BEER30 Posted January 3, 2009 #1 Posted January 3, 2009 Beer24/7 and I have looking at RV's for the past year or so. Studying them to make sure when we do take the big plunge . As it looks for now , we are leaning towards the Winnebago Tour or Journey . The Tour is top of the list for now as being a diesel-pusher and the Maxium chasis . But as we are still studying them until we comment as we only want to buy the right one the first time . I have a question as to the Winnebago and Itasco . To me it's like GM and GMC , does anyone know what the main difference in the two ? Is it the quality of the construction , appliances , material used ? Only thing I see so far is the decal name . BEER30
Mariner Fan Posted January 3, 2009 #2 Posted January 3, 2009 Gene, I don't have an answer for you but you should be able to get a hell of a deal on an RV right now.
MikeM8560 Posted January 3, 2009 #3 Posted January 3, 2009 have you looked on the winni forums? i forget the address but when i had a winni i got alot of info.
BEER30 Posted January 3, 2009 Author #4 Posted January 3, 2009 I've only lurked at some general RV forums . Learned a lot so far . But some of them forum out there talk in the manner as they are "Professional RVer's" . Many of them make me want to drive that cracker-jack box on wheels up there horizontal biological garage , if ya know what I mean . So I must say , I hit the wrong forum ! BEER30
Redneck Posted January 3, 2009 #5 Posted January 3, 2009 I don't have the answer to your question but I was told when I bought my first motor home there are only two times a motor home owner is happy when you buy it and when you sell it and it was true. I gave that one to a friend who's house burned and was happy it was gone. If you can use it once a month or more they are nice if you can't you will need to spend more time getting everything working than you do using it they don't sit well. The second one I bought I spent a week getting it ready took a 2 week vacation and sold it when I got home.
flb_78 Posted January 3, 2009 #6 Posted January 3, 2009 Unless you plan on living in it, RV's are a great way to waste money. with that said.... If I were to buy one, I would buy one built on a Freightliner chassis with the engine in the front. These are easier and cheaper to work on. If you're on a cross country trip and something breaks, you just call the nearest Freightliner or T/A for warranty. Obviously this is only on the chassis and driveline, not the living area stuff. I've seen too many RV's raked over the coals because the RV is too specialized for "normal" over the road repairs.
Thom Posted January 3, 2009 #7 Posted January 3, 2009 Beer , remember i work at a RV dealership ? we sell winniebagos , the winnies are pretty good , about the same as a Holiday Rambler , Monaco , Aleigrobay ,they are better than a Gulfstream , Newmar , Couchman , The Itasco is junk , there is a lot of them in the junkyards , the body leaks very bad . when you get ready to buy a motorhome check the whole USA for the best prices , the price for the same model can be 30k to 40k dif. between RV dealerships , also buy the extended warrenty , but buy it from the dealer or good nabor sam , i like the one from g.n.s. , plus it is cheaper , if you have any ? give me a call . Thom
Thom Posted January 3, 2009 #8 Posted January 3, 2009 I've only lurked at some general RV forums . Learned a lot so far . But some of them forum out there talk in the manner as they are "Professional RVer's" . Many of them make me want to drive that cracker-jack box on wheels up there horizontal biological garage , if ya know what I mean . So I must say , I hit the wrong forum ! BEER30 try RV.net
BEER30 Posted January 3, 2009 Author #9 Posted January 3, 2009 Other than warranties , my uncle is a diesel mechanic . I was looking into the Maxium chassis for the storage . Most have the Cummins turbo-charged engine . It appears that Winnie and Itasca are made by the same maker , that's why I asked the question . I like the fact that they have the heat-pump under the coach as apposed to the extra holes in the roof . The Winnie has a curved roof rather that a flat roof , so water will shed off faster . I like the factor that the generator is up front away from the sleeping quarters . Becky and I plan on using the RV for extended travel . Making it a home base and use the scoot to tour the surrounding areas . We will be getting the extended warranties and joining any beneficial clubs and such . Of all of our travels , we went from point A to point B , not being able to enjoy what was in between . Some say like with boats , 2 best days is the day you buy and the day you see it leave . If anything , it will become our guest house , emergency shelter , as we live in hurricane alley . Most important , my dog house ! . Becky and I have been also weighing in the cost of this investment , time of use , cost versus motel/restaurant expenses. Fellow VR members can also benefit as we can team up if they wish to share cost . I'm tired of getting dirty rooms , not knowing if the sheets or towels are clean . The piece of mind I can sleep in my own bed , cook my own meals/cost , BBQ most nights and sleeping under the stars the not so ruff ways in my growing older years . BEER30
MikeM8560 Posted January 3, 2009 #10 Posted January 3, 2009 . So I must say , I hit the wrong forum ! BEER30 http://irv2.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x/a/frm/f/2486094452 try here
MikeM8560 Posted January 3, 2009 #11 Posted January 3, 2009 Beer , remember i work at a RV dealership ? Thom have rv sales been as dead as boats thom?
Thom Posted January 3, 2009 #12 Posted January 3, 2009 Other than warranties , my uncle is a diesel mechanic . I was looking into the Maxium chassis for the storage . Most have the Cummins turbo-charged engine . It appears that Winnie and Itasca are made by the same maker , that's why I asked the question . I like the fact that they have the heat-pump under the coach as apposed to the extra holes in the roof . The Winnie has a curved roof rather that a flat roof , so water will shed off faster . I like the factor that the generator is up front away from the sleeping quarters . Becky and I plan on using the RV for extended travel . Making it a home base and use the scoot to tour the surrounding areas . We will be getting the extended warranties and joining any beneficial clubs and such . Of all of our travels , we went from point A to point B , not being able to enjoy what was in between . Some say like with boats , 2 best days is the day you buy and the day you see it leave . If anything , it will become our guest house , emergency shelter , as we live in hurricane alley . Most important , my dog house ! . Becky and I have been also weighing in the cost of this investment , time of use , cost versus motel/restaurant expenses. Fellow VR members can also benefit as we can team up if they wish to share cost . I'm tired of getting dirty rooms , not knowing if the sheets or towels are clean . The piece of mind I can sleep in my own bed , cook my own meals/cost , BBQ most nights and sleeping under the stars the not so ruff ways in my growing older years . BEER30 beer i like the basement heatpumps too they make me a whole lot of money !!! to tell the truth the basements a/c cost a lot more $$$ and cost a lot more to repair ! the holes in the roof for the roof top a/cs are just the crank open vents that have been removed and a/c s install , if you do not have a a/c on the roof you still will have the holes . a basement a/c cost between 2500 to 3500 $ a roof top cost between 587.00 to 1100.00 another plus is all RV dealerships can work on a roof top a/c and less than 50 rv techs. in the USA can work on the basement a/cs . when i went to school to learn how to repair the basement a/c even my factory rep teacher said they are a nitemare but he said as long as people want them they will keep making them , i have a 2008 winni in the shop now with a bad basement a/c and it will take a week to 10 days to get the parts in . if they had a roof top a/c , i could have changed the whole a/c out in 1 hour and sent them on there way but the people are in a motel rite now . Do you know that you can get a motorhome toyhouse ? lots of storage and a place for the scoot all in one and i here the prices are at rock bottom rite now for toyhouses . nobody is buying toyhouses so it is a buyers market . Thom
Thom Posted January 3, 2009 #13 Posted January 3, 2009 have rv sales been as dead as boats thom? yep , alot of dealerships have gone out of bus. and a lot of factory's have closed . that is the main reason i left fl. is because half of the dealerships closed but for some reason people are buying 5th wheels here in tx. even with the gas prices are down we cannot sell a motorhome ! Thom
ibents Posted January 3, 2009 #14 Posted January 3, 2009 I don't know if you're interested in a fifth wheel type or not but you should check this web site out. It's call Big Dog, we saw one of these at Americade last year and it was absolutely amazing, it even has a 12ft garage in the back and the price there was $64,000, heck half the guys I went with wanted to sell up and buy one of these. Check out the photo gallery. Ian http://www.sunnybrookrv.com/bigdog/
Squidley Posted January 3, 2009 #15 Posted January 3, 2009 I don't know if you're interested in a fifth wheel type or not but you should check this web site out. It's call Big Dog, we saw one of these at Americade last year and it was absolutely amazing, it even has a 12ft garage in the back and the price there was $64,000, heck half the guys I went with wanted to sell up and buy one of these. Check out the photo gallery. Ian http://www.sunnybrookrv.com/bigdog/ That is a nice setup, if I were to have the cash to get something like this I believe that this would be the ticket with the garage in the back. Get a 1 ton or ton and a quarter pick up and be able to have a vehicle for nasty weather and the bike seems like a win win to me.
Gary N. Posted January 3, 2009 #16 Posted January 3, 2009 Gene, I think you're right. The same as Chev and GMC. They are all made on the same line with a little different trim levels. That's why one costs more than the other. You have the right idea. You don't get an RV to save money. You get one because you like the life style and you like to sleep in your own bed and eat your own food. At least that's my thoughts on it. Be prepared if you buy a new one. The factory final inspector is the first time buyer. And it doesn't seem to matter which brand you want to talk about. Everyone will tell you that. Plan on quite a few trips back to the dealer in the first year to get all the bugs out. I have a Winnie, Adventurer, gas, on a Workhorse chassis and after finally getting all the bugs out, it's been great. Having said that, there's always some kind of work that needs doing. I don't know how anyone who doesn't do there own maintenance can afford to own one of these things. After the warranty is finished or even just regular routine stuff will kill you at the dealership. Anyway, good luck and have fun.
BEER30 Posted January 3, 2009 Author #17 Posted January 3, 2009 Becky and I ruled out the toy-haulers. We decided if we are going to spend this amount of $$ , we're going more for luxury. Also remember we have 1 grandchild and another on the way ! Thom , I will have to check into the A/C more on this , but just think roof repairs or damage will cost more an issue of leaks came about . I plan to have a shelter over the RV during non-use periods of time . 5th-wheels .......not interested , as we do not want a toy-hauler and have no other way of hauling the scoot . BEER30
BEER30 Posted January 3, 2009 Author #18 Posted January 3, 2009 Thanks Thom , Gary for the info. . We are going into our 2nd year at looking at RV's . This is why we are studying them before we buy . Just like computers , as soon as you set your mind on one , a better bigger , faster one rolls of the line . I've been around motorhomes off and on . They are not actually a new thing to me as they are all somewhat basic in design , just that there are newer gadgets and mechanicals . Being somewhat mechanical , carpenter , electrical , plumbing inclined and have done constructional maintenance on homes and mobile homes in the past . I see my days not so much a leisure . A mans point of veiw........the driviers seat and acc. and motor , outdoor storage , everything on the outside and the Sat/TV's . The ladies point of veiw .......bedroom , bathroom , galley , inside storage , W/D , refer , decour , counter space , closet space , cabinet space , all that other sense of home . They want to make it like home and us guys are trying to get away from home ! I don't mind pulling a trailer to be able to have room for comfort . I also have a boat for them lakeside trips as well . So either pulling a toad , trailer/scoot , or the boat , I just want to make sure we have the room for the youngsters . BEER30
Thom Posted January 3, 2009 #19 Posted January 3, 2009 yesterday i was working on a new m/h and had to go to the back bedroom , oops no bedroom ! no bed what was there was a slidout on each side with a large media center , 2 large easy chairs , 50 in plasma tv , very nice but no place to sleep , the owner hit a button , king size murphy bed . the m/h had a built in bar , dishwasher , 3 more tvs , 3 backup cameras , w/d , tile floors , bathtub , a shower 3 people could fit in and a lot more . it is 44 ft long with 4 large sideouts , 500 hp cat. motor , gets 7 mpg and only sleeps 2 . the owner said he got a $ 100,000 off the sticker price , so now is the time to buy a m/h , you can save a lot of money . i think everybody should go out and buy a new M/H and save a lot of money just like this guy did ! buy the way it only cost him $ 387,000 , what a deal and a plus for me is he has had it for less than 30 days and i get $ 3,000 repair bill , makes my day ! Thom
Jethroish Posted January 3, 2009 #20 Posted January 3, 2009 Don't know a whole lot about motorhomes, but if they are anything like fifth wheels and travel trailers, there are just a few manufacturers that build many different lines. Big difference being in the quality of components (matresses are a prime example). After we bought our fifth wheel, we had a sales person tell us that ours was "cheaper" than this other (even though they looked identical) because ourw did not have marine grade flooing. "Yep. And it's not a boat either." You definitely want a rounded roof. I did not know anyone still made them flat. You can also save big $$ by not buying one that already has tv, clocks, pictures, throw pillows, etc. You can decorate for 1/2 what they charge for all these extras. And rather than uprading our matress, I went to a local matress dealer with measurments and had a custom pillowtop matress made for $200. Some one alredy mentioned RV.net. That is a GREAT site. They will gladly tell you the pros/cons and in/outs of their units.
Condor Posted January 3, 2009 #21 Posted January 3, 2009 To me it's like GM and GMC , does anyone know what the main difference in the two ? Is it the quality of the construction , appliances , material used ? Only thing I see so far is the decal name . BEER30 At last years IMS Show in San Mateo, Ca. they had a diesel pusher/toy hauler on display. I thought I might have taken a pic of it, but nope... Really a cool rig with ramps and pop outs in the rear that slid back into the 'garage' with the bike tucked away. Maybe someone else may remember it and know who made it??
bryan52577 Posted January 3, 2009 #22 Posted January 3, 2009 I don't have the answer to your question but I was told when I bought my first motor home there are only two times a motor home owner is happy when you buy it and when you sell it and it was true. I gave that one to a friend who's house burned and was happy it was gone. If you can use it once a month or more they are nice if you can't you will need to spend more time getting everything working than you do using it they don't sit well. The second one I bought I spent a week getting it ready took a 2 week vacation and sold it when I got home. You should really take a long hard look at how much use there will be. I was about to buy one ten years ago and accidentally found out I could rent by day week or month. Did the math and found out I could say many $$$ by renting an RV and get what I needed depending on the trip. Some areas & camp grounds are & were a real pain in the %@# to get the big ones into. Plus with NO license payment each year, insurance was cheaper by usage and the list goes on. Bottom line is if you are selling your house and going to travel buy the RV if not look into rentals. May not pay for first year but compared to a monthly payment really cheaper over time and more flexible for trip being taken!! If you were going top ride your bike one or two weeks a year (in comparison) would you buy or rent?
Rich99 Posted January 3, 2009 #23 Posted January 3, 2009 At last years IMS Show in San Mateo, Ca. they had a diesel pusher/toy hauler on display. I thought I might have taken a pic of it, but nope... Really a cool rig with ramps and pop outs in the rear that slid back into the 'garage' with the bike tucked away. Maybe someone else may remember it and know who made it??It comes down to the main same old sentence, "if I had the money",lol. But this one was really nice, enough room for two bikes.
Lone Eagle Posted January 3, 2009 #24 Posted January 3, 2009 I remember that unit, Rich - that was pretty nice - with a bunch of nice amenities on the inside.
Condor Posted January 3, 2009 #25 Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) It comes down to the main same old sentence, "if I had the money",lol. But this one was really nice, enough room for two bikes. I knew I could depend on Rich99 to take a few... I was too busy ogling it... Now I wonder who made it?? OK I was able to enlarge the sign on the fence post enough to kinda make out the wording. It was a little tuff but it looked like NewMar. Did a search and came up with this TOYHAULER It's not the exact same model, but I'm sure NewMar built the one at the show. Maybe it was a proto-type, and they went to a simplier design for less money??? Edited January 3, 2009 by Condor
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