-complaints/

 

[Cammalu]

Another link you may want to see

https://www.google.com/search?q=can...ares&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

Thank you all for your feedback regarding Camping World. I have decided not to go with them because of their terrible reviews, as well as their ridiculous fees associated with purchasing from them.

Does anyone have an recommendations for finding a good deal on a used motor home besides RV Trader and maybe Ebay? I feel like I have researched for hours and have found most of what is out there. I am trying to find something preferably from a private seller and that seems to be increasingly difficult.

Thanks again!

 

[becida]

Does anyone have an recommendations for finding a good deal on a used motor home besides RV Trader and maybe Ebay? I feel like I have researched for hours and have found most of what is out there. I am trying to find something preferably from a private seller and that seems to be increasingly difficult.

My starting place has always been craigslist, all the lists within a reasonable driving area. Some places are better for used RV than others,  some times of the year are better, I did all that looking on CL too. 
Don't be afraid to look at all the lower end used car lots & used RV places. Drive by them & eyeball the place or watch the CL & the different RV trader list for dealers that specialize in older rigs.  I've looked at most of the older RV lots around Olympia WA & Portland OR at one time or another... That was a few years back but I looked at them.

When you find one...
Take a look at the tires, look up how to read the tire codes so you can see how old they are & be ready to call a tire place to see what it will cost to get that sized tire replaced. There was a used lot in Portland OR that had a Bounder my wife really liked. All six tires were different brands and all were out of date old... That was like an $800 fix, something to keep in mind when making an offer. (The Bounder didn't want to start, the generator didn't want to start, the AC didn't want to run & I was able to talk my spouse out of making an offer).

A different time after weeks of looking I found what I wanted on a used RV lot, it ran good, everything worked. We offered what we thought it was worth (that was dependent on what we had)  it was 25 years old too. We bought it for around $3500... not sure if it was too much.

IF there are a lot of old RVs around (IMO 20 years is OLD) you'll know it by watching CL. Don't be afraid to make what looks like a low offer, they can say no but YOU are the market place and you are setting the price. 
There was a reason the RV we have now was on the market for as long as it was before we offered what we could afford...  the  RV "books" said it was worth more, the market place had a different idea of it's value.  
When we swapped the cash for the RV & the title at the credit union, they took 2/3 of the money we gave them & paid it off at that credit union. They had been making payments, with the cash could get the title to give to us.  
They had not used  the RV months... No matter what the "book" said it was worth we all left happy.

Get your cash together, having a friend who knows about vehicles or a shop that will look at it is a huge thing, (I'm talking about the vehicle itself).  If not then do the best you can like buying any used car.
Making sure everything "RV" about it is a different story but you can do that by testing it all. Does the oven light, the generator run & power the AC?  Does the water heater work, does water come out of the faucets, the shower, does the furnace work, does the fridge get cold? Does the oven work (hard to have a pizza in the NF just outside the southern entrance to the Grand Canyon if your oven doesn't work ? 

Do some homework & look look look!  You'll find what you want at a reasonable price, there are a lot of RVs out there.... newer IS better.

Good luck!

 

[B and C]

I used https://www.searchtempest.com/ when I was looking.  It searches all of craigslist in a radius you set from your location.  For the right rig, I was willing to travel anywhere in the country to get it.  I wouldn't look at anything from the rust belt.

 

[sushidog]

]
Hey Chip,

Thanks for your input! I am very handy (in my opinion lol). The only things I would not feel up to doing is water damage repair. I am comfortable resealing and caulking the roof and doing all sorts of basic maintenance. Sometimes it is very satisfying work to know you fixed an issue and it is now a better quality fix than when the unit was brand new. 

How has your experience been going into Campgrounds and RV Parks with an older rig? Some people have mentioned older rigs aren't allowed in some parks, I have never seen that personally, but I also have never been to some of these "RV Resorts" and generally stick to basic camp grounds.


Sorry Dread for the late reply, but I just saw your post.

I have never been turned away from an RV park, but I don't go the fancy resorts as I just can't afford to. There are a few non-resort types that will ask for a picture of any rig over 10 yrs old to make sure it is well maintained, but usually only for monthly rentals. If you only plan on staying a week or less I (and don't have duct tape and bailing wire holding your rig together) I doubt anyone would say anything. They just want to keep those rigs out that might not be able to start up and drive off when their month is over. I plan to stay at one just north of Visalia California for a month while visiting the giant sequoias. I'll let you know if I have any trouble making a reservation.  

Chip

 

[Hoot]

I've used Craigslist many times, apartments, etc., never a bad experience but am aware of late it seems that Facebook Marketplace has become a preference for some, simply my impression some feel it's a better entity than CL. Regardless, just saying be aware that you can also find RVs listed on FB that you won't find on CL.
Might also visit RV parks and ask manager if anything like what you want is for sale. There are always those who just haven't gotten around to listing but it focuses their decision when someone asks if they'll sell.  Or, out of that sort of talk, word-of-mouth leads to one.
And echoing others, have an extensive checklist you or a mobile tech goes through. E.g., walk on roof and water it down.