Where to find older class B

[readytorv]

I live in too small a city for a good used RV market so am considering buying out-of-area. I want a class B or very small class C[20 foot max] camper. Portland and Bay Area are the closest. LA and Seattle are farther but possible. I would like to find a city with multiple dealers so I can fly in and look a several vehicles over a few days and hopefully buy and drive one home.

One possibility is classicvans in Hayward, CA. Can anyone report on their reputation?

Any other RV dealers likely to have several used class B campers?

[Bruceper]

Your best bet is private sales, check ebayclassifieds and ebay for those.

Found this dealer in Portland

http://www.rvtrader.com/Portland-RVs--- ... sn=hybrid&

And of course a general RVTrader search for all of Oregon

http://www.rvtrader.com/Oregon-Class-B- ... &newsort=1

You didn't state a budget, that would help to narrow down a search.

[Caped Crusader]

Check out Roadtrek International's For Sale page. Most of the B's have been taken good care of.

[readytorv]

Update to original post:

I would really like to find rv dealers that specialize in used class b campers or tend to have a lot of them. Classicvans.com is the only one I have found so far. In the Bay area I have located seven between Sacramento and San Jose, all at dealers. BTW, my price range is under $35k.

How do the logistics work buying long distance from a private party to secure a down payment and not get taken, and also arranging for a mechanic inspection?

[markopolo]

I've traveled twice to purchase RV's. 1st time was from a dealer & 2nd time was from a private seller. With the private seller I did not offer a deposit. We exchanged several emails and spoke on the phone several times. Reverse look-ups on the phone number checked out ok. Carproof or Carfax checked out ok re vehicle history and no liens etc.. We met. I inspected the van and wanted to go through with the purchase. Next stop was the bank where I purchased a draft with seller present. Then we went to motor vehicle dept where we transferred the registration to me and I purchased a temporary permit to drive the vehicle. I had arranged insurance. I gave the seller the draft and started the long drive home.

Leap of faith

I also sold an RV to someone from a distance. Same procedure. We went together to the bank and the motor vehicle dept etc. I don't waiver on going to the bank and motor vehicle office together. The deal is off if the other party doesn't want to do that. Banks have cameras etc. and bank draft has to be real and proper ID is needed at motor vehicle dept and they'll know if the reg is valid...........

You're at a disadvantage because you'll have spent a lot of time and a fair bit of money before you even get to see the vehicle. And you might have booked a one-way ticket like I did It is unlikely that you'd not go through with the purchase at that point even if the van is less than what you expect.

I'd probably do it again but only through a dealer if far away. I would request tons of photos including the underbody etc.

[gerrym51]

http://www.sunshinestatervs.com/


mostly used class b vans

[GuyGene]

I'm in about the same situation, ready. I've been looking all over. I don't mind flying and driving home, but the deal and van must be right. This makes a private sale a bit harder I think. Yesterday I found an '07 Airstream, 35,000 miles, asking $39,900 at a dealer via craigslist only about 3 hours from me! We were going to buy! Sold already. Salesman said he wished he had 10 more like it. But, from my research, something had to be wrong with that one, even though it looked pristine in pics. Maybe wrecked and repaired or something. That year and model just do not sell that cheap! And, I don't think a dealer could be that dumb on prices.

Well, let's keep looking...

[mlts22]

Last year, I encountered a great deal on an Airstream "B" on a T1N chassis... but on closer inspection, it had rust issues. Major rust issues. I found out that it was parked in New Jersey before being moved to Texas.

[Lou]

About mechanical inspection.
Here in British Columbia, if you are a member, you can make an appointment to pay BCAA to come out (to a private address or to a dealer) and inspect a vehicle before you buy it. It worked well for us as we knew there were no immediate problems and were warned of an approximate timeline for upcoming expenses.
Perhaps AAA offers the same service?
Also, have you considered buying a van that has been used for summer rentals? Many European tourists won't rent anything older than 3 years. The van would likely be higher mileage than a private sale but if the company is reputable the maintenance should have been good.

[stanw909]

PPL Motor homes in Houston has a nice Chevy Roadtrek for $20,000.Check their class B/ C page. Very good reputation.