# Phoenix Cruisers OK?



## marstrings (Nov 22, 2007)

Hi folks

I'm travelling to the US next year and want to buy an RV. I can't afford new, and want something that's not too big - say up to 24' only. I have been looking at used Class Cs on the web, but have just seen a Phoenix Cruiser 2301 class B. It's 6 years old, has a low mileage and looks in immaculate conditionin all the photos.

The price is $35,000 which seems very cheap to me.

Does anybody have experience of these machines? Are they OK? Is this a good price, or just low because there's something wrong with it?

Any help gratefully received!

M.


----------



## Kirk (Nov 22, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

Actually, by looking it up in the NADA guide ( www.nadaguides.com ), that price is quite high. The site lists the retail price from a low of $25,800 to a high of $31,148. I suggest that you use the link I show to you to check prices.


----------



## marstrings (Nov 23, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

Hi Kirk

Thanks for that. I didn't know about NADA. Very useful resource.

M.


----------



## marstrings (Nov 23, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

I think I'm having a hard time getting to grips with the way that rvs drop in value. It seems to me that there is very quick drop in the value of a motorhome from new. The one that I was looking at was only 2 to 3 years old, but is probably about 2/5ths the price and is probably over-priced..

Does anyone know of a good online resource I could read that gives me some context to all this? I'm floundering a bit here.

M.


----------



## hertig (Nov 25, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

RVs, like any other vehicle, have a 'depreciation curve'.  When you drive it off the lot, it immediately loses a significant amount of value since it just became 'used' rather than 'new'.  Silly, perhaps, since it may well have been driven more before it was sold than the few feet off the lot, but that's the way it is.  The first year, the depreciation (drop in value) is the steepest, then the next year less steep and the year after less steep still.  And so on.  You can see this progression in the 'Blue Books' for sure (they have MSRP for each year) and possibly in NADA (don't recall whether they list MSRP).

Just find a make and model which has been around for a while, and go back each year in the book and compute the percentage of MSRP that the listed used value is.


----------



## DL Rupper (Nov 26, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

I don't have any particulars on the Phoenix Cruisers, but you need to zero in on Dodge Sprinter chassis Class B's or any other Class B's with the diesel engine.  The Dodge Sprinter has a Mercedes Benz 5 cyl diesel engine and gets pretty good mileage (approx 20 miles/gal).  You should also factor in the cost of diesel here in the States.  It is running about $.50/gal more than reg gas at the present time.


----------



## Kirk (Nov 26, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

A great deal of the change in price of new RVs here is dependent upon the actual purchase price, since depreciation tends to be based upon the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of the RV. That is used because it is the only number that is common to all units of a particular make and model, but in reality very few if any buyers ever actually pay that price. I suspect that the average purchase price of most RVs is about 80% of that MSRP. So when they tell you that the unit will loose 30% of it's price the first year, that means 30% of MSRP, but if the buyer only paid 80% to start with then his depreciation for that first year is really only 10% and if he was a good bargainer and paid only 75% of MSRP then his first year depreciation is only 5%. Of course the numbers are a little arbitrary and not hard facts. 

Using my present 9 year old RV which we purchased new, the present value based upon the NADA book listing is 37% of it's original price if based upon the MSRP but it is worth 46% of the actual purchase price. Of course, those two numbers slowly get closer together as the RV ages since the rate of depreciation slows as the age increases. A good rule of thumb is that most units will depreciate by about 10% of the current value each year, but not by 10% of the original price. Again, those numbers also vary depending upon the make and model of the RV in question.


----------



## marstrings (Nov 27, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

Thanks for all the advice guys. The depreciation thing is starting to make sense now. 

I'll look into the Dodge Sprinters. What's the price of Standard gas over there at the moment? I suppose it varies according to where you are, but a ball-park figure would be useful. (In the UK it's just cracked Â£1 per litre, which I think works out about US $9 per gallon!)

M.


----------



## DL Rupper (Nov 27, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

That's a BIG WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Reg gas is running about $3.15/gal and diesel is about $3.59/gal.  Taxes a fairly low on fuel.


----------



## marstrings (Nov 27, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?



> DL Rupper - 11/27/2007  8:47 PM
> 
> That's a BIG WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Reg gas is running about $3.15/gal and diesel is about $3.59/gal.  Taxes a fairly low on fuel.



I'm just going on memory here, but I think the last time fuel was that price in the UK was perhaps 18 years ago.

Thanks DL. I can factor in an estimated fuel for for the year now. Provided I can get the 'right' RV.

This is daunting, but fun too!

M.


----------



## Guest (Nov 27, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

Hey DL i bet that cummins smoke don't smell that good after those prices ,,, huh      :laugh:  :laugh:
It would sure shut me up ,,, but then again i need to be shut up ,,, been running the mouth to much here and hurting rver friends ,, kinda like u DL ,, so sorry   :disapprove:  :disapprove:


----------



## bloozeharp (Nov 27, 2007)

RE: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

Of course, you folks do realize that sooner or later we are going to be forking over $9 a gallon also. Oh well, one day at a time, right?


----------



## DL Rupper (Nov 28, 2007)

Re: Phoenix Cruisers OK?

I can wait. :approve:


----------

