Used Class C's...How old is too old?

[Bat1818]

Just curious and looking for some advice.

Is there a rule of thumb for staying away from units once they are some many years old? I realize there are some diamonds out there, but would you stay away from Class C's that are over 10 or 15 years old?

Also, I will have to finance my rig, so how does the age of the units impact terms and interest rate?

Thanks a million,
Bret

[Dustdevil]

I wouldn't rely so much on a rule of thumb, as the condition and care of used RVs can vary so dramatically. 2 year old units can sometimes develop roof leaks, and if not cared for immediately, the rig could become worthless in a very short time. That's one extreme, but there are many examples of horrible neglect that severely de-values an RV. Conversely, there are 10 or 15 year old units out there I wouldn't hesitate to buy. Our Seneca was 10 years old when we bought it last year, and it's in very good shape. It was also quite affordable. Needed some deep cleaning in areas that normal maintenance just won't deal with, but that doesn't bother me at all. Or my bride. I think they really have to be evaluated individually, and nothing is a substitute for good hard investigation when buying anything as complicated as an RV.

[abarkl]

We prefer used motorhomes not less than 10 years old. We have purchased 3 used, the current Jayco will be 10 years old next year.

Some lending institutions have a 10 year age limitation on financing, and some RV parks prefer RVs less than 10 years old.

[javamon]

Originally Posted by Bat1818

Just curious and looking for some advice.

Is there a rule of thumb for staying away from units once they are some many years old? I realize there are some diamonds out there, but would you stay away from Class C's that are over 10 or 15 years old?

Also, I will have to finance my rig, so how does the age of the units impact terms and interest rate?

Thanks a million,
Bret

Recc. you research firms that finance RVs. Many underwriters will not finance after a certain age. I recall seeing one that had an eight year limit if it was being purchased from a private seller.

[Dustdevil]

US Bank will do a RV loan on a 10 year old unit. You might consider checking with them.

[2500hd]

As others have said condition has a lot to do with it. I have walk thru a 3 year old rental unit and it looked like pigs owned it.
Personally I would draw the line a 10 years old. In my experience this age is still modern enough, still serviceable, still reliable enough to go on a long trip. and has atleast 5 -10 years of life left before it is no longer worth major repairs.

I wouldn't set out to look for a MH over 10 years old.

[pconroy]

Ours was 8 or 9 when we financed it. US Bank did it, but the terms were worse than a new unit.

[koko]

We ended up buying new, but when we were looking, we set the bar at 8 years and no more than 30,000 miles. A lot has happened with technology in the last 10 years, and we didn't want something too obsolete. Also, if you're not a do-it-yourself type, that's something to think about - you're bound to have some issues with a used unit. We've seen some real beauties out there that are much older; we consider them classics.

[Sundancer330]

My biggest fear would be parts from Jayco. I have seen a few posts about parts not being available for certain trailers that were only 5-6 years old leaving owners out of luck and searching for plan B.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Bat1818

Also, I will have to finance my rig, so how does the age of the units impact terms and interest rate?

One more thought, although our first coach was 8/9 years old, we knew it was a diamond. It came from a family friend, so we knew it was well maintained.

But even so, we bought it from a dealer who had had it on Consignment. We let the dealer worry about financing. He did a great job.

Interesting that we bank at US Bank and our local guy said "No, too old" (or maybe said Yes but with terrible terms). The Dealer used His Guy @ US Bank and the answer was "Yes with OK terms".

I dunno - if you buy from a Dealer, he's motivated to help.