Living Quarters, Curious

[ddm502001]

Been getting further and further behind the Eight ball as gain age every year, have pretty well completed my Haul truck yet the camper evades.  Look and Look at Toy Haulers of Every Variety where am pretty well sick of "Slight Water damage" From Roof Leaks or waste water floods or "Has some Odors", from Waste Water, either backups or screwups, Garage spaces semi Destroyed are "Easy Fixes" then come to find many 10 year old RVs are no longer considered Serviceable by Dealers and many REFUSE to allow entry to the shops.  Limited ourselves to Newer than 2016 based around 2018 currently where Pricing does NOT follow damage or wear and tear.  A recent Three axle we looked at needed all Seven tires, Date Code 8 years and showing Ozone Breakdown, then find the reason for sell, been parked for Four years, Rodent infestation has left Foul Odors that will not be quelled.  Seemed the Owner failed to revisit occasionally and reset traps or baits.  Still wanted $48,500 as Owes $46.

Thoughts ranged from Quit and walk away from ALL RV, then was told possibly a Horse Based Living Quarters with a Slide Out.  So been looking, even added a Goose Ball to the Tow wagon, not found a Likeable but many close just Money is Shorter with age Older and do we have enough to warrant the Higher Costs of said type towable. 

 

Advice, Suggestions, general Comments all welcome.

 

Dave

[Steve from SoCal]

Honestly, I think the pre-recession quality is far better than the newer rigs.    Toy haulers are going to be on the cheap quality scale by nature.    The horse living quarters rigs seem nicers but, they also bring higher prices    Toy haulers don't have much living space and less storage.    They are week-end at the dunes or trails.    They have limited carrying capacity or point loading.     The designs and axle placement are geared to pick-ups with not much hitch weight.     

 

I went a different direction with a 48' Kentucky moving van I plan to convert to an RV with a garage.    I just moved a house full of furniture from California to Kansas.      There are a few older moving van/race car haulers on racingjunk.com or ebay?     I saw the work you did on your pick-up, you have more than enough skill and equipment to do the job IF you want to?

 

The idea that any RV that is out of warranty is worked on at dealerships is, if not a joke, not that common.    Freelancers and indy repair shops are the places folks go with older rigs.    As a mechanic working on an older RV is not much different than working on an older truck, boat, house etc.    The junk they use in RV's are eaisy to find or replace with more durrable items.    The sticks/staples RV's are just sheds on wheels!

[Lou Schneider]

Depending on how large of living space you want, a new cargo trailer with a RV interior installed in it and towed behind your hauler may be the answer.  There are numerous videos on YouTube from people who have converted their cargo trailers into RVs.

[ddm502001]

Thanks to both for the inputs.  Looking more for Instant Gratification and Use as Age is no longer a Friend but the enemy.  Looked into a couple of Single Axle Kentucky units, trying to keep footprint smaller, did find a 36' capable of mods but sold HIGH as became a bidding war to those others also looking. 

Keeping a Open Mind, still have this winter to weather out where may possibly take on one of those considerations.

[NDBirdman]

A good quality toy hauler is a great find but also a hard to find.  We looked for a couple years for a used one but found the well built ones, ppl just don't turn loose of them without asking a new price and unfortunately, get it.  We gave up and bought a class c and only bought it used, well, previous owners bought it and drove it maybe 400 miles.  Wasn't their thing so we got lucky.  We paid over book value but, considered new, bought it much less than a new on the RV lot.  Keep looking, they are out there.  We found/bought ours quite a wayz from our snb.  What surprised us, they (stealership) saw our won-ton dually and offered a lot more than book value for a trade-in.

 

Good luck on your search/journey. 

[rickeieio]

When we were looking, folks here advised us to look for Newmar X-Aire or Carriage C-Force.  Both are rare, and both ceased production about 2010.  We found a 2008 X-Aire that suited us, bought it in late 2015, and still have it.  In fact, we just got back from a 10,000 mi. trip to Alaska, and it did fine.

Newmar offered the X-Aire in either 41' or 38'.  The shorter one has a third slide and shorter garage, so more living space.  Ours is a 41CKLG (center kitchen/large garage) which is not in the brochure.  

https://newmar.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/27073513/2008-x-aire-5th.pdf

Edited August 26 by rickeieio

[ddm502001]

Thanks, appreciate the data.