Buying a Gulfstream Indepence 05

[Joymich]

We are thinking of buying our first RV its a Gulfstream
Independence 2005 with 21,000 miles on time clock. They want $52,000, is this a fair price and what should I be checking before buying, have they got any common faults, its from a dealer and I will ask for new tyres and batteries. I would much appreciate any advice because its a big investment for us - we want to know if its a good choice, will it last us 10yrs plus ! Thank you in advance for taking the time to reply.

[mfa]

You don't say what model it is, but that price seems way too high. You can get representative prices here. (http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?LI=1-25-38-5692-0-0-0&l=1&w=25&p=38&f=5694&gc=RV&gtc=MH&m=0171&y=2005&ml=G) "Low Retail" with no consideration of options is a typical price paid.

[Chuck v]

It does seem a bit high -- I have seen 2007 8357I models for little more than that price with as few as 5K miles on them. Nationally, the lowest prices seem to be in Florida where you are, so bargain that one down or keep looking.

When you say "last for 10 years" it heavily depends on how you intend to use it...will this be a vacation vehicle of just a few weeks a year or a full time home? Will you put 3,000 a year on the coach or 30,000?

If you will be putting a lot of miles on the motorhome or towing anything more than 4,000 pounds, consider a diesel. All these rigs will need ongoing care and maintenance, so factor that in as well.

Chuck