[Will]

Reese,

Thanks for the heads up. We sent an e-mail asking for more info.

Do any members have any experience with Motorhomes of Texas?

Does anyone have any info on this 1999 Country Coach?

http://motorhomesoftexas.com/coachrv/country_coach/1999–prevost–40–C1882

[Per]

John,

Motorhomes of Texas (MOT) is owned by David Robertson, a man of very good character. While not perfect, MOT does not set out to “Do you dirty” and will always correct any oversight, no problem. I know them well from having service there and as friends.

Suggest you ask for Mel Cordray in sales when you call. Tell him I recommended him. MOT will treat you well.

I will be in Nacogdoches on June 1 or 2 if that will help you.

[John]

When I posted the original message on 5/15 about the Prevost Country Coach was for sale, but I checked Motorhomes Of Texas inventory this morning and it’s status had changed to Pending.

I purchased a 2004 Foretravel U320 from Motorhomes Of Texas in December 2007 and the transaction went well.

Reese

[Michael]

Rudy,

Thanks for the recommendation, I heard from Mel Cordray today and the coach is sold.

Thanks for your offer and from all your posts on the forum. I have learned so much from your willingness

to share your knowledge and experience.

I hope to meet you in person soon.

[Peter]

Reese,

I heard from MOT today and the coach is sold.

We are still looking for our Prevost.

Thanks for your help.

[Larry & Diane]

Anyone have any suggestions as to why that coach was priced at 114.

That seems really cheap

[Fred F.]

I have looked at a number of coaches and some pricing makes no sense, in either direction. There have been coaches whose price was influenced greatly by owners who had a strong emotional attachment, or owners who were upside down financially and the prices were high compared to what the market seemed willing to pay.

But I have seen coaches “given” away. Some coaches that appear to be priced well below the presumed market had strong odors, or significant signs of lack of care. A coach that shows well in photos can knock you over with the odor of tobacco smoke or animals. Surfaces that look good in photos can be scratched, cracked, soiled, worn ot torn.

I helped a couple that looked at two coaches that looked and sounded good based on photos and descriptions. Both were a disaster because of things that didn’t even show up in photos and weren’t revealed in conversations with the owners / sellers. A/Cs did not work, tires were 10 years old, a generator was leaking fuel or oil so bad it was dripping from the bay, a leather seat had a long rip in it. etc. Both had been scrubbed, degreased, and had loads of tire dressing and both were in dire need of expensive repairs.

I presume careful buyers will know what a coach is worth and dealers who are not emotionally attached to a coach tend to price coaches realistically.

[Michael]

While I have not purchased a Prevost yet, on a daily basis I scour all the sites where Coaches are posted. I read every description, view every photo and study the build list. I too, see a wide range of conditions vs. posted price. Some make no sense at all way, too high for the year and build list, and you can not determine the “condition” until you make the on site inspection and get a professional review of the Coach. Some Coaches look too good to be true. It is a crap shoot and one of the ways to determine if the Coach is right for you at a price is to do the evaluation of the Coach with a real expert repair shop, many on this site have talked about which shop is good at determining what needs to be fixed on a Coach before purchase. I hope I don’t offend anyone here but making an offer on a Coach is purly subjective. Owners feel they have a Coach of great value and the buyer feels they need to ensure the buy price reflects what needs to be fixed that is known and what “unknown” fixes will come after the purchase. I for one will drive a hard bargain: not to beat up the owner for the sake of driving the price down, but to cover my butt when it comes to covering my costs on Zeroing out the Coach. There will come a day when I make the leap into the Prevost Community and I want it to be a great journey not one where I curse the day I bought the Coach. and the PC. I know nothing is perfect or guranteed, but I want to do the best job I can in selecting a Coach for purchase. I am open to comments on where I am right or wrong. Again I do not wish to offend anyone and will apologize ahead of time if my comments are offensive to anyone.

ifrdriver

[Dick]

Michael,

Everyone is motivated by a wide variety of factors so there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to buying a coach.

The same is true of the coaches for sale, especially as they age. Almost new coaches will likely be sold with the expectation that they need nothing, and if needed they will have new tires, batteries and a full service before delivery. As they get older it is expected there will be some issues, and the seller may not be willing to deal with them. Buyers have to understand also the seller may not even know there are issues, or the seller may be fully aware, and willing to withhold that information.

Some buyers place the selling price as the most important part of the decision to buy. Some place the decor at the top of the list. Some have very specific needs as to how a coach is equipped or how it is layed out. Everybody approaches the purchase from a different direction.

A buyer, regardless of their priorities still has to set a budget. The buyer has to determine how the coach will be used because that to an extent defines the coach. The buyer has to create a list of wants and needs with the show stoppers at the top of the list, going down in importance to things that would be nice, but not needed.

The best coach in my opinion is one that is fully documented. There are so many potential “gotchas” that I either want a coach so new that even no maintenance won’t result in irrepairable damage, or one that shows a complete history of progressive maintenance and repairs. An undocumented coach can be a nightmare. Even a well maintained coach will require money to maintain its reliability, so without any history a buyer can do nothing more than hope the coach is a good one. Nobody short of some very expensive inspections can identify damage that could occur to engines if the oil or coolant has not been changed. Nobody can fully assess the condition of a transmission that has never had the fluids changed. An air system that is 15 years old and has never had service is almost certainly a 5 figure repair bill.

While there will be no substitute for a detailed inspection prior to purchase or the exchange of money, there is no inspection I am aware of that will reveal everything. There are so many ways for hidden damage to go undetected the best a buyer can hope for is a coach with a good known history, followed by a good inspection.

But the same is true of any high value purchase. Boat, homes, planes and cars all share that risk factor. My only suggestion to buyers is to realize the pricing usually reflects average, and a low price can often be for a coach with some issues, and a high price can be for a coach with a stellar history that has been documented.

[Archived]

I had the good fortune to purchase 5 brand new Prevost coaches over the years since 1987. But after I suffered a stroke in 2008 I sold my coach believing my motor home days were finally over. But thanks to the good Lord and a caring wife I made a full recovery and determined to purchase another Prevost, but this time, considering my age and health, I sought to purchase an inexpensive older coach. I did not expect to find NEW COACH QUALITY in a USED COACH. One must expect some repair bills to bring an old coach up to standards, no matter how closely you inspect it. It is, after all, a used unit.

I hope you find your “dream coach” and that it is in perfect condition, but chances are you will miss out on years of enjoyment while you continue your search. My suggestion: find the best coach you can; make the best deal you can, and take the plunge. The water is great this time of year.