roatan wrote: We are thinking of going the RV route either with a Class C or A when we retire next year but as I am not very "mechanically inclined (MI)" my wife thinks this may not be a good idea. Do you have to be MI to enjoy Rving as a life style or does it just get expensive if you can't fix things yourself? We are planning on buying a newer model not an older one.
Getting newer rather than older is good. That does not mean the chance of buying someone's bucket of problems does not exist.
Don't fall in love with a particular vehicle. Don't be afraid of offending anyone by walking away from a deal or a dealership. If you are afraid of it being sold, don't! There are many RV's out there. Be patient. Walking out of a dealership will often result in a call back with a better price. They WILL try every trick in the book to keep you going out of that door. You need to not fall for them. Print up 10 business cards that say "Not Today" and stick them in your check book, wallet, shirt pocket. If they become pests, hand them a card and walk out.
Keep in mind Dealers have to eat and so do their employees. Buying from a dealer gives a little more comfort and piece of mind if they are trustworthy and reputable. Spend time researching dealers. Look for complaints filed against them via the better business bureau. If there are many complaints filed, run far far away. One or two shouldn't scare you away totally, but they should make you cautious.
Get an extended warranty quote from an outside company for the model you decide on. At least compare prices so you know if what the dealer is charging is reasonable. Do a written comparison of what is covered and what is not covered. Make sure you understand this.
If you decide on used, have it checked out by a professional. You may cringe at spending money for a thorough inspection but you will kick yourself for not doing it when faced with a large bill for repair. If things don't look good with the inspection, walk away and consider it money well spent.
If you get one picked out...
Insist that you be shown that every system is operable. No excuses. Frig, furnace, pumps, slides, jacks, shower, faucets, awnings, antenna's, waste system(With water only please).
No stains or soft spots on walls, ceilings, floors. Take notes of any defects. Walk the roof or have your inspector give you a detailed report on the roof.
We may never again see the number of lightly used, pristine RV's on the market due to economic situations. Bad for the sellers, but an outstanding time to buy.
I think you need to do a search for hourly repair rates. As positive as the tone of this thread is there seem to be a lot of people who actually end up spending $100+ an hour to get problems corrected. There are thousands and thousands of threads here posted by people attempting to diagnose problems so all of them aren't solved by good intentioned neighbors.
If you aren't mechanically inclined how many tools do you own? Those can be a big expense. As you don't really know the person who volunteers help you don't know his/her experience level. Lots of posts about making little problems into big problems, especially when electricity is involved.
While a lot of people will give thoughts or help with minor problems, how many are going to hang in there if your repairs take a day or more to fix? And do the job without causing more damage than corrected? That is a chance you are taking with volunteer labor.
You either need deep pockets or tools, ingenuity, and skill for a lot of repairs. Think about what you have repaired at home, what you have had repaired. RVs are a lot the same but repairs are usually harder because of smaller spaces and construction methods.
You also might find folks on here from your local area that could be helpful if you have questions or need another pair of eyes to look at whatever is broke. Keep in mind that if you do try to fix it yourself, do the research needed before you start. There is NO REASON the lack of mechanical inclination should limit you from doing the same things we do, and you will most likely become more mechanically inclined just because you will feel more liberated anyhow.
What others said. My only other comment, is if you 'really' can't do anything yourself, you better have plenty of '$$$' for those times when you need a service center and 'no other help' is around !!.
Since you have never RVed, I strongly suggest that you rent an Rv and give it a try before you make an expensive mistake. We have met folks that are trying to sell one because they can not stand being that closed up and close to each other for long periods of time.
Ken
KE5DFR
Vintage 1979 Silver Streak Supreme Rocket toted by a 2002 F350, crewcab dually, 7.3L,4.10 axle,SCMT. Travel with two miniature Schnauzers and one African Gray parrot. Practicing for retirement!
I always tell people that I own a hammer and a screwdriver, but my wife won't let me use either one!! I have gotten better and better as I have watched others work on my coaches, read the forum, and talked with campers. I am still not going to rebuild a transmission or overhaul the generator, but I have found that I can replace faucets, troubleshoot bad fuses and blown circuit breakers, unstop blocked drains and replace blade valves for the black and grey tanks. You will amaze yourself on what you pick up as you go along. Enjoy yourself and remember, most things can be fixed if you have enough money.
Both retired. 1 year until son finishes college, then financial freedom! We lost Max, the Schnoodle after 16 wonderful years but now enjoy Nicklaus Von Schnoodle (Nicky), who is a full time job. Our new Allegro Bay 34 XB is wonderful.
TXiceman wrote: Since you have never RVed, I strongly suggest that you rent an Rv and give it a try before you make an expensive mistake. We have met folks that are trying to sell one because they can not stand being that closed up and close to each other for long periods of time.
That's an excellent suggestion but doesn't answer the OP's question. If by "not mechanically inclined" you mean you simply don't want to mess with stuff, then buy new and be prepared to shell out some money when the warranty period is over.
However, if it's just lack of experience, don't let your lack of mechanical inclination stop you! You can learn and there is tons of help here! You won't need that much in the way of tools, either. A few simple hand tools will usually do the job and you can pick more specialized tools if and when you need them.
I don't understand the comment that Class C's don't need a car behind. I had a 27' C that always had a Toad behind. Having had several of each I can seen advantages for each. Our 27' C had more sleeping capacity than the present 38' A. Driving a Class A is easier because you sit a little higher and have a better view. Most C's have the holding tanks below floor level and exposed to the outside. Most A's have enclosed holding tanks and the compartments have a little heat in them so you don't freeze the tanks in that occasional cold temp you get. Tanks are also much larger on most As since there is more room and also a little more CCC. Both can be a lot of fun. Gas mileage is about the same in my experience. I have noticed the greatest increase in mileage in the newer models than in size. My current 38' is also the most economical I have owned as far as MPG. I would always carry a screwdriver just for the loose screws you will find. After all you are bouncing your home down the highway and occasionally something will come loose.
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