new to rvs advice please

[knoddy]

New to RV’s. We are looking at getting into the market and would like any thoughts on the following please. Good and bad, MPG expected diesel or petrol. We have narrowed it to the following layouts. Also any other brands to look at would be appreciated.

Coachman leprechaun 240fs
Forester 2401W mobs
Sunseeker 2400W
Dynamax Corp Isata 3 Series 24FW
Regards and thanks on advance

[aceinspp]

First welcome to the forum. If your looking at MH I'd choose a diesel over gas and that depends if your going to travel and drive in the mountains. Later RJD

[Bob Montgomery]

If you have never owned a motorhome before, I would recommend you rent one for a few days. I wish we had. If you don't, at least make sure you sit in every seat, check if you can see the tv (turn it on if you can) easily. Open every drawer, every cabinet, look at every outlet. Checkout everything as though you were living in it. Don't ever buy without taking a good test drive. If we had rented first, our first motorhome would have been a different model. We found the "living" portion cramped and uncomfortable for us. Also, if you are going to ever use it in cold weather, are the tanks heated? Does it have double pane windows? If you plan to tow a car now or later, what are the limits..I recently noted the Coachmen Prism could only tow 3,500 lbs ... Yet the Winnabego View (almost the same coach) could tow at least 5,000 lbs. Don't rush into your purchase, don't sign anything until you are sure. Don't pay too much! Discounts of 25 to 35% off the MSRP (sticker) are not uncommon. Don't be fooled by the low monthly paytment as they sometimes extend it out 20 years. Most RVs have little if any value at the end of 20 years. Also watch your apr. Don't take service contracts or other add on items without really knowing what you are buying. We purchased a service contract only to find out later the company that issued it was well know for trying to get out of paying for repairs. We ended up cancelling it. I decided for us it was better to pay for any repairs out of our own pocket...your results may vary.

[knoddy]

Thanks, yes we are going to rent one first
Regards

[D_B Travelers]

When looking at any RV, be it a MH, 5th Wheel, or TT, make a check list of things that are the most important for you to have. Some items will be non-negotiable, others will be highly desirable, some will be in the "nice to have" category. I would pick a diesel MH if I were choosing because you may need to change what you pull later on. It also handles mountains better if you plan on seeing them. If you are planning on taking extended trips the storage in a unit becomes increasingly important. Get as large of refrigerator as possible, so you aren't headed to the grocery store every 3rd day or having to pack a ice chest because the refrigerator isn't big enough. Been there done that, do not want the T shirt. Same for pantry space, you will be surprised how many RVs have little to no pantry storage area, and they sleep 10! Where's the FOOD? Is there enough kitchen cabinetry to hold all the dishes and pots/pans you will need to take? Is there sufficient closet space for the number of people that will be going with you? Drawers in the bedroom are also nice, but how deep are they and how easy to get to. Open every closet, cabinet, and drawer to make sure it operates well. And like a previous poster said: sit in every chair and lay on the bed for a while. Can you easily see the TV from the sitting area, or do you have to sit sideways and turn your head to see it?
And, exterior storage is important for lawn chairs, canopies, tools, etc.; is there enough? Also, what kind of levelers are supplied: fully automatic system, powered, or manual crank? Is there an awning? Powered and lighted? Can you tow something behind you? How much?
Of course you want to look at the overall quality of the build, do a search for a specific model number on this and other forums to see what owners of the unit are saying about them. Lots of homework now may help you enjoy your new RV a lot more later!

[mike.t]

Don't know for sure but I don't think you can get a diesel in a class c motorhome.

[JLeising]

The Mercedes Benz Sprinter (MBS) based B's, B+'s and C's are diesel. C's are limited to 24 foot units, I believe.

[dahagen]

Diesel is great if you are going to drive the RV 150,000 miles or more. That is what it would take to make up the difference in cost between gas and diesel. My first three motorhomes (gas) had only 50,000 miles after 10 years each. First two were Leprechauns and I loved them. Now I have a Mirada A.

[Jim34RL]

Originally Posted by mike.t

Don't know for sure but I don't think you can get a diesel in a class c motorhome.

Yes you can see attached link:
Dynamax - Manufacturer of Luxury Class C & Super C Motorhomes

If I was interested in a Motor Home and wanted a "Class C" than this is what I would purchase. If you are going to pull a toad behind the Class C which some do than a diesel engine equipped vehicle is the way to go.

[mtnlvr]

The diesel will hold it's value better, use 1/2 the gas and better in the mtns. I love my 24.5' Sprinter class C.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by knoddy

We have narrowed it to the following layouts. Also any other brands to look at would be appreciated.

Coachman leprechaun 240fs
Forester 2401W mobs
Sunseeker 2400W
Dynamax Corp Isata 3 Series 24FW

Except for the Coachman the other units are basically the same except for trim and colors. All three are the same "W" floor plan based on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter (MBS). This is classic "brand engineering" like GM does with car bodies. Think of the Sunseeker as a Chevy, the Forester as a Buick, and the Isata as a Cadillac. Underneath they are all the same...you are paying for mostly "bling" as you move up the product line. The exception is the Isata 3 comes with a larger LP tank than the other "W" variants...and lots of "bling"!

If you want to look at a gas versions of the "W" floor plan, the Sunseeker GTS 2430, or Forester GTS 2431S, is basically the same "W" floor plan as the MBS versions on a Ford E450 chassis. The floor plan is slightly different, it has a step up for the bedroom, and some of the cabinetry is different compared to the MBS. The Leprechaun 240FS on the Ford E450 you listed is very similar but the slide out is different than the other "W" floor plans. I like that closet in the back on the FS.

So you are basically looking at the same coach in different flavors. For the good, the bad, and the ugly info on the MBS "W" versions come on over to the Mercedes Benz Sprinter Chassis forum and you can read about the MBS versions.

The Ford E450 GTS versions are so new, and few, they may be harder to find model specific info on... But at the end of the day a "W" is a "W", is a "W". What applies to one pretty much will apply to all the others... The same with the Ford E450 chassis...

Hope this helps...

[mike.t]

Learned some more today.
Thanks

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by mike.t

Don't know for sure but I don't think you can get a diesel in a class c motorhome.

All Super C motorhomes are diesels also.

[knoddy]

Thanks for all of the replies to date, very informative

Regards
Wayne

[BMinten]

New to the forum and this will be our 1st TT purchase... I really have some concerns about space as D_B Travelers pointed out. We picked out a Flagstaff 30WFKSS (front kitchen) at the Austin RV show and our dealer had one on order. So I have no real commitment yet to purchase. We'll look at it when it gets here. BUT there is no real Pantry in the front kitchen like some other V-lite models and no significant outside storage besides 1/2 the area under the bed.

My question is does anyone have the front kitchen Flagstaff V-lite and how does it work with storing things?

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by BMinten

My question is does anyone have the front kitchen Flagstaff V-lite and how does it work with storing things?

Welcome to the forum. I suspect you will get more answers to your question if you re-post it in the Flagstaff forum located Here. This forum is the General Motorhome section and you probably won't get a lot of responses to a specific Flagstaff model question here. Enjoy your Flagstaff!

[Malabarbob]

My only suggestion whatever you pick is buy used. All the initial problems have been taken care of during the first annoying year. Our current coach was 2 years old and the best one ever. 32' Coachmen Mirada. Get about 8 mpg gas

[dahagen]

If buying used, be carefull. I traded in a class C with major problems for my new Mirada 32 footer. I feel sorry for the people who bought my old one, but I did mention the problems to the dealer. A new one at least has a warranty. On old 'lemon' may not have any warranty from a dealer.

[JLud]

For good prices to start negotiations look up RVWholesalers for forester price quote and RVDirect for sunseeker. Takes just a few minutes and you have a good start and will almost certainly be well under your local dealers.

[mtnlvr]

I had a great experience with RV Direct & saved 38% off the retail price. My local dealers were inflexble- even with cash.