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Motor Home Ownership
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By Mark Freeman
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Today's motor homes or recreational vehicles have all thecomforts of home. If your wallet can afford it, they come withplasma TV's, washers and dryers, ceramic tile floors and granitecountertops and with spaces that are professionally designed.
The best known type of motor home is the Type A, or recreationalvehicle. This is the roomiest of all motor homes, the largest,and the most expensive. They come fully equipped with all theluxurious amenities as listed above, plus some. Somerecreational vehicles come with custom stained glass and largegarden/tub showers. Recreational Vehicles come up to 45 feet inlength and generally range between $85,000 used and $400,000new. Don't forget, they get somewhere between 5 and 8 miles pergallon. This is another consideration. If you can't swallow thattype of gas mileage you may want to consider another form ofmotor home.
A Type B motor home category includes van campers and traveltrailers. The van campers generally range from 18 feet to 22feet in length and can comfortable sleep four. A fully containedvan camper can have a shower, toilet, kitchen, TV, couches andbeds. The beds are close together, affording less privacy than atravel trailer or recreational vehicle. Most only have enoughhead room to allow for full standing in the center of thevehicle. Much smaller than the Type A motor homes they have lessstorage area. The van campers range in price between $43,000 and$70,000.
Travel trailers come in sizes 16 feet to 38 feet. They range inprice from $6,000. for a used trailer upwards to $45,000 for anew travel trailer. You can generally find a fairly wide rangeof amenities in travel trailers. The larger the size the moreyou can sleep and the more likely you will be to have a privatebedroom area.
A lot of travelers like the fact that they can park their traveltrailer in a trailer park and take their vehicle touring thearea. It does however take lots of practice learning how toproperly drive with a travel trailer hitched to the back of yourSUV.
When you are considering the purchase of a new motor home thereare some of the same considerations you have when purchasing anew car. Remember, a dealer can take advantage of an uneducatedcustomer. Do your homework. Know how much you should be payingbefore you visit the dealership. Ask to see the MSRP(manufacturers suggested retail price) for the vehicle.Remember, dealers receive nice incentives from manufacturers sothey have a 15% to 35% mark-up.
Don't take the first deal that you are offered. Visit two orthree dealerships. Make sure that the dealership you buy yourmotor home from has good follow up service. A lot of dealers areyour best friends while you're buying the motor home. Oncethey've sold you the motor home they don't want to be bothered.Check with the Better Business Bureau and family and friends whohave motor homes.
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