Consider a Seneca

[NBomar]

I currently have a 2015 GMC Denali Dually and a 2014 Road Warrior 415 toyhauler. My wife has been wanting to get a "motor home" for awhile now and I've been against it due to the crazy costs. I have to opportunity to get a 2015 Seneca for pretty cheap I think soon (hopefully 100Kish) The unit has 9,000 miles on it and seems to be in good condition. I drove to Tulsa to go to a motorhome show today in hopes of seeing one of these units in person. Surprisingly even though it's 7 feet shorter than my current 5er, it feels much larger inside and I get to drive it vs pulling it. My thought is sell the truck and the camper to unload approximately 90,000 in debt and possibly net 5-10 in profit (I hope) and then buy the Seneca and another smaller cheap vehicle to drive around. Someone tell me what the highest a "smoking deal" on a 2015 Seneca 37TS would be. I'm still hesitant on this, but I'm becoming more convinced. I could always tow my SxS on a trailer to wherever we are going. It would be nice to not have bathroom or dinner breaks anymore while I'm driving. Someone help talk me into this...

Nick

[Old skipper]

Price varies by location so way to many variables for most of us to give you a suggested buy price. What is a SxS. You can flat tow your GMC if it is four wheel drive behind the Seneca.

[NBomar]

Honda Pioneer UTV. It's like a bigger 4 Wheeler.

[Robbbyr]

We love our 2014 TS, and while I am no sales expert that looks like that may be a good price. At 9,000 miles it may have never even had its first oil change, Cummins says 15,000 in RV application (I don't go that long!). Also know the Jayco 2-year warranty is not transferable from what I have read. I am unsure whether the Cummins engine warranty and Allison transmission coverage can transfer to a second owner. You might want to research that before buying. With the savings (over new) you might consider a comprehensive extended service plan, but do your homework before buying to make sure you know exactly what is covered. Also try to find out whether other customers are satisfied with how claims have been handled in the past and that the company backing it is solid.

Hopefully the unit's current owner is not trying to "unload" it due to any undiscloed structural or mechanical problems. I think it would be rare, but I would suggest a thorough inspection of the coach and chassis before plunking down serious cash.

I really enjoy my unit and would do it all again.

[Mnwelsh]

We did exactly what you are thinking of doing. I had two campers and a pickup. Sold all 3 units and bought a Seneca. Best move I ever made. We love the Seneca, lots of room and really fun to drive. The fifth wheel was just to big for a lot of my fishing spots so I had to keep my lance truck camper. The Seneca can go anywhere my Lance went. With my Seneca 37TS if it starts to snow while I'm traveling I can pull off the road and live in it with the slides In and run everything with the generator and no hook ups. I could not do that with my fifth wheel. When I first switched from driving my GMC Denali DMax I thought the Seneca was underpowered. But after driving the Seneca on trips I found out it's got all the power you need. We are very happy we switched. Good luck with your decision..

[Jopopsy]

Silly question I'm sure, but I'm asking b/c I just don't know. What are the reasons folks opt to go up to a Seneca instead of a Greyhawk? The floorplans aren't that much different; I know the Seneca can carry a lot more. What are the 'biggies'?

[Robbbyr]

Not silly at all. Here are some of mine:
Cummins/Allison powertrain giving me better power, fuel economy, and range than I ever had with two prior Ford-based Class C units.
5,000+ pound cargo carrying capacity
Very roomy Freightliner cab (no engine doghouse)
"Command of the Road" view from cab
Rear airbag suspension
Incredible storage capacity inside and out
8,000 watt diesel generator
No unexpected "lane changes" from passing trucks, but I suspect I now cause some! My Fords had handling that kept me "busy", Freightliner much less so.
Room for washer/dryer combo, as a matter of fact I am doing laundry now!

Probably more, but this is what I came up with quickly.

[Jopopsy]

I presume these also have 50 amp service, which I would love to have on my Greyhawk. An extra AC would be awfully nice.

[abarkl]

The Jayco Seneca has had 50 amp service in every unit built since 2005, and at least two air conditioners that I'm aware of.

The owner's manuals for 2005-2016 are available here; Owner's Manuals | Jayco, Inc.

[WaltW]

Nick, my primary motivation to move to a class A from a 5er was the set up time. If we needed food or something during an overnight stop it was too big a deal to unhitch. With the MH it's only a couple of minutes to hook or unhook.
In route I have food service provided by my stewardess. Also no need for pit stops unless the driver is the one affected.
Driving a super C is easier than driving a class A IMHO.

[Robbbyr]

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of A's and motorcoach models I would love to own (think Precept!) but I equate driving many Class A's as "driving a living room". I like driving trucks, and my Seneca is just that. Also in the (hopefully unlikely) event of a crash I have a lot of structure and engine in front of me to absorb some of the impact.

I have driven numerous A's and the ride was superb, but I also felt "disconnected" from the road. Maybe just me!

[big ed]

Nick, we were in a (kinda) similar situation. My wife talked me into a 2016 TS. Primarily due to the opposing slides. We have over 60 nights in the TS, and absolutely love it. I have three different "dingy" vehicles, depending on the road trip. I also bought a tow dolly. After six months in, I would not do the tow dolly again. It is much easier/faster to just tow 4-down. As far as price - sounds like a good deal. I was at Camping World in Mesa AZ earlier this week, and they had a 2015 TS on "fire sale" at $143K. I an sure they would take less, but $100K sounds like a really good deal.

[Dustdevil]

I really couldn't justify a newer Seneca, but I wanted one nonetheless. Did my homework, looked at a number of them, measured my driveway several times to be sure, and finally pulled the trigger on our 2006. The chassis isn't quite as refined as the Freightliner, and it's hard to beat the Cummins/Allison combination. But we love our Seneca on the Kodiak chassis, and I'm quite familiar with the Duramax/Allison power train.

As for the comparison with our Chevy Crew cab 4X4 pulling our trailer VS the Seneca, we went this way for several reasons. First and foremost, I apparently have a very large bladder, and our distance between stops is enormous compared to the truck and trailer combo. We enjoy getting there more than we used to, as it was just a necessary evil we had to put up with to be where we wanted to go. Now, the whole trip is awesome! And the travel is just another fun part of the adventure. Sure, it's more expensive. Had no payments on the truck and trailer. But we are much more comfortable. And I like Robby's comment above about feeling in command of the road. I can see what's going on up ahead much easier. The Duramax is plenty of engine for the 34SS plus our Jeep Wrangler toad, and we like the feeling of riding in a truck and on a truck chassis. My wife ruled out riding in a Class A right off the bat. She felt unsafe. Like a bb in a can if you ever get in an accident. I don't like being right up against the tow/haul limits of the chassis, and I get more headspace on the capacities with the Seneca. I really like this rig, even if it's not brand new. You would love the newer ones on the Freightliner chassis.

Oh, almost forgot, they are MUCH easier to work on than almost any Class A. Flip up the front end body work, and the whole engine is in front of you, accessories and all.