Category: RV Living

How To Buy A Diesel Pusher Motorhome For Less Than $100K

This article will explain how you can buy a luxury diesel pusher motorhome for less than $100K.

Now that may sound pretty crazy. Because diesel pushers really are the luxury kings of the RV world.

And if you’re thinking about a new Class A diesel pusher or gas powered RV, I first of all recommend that you get my Class A Motorhome Buying Guidebook.

Because if you want to know what brands, manufacturers and models are building the best quality today, that’s where you’re going to find that information. So be sure to check that guidebook out.

Click here to download my Newer Class A Motorhomes Buying Guide

Table of Contents

Is A Diesel Pusher Motorhome Unaffordable?

But if you want to buy a new or slightly used diesel pusher, you’re probably going to start around $300,000. And the price goes up from there. So that makes them kind of unaffordable for many RVers.

So then, how can you get a diesel pusher motorhome that’s really affordable? For let’s say under a hundred thousand dollars? Well here’s the secret… you need to buy a used one.

Watch my video on how to buy a luxury motorhome for under $100K

And my personal recommendation is to actually buy one 15 years old or more. Because here’s an interesting point that a lot of people don’t know.

Between the year 2000 and 2007 some of the best quality diesel pusher motorhomes that have ever been made were produced. They were really making good quality in those years.

But the economic crash of 2008 changed everything. And RV manufacturers cheapened up their product. The unfortunate truth is that it’s never really gone back to where it was before the crash.

We don’t see the same kind of quality materials and building methods anymore now.

Quality Built Diesel Pusher Motorhomes

But here’s the good news. We have several of these older great RV’s out there that were made so well. And they’re still viable choices for an RVer to choose from.

In fact, they can be a great choice for RVers who can’t afford a new diesel pusher today. But would like to be able to enjoy the luxuries and comforts that diesel pusher motorhomes offer.

So the question is what brands should you be looking for back there in say 2000 to 2007? Well, let me give you some suggestions.

I can’t cover them all in this article. But I’ll give you five brands and some models that they make that you should really focus on.

Click here for a list of all of my recommended older Class A RVs

An Older Diesel Pusher Motorhome – My First Choice

Number one is Newmar. And Newmar makes the Dutch Star, the Kountry Star, and the Mountain Aire. These are all fantastic diesel pusher motorhomes from those years.

Newmar Dutch Star diesel pusher motorhome
Newmar Dutch Star

And if you have followed me on YouTube much, you know that I’m a big Newmar fan. I believe that they put out some really good quality coaches. So you can’t go wrong with those three models from Newmar.

4 More Great Older Diesel Pusher Motorhomes

Now the second one I’m going to suggest is Tiffin. Once again Tiffin is really high on my list of manufacturers that use good quality methods and materials. So if you can find an Allegro Bus during those years, that’s a really good candidate for purchase.

Tiffin Allegro Bus
Tiffin Allegro Bus

The third manufacturer is Country Coach. Country Coach was building some fantastic RV’s during that period of time. So look for the models of Allure, Intrigue and Affinity. They would be very good choices.

Country Coach Intrigue
Country Coach Intrigue

Next up is American Coach. Now American Coach was actually kind of the luxury division for Fleetwood RV. But they sort of became their own entity in the minds of many people.

And they built some very luxurious RV’s with a lot of really nice features. The models that you can look for is the American Dream, American Eagle, and American Tradition. Look for those and you’ll find that you’ll get a very good RV.

Now the fifth diesel pusher manufacturer I can recommend is Monaco. Monaco built a lot of RVs during that period of time. In fact, they were buying up other RV manufacturers too in those years. So the models of Dynasty, Windsor, and Executive could be very good choices for you.

Monaco Dynasty diesel pusher motorhome
Monaco Dynasty

Are These Older RVs Really Affordable?

Now as you can see, just with these five manufacturers, we’ve got a lot of models that we could choose from to get a really nice diesel pusher motorhome that’s built with very high quality.

And here’s the great thing. You can buy these great older coaches for pennies on the dollar compared to what they sold for new. And that’s a great thing!

You’re still going to be able to enjoy all the quality, all the amenities, and all the luxuries. But you get it at a much lower price. And way lower than newer diesel pushers these days.

Make Sure The RV Is In Great Shape

So what do you want to look for? Well here’s my suggestion. Number one, try to find one of these older coaches that has all of its repair records intact.

In other words, someone has maintained them very well. And they kept really good records of all the maintenance they did to that coach That indicates that somebody’s really taken care of that motorhome.

Number two, before you buy anything that goes back in those years, get an RV inspection by a certified NRVIA inspector. Because yes, there could be hidden problems and issues in motorhomes that are that old.

But if you have an inspector go through it, he’s not going to be just looking at how nice it is. He’s going to tell you what the issues are, what the problems are.

And you’ll know what you’re buying then. If there are issues and problems, you very often can get those resolved by working with the seller. And very often you can also get a better price as a result of that.

So be sure to get an RV inspection by a certified NRVIA inspector on those older coaches.

Why Fluid Analysis Will Be Needed

Finally my next recommendation is something a lot of people don’t do and they really should. And that is you should get a fluid analysis performed on the engine. Also the radiator, the transmission, and on the generator.

Especially if it has one of those diesel generators, get a fluid analysis done.

Why? Because the fluid analysis will tell you what’s going on inside that engine. Or inside that radiator, or transmission or generator. And much better than almost anything else that you can do.

Even better than a mechanic. A mechanic can tell you a lot from looking at the outside. But this actually tells you what’s going on inside when you get a fluid analysis.

So if you’re buying something that old, then you really need to know what shape the engine, drivetrain, and generator is in.

Conclusion

Now if you’ll follow those three suggestions, then most likely you should be in good shape if you buy an older diesel pusher motorhome.

In fact, I did those things and I have a 2004 Newmar Kountry Star diesel pusher. And I am very happy with it. I love it, and there’s a lot of other folks like me.

So lets recap what we have covered in this article. Some of the best older diesel pusher brands of motorhomes are:

  • Newmar – Dutch Star, Kountry Star, Mountain Aire
  • Tiffin – Allegro Bus
  • Country Coach – Allue, Affinity
  • American Coach – Dream, Eagle, Tradition
  • Monaco – Dynasty, Windsor, Executive

I know several people who have older coaches. And they love them!

In fact many of us prefer these older coaches and the quality that’s built into them. Especially compared to what we see being rolled off the assembly line today.

So it’s really a viable consideration to buy these older coaches. And you get the advantage of getting them at much less. And being able to also have quality at the same time.

So this is a way to enjoy RV travel at its finest. With all the luxuries you want. And for so much less than what you would spend today.

Well that’s it for now. Have safe and happy travels my friends.

The Top 5 Tips For Towing A Car With An RV

In this article we’re going to be talking about towing a car with an RV. And I’ll reveal my top five tips for RV flat towing and dolly towing.

Now if you’re new to RV towing, you may still be going through that whole decision making process about whether you should be flat towing or dolly towing.

And the good news is that I’ve made some videos to help you make a good decision. In fact, there’s a video on each method. Flat towing and dolly towing.

And they both will show you the pros and cons of each method. That way you can decide what works best for you and your situation.

But at this point we’re going to assume that you have already made your decision. And you know which method you’re going to choose to tow a car with an RV.

Watch my video on RV towing tips

Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means – at no additional cost to you – I earn a commission if you make a purchase using our affiliate links. I only link to products and companies I use and feel comfortable recommending. The income goes toward supporting the free content on this website

Towing A Car With An RV – A Rear Camera

So let’s start with tip number one. And that is to use a rear camera to keep an eye on what’s going on with your towed vehicle.

This is so important. And I had this tip really driven home to me last year going through Fort Worth, Texas. That’s when one of the bars on my tow bar broke while I was on the highway.

And I would have never known it if I didn’t have my rear camera monitor on. As a matter of routine I always check it every few minutes or so while driving.

Well, I looked into it and my vehicle behind the RV was moving around. And I knew that wasn’t right!

So I pulled right over was able to get over in time so that the second bar on the tow bar didn’t break because of all the pressure on it. If that had happened, things would have really been difficult!

So that leads me to remind you to be sure you have a real good working rear camera. And that you check it regularly too.

A Piece Of Advice About RV Rear Cameras

Of course, a lot of folks have a rear camera in their RV. But for whatever reason, it’s often not functioning like it should.

And if that’s the case with you, let me give you a little bit of a suggestion. It’s about another camera system that might work as a replacement for you.

In fact, the one I found is a wireless camera system that even works wirelessly on my 40 foot RV. So most likely it’ll work for you as well.

Click here for the wireless camera system that works well for us

It’s very easy to install. And if you think it’s something that might work for you, be sure to check it out.

Towing A Car With An RV – A TPMS

All right, let’s move on to tip number two. And that is to be sure to use a tire pressure monitoring system for the tire pressures in your towed vehicle.

You know, a lot of people think about having a TPMS on their RV. But honestly, in many ways it’s almost more important to know what’s going on behind you.

Because a tire can blow out on you. Or can gradually go flat on your towed vehicle. And you will most likely never know it when it happens.

In your RV, you could probably feel a flat tire. But not in the towed vehicle. So make sure that you have a good tire pressure monitoring system for that vehicle too.

A lesson Learned On The Road

Now once again I learned this the hard way. As a result of that tow bar breaking, it set off a series of events. And one of them was related to the new tow bar that I bought.

When I got it, I attached it to my towed vehicle and started off down the highway. But that new tow bar was so stiff that it was putting pressure on the front tires of my towed vehicle, my Honda CRV.

In fact, it was so much pressure that heat was building up in the tires. And it was getting to the danger point where they could actually blow out.

But the tire pressure monitoring system saved me. It alerted me to that danger before it got to that critical stage.

Click here for the tire pressure monitoring system we use

Then I was able to pull off and solve the issue before things got really dicey. So be sure to have a tire pressure monitoring system for your towed vehicle too. And check it regularly!

What Is A Safe Towing Distance?

OK, tip number three. Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. And what do I mean by safe?

Well, I can’t give you a specific distance. Because a lot depends on the circumstances you’re in. But no doubt, you normally keep distance between you and the vehicle in front of you when you are in a passenger vehicle.

Well, make sure you use a lot more distance in your RV. Because RVs take a long time to slow down. But even more so when you’re towing a car with an RV.

So suppose something goes on in front of you that’s unexpected. Then it can take a really long time to slow down and stop the RV and the towed vehicle too. A lot more than it would in a passenger vehicle.

So I highly recommend to leave plenty of room in front of you and the vehicle in front of you.

Typically we travel at around 60 – 65 MPH on the highway when towing in our RV. If you do, most vehicles will pass you and move on down the highway ahead of you.

So just following that suggestion alone will often keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Towing A Car With An RV – Weight Limits

Now for tip number four. And that is to know your RV and your towed vehicle’s weight limits. And observe them.

Now this is a subject that a lot of RVers just don’t pay a lot of attention to. It seems that they just figure if they can drive the RV down the highway it must be the right RV weight.

But it’s very important for you to make sure that you stay within the weight limits for your RV. And for the towed vehicle as well. By the way, this also includes your hitch’s tow weight too.

Now this is an area that some people forget about a lot of times. But that hitch takes a lot of pressure. So make sure you know what’s going on with it.

Again, I made a video explaining how that you can make sure you’re towing safely. And it explains all the weight classifications you need to know. About both the RV, the towed vehicle and the hitch. So you know you’re doing it right.

Towing a car with an RV - how to manage RV and towed vehicle weight
Watch my video on how to manage RV weight here

The 3-3-3 Rule For Towing

Now for my final tip in this article. And that is to observe the 3-3-3 rule when you’re towing a car with an RV. This rule is designed to help you avoid fatigue from towing on the highway.

And the 3-3-3 rule is (1) never travel more than three days in a row without stopping for at least a couple days to rest up. Then (2) never travel more than 300 miles a day. And (3) try to get wherever you’re going by three o’clock in the afternoon.

Now why is this a good idea? Well, many of the old-time RVers know that it takes a lot out of you to drive an RV. And even more when you’re driving one that’s towing another vehicle.

It takes a lot of concentration and a lot of alertness. And before you know it, it can take a lot out of you, and you can get very tired.

In fact, sometimes you don’t even know how tired you really are. That is, until you get into a difficult situation on the highway.

So you need to avoid fatigue. And to do that, this 3-3-3 rule helps you avoid fatigue and make sure that you stay fresh. And that you’re able to handle situations that come up on the road safely.

Towing a car with an RV - the 3-3-3 rule

Is This A Hard And Fast Rule?

Now everybody’s fatigue level is a little bit different. And if you find that the 3-3-3 rule isn’t enough for you, then by all means move it down to 2-2-2.

There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. It just simply means you need to keep your fatigue level at a manageable level. And if it takes going 2-2-2 instead of 3-3-3, then go ahead and do that.

In fact, the longer I drive RVs, the more I’m kind of a 2-2-2 guy myself. So whatever it takes to stay fresh. Whatever it takes to stay alert on the highway, do that!

Conclusion

Well I hope these tips will help keep you and your loved ones safe and happy while you’re out on the highway enjoying your RV adventures.

Have safe and happy travels my friends, until next time

The Best Super C Motorhomes To Buy Now

In this article we’re going to be talking about the best Super C motorhomes. The ones that I feel that I can recommend as quality RVs.

Super C’s are really growing in popularity these days. And we’re seeing
more and more of them out on the road now. That’s a very good thing.

Why? Because it gives all of us more options to choose from. Especially when it comes to looking for a larger RV that has luxurious features. And plenty of power and towing capability too.

Now I made a video a while back that compares Super C’s with Class A’s. And that is really a very fair comparison.

In that video, it pretty much explains what makes Super C’s unique. So if you’d like to learn more about that, go check out that video below now!

But in this article, I’m not going to be talking about features. Instead, I’m listing the brands and models that I feel are the best place to start, if you’re shopping for a Super C.

And we’re going to cover the RVs that start right around $200,000 dollars. And go up from there.

The reason for this is that’s usually where you’re going to find the most quality built into Super C’s. So let’s go ahead and get started.

Watch my video about the best Super C motorhomes for 2022

Table of Contents

The Best Super C Motorhomes – Newmar

Now let’s go straight to the top of the list. We’re going to start with those that are $400,000 and up. And right at the top is Newmar.

Now I’m a big Newmar fan. And Newmar offers two models for the Super C that you can choose from. The first one is incredible!!!!!

It’s the Supreme Aire and it’s right up there in the $600,000 to $700,000 market. Now it has five plans to choose from. And it’s a bigger RV, as it averages 40 to 45 feet in length.

So clearly what you have with the Supreme Aire is a really nice luxurious Super C. One that’s long in length and has a lot of space in it. So that’s a great one to choose from if you have the money to spend.

Now the next one that Newmar offers is the Superstar. And the Superstar offers four floorplans. It’s runs just a little shorter than the Supreme Aire, coming in around the 37 to 40 foot range.

So what Newmar’s really offering here is a range of between 37 to 45 feet in Super C’s.

Then it just depends on the model and the floor plan that you want. And how much you want to spend. So a very good representation from Newmar.

The Best Super C Motorhomes – Dynamax

Now let’s move on to our next brand, and that’s Dynamax. Now Dynamax has been making Class C’s, great ones, for a long time.

They’re a high quality RV builder. And in the high end area they offer the
DynaQuest XL.

It comes with four floorplans and has a length variation of 37 to 41 feet. And that’s really a nice mid-range length to choose from.

Next on the list is Renegade. And they offer three different models to choose from in the higher end of the market.

The first one is the Classic. And it’s the all-time winner for the number of floor plans for Super C’s. It offers, believe it or not, 16 floor plans to choose from.

So you’re probably going to find something you like in a floor plan with the Classic. It even includes a toy hauler floor plan too!

So if you’re interested in a toy hauler Super C, the Classic is a great place to start.

Now moving on, the next model they have is the XL. It has four floorplans to choose from. It’s a big RV too. It’s going to be somewhere between 43 and 45 feet long.

Now the last offering from Renegade is the Verona LE. And it has four floor plans to choose from. Now it’s smaller than the others and comes in around the 38 to 40 foot category in length.

The Best Mid-Range Super C’s – Entegra

Now let’s move down into the mid-range cost of Super C’s. And that’s in the $200,000 to $400,000 category.

Quite frankly, this is going to be the area where most people are going to be able to afford to buy a Super C.

And we’re going to start first on the list with Entegra. They offer two models.

The first is the Accolade with four floor plans and all are 40 feet long. So there there’s no variation in length in this model.

Then there’s the Accolade XL with three more floor plans. Again all 40 feet in length.

So clearly they’ve chosen that mid-range length area. But they’ve given you plenty of floor plans to choose from in that range.

More Best Super C Motorhomes – Nexus

Next up is Nexus and they are really shooting for the smaller Super C buyer. Those that want all the advantages of the Super C for sure. But they want to also be able to fit into more places with their rig.

So they start with the Wraith. The Wraith offers four floorplans and it starts at 33 feet in length and goes to 36.

Then there’s the Ghost. And I think we’ve all seen plenty of those out there in campgrounds.

They have four floor plans, starting again at 33 feet in length and going to 37 feet. So if you’re a buyer for a smaller more compact Super C, Nexus has got you covered.

The Best Super C Motorhomes – Renegade

Next on our list of mid-range Super C’s is Renegade. So we’re back to that quality brand and manufacturer now.

Remember they made some really good higher end models that we talked about earlier. But now in the mid-range they make two more models to consider.

One is the Valencia. The Valencia offers four floorplans in the 36 to
38 foot range.

Then there’s the Verona. And it offers four floorplans in the 33 to 40 foot range.

So these are shorter, more manageable Super C’s. And they don’t cost quite as much as their higher end brethren as well.

Best Super C Motorhomes – Jayco

Next up on the list is Jayco. And don’t we all see a lot of Jayco Super C’s out on the road?

Probably the number one we see is the Seneca. It has four floorplans and it runs between 36 and 38 feet in length.

But then there’s also the Seneca Prestige. And it has four floor plans between 33 feet all the way up to 40 feet.

So Jayco’s got you covered for that shorter to to mid-range length Super C model.

More Dynamax Super C RVs

Finally we’re going to go back to our good old Dynamax manufacturer as well. Again they are an excellent maker of Class C’s over the years.

And in the mid-range Super C market they make the Europa which only has one floorplan. So if you don’t like that floor plan, there’s nothing else to choose from. And it’s a smaller one, it’s 34 feet in length.

The Force HD is their next model. It has three floorplans that run between 37 and 39 feet in length.

And lastly, is the DX3 in this mid-range category. It has four floorplans and runs between 37 to 41 feet in length.

Conclusion

Well that’s my list. That’s the ones I wanted to recommend to you to consider if you’re thinking about buying a Super C.

Are these all the Super C’s available? Oh no, not even close to it. But it is a list of the brands and the models that I feel are better than average.

Especially when you compare them with their competition. So, they’re an excellent place for you to start when you start looking at the Super C market.

Well that’s it for now. Have safe and happy travels my friends. Until next time….

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