Newbies looking for our first PU

[Jestercat]

First of all, let me thank everyone here for their knowledge here on the forum.  Being new to this, our family has already learned a lot!!  

We've decided to join the ranks of PU owners this season and are in the market for a unit right now.  We thought we had it narrowed down to a choice, but after being to an RV show a few weeks ago, we are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of choices to say the least.... :yikes:

Kinda have our eye on a 2007 Palomino 4100 if we decide to buy new, but a co-worker has a 2005 Viking 2308 he wants to get rid of.

Anyone have experience with either of these?

Thanks in advance for your input/suggestions/ideas (and more in the future to I'm sure  :p )

[flyfisherman]

I have no experience with either brand you listed.  But it's the same old story that's been going on here on this board for years ... you buy new, you get the warranty.  You buy used, you could very well get the best buy, but you hang out to dry for major warranty issues.

Good luck on whatever way you decide to go.


Fly

[mjdfarm]

I would buy used.  No experience with either brand but Its always better to let someone else take the butt kickin on that depreciation.  I think as far as brand goes its the old ford V chevy debate.  The  truth is they both make a nice truck.  It comes down to personal preferances.  If you like the floor plan of the used one I would go with it.  If not I would look for a used camper elsewhere before I bought a new one.

[dcress]

Hey Jestercat,

Glad to see someone here from our neck of the woods. I would agree about the used unit probaby being your best bet for your first pup. If you have faith in your co worker and the price seems right and you like the floorplan and it is the right size for your family as well as your tv,it will likely be your best way to go imho. PUPS seem to hold their value quite well after the initial depreciation and you could probably sell it in a few years without taking a huge hit financially.
Hope this helps. By the way both are good units I'm sure you would be happy with either.

Cheers

[Jestercat]

Hey Jestercat,

Glad to see someone here from our neck of the woods.

Hi there neigbour....

That's what we seem to be finding.  Called the co-worker today, apparently he didn't have enough votes in his home to sell the trailer.  So it seems the "deal" that we found fell through.  

I'm not very impressed with the local dealers, they seem to be priced fairly high compared to others.  I don't mind driving a bit to get a good deal.

What PU do you have and are you happy with it??

J

[brainpause]

Welcome to PUT.

We have an '86 Palomino that we have been very happy with. I haven't seen any later model Pal's but I did see a fifth wheel Palomino. Felt like it was poorly made. The plant burned in about 1992, so things may have changed since then.

Try to find a dealer that has a good service department. Or at least one that stocks a few parts and can order parts for you, for just about any brand. Things will break...trust us. The good part about it is, it has expanded my horizons and forced me to learn some things and fix some things I didn't know about.

As someone said, asking about brands is almost like the Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge (vs Toyota and Nissan) debates. All have preferences. But I feel more comfortable if I have a local dealer I know I can trust.

For instance: I plan to buy a trailer in the next few weeks from a dealer that is 200 miles away. However, there is a great dealer only 17 miles away, but he doesn't carry hybrids. Thus, I have the good dealer 200miles away for my warranty issues, but for other things, and post-warranty, I still have the different-brand dealer close by.

Larry

[TBee]

I'm also a newbee to PUs, planning to buy a small one this spring.  I rented an 06 Palomino last fall just to get a feel for it.  I wasn't impressed, there seemed to be lots of quality issues and the dealer didn't give 2 hoots.  I went to a large RV show last week in Mpls. and have been looking on the internet.  

There seems to be a consensus that Viking is a pretty good value from reading these posts.  I felt that way, too.  I think a lightly used unit is the way to go vs. new. There's got to be lots of people out there who want to upgrade or to quit. Dealers don't seem very interested in selling Pop Ups for a few $k when they can sell RVs for $150-200k.

[Crazy4Camping]

We had the same questions when we were looking, but for us our first popup came down to price.   We couldn't afford alot but really wanted to get off the ground.  Thus a few years back, we picked up a '87 Starcraft Nova for a mere $425.  Turned out great, it was stripped(no frig, furnace, stove, etc.)but it gave us more storage room and being tent campers for years, we already had all the extras.  We cleaned her up and although she wasn't pretty, she gave us 3 great years of camping, then we let her go to some friends for almost the same amount that we bought her for as we had cleaned her up, did repairs to make her pass inspection and be road-worthy and we delivered it to their driveway for them.  
This past season, we picked up a '98 Jayco Eagle 12SO.  I will never go back to a regular pop-up again.  You have no idea what a difference the slide-out makes for living space.  It is fantastic and although it has a few quirks, we did okay on price($4K) and it was spotless when we got it.  The guy also included all kinds of camping gear, a porta-potti, hoses, it came with a bike rack and he included all the brackets and bungees to use it.  All in all, we feel like we did good and that is one thing about buying from a person rather than a dealer.  You can sometimes get all kinds of stuff included that you don't realize you need until after the fact.  Dealers want to include bedding and cosmetic stuff when you really need the basics.
Of course, no warranty, but it depends what your worries are.  Main thing to remember is FLOORPLAN FLOORPLAN FLOORPLAN!!
If you can't picture yourself living in that space for days at a time, then don't buy it.  Our first camper didn't matter much b/c we were getting it so cheap, but our newer Jayco, we definitely were looking for something that slept alot of people(it sleeps 8)b/c now that the kids are teenagers, they like to bring friends and with this unit, we can.
Just some stuff to consider.....good luck!!

[dcress]

Hey Jestercat,

I agree that it is really hard to get a good deal from any of the dealers in this area. If you do get a good deal, after they get your money they forget about you. IMHO you will find a lot more selection and more competition for your business in southern Ontario. If you were at the RV show you probably already know that.
We bought a 1994 Bonair BA 1000 from a dealer in London because we couldn't find anything in this area worth buying in our price range.
As myself and others have said you can get a lot of bang for your buck buying used, but that of course is a personal decision only you and your family can make.
Best of luck to you.

Cheers

[HouseInABox]

we started with a 1989 viking bought from a dealer we later took it back for ac they said sure no problem well after install lift systme started giving us fits collapsed twice - friend of my dh was getting rid of a jayco deluxe version 1995 - we love it cleaned her up installed a real potty for the kids love all the storage jayco provides - above towing capacity storage and layout are #1 on the list.  have you ever camped before?  if not used might be your best bet in case you decide you don't like it... happy hunting!

[SPXTrader]

Welcome Jestercat...About the only advice I can give you is to start by looking at every pup on eBay.   Not saying to buy one from there, but it does give you an idea of what models offer what features, floor plans, pricing, etc.  Once you settle on a few you really like, check out the used price guide at //www.NADA.com.  There, you can get a realistic feel for what you can expect to pay, based on the options you choose.

We had an older model Jayco, about the only option was a/c.  Last spring we started looking for something bigger, with more options.  After a few weeks of looking, we settled on a 2002 Starcraft Constellation Gemini.  LOVE this rig.  Indoor/outdoor shower, cassette toilette, slide out dinette, furnace, 3 way fridge, indoor/outdoor stereo, updated inverter, dual LP tanks, brand new Colorado Carefree awning...all the options.  We found it about 150 miles away in NC, from an individual who was looking for a htt (he has kids, and wanted more room).  We can comfortably sleep 6 using the dinette, but most of the time it's just me, Sandy and Roz.  At times have had 11 people in it during a summer shower.  Seating for all, using the dinette, couch, and open bunk ends. Not crowded at all!

Our Starcraft has not given us a minutes worth of trouble, and we got it about $ 3000 back of NADA retail, good condition.  This pup was in EXCELLENT condition.  To this day, when we pull into a campground, someone always comes over to see the "new model" Starcraft pup!

So look around, there are a lot of good used pups out there...just make sure you get the options you want.

Happy Poppin'!

[ScottyDont]

Once you settle on a few you really like, check out the used price guide at //www.NADA.com.  There, you can get a realistic feel for what you can expect to pay, based on the options you choose.

Do the NADA values still hold true in Canada?  I live in SW Ontario and am in the same boat looking to buy our first PU. The few used ones for sale at the local dealers here are all priced WAY above the Nada values.  I realize there is an exchange rate factor but I'm talking like almost double the price.

[ike1450]

We bought a 2001 Viking PUP last summer, and we love it.  I just kept looking in the newspapers, eBay, etc. to get an idea of what one would cost with a dining slide out and a toilet/shower.  I found exactly what I was looking for in a local newspaper.  Good luck.  I'm sure you will be able to find something that will work for you.

[SPXTrader]

Do the NADA values still hold true in Canada?  I live in SW Ontario and am in the same boat looking to buy our first PU. The few used ones for sale at the local dealers here are all priced WAY above the Nada values.  I realize there is an exchange rate factor but I'm talking like almost double the price.

I'm not 100% sure about this...perhaps someone else can give you a correct answer, or you might start a new thread asking this question....

[CajunCamper]

Our first pop-up was a stinker that needed work. I spent $100 on it put another $300 or so into it, a few hours of elbow grease and we made enough trips in it to discover that we loved pop-up camping. I gave it away a year later to a young family and bought my 1996 Coleman Santa  Fe brand new. We still own the Santa Fe and just last summer had the roof replaced by the manufacturer which was covered by the warranty.

When we made the decision to buy new, we new from experience that it was going to be a life long love affair with pop-up camping.

Good luck with your search.

CajunCamper