We have enjoyed our Allegro Bay for six years and the problems have been minimal. Just got back from a 7000 mile trip with zero problems. Our next purchase will be anoth Tiffin.
Bob and Ann
One HAPPY Schnauzer - Della
One FRISKY Chihuahua - Lola
2005 37 DB Allegro Bay
Workhorse Chassis
GM 8.1L (496 CID)
340 HP
Onan 7000 Watt
Double Slide
2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Toad
jf44 wrote: Looking for used gas because they are a little more
reasonable. But would consider a diesel. Those brands I listed
are kind of middle of road ones and less pricey. Can't
afford top of the line. Price range $20 to 30k.
get on ebay and watch some auctions. Dont see you getting a model later than 03/04/05 gasser for that kinda change but nonetheless... you never know.
Also PPL gives you a good idea of the market and asking prices.
jf44 wrote: Looking for used gas because they are a little more
reasonable. But would consider a diesel. Those brands I listed
are kind of middle of road ones and less pricey. Can't
afford top of the line. Price range $20 to 30k.
You know jf44, since you are looking used, any of those brands will work if their maintenance has been done and you like the floor plan. My brother has a Damon diesel and it has be great. Friends have a Winnebago diesel and, again, a great machine.
I have friends in Michigan that have a Newmar gas and at 10 yrs. old, going pretty smooth. I think maintenance and pride in ownership will be the leading factors.
Good luck,
MM.
Mr.Mark
2008 Monaco Dynasty, 42.2 ft., 4 slides, 425 hp clean-air Cummins diesel
2013 Honda CR-V EXL, AWD, w/Nav, SMI Air Force One vacuum-assisted braking
After owning both a gas and diesel MH, I would go for the diesel if you can afford it. Drive both before you decide. Wind can be a real problem driving a gas MH. The diesel is more expensive to maintain so that is a consideration. When we bought our 02 Newmar they had some of the best quality interiors for the money and after 10 yrs and 80K miles it still looks fantastic. There are many blogs on pros and cons of gas vs diesel. Study, study, study before you invest. All Mh's will have maintenance problems thru out their life after all they are just another house on wheels!!!
2002 DutchStar 350 Cummins/Spartan Chassis, 2012 Ford Explorer
IMHO it is hard to beat Winnebago/Itasca MHs. We are on our second DP, we started out with a 05 34H Journey and had great luck with it. We just happened to have some PMs done on our Journey and found this really awesome 40KD Itasca Horizon. We have had really great luck with Winnebago products and have been to the factory twice and seen how well they are built. My FIL is on his 3rd Adventurer and also has had great luck with his. We are full-timers so we really give our MH a good workout traveling across the country. The big questions for you, besides what manufacture to go with, are gasser or DP and new or used. We like the DP as it is better riding, quieter with the engine in the rear, and usually higher end inside and out. Buying used is a great way to get a much higher end unit and avoid the big $$ loss a new rigs has. If you buy used make sure you have an independent mechanic go over the rig from top to bottom and check the maintenance records over. Buying thru a good dealer is very important. We bought the 06 Horizon from La Mesa RV in Tucson and they were really good in price and taking care of any issues we had with the MH. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
Jack & Peg
USN Ret AGC
K1ZMB
Sioux Falls, SD
06 Itasca Horizon 40KD
IMHO it is hard to beat Winnebago/Itasca MHs. We are on our second DP, we started out with a 05 34H Journey and had great luck with it. We just happened to have some PMs done on our Journey and found this really awesome 40KD Itasca Horizon. We have had really great luck with Winnebago products and have been to the factory twice and seen how well they are built. My FIL is on his 3rd Adventurer and also has had great luck with his. We are full-timers so we really give our MH a good workout traveling across the country. The big questions for you, besides what manufacture to go with, are gasser or DP and new or used. We like the DP as it is better riding, quieter with the engine in the rear, and usually higher end inside and out. Buying used is a great way to get a much higher end unit and avoid the big $$ loss a new rigs has. If you buy used make sure you have an independent mechanic go over the rig from top to bottom and check the maintenance records over. Buying thru a good dealer is very important. We bought the 06 Horizon from La Mesa RV in Tucson and they were really good in price and taking care of any issues we had with the MH. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
That's a tough question because owners tend to say good things about the units they own. In prior years I did a lot of research on Class A's when we were looking to upgrade from a miserable Fleetwood Bounder we owned. We ended up going overseas and sold the Bounder. We're back and in a FW.
But, my research lead me to believe:
Allegro-made by Tiffin (Tiffin would be my number one or two choice)
Winnebago-good products (also includes Itasca)
Four winns-did not consider
Damon-did not consider
Holiday Rambler-good products, somewhere between Tiffin and Winnebago
Fleetwood-did not consider based on our Bounder
Newmar-great products, right up there or above Tiffin
Monaco-somewhere up there with Tiffin and Newmar
Of course, all this was based on my own research and is stale at this point. Mfgrs. can apparently make good units one year and bad ones the next. A case in point is the Alfa See Ya. We took a close look at them and liked what we saw. A friend owned one and just got rid of it and bought a Tiffin Phaeton. His Alfa was his worse RV ever, and he lives in them full-time. But, as others have said, a unit that has been properly maintained and has had all the bugs worked out, and is priced right, may be a good purchase for you.
2002 Keystone Cougar 286, 8,400lbs loaded, pulled with a 2004 F150 Supercrew, 5.4, 3.73 gears. Retired and enjoying life
jf44 wrote: Looking for used gas because they are a little more
reasonable. But would consider a diesel. Those brands I listed
are kind of middle of road ones and less pricey. Can't
afford top of the line. Price range $20 to 30k.
I'd forget about the brand name and just look for the one with the floorplan you like the best and in the best condition in your price range. As far as the brand, it's kind of like asking if you should get a Honda, Toyota, Ford or GM - there are probably advantages to each but in the end it probably doesn't make that much difference.
For under $30k, unless you want something very old (15+ yrs), probably with no slides, diesel is probably not an option. Although there are significant benefits with DPs, personal I think you're better off with a newer gas model than an older diesel model for that price.
Offline
Online
