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Full Time in Non-Slide
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Brett
Pam & I are full timing in our 98 XL Country Coach. We have done so since April of 2014. Our coach does not have any slides. We are similar in the respect that we are Military. Next summer will be the end of our 32 year affiliation with USAF. After that we are traveling the country we have served for so long.I am 6.2, Pam is 5.10. We have 2 cats we share space with in the coach. We initially looked at units with slides but could not find one that met our $ and wants. I think our stop in Prevost Jax, when we first got our bus, scared us away from the slides on the early buses. We found out the space issue, like John mentioned, the problem with air seals and the cost of just having prevost look at it.
one of the fellow fulltimers, a Marine in a freight liner C, is having slide issues here (fort belvoir). He had it stuck out unable to retract. The motor seized up and could not override manually. He had to move locations and could not get out. The MWR folks were very difficult to work with & rather stupid about it. He had to get Mobil service to come in and find a way to get the motor out and finally got the slide in. Now he has to go to Indiana to get the replacement under his warranty. Needless to say, he has been asking about our bus and where he can find one. I did refer him to this site.
For us, it first it seemed we would keep running into each other, after a small while we adjusted. 45 feet is enough. We love our coach. We only have one thing we would change if we could: we really miss our King bed. That’s it. Everything else is very livable.
one suggestion. If you can go to Houton or up to Rockwall, you can look at some buses in person. That’s what it took to get Pam convinced. find a bus converter or seller in Texas and go take a peek
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Chip, thanks first for your service. We are not in TX anymore I just didn’change my signature..lol Currently we are in OK for a couple weeks. We are waiting on some numbers back on a deal for ours against an 01 H3 no slide. If the numbers are close enough to merrit a trip we may be headed to look at one. If the initial numbers aren’t close we will probably just call it a day and be happy in ths coach……might would look some more but not sure.
I retired from the service in late 14 and never looked back even though I do miss it….we shall see
Brett
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Brett…
I know nothing about the coach or dealer, but may be one worth more investigation, FWIW…
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There is a serious cost associated with any coach purchase transaction that requires the dealer to take a trade.
Any way the deal is structured, regardless of the numbers the bottom line is the dealer is going to sell a coach at retail, and any trade will be purchased at wholesale. For a dealer to survive that is how it has to be. As a buyer the best possible option is to be realistic regarding the trade in value, make absolutely sure it is necessary to trade it in as opposed to selling it outright, and before a dealer or potential buyer sees it, make certain it is as presentable as possible, and there are no obvious deficiencies.
The purchase of any coach has costs asociated with it. New coaches have warranties so the buyer is OK on the cost of needed repairs, but the depreciation is breath taking. Older coaches have the potential to require expensive repairs or maintenance, but are likely to have more tolerable levels of depreciation. But a buyer has to assume the worst regarding coach condition and maintenance status unless there is solid documentation to prove it is well maintained.
I have yet to see a single coach for sale in which the seller did not claim a good maintenance history, and I have never seen one listed for sale that said the coach maintenance was lousy. Treat seller’s claims without supporting proof as nothing more than fertilizer. When buying a coach without documentation make certain the purchase price compensates for the cost to bring the coach into a current maintenance status, and depending on age that can be low to mid five figures.
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Roger all tht Jon and thanks.
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