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I always look around at used prevost on the web,and one on rv online caught my eye it was a 2001 marathon xlII non slide which was listed for 449K,shortly it showed up as sold.I called the seller and he told me it sold in one day for the asking price it had 39,000 miles and from the pictures it is a standard marathon of that vintage.I am interested in others opinion of the real value in that i also own a 2001 xlII non slide marathon.
Jack - there are so many variables that effect market value. Obviously overall condition, stored inside or out, repair/damage history, maintenance records, tires, etc are the most common variables. Unusual exteriors or interiors, geographic location, and more can effect the value. The $449k might be a fair price, or a bad deal depending on the above.
Ditto Karl's comments.
To add to that something all potential buyers need to know is that within converters there are often levels of features. A potential buyer really needs to do the homework because lately I have seen some coaches that are great coaches but are overpriced because the seller has a less well equipped coach and has it priced where the converter's most well equipped products are priced.
On the vintage of coach referenced there can be a $10,000 swing in price just based on the age of the batteries and tires, both of which on that coach are at the end of their life if they are not new.
Unless a buyer has focussed on a specific converter's products and then has researched to learn about how those products are equipped the potential to overpay is very high. A seasoned coach owner is likely to be very much aware of these differences and is unlikely to look solely at model year and colors.
I agree with both of you,thanks for the response.I have only owned my Marathon for 7 months and I find it interesting how coaches are valued by dealers,I have always felt like I could find the best deal by dealing with an individual rather than a dealer.I asked a salesman how he valued coaches since there was not a blue book,his response was,the SWAG method (scientific wild ass guess).I have used my coach for several events,and I am now thinking that I would like more space(slides) but I have my coach up to speed with everything working,I have a great shop and I am a decent mechanic but I am not sure that a double slide coach would be worth the difference.My wife rides a saddlebred show horse and I drive a vintage stock car so we only stay in the coach for 2 or 3 nites at a time,that is also why I question the value of slides.A non slide coach shure is easy to set up and travel in,a novice like me has fewer things to deal with.
Jack - it sounds as though with your type of travel, there would be minimal benefit to the slides, as opposed to someone who spends the winter in one. Your point of "knowing what you have" in your existing coach is important.For a fraction of what it would take to move to a slide coach, you could do some very nice upgrades and enhancements to your own and really make it "yours".
Merry Christmas to all,
Jack,
I have a 2 slide coach, and my wife and I love it. We tailgate a lot, and the extra room is nice to have when you have 10 to 12 people inside the coach.
You had talked about the time involved with deploying the slides, it takes me 7 minutes to extend both slides. It is no more difficult than pressing a button. My coach is 7 years old and we haven't had any serious problems with the slides.
I think that a good slide analogy would be the 45' bus compared to the 40' bus. Almost everybody wants the 45' because the living area is larger, and larger usually equates to more comfortable. Most women like the extra space because it makes the bus feel like a home instead of a long narrow hall. They add a deminsion to the salon, kitchen, and bedroom that makes the bus seem more like a home.
I know that many on this site are opposed to slides, and they have valid reasons and I am not trying to change their minds on the subject. This is just my opinion.
If it is possible, try to spend a few days in a coach with slides. There's nothing like trying it out to see if you and your wife like it. I have a feeling that if you try it, you will like it. The additional cost is a personal financial matter and it is true that slides do cost more to buy, the best usually does.
One more point; I believe, as do quite a few others on this site, that non slide coaches will depreciate more than slide coaches. That said, I will say good luck to you and your family, and may you have a Merry Christmas.
As my ears perk up at the mention of your wife showing Saddlebreds, I of course had to chime in :D I agree with everything Tuga stated and several good points were made, yet again, with slides versus non. We have show Morgans and while attending various shows, we love to have our friends over for a little partying. We have done this with both slides and non-slides and I have to say there is no going back to non-slides for us. We have not found ours to be a problem, knock on wood, and the extra room is valuable to us.Quote:
Originally Posted by jack14r
This is a very personal decision and a nice coach is a nice coach regardless. I do think the future lies in slides though. Were you and your wife at Louisville this year showing on the green tanbark?? We'll let Lew figure that one out--love ya Lew!
Bob,we did go to Louvisville and show on the green,my wife did not show it there but another catch rider showed it there.We won't take the coach to Louvisville but probabally will to all the other shows.My wifes horses name is CH RIVA DIVA and she is a great mare,because I want to support my wife and I do not want to stay in motels,this meant that I had to purchase a camper(my wife calls it that) to go to the horse shows.The life in the (camper)is much better than in a motel,and I get to work on stuff during the downtime.
Hey Debi, I would much rather talk about horses than airplanes. Keep it comin' and keep the Orville Wrights off of the web.
I stay at a fairgrounds when we are back to my hometown and they have horseshows every weekend. There ain't no foolin' around with those beautiful creatures.
Lew