RV values

[Lin]

Richard,

I am in your #2 condition.  I would like to trade up and get a great deal doing so, but I know that I will not get much for what I have.  We just might do some upgrading on what we have, which would actually make the investment to market value ratio even worse. 

[cody]

Upgrades seem to be the way most are going, a person has to concider several things when thinking along these lines, find the happy median point where the upgrade add's appreciable value but doesn't carry an unrealistic pricetag, another factor is what the upgrade means to you as far as creature comfort goes, I always figured adding an indoor toilet would mean a lot more to me than adding a built in coffee grinder lol, and we all know how much I enjoy my coffee.  What seems to be selling the most as far as my calls show are refacing cabinets with new drawer fronts and doors.  The way it appears is that a lot of people have killed the idea of trading this year and are prepping the rig to sell in a year or two or when the market improves, the draw back is that when the market goes up on the used rigs it's also climbing on the newer rigs so it's kind of a catch 22.

[luvrbus]

Upgrading a 20 to 50 year bus is waste of time and money if you have the idea the resale value will increase not going to happen.
I know guys that paid Southern Oregon Diesel 40 grand for a modern engine and they still have 60,000 dollar bus same as it was with 6v92 only difference they have 40 more grand into the bus they will never recoup. 
Me I would upgrade to a newer unit like Lin probably would be a Blue Bird or Newell to get a later, low mileage unit, with the slides and a well built coach just me thinking out loud.     

good luck

[NJT 5573]

The value of my Eagle to me is the happiness in the wife, kids and grandkids eyes when the "daddy express" (named by my then 5 year old daughter), shows up to deliver them to their next playground. I bought my 05 in 95 and expected to have it the rest of my life. A tree hit it in 02 and the ins. co. gave me twice what I had in it. It was without power steering, turbo or Allison and I decided to just up date with another bus.

I basically gave the 05 to my best friend along with a pretty fresh 8V71 TA that he could install. I knew he would repair it and do the engine swap and he has. Its like its almost still in the family and he is going to have to put up with everyone asking, is that Larry's old bus?

I would like an engine update, but my 6V92 only has 800 hours, and I have a spare if I need it. I never bought either bus with the thought of not dying with it, and thats still true today. Of course I still have many things it would be wise to get rid of, including some old KW trucks and one of my dads old farm tractors.

I had several relatives mention to me that my bus may no longer be such a great thing when diesel was $4.50 a gallon, but I reminded them that I had 10 people on and that to feed them and sleep/shower them some other place or way would cost me alot more than what I was spending with the bus.

I have never looked at what my Model 20 is worth because its not for sale. Many of you have older buses than mine and they still get the job done with some class. There are 2 old GM's in the RV Park across the street at the lake from Ca. today. If the entire system collapsed, I would still want my bus. It could even be a life safer as the future unfolds. If we had a terrorist attack and needed to go, we could go in comfort.

My son Joe, (#3 of 7 sons) and his wife and 2 kids, (NEW BABY) fly in Wed nite from Mn. You can see on their faces, there is nothing like having your family coach pick you up at the airport with some cold ones in the reefer.

I just hope that I am fortunate enough to die old, with my bus still looking after us. Its kind of like my gun, they can have it when the pry my cold dead hand off it.

[loosenut]

Richard,

I am in your #2 condition.  I would like to trade up and get a great deal doing so, but I know that I will not get much for what I have.  We just might do some upgrading on what we have, which would actually make the investment to market value ratio even worse. 

Lin the issue is the difference not the price.  If you focus on prices and not difference you will miss great opportunities.

I came across an RV that I loved but the owner couldn't get past price.  He had is new RV picked out and just couldn't pull the trigger even though the difference was less than it ever had been.  He was expecting $90,000ish and I don't think he will get $30,000ish but the new bus he found is a little more than $100,000 instead of the $240,000 that they were going for just 6 months ago. 

His realistic difference is now $80,000 instead of $150,000 and the owner thought he was getting the worst part of the deal. 

Remember difference is wayyyyy more important than the price.  Price is an illusion.  Life is about opportunities. 

Mike 

[Lin]

Clifford,

I did not know that you read minds also.  How did you know I was considering a Bluebird.  The ones in my range do not have slides though.

[luvrbus]

Lin, I don't know model you are looking at but I had 1992 40 ft Wanderlodge that was a great bus never gave me a problem.
I am not a big fan of the FC models but the PT (pushers) I like.
Looking back the biggest mistake I made was trading it in on a new 1996 Prevost.
We have been thinking about buying a 43 ft BlueBird with slides.    good luck

[Lin]

Clifford,

This may be hijacking my own thread, but what do you think of the late BMC's and the Cummings 8.3 (I think).

[luvrbus]

Lin, we have friends that have a 40 ft BMC and have had no problems I think it is a 1998 year model and it has M 11 400 hp Cummins.
I like BlueBirds cheap parts  (off the shelf)and easy to work on some guys that never owned 1 will tell you they are a school bus and ride bad but that is not true the coach chassis is different than the school bus.
You know that Volvo (Prevost) owned BlueBird till the converters whined so much about the competition between Prevost and BlueBird till Volvo sold it off and tried to make it go away.
I think you will enjoy a BlueBird. 
FWIW my dash in the Eagle is a carry over from our BlueBird I love the dashes in BlueBirds plenty of gauges easy to read nice layout 


good luck