May have found one!

[Alice]

We've decided to not upgrade our little truck, but to buy a TT that will be light enough for our Colorado to haul.  We're going to look at a little 22 footer with a murphy bed tomorrow. It's a new, 2018, on closeout from a reputable dealer.  Not the best, but an entry level will do nicely for a weekender and just getting our feet wet.  I've posted on a Forest River Owner's Group about this model and those who have it seem to really like it. 

Any pointers on things we should inquire about / look at?  I know we should have it inspected, but we're pushing our budget here and I'm not at all sure where to find an inspector...there just don't seem to be any in our state when I do a Google search!  We do have a brother in law who has had TT's for years and knows the ins and outs pretty well. 

Any buying advice is appreciated! 

[SWharton]

You would stretch your dollars more if you look for a resale. 

[whj469]

If the TT is new why would you have it inspected? It should have a warranty.

[Alice]

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

You would stretch your dollars more if you look for a resale. 

Actually, all the decent used ones we've looked at have been about the same price.  This one is pretty  discounted.  I checked sites like RV Trader and RVT and ones located anywhere near here a few years used still sell for about this price.  We had found a different used one we really liked, but 1) it was at Camping World, who we really don't want to do business with as that particular one has been hit HARD on the BBB website and 2) it kept being sold, unsold, sold again...seemed very bait and switchy...

I guess I don't mind saying it's a Salem Cruise Lite 171RBXL for about $13,900...and they have 3 left, so may come down a tad more. 

1 hour ago, whj469 said:

If the TT is new why would you have it inspected? It should have a warranty.

Well...I don't know. LOL.  I just kept being told about inspections and don't trust the dealers.  But you're right.  It is new.  Warranty should still apply and this dealer really is quite reputable with an A+ BBB rating and lots of positive reviews.  We won't be taking it states away, this is a weekender type trailer really.  So probably don't need one. 

[Alice]

Actually...did just find the same trailer, a year older, on the other side of the state for $11,000.  Not sure what I think now.  We do like the dealership we've been talking to...but hadn't considered the one where the 2017 is...Actually, as it's a 6 hour round trip...I don't think I'd spend that much time to save a couple grand and buy one with no warranty. 

So yeah...for the trailer, new, seems to be a pretty good price.  I really don't want to spend more than $14,000 and less is better.  We want a decent frigde and range, a walk-around bed, decent bathroom.  This seems to have what we want.  Of course we haven't done a real-world walk-through, but have looked at very similar. 

We plan on keeping it about 5 years.

So...what sort of things should we ask the dealer? 

[SWharton]

You should make sure everything works, from soup to nuts. Check the age of the tires, sometimes dealers swap them out for older tires, should not be more than 3 years old. TT tires do not wear out, they age out. 6-7 years max. Sit in the TT and pretend you are stuck inside for a few days indoors. Make sure what you need is accessible when any slides are in. Request full propane tanks. Weigh the trailer before you load it, then weigh it again after you load it and make sure you do not exceed weights, both towing and trailer.

Check to see if it has Fantastic Fans, or similar, installed. Max-Air covers, or similar, over vents so they can be open when it rains.

Be prepared to buy things for the TT as needed. Slinky for the sewer hose, electric adapters(maybe), sewer donut. Roadside assistance. Have an emergency fund.

Try not to buy at the dealer, Amazon, Walmart, and Walmart.com are good places for things.

I am sure others will pipe in with additional items.

 

[Alice]

7 minutes ago, SWharton said:

. 6-7 years max.

Really?  I see lots of them older than that on-line...not that I want anything that old...I suppose it depends a lot on how well they're taken care of.

[SWharton]

Are you talking rigs or tires? I am talking tires............sorry about that. Must have typed something wrong and autospell took over............

[Alice]

25 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Are you talking rigs or tires? I am talking tires............sorry about that. Must have typed something wrong and autospell took over............

OH!  Well that makes sense!   

Kind of off the topic...but I was watching a video last night about trade-ins and the RV dealer was saying "KEEP IT COVERED!" and went on and on about how important it was to keep the trailer covered if you're keeping it a few years and may want to trade it in.  We actually don't have a place to keep it...but plan on renting (hopefully indoor) space for ours for winter. 

My husband said, "What do full-timers do if it's so important to keep it covered?  They aren't covering it!" 

So...out of curiosity, is there some trick to keeping the paint/etc. looking nice when you live in one full-time?   

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, Alice said:

We want a decent frigde and range, a walk-around bed, decent bathroom.  This seems to have what we want.  Of course we haven't done a real-world walk-through, but have looked at very similar. 

I would not call that a walk-around bed. You'll have to crawl in over the foot of the bed. The rest of the floor plan and tank capacities look good to me.

No one I know keeps their rig covered. Just wash it regularly and you'll be fine.

Linda Sand

 

[Alice]

16 minutes ago, sandsys said:

would not call that a walk-around bed. You'll have to crawl in over the foot of the bed. The rest of the floor plan and tank capacities look good to me.

Thank you Linda.  I appreciate the info.

Looks pretty walk-around to me....most Murphy beds do.  But we'll know better when we see it.  First thing we'll do is put the bed down. 

 

[SWharton]

We are full timers and have rved for 45 years. Never covered our rigs and we lived most of the time in NW New Jersey and Houston TX. Depending on where you live finding covered storage can be challenging and costs a lot more.

[sandsys]

6 minutes ago, Alice said:

Thank you Linda.  I appreciate the info.

Looks pretty walk-around to me....most Murphy beds do.  But we'll know better when we see it.  First thing we'll do is put the bed down. 

 

When I looked at the picture of the bed down it looked to me like most of the side aisle was filled with wardrobe and end table. With the bed up the end tables are right beside the sofa and with the bed down it looks like it doesn't extend much beyond the front of the sofa. I could be wrong, of course; it's been known to happen.

Linda

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, Alice said:

I guess I don't mind saying it's a Salem Cruise Lite 171RBXL for about $13,900...and they have 3 left, so may come down a tad more. 

If you look at NADA guides, they list that trailer in a 2018 as average retail of $14750, so $13k should be a fair price. In a 2017 in excellent condition, $13250. The used one you would be wise to pay a professional to inspect it but there is nothing to be gained by paying an inspector to look at a new RV. The comments about trusting a dealer were mostly for used as most dealers will tell you that they inspected it but if there is no warranty, you get stuck if anything fails. 

In looking at the floor plan, it looks to be very close to what our 2012 KZ Sportsman has and is about the same length if you measure from bumper to the point of the tongue. Like this one, ours has no slice and a nearly identical layout. You do not have to crawl over the foot of the bed but you can only walk about halfway up to the head as there is storage under the bed that passes all of the way through the RV, which you will need. It is very functional for people who adapt well but many would find it cramped for longer periods. We have spent as much as 5 continuous months in ours, so it can be done but it is also a nice weather plan. Of course, we lived for 12 years in a class A that most here will tell you was too small for fulltime. Ours was only 36' and had no slide and even burned gasoline! The fact is that if you want the RV experience badly enough you can adapt and I consider budget to be more important then size. The floor plan I looked at didn't have the murphy bed so will be some different.

The reason the dealer says to keep it covered is that outside appearance helps to sell a used RV, but most of our RVs are only covered when in storage. We did not buy our RV as something to sell in the future but to use it. All RVs will lose about 10% of current value each year you own it no matter what you do. The wise buyer gets an RV that he enjoys and uses it as much as he can until time to upgrade and just deals with the loss in value. To do otherwise would be like buying a car that you don't drive because that makes it lose value. 

 

[Alice]

Thanks again everyone.

I'm kinda excited. 

Or as excited as I get at the idea of spending that much money on anything.  You people should have seen me buying a house!  It wasn't pretty. LOL

[2gypsies]

According to this site you got a good price!  Looking at the floorplan it appears that the end tables come half-way down the side of the bed - semi-walkaround.

If you dealer is good he should give you a thorough inspection of it along with demo on how everything works.... and make sure they work. Taking a video as he explains things helps when you're alone with it.   Also look at the finishings good to see if anything needs repair.  Test the drawers to make sure they slide effortlessly and aren't broken.  When a RV has been on a lot a while it goes through a lot of look-sees by others. That can be hard on the RV if they don't treat it with care.

You might consider spending a night on the dealer's lot to test things out before you leave and make note of any questions.... or... if there's a RV park nearby, spends a couple nights there so you can easily return to the dealer if something doesn't work right.

It looks like you made a good choice for what you want to do with it without buying a new truck.  Congratulations and enjoy!!

[Alice]

3 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

When a RV has been on a lot a while it goes through a lot of look-sees by others. That can be hard on the RV if they don't treat it with care.

Last time we were there was to look at grand design toy haulers,  just to see what they were like.   This is actually mostly any airstream dealer.  They only carry a few units of other brands.  I noticed this dealer seems to keep one unit of each type out for display, but they have a huge back lot with new trailers too.  So, we might look at the one on the lot, but ask to see the other  ones?  I mean,  demos tend to get kind of...demolished.  In fact I think there was one that we pointed out a broken shower or something. We'll definitely be thorough.

As it happens, my in-laws live about 20 miles away and have a RV spot in their drive from when they used to travel.  So we can leave it there until we figure out storage.

[sandsys]

This is so exciting! I love it when someone has picked out a new rig but not brought it home yet. Anticipation!

Linda

[Alice]

Well that was annoying.  3 hour round trip.   2 hours at the dealership.  Never got waited on.  The salesperson met us at the door - she knew we were coming.  Got out to the TT and her boss called her.  She asked if we'd be okay looking on our own and to call her if we needed her.  We looked,  wandered,   looked at other things we can't afford,  finally went back in and couldn't find her.  She then called us...we'd passed each other.  We talked about 5 minutes and some other people came in ready to talk money so she went to help them...ages pass.  We sit in a lovely 5th wheel's heated massaging chairs and decide to buy.  She never comes back.  We check,  she's still with the other couple.   We go back,  look at it some more,  and finally we just  interrupted them and told her we had to leave.  We'd been there 2 hours!

Of course she calls pretty much as soon as we leave... but my husband was totally annoyed.  We told her if they still have one next week, call us.😔

We'd have just gone to a different salesperson,  but she's the one who showed us stuff we have no intention of buying in 2 degree weather a few weeks ago and she contacted us about this one.  Really,  is this normal behavior for RV salesmen? 

[Barbaraok]

Answer to your question - YES.

Of course, you are nice people.  Had it been me, I would have LOUDLY announced in the showroom - Gee, we'd like to buy one but no one wants our money - and then headed for the door.   BTW - you don't owe any loyalty to a salesperson that doesn't arrange for someone else to help you.   But, I agree, walk away when you aren't treated well.

Barb

 

 

[Alice]

 

1 hour ago, Barbaraok said:

Of course, you are nice people.  Had it been me, I would have LOUDLY announced in the showroom - Gee, we'd like to buy one but no one wants our money - and then headed for the door.  

 

 

My husband just said,  as mad as he was and having worked 25 years in a prison, probably best he said nothing...

We've done a lot of looking and this has been our favorite, in our price range and has what we want.  If she lets us know there is still one left on Friday, we'll give it one more shot. 

On 3/1/2019 at 2:37 PM, sandsys said:

I would not call that a walk-around bed.

 

Yep.  You called that right.  Definitely crawling over... but doable. 

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, Alice said:

We've done a lot of looking and this has been our favorite, in our price range and has what we want.  If she lets us know there is still one left on Friday, we'll give it one more shot. 

You may want to contact the RV manufacturer and ask for a list of their dealers in reasonable distance of your location. Call one or two of them and let them know what you have been looking at and invite them to make you an offer.

[SWharton]

I sure wouldn't go back to that Rv place. Take your money someplace else. Only having one salesperson is pathetic, the manager or someone should have come out to help her.

[FL-JOE]

If you do go back to that same RV dealer and end up buying there, just expect similar treatment or worse if you ever have to take the rig back in for warranty repair. 

[Alice]

They have an A+ BBB rating and great reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook...really every site we've checked.  There are a few negative ones,  as you would expect, and really most of them were about the sales staff not seeming to want too help them.  We hate high pressure.  Nothing turns us off faster.  So at first we thought it was kind of nice to be left alone... but not ignored!  I suppose we should have just asked someone else to help us.  In fairness, someone did ask once,  but we said we were looking for Amy, and that's when she called me because she couldn't find us. Of course then she went to help someone else and we said we'd wait. Just didn't mean we'd wait another hour!  

I guess the big problem we have is that I've checked every RV store in the state and can't find anything else with our "must-haves" at our price point.    We can afford this new because it's a 2018 on closeout, though we dont mind used. 

We insist on a north south bed,  we're too darn old and fat  to crawl over each other in the middle of the night.   Got to have a decent bathroom.  I want more than a tiny under-the counter fridge and i want 3 burners, not 2.  We'd prefer a sofa in addition to or in place of a dinette.  Can't be more than 4000 lbs dry...4500 is absolute max, and 24 feet is absolute max.  I don't want to pay more than $14,000.00 because I don't want more than 6 years of payments.   

  I wouldn't mind waiting another year and save some more money.  Husband would prefer now.  We have to think about it.