looking to buy

tony stef · 12-20-2006, 03:18 PM

I saw a 2003 minnie winnie at lazydays with 27,000 miles that I,m interested in for my first coach..I know lazydays is very reputable but i still need imput from others. They are asking $50.000 Nada has it for 53,820. I know they will negotiate down Any thoughts from all of you will help. My first choice is a fourwinds citation BE but the cost is a a factor Being retired ,I have to get an affordable coach thanks to all

tony stef · 12-20-2006, 03:18 PM

I saw a 2003 minnie winnie at lazydays with 27,000 miles that I,m interested in for my first coach..I know lazydays is very reputable but i still need imput from others. They are asking $50.000 Nada has it for 53,820. I know they will negotiate down Any thoughts from all of you will help. My first choice is a fourwinds citation BE but the cost is a a factor Being retired ,I have to get an affordable coach thanks to all

Pusherman · 12-20-2006, 03:24 PM

Tony,

Welcome to the forum. A used Minnie Winnie is an excellent choice for your first coach. My first coach was also a Class C. You will find them easy to drive and a great value.

If NADA has this coach listed at a higher price than Lazydays is willing to sell it for, I say you are doing well.

Good luck on your pending purchase and happy miles.

Kazoo Tom · 12-20-2006, 04:39 PM

We also started with a used class C, a Tioga in our case. It was a great start for us and we had many, many great times with it. We have since moved up to the larger class A we now have.

Look the unit over VERY carefully before you strike a deal. Check carefully along the ceiling, even opening the cabinets for any signs of water damage. If any is found make sure the source has been identified, and the repairs made.

By all means take if for a test drive and be sure you are comfortable handling it. Note any handling problems and bring them up to the salesperson to be checked. The tires should be good for a few more years unless there are obvious signs of weathering or uneven wear.

I might consider making an offer about 10% under the asking price and see what happens. Some might suggest you start even lower. If you reach an agreement, write down any problems that are to be addressed, and make sure any repairs are made BEFORE you sign the final papers and drive it away.

The mini is a well built unit that should give you many years of enjoyment.

tderonne · 12-20-2006, 05:37 PM

$53,820 is average retail. Low retail is about $44,000. They probably have about $40,000 in it.

So yeah, $50,000 is a good asking price. All depends if you like it, it's clean and cared for, and you want it.

Being a first coach I'll assume you've done your research and want a Class C? They can have some really low Cargo Carrying Capacities, like 500 pounds before options (like a generator in some cases). Especially a 30' double slide loaded coach like a Minnie Winnie.

We started looking at Class C's and pretty quickly decided we wanted an A. Larger chassis, larger tanks, more storage, more of just about everything.

Y-Guy · 12-22-2006, 08:43 AM

I've read a lot of stories about them. Lots of games with financing, etc. I would do a search here on the name as well as over on RV.net and see if you want to buy from them. In the end you just have to do what feels right.

JJ Hamick · 12-24-2006, 07:11 AM

Just a note. We are new owners as well. We looked at many coaches before buying. We always came back to Winnebago as our first choice. We found a great 98 Adventurer we fell in love with and bought for what we felt was a fair price from a private owner. We soon were directed to this forum where I have learned volumes. So, take your time and do your research. You won't be sorry you bought a Winnie. Good luck and see you on the road...John

CaptBill · 12-31-2006, 08:09 AM

We bought a coach from them, and were treated well. after you have done a test drive and thorough inspection, and negotiated your price, then give them your punch-list. They will repair or replace everything that you ask for, including new batteries, alignment, front tires, etc. if you have a (legitimate) complaint about them.

A friend who bought a used Monaco DP at a very low price, had a handling problem with the rig. They did an alignment, replaced front tires (which cured the problem), found the batteries were old and wouldn't hold a full charge, so replaced all 5 batteries, fixed the air horns (which LD found didn't work), replaced some kitchen cabinet hardware, etc. They will bend over backwards for you before the sale. Trying to get in for service after delivery is quite another story.

NeilV · 12-31-2006, 12:04 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tony stef:
I saw a 2003 minnie winnie at lazydays with 27,000 miles that I,m interested in for my first coach..I know lazydays is very reputable but i still need imput from others. They are asking $50.000 Nada has it for 53,820. I know they will negotiate down Any thoughts from all of you will help. My first choice is a fourwinds citation BE but the cost is a a factor Being retired ,I have to get an affordable coach thanks to all </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tony,

We bought our last coach from LazyDays and while service is a pain at times they do stand behind their used warrenty and PDI. At $50,000 I would assume this is a PDI coach which means you get to stay overnight in it before you take it home to come up with a punch list of any odds and ends that require further attention.

You do get a regional Thousand Trails membership with the coach which you keep for life and can will to your kids/grandkids as long as you continue to pay the roughly $500 annual dues. I would not have been able to get into Thousand Trails on my own as I simply could not justify the full cost of membership but with LazyDays throwing it in at no extra cost just made the deal a bit sweeter.

John_Canfield · 12-31-2006, 01:46 PM

We were treated exactly properly by Lazydays sales- no games, no pressure, no surprises at closing. Our deal was fairly simple - no trade-in and a cash sale on an ordered coach. I would buy from them again with no hesitation.

Unfortunately their service department has some issues but even at that, I consider their service better than most we have been involved with in our 25,000 miles of travels.