Motorhome Recommendations

[jhynesrockmtn]

I've gotten such great advice on the VR6 thread, thought I'd try another.

My significant other is encouraging me to look into used motorhomes as a tow vehicle for racing/dirtbike trips and general family excursions. With the economy and gas prices like they are, it's probably a great time to buy.

I race a vintage car, tow to the local track, up to Vancouver BC and to Portland and maybe Northern Cal someday. I'd prefer to stay at the track even when I'm "local" and save the getting up at 5:30 to make the drivers meetings and early start times. My trailer and car setup probably ways 3,000 pounds.

I don't know much about them. Know I need a Class A or C motorhome. Class C's seem to have more sleeping capacity with the bed over the drivers area if they are big enough to also have the rear bed. I rented a 30' class C for Portland this year. I was great inside but drove like (*&(&*^^%%^$#. All over the road, etc. and it was a newish one with probably less than 10,000 miles on it. We'll do dirtbike trips to eastern WA and central OR from Seattle.

I'm thinking late 80's or early 90's vintage to get the price down and look for something well maintained. I don't want to put a bunch of deferred maintenance $'s into something. I've seen some early 90's class A's that look nice with 50,000 to 70,000 miles for well under $10k.

Thoughts, opinions, education, am I crazy?

[ednj]

Every motorhome I ever drove felt like an overloaded van swaying down the road.
If you tow a trailer it was like a dog wagging his tail.
Did you ever see a production unit motor home in a wreck? thats why they call them sticks & staples they just splinter.

That is 1 of the many reasons I built my own Bus conversion from a highway coach shell.

[scottmandue]

Rental

[Steve Viegas]

My folks have a class 'B' motorhome. This is built on a full sized van frame. My folks is 21 feet long and is very nice. The company that makes it is Pleasureway. I believe a competitor is RoadTrek. Anyway, just some options to think about.

[HardDrive]

Not sure how many you need to sleep, but my dad has a Lance camper riding on his F-350 diesel. It has served him very well. I swear the thing could pull an oak tree out.

When they camp for a week, they can quickly take the camper off, and drive the truck around. You get the RV, and a usable truck when not camping.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Did the rental thing. It was hugely expensive but then again I did it through a dealer and not through Craigslist. Ended up being well over $1,300 for a weekend with all of the endless add ons for mileage, 4 day minimum, prepaid cleaning and generator, blah, blah, blah. I felt like I'd been assaulted and asked to pay for it by the time I was done.

[ednj]

"BUS CONVERSION"

Here I'm launching it off the line at the 2008 Diesel Trucking Nationals at Englishtowm NJ

[jhynesrockmtn]

Nice wheelie. I'm not a rock band though and just looking for something older, reliable and sleeps 4-5 people and doesn't cost me $50,000 or require I by an old bus and convert it myself. I can barely find the time to change the oil on my own cars and motorcycles.

[alf]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Not sure how many you need to sleep, but my dad has a Lance camper riding on his F-350 diesel. It has served him very well. I swear the thing could pull an oak tree out.

When they camp for a week, they can quickly take the camper off, and drive the truck around. You get the RV, and a usable truck when not camping.

This might be the ticket.

[Zef]

A nice class B is the Roadtreck RS Adventure (turbo diesel) ....This is the one in list when I will replace my Mercedes....


My old friend...

[sammyg2]

I don't have anything constructive to add except maybe this:
My parents bought one of those huge motorhomes with the 4 pop-outs a few years back.
They used it quite a bit the first year but now it sits almost all the time and they pay to park it in a storage lot.
I asked my dad about it and this was his reply:
"your mother really wanted it so I said OK, but we could take a limo anywhere in the country and stay in a 5 star hotel when we get there instead of taking the motorhome, and still save money".

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by jhynesrockmtn

Thoughts, opinions, education, am I crazy?

THere's a number of guys here that own then for racing, I'm one of them so I'll impart the wisdom (haha) that I have.... The good news is that the used once go cheap. The depreciation curve on the things is so steep that I can't imagine anyone buying one new! Our latest aquisition was 1 year old and it had already lost 30% of it's value. I would have bought slightly older but it had a layout that was only introduced within the last 1-2 years so no choice.

Gonna lay down some thoughts here:

1. Do you have room to store it? Are you sure your city/neighborhood ordinances allow it? If you have to offsite it this could be difficult. Going to pick it up, then packing it, prepping and getting on the road could be time consuming. If you can store it on your property this becomes much easier.

2. 3000# of towing is nothing. Pretty much any decent motorhome (class A or C) can do that. However verify that the hitch is good.

3. I'd seriously recommend starting with a class C. Pick something already depreciated but in good shape. If you hate it you can always sell it later. If you love it, THEN you can go out and buy the $500,000 Monoco with marble floors italian tile backsplashes. A good running Class C with a large V8 in it can be had for $10-$12K without too many miles.

4. Remember that mileage is HARD on these things. Engines and drivetrains are often stretched (except the Diesel models but those come at a big price premium) so figure every mile on the thing is really a mile and a half.

5. LOOK FOR LEAKS. The stress of driving makes the seams on these things open up. Water infiltration is a bear and tough to mitigate if it's been going on a long time. Seriously look closely at the roof seams inside and out. Look for signs of water damage and the condition of the roof rubber. See some? Move on.

6. Gas vs. Diesel - I have a big gas MH, but would love diesel. Why? My MH/Trailer combo is 63' long. It's a real b*tch getting in and out of gas stations on the road. Gotta plan ahead. However on comparable models diesels will usually cost 50% more! (which is why I have a gas MH)

7. Towing - COntrary to what was said above, if your MH is setup right, towing is simple. I spent the requisite time setting up the trailer for proper weights. Towing was still spooky untill I upgraded to a high quality brake controller, heavy duty weight distributing hitch, and a sway control setup. Now 63' and 26,000 pounds, tows great, rock solid!

Remember that buying a MH is a lot like buying a car. Inspect it closely. If it doesn't feel right, move on, there are tons out there. FWIW we LOVE our setup. Very comfortable at the track, no hassles about getting the sig. other up early to drive from the hotel to the track. Fridge full of beer, coffee maker, clean showers, home cooked meals, it's great!

We started out with a 23' class C, Ford 450 V8. Was awesome untill 2 kids, then it got a little crowded. THis year we upgraded to this:

At the track


Living area (I don't have the leather)

[911boost]

My Grandparents have a 1991 Class C. It has been good to them, Ford 460, sleeps 4 comfortably without folding out any beds etc. You can pick them up all day long, but make sure everything works. Heat, electrical, plumbing.

I have a 19 foot Travel Trailer that is older. I have replaced a couple of things on it, and heaters, fridges, aren't cheap.

Bill

[TimT]

This is what you need





Toter

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

I don't have anything constructive to add except maybe this:
My parents bought one of those huge motorhomes with the 4 pop-outs a few years back.
They used it quite a bit the first year but now it sits almost all the time and they pay to park it in a storage lot.
I asked my dad about it and this was his reply:
"your mother really wanted it so I said OK, but we could take a limo anywhere in the country and stay in a 5 star hotel when we get there instead of taking the motorhome, and still save money".

+1. I was raised in a motor-home family. I recommend you rent. The next best alternative is a 5th wheel that you haul with a truck you can use for the other 99.9% of the time.

[jkarolyi]

I've always liked the Winnebago Rialta. Very roomy with a VW Eurovan cab on the front.

Friend had a '98 with with the VR6 engine (sound familiar ) and it drove surprisingly well. Another cool smaller motorhome is a Vixen...BMW turbodiesel power with a pop-top.

[schamp]

You might look for a bus conversion, something like a greyhound 4106 or a 4104. The 06 is quicker and faster than the o4. I think that when you start towing a trailer and race car with the gas engines you are looking at problems. Most mass produced mh are overloaded from the factory and the engines are pretty much maxed out just hauling itself down the road. The old buses where built to run a million miles or more. The detroit diesels were built to run. I mention the 35 footers just because they are easier to drive. The extra 5 feet really makes a difference in getting around in a small park or crowded racetrack. Check out Bus Conversions magazine or www.busconverions.com

[rouxroux]

"And now for something completely different":
How about a "Class A" Ultra? You won't be confused for anyone else, and you'll just have to grin putting along down the road hearing that air-cooled flat 6 behind you. This would get my nod just for the "classic coolness" factor. Do a search, they are cheap to own and maintain.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Gonna lay down some thoughts here:

1. Do you have room to store it? Are you sure your city/neighborhood ordinances allow it? If you have to offsite it this could be difficult. Going to pick it up, then packing it, prepping and getting on the road could be time consuming. If you can store it on your property this becomes much easier.

2. 3000# of towing is nothing. Pretty much any decent motorhome (class A or C) can do that. However verify that the hitch is good.

3. I'd seriously recommend starting with a class C. Pick something already depreciated but in good shape. If you hate it you can always sell it later. If you love it, THEN you can go out and buy the $500,000 Monoco with marble floors italian tile backsplashes. A good running Class C with a large V8 in it can be had for $10-$12K without too many miles.

4. Remember that mileage is HARD on these things. Engines and drivetrains are often stretched (except the Diesel models but those come at a big price premium) so figure every mile on the thing is really a mile and a half.

5. LOOK FOR LEAKS. The stress of driving makes the seams on these things open up. Water infiltration is a bear and tough to mitigate if it's been going on a long time. Seriously look closely at the roof seams inside and out. Look for signs of water damage and the condition of the roof rubber. See some? Move on.

6. Gas vs. Diesel - I have a big gas MH, but would love diesel. Why? My MH/Trailer combo is 63' long. It's a real b*tch getting in and out of gas stations on the road. Gotta plan ahead. However on comparable models diesels will usually cost 50% more! (which is why I have a gas MH)

7. Towing - COntrary to what was said above, if your MH is setup right, towing is simple. I spent the requisite time setting up the trailer for proper weights. Towing was still spooky untill I upgraded to a high quality brake controller, heavy duty weight distributing hitch, and a sway control setup. Now 63' and 26,000 pounds, tows great, rock solid!

Remember that buying a MH is a lot like buying a car. Inspect it closely. If it doesn't feel right, move on, there are tons out there. FWIW we LOVE our setup. Very comfortable at the track, no hassles about getting the sig. other up early to drive from the hotel to the track. Fridge full of beer, coffee maker, clean showers, home cooked meals, it's great!

We started out with a 23' class C, Ford 450 V8. Was awesome untill 2 kids, then it got a little crowded. THis year we upgraded to this:

This was helpful. I talked to my fiance last night and she's pretty stuck on the idea of the queen bed (for reasons I support ) with privacy in the back. That's pointing towards a well cared for older class A. I see them all the time for $8-$10 grand. The newer larger class C's have them but you have to get into the 30 footer territory. I am lucky enough to have the storage space for it at the shop where my race cars and projects are.

Thanks for the other pointers but a VR6 isn't going to like towing my race car. A trailer? Not unless I can put a train together. Bus conversions? Too large, complicated and expensive. I'd rather rebuild a 454 every 50,000 miles. I've done the rental thing and it was a PITA. I'm surprised the dealers don't use that as more of an incentive to become a customer. The way we were treated, I'd never want to go back and I could buy for the cost of 5 rentals.

Looking at this over the weekend. I ran across this on Craigslist and the owner is a part time dealer who coincidentally races with the same vintage club that I do.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/rvs/870332709.html

[cstreit]

Our 23' had a queen size bed in the back. The only bit of the fiance's requirement they might not meet is the "privacy" thing. Smaller Class C's typically have a curtain sectioning off the sleeping area rather than doors... But honest the hollow doors don't offer any more protection than a curtain. The van will be a rockin' no matter what you have.

I'll see if I can dig up pics of our Class C.