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Smart Shopper Purchasing Motorhomes
190 messages, Last post on Aug 31, 2009 at 7:28 PM
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Replying to: joel0622 (Jul 24, 2009 12:30 pm) |
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It was time for the 25,000 mile chassis service (lube). I was a little apprehensive at this new service center as I've never used them before. I was also having a little leakage from a radiator hose and had them check it. Everything was fine, they said the radiator hose was not leaking anymore (tightened the fitting) and filled the reservoir with antifreeze. They said that some of the Cummins engines have had cracks in their EGR cases (if I remember correctly) and I should watch the reservoir. If it gets low again, I should have a Cummins shop check and/or replace this case as it can have an internal leak. It is completely under warranty. As many of you may know, these units have a lot of components involved. Our front air conditioner (of three units) has gone out and is under warranty from Dometic. My repairman has ordered a new front air conditioner unit and thermostat (thermostat was malfuctioning since new) and should be in soon. Thank goodness the other two units can handle the heat. All in a days traveling....! Mark
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Replying to: mark156 (Aug 01, 2009 6:39 pm) What's the warranty situation compared to a regular vehicle? Can you get an economical 'bumper to bumper' extended warranty? I wonder if the expense of potential repairs is one of the reasons why so many 3-5 year old RVs are always available. However I suppose a pre-owned unit might still represent good value when taking the initial depreciation into account. |
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Replying to: mac24 (Aug 02, 2009 4:47 am) They bought a new Country Coach Allure 36' for $200,000. Took it out once and wife died. The widower's girl friend refused to sleep or ride in the coach that had been previously occupied by the dead wife.   To satisfy the new girl friend, the Widower sold his $200,000 coach to my brother in law for $115,000 & bought another new one. Lesson: Depreciation has many factors. 
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Replying to: mac24 (Aug 02, 2009 4:47 am) Other items with their own warranty: Dometic air conditioners 3 yrs. replacement (1st and 2nd yr. parts and labor, 3rd yr. parts only). Fridge (Jenn-Air), microwave (Sharp), dishwasher (Fisher & Paykel), roof fans (Fantastic Fans), etc, all have their own factory warranty's. The mattress (Select Comfort) 2 yr warranty, was replaced after the 1st year as the hand-held readers malfunctioned. If it breaks again, I'll get a regular mattress. The bumper to bumper warranty that was offered was $8,900 (4 yr. coverage). We passed on that! After reading of what it DIDN'T cover, I was just not sold on it. After reading in my Motorhome magazine and other websites, extended warranties are 99% a big fat headache. I decided it was better to just pay as we go and if I were to reach the $8,900 in repairs or more, the fact of avoiding all the red tape from an extended warranty would be well worth it to me. So far, I would say out of pocket expenses have been less than $1,000 in 2 yrs. I had to have the surround covering the exhaust pipe re-welded, the air level adjusted on the chassis, the windshield re-caulked, replaced almost all of the LED marker lights at the top (front and back), etc. So, not too many things considering the beast is complex. Mark
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Replying to: mark156 (Aug 03, 2009 2:55 pm) I'm not in the market at the moment, though I find them very interesting, but if I were I think I'd definitely be looking at one of the maybe two or three year old models with low mileage, of which there seem to be many available. The depreciation hit has already been taken, any initial problems will have been taken care of by the original owner and/or warranty, and from what I can tell most owners take exceptional care of their vehicles, both cosmetically and mechanically. Of course you don't get that brand new aura that only comes with buying new, but a thorough detailing plus a new mattress and toilet seat go a long way, and you don't have to worry about making the first scratch either. Just musing over what I'd do, though if the appropriate funds were available then new would obviously be the way to go.
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Replying to: mac24 (Aug 04, 2009 6:45 am) |
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We have not talked too much about storage. Those who are lucky can park their motorhomes beside their residence. We, on the otherhand, have three homes, two of which are in gated commiunities and one way out in the country where the trees would not allow entry onto the property. So, I have a storage garage rental in California that has a 30 amp connection, is gated with camera's and has a manager M-F 8-4. I have a gate access remote control so I can take the motorhome out at anytime I want. If the motorhome is not in storage, for example, when traveling or at our other home, it has to stay in a campground at a cost per day. Currently, I'm paying $180 a week at a campground about 8 miles from the house. It is a VERY convenient location but I'm still having to pay for the storage garage whether I use it or not. It's $389 a month. The motorhome fixed cost run about $1,000 a month just to have it which includes insurance, storage garage and the RV park when not in storage. The motorhome is paid for so no cost there. When we start to move it down the road, then fuel cost comes into play. :o) Just another spin on RV ownership, Mark156 
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Replying to: mark156 (Aug 08, 2009 5:10 pm)
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