Class A RV in the very near future

[daddyo26]

Retired Army too. I went with 2014 27.1 and tow Ford Explorer. No problems been all over USA. Only issue I have found is prefer double sink and it will only sleep three grandkids or two cramped adults (with weight limit on overhead bed). But agree go used.

[SEnsley]

Originally Posted by 71_340

We currently don't own an RV but will buy one when I retire in April 19. We have been wanting one for a while but being in the military makes life a little unpredicted at times as far as planning goes.

I was going to start out with an older 90's Class A but after doing a lot of research my wife and I decided to buy new or near new. We looked at a lot of different RVs and always come back to the Vegas or Axis and our favorite is the 25.2 floor plan because it has a queen bed, a sofa and the biggest shower. And, me being the technical guy, I like the longer wheelbase it has and it has only a relatively small slide in the back.

The small size Class A should work well since it will be only the two of us and our Dobie. The only other RV we like is the 2015-2017 Winnebago Brave Retro which cost (used) as much as a Thor Vegas or Axis. I does have levelers and GPS though but doesn't come with a sofa if you want the true queen bed.

I have been a mechanic by trade all my working life, although not by any means a RV expert. I did acquire a whole lot of theoretical RV knowledge by reading a lot and then some more about RV specific issues. And, like any other forum I am a member of it is a mixed bag of either liking or disliking a certain product.

I am sure I will have some question later as we get closer to and after our purchase. And yes, I do use the search function to see if there are similar questions already that have been answered.

Hans & Peggy

We purchased a new 25.5 Vegas last December (2017). We love it. There were a lot of little flaws in the cabin, which I did fix myself and the water pump failed within 3 days, covered under warranty. The F450 chassis is awesome and I already have 18,000 miles on it. Definitely the best value on the market if you plan to keep it for a while..

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by SEnsley

We purchased a new 25.5 Vegas last December (2017). We love it. There were a lot of little flaws in the cabin, which I did fix myself and the water pump failed within 3 days, covered under warranty. The F450 chassis is awesome and I already have 18,000 miles on it. Definitely the best value on the market if you plan to keep it for a while..

Yep, I agree.... love the E450 chassis. We really our Axis .... esp once we got the bugs worked out.

"18,000# miles".... wow.... your living the dream!

Im still working so we have not used ours that much.... yet..... Next year we hope to do a lot more... but we been enjoying ours for many day trips as well as a few weekend trips this year.

[PLBR]

I say just go for it. Axis and Vegas class A's are perfect because you get a class A in a more compact package. If I knew in my active duty days what I know now I would have had an RV. All those moves to new assignments you have a home to take with you while waiting for on-base housing or home searching...seems every base has an RV park. And you can make a nice vacation getting from one place to the next. I'm not sure if an RV is considered a vehicle, but you are allowed to ship a vehicle when going on overseas tours. Having an RV in Europe would have been special.

[71_340]

It's been quite a while since I posted here. I've been retired almost 5 month now and love it. No more being in charge of adults who act like children. Anyway, I thought I update on what I did purchase. We decided to buy an older used unit to see if the RV lifestyle is for us before making a major investment (new RV).

I found a 2006 Winnebago Sightseer 30B with 66K miles and a complete/documented repair and maintenance history from when it was sold new. I paid 12K for it, it runs great but does need a few things. I replaced the dinette, sleeper sofa because those items were replaced with some ugly stuff (wife's description). I also bought a new quality mattress (I don't really count that as an expense) and installed a porcelain toilet and a new house water pump. It already has the Safety Steer system but in two weeks I get all the ball joints replaced and Super Steer springs installed. After that is done I replace the 6 year old Chinese made tires with Toyos and get a front end aligned. It is a GM P32 chassis with the 8.1L engine and despite my ealier reservations I do like it.

As far as regular maintenance is concerned the only thing that was due was to change the engine oil and filter as well as the generator oil. I drove it about 300 miles and all the systems work as they should except the electric portion of the water heater doesn't come on (well, at least the light) and the black tank level indicator doesn't work properly.....I have to address those two issues yet. By the time everything is fixed I probably have 18K in it which is still way under listed value. For a 13 year old RV it is really solid, no delamination, no leaks and we had some good rain here.

Between some ongoing home remodeling and an upcoming vacation trip To Germany we hope to use it at least once or twice semi-locally before really hitting the road next spring. I love driving the RV...…..what a view.

If we like RVing then we buy a new one. I have been looking some more and find the ACE and Windsport also appealing. Whatever we buy, we have to be able to use it with the slide retracted, especially the bed.

[jannnda]

Originally Posted by 71_340

It's been quite a while since I posted here. I've been retired almost 5 month now and love it. No more being in charge of adults who act like children. Anyway, I thought I update on what I did purchase. We decided to buy an older used unit to see if the RV lifestyle is for us before making a major investment (new RV).

I found a 2006 Winnebago Sightseer 30B with 66K miles and a complete/documented repair and maintenance history from when it was sold new. I paid 12K for it, it runs great but does need a few things. I replaced the dinette, sleeper sofa because those items were replaced with some ugly stuff (wife's description). I also bought a new quality mattress (I don't really count that as an expense) and installed a porcelain toilet and a new house water pump. It already has the Safety Steer system but in two weeks I get all the ball joints replaced and Super Steer springs installed. After that is done I replace the 6 year old Chinese made tires with Toyos and get a front end aligned. It is a GM P32 chassis with the 8.1L engine and despite my ealier reservations I do like it.

As far as regular maintenance is concerned the only thing that was due was to change the engine oil and filter as well as the generator oil. I drove it about 300 miles and all the systems work as they should except the electric portion of the water heater doesn't come on (well, at least the light) and the black tank level indicator doesn't work properly.....I have to address those two issues yet. By the time everything is fixed I probably have 18K in it which is still way under listed value. For a 13 year old RV it is really solid, no delamination, no leaks and we had some good rain here.

Between some ongoing home remodeling and an upcoming vacation trip To Germany we hope to use it at least once or twice semi-locally before really hitting the road next spring. I love driving the RV...…..what a view.

If we like RVing then we buy a new one. I have been looking some more and find the ACE and Windsport also appealing. Whatever we buy, we have to be able to use it with the slide retracted, especially the bed.

Good for you!! My wife and I should have gone the used rv first. We got a new one and now know exactly what we want. Oh well, we are fine with what we have but really know what is going to be next. Decided to go to a few big RV shows over the next 12 months to make sure we get exactly what we want. Looks like 2021 may be the new one. Have fun with what you have. It will help you know what’s next.