Brand comparisons

[jelmore]

This is just an observation, but as a bus gets into the $300,000 range the marketplace has done a very effective job of evaluating and ranking the products of the various converters.

We've been looking pretty hard now for a few weeks and what you say has become apparent. Quite a learning experience.

I'm having a hard time justifying the value of a top line 1997 (that we love the interior of) with fewer "features" going for more than a different top line that is newer (2000) with fewer miles and a lot more "features". I'm calling features things like remote electric or air dump valves, chairs, deluxe outdoor entertainment, private water closet lavatory, outside refrigerator/freezer, joeybed trays, built in basement drawers, 50 amp cord on a reel -- those kinds of things that would seem to make full time such a better time. We just left a "manual" coach and thought we could do a lot better. But, if a dinette is the ticket, then is that worth SO much more? Or is that brand worth that much more? It doesn't matter so much going in as it does going out.

And what of the coaches with all the bells and whistles, but with a bit of an unstable converter ownership? They are still around with several service centers, but their used coaches bring considerably less, or rather, it seems they offer so much more for less.

Maybe just because we're new, the "features" seem pretty important. Maybe they're not?

Any advice is welcome, expecially from full timers.

[Ray Davis]

Maybe just because we're new, the "features" seem pretty important. Maybe they're not?

I know I did this when looking, and Ben Wilmore (whereisben.com) did the same. I constructed a spreadsheet (could have as easily been done on a piece of paper). On the spreadsheet, I came up with all the categories/features that I felt were at least somewhat important to me. Then to each one of those I assigned a weight from 1 to 10.

Then for each bus I considered, I filled in the blanks, from 1-10 and got a score for every bus I considered. Maximum score would have been a score of 10 times the number of entries on the scoresheet. Although this couldn't for sure chose "the" bus, it very quickly ruled out the ones which were not contenders, and grouped the few contenders at the top of the list.

Don't include just features, but any aspect of the decision that you may feel is important. Unknown maintenance history? Need new tires (that's $6k right there). Nice, but needs a paint job? That's another $15k-$30k. I think you get the idea.

Afte awhile you'll find that you'll start adjusting the weightings as you get a feel for what's more important to you. That's why a spreadsheet is nice.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jim,

It is easy to minimize the value of some features such as those you listed. I can't imagine that an air dump valve is going to make or break a deal, but collectively a lot of the features you listed make the use of the coach more pleasant.

A hose reel seems ridiculous until you have hefted the kind you wind up in the mud in the rain, and then have to throw that mud spattered 50 pound bundle of wire into a nice clean bay.

A joey bed seems silly until you have crawled into the middle of your bay to try to get an air hose or some other rarely used device.

What I am suggesting, especially on a used coach where you actually pay little or nothing for these features these all tend to tip the scales in favor of the coach that has them.