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View Full Version : Buyer Beware my Elite Suite has lost $120,000


Terry Weier
08-15-2018, 06:58 PM
I own a 2013 DRV Elite Suite when purchased it had an MSRP of $160,000 with trade of a 2006 Koutry Air (that I wish I still owned) I financed $110,000 in other words I got my trade stole from me. I was informed last week that high trade value was $40,000. I would like to know how I've lost $120,000 in 5 years. Invest your money wisely and $120,000....loss in 5 years is not wisely!!!! If I could do everything all over again I would have saved my money and I would have bought a used diesel pusher 5+ years old (((look around at the high end low mile flagship pushers on the net great deals for about the same price of a new 5th wheel))) so most of its depreciation has happened they are built 10000 times better than any fifth wheel on the road and I'm talking low quality beginner entry level diesel pushers. If I took the time and got into the level of detail of issues I've had with my Elite Suite you would get sick and tired of reading. It would read like a very boring novel all I can tell you is I've had issues from day one (I have the receipts to back it up). I will never own another DRV product as long as I live. If you must stay with fifth wheels I would sure check out probably New Horizons, Spacecraft, or possibly a Lux I've heard good things. New Horizon and Spacecraft are one-off in other words they're not built on some assembly line where they're being paid piece work.

SrFox
08-27-2018, 11:24 PM
I would seriously consider a different dealer as unless you beat up your Elite Suites, it is worth way, way more than the $40,000 they are offering you for it. A quick check on RVTrader shows they are asking upwards of $70,000 for them. Sell it private after doing some price checking then go to a different dealer with cash.

SrFox
08-27-2018, 11:30 PM
Take a look at the link below for some value ideas
https://www.smartrvguide.com/drv-elite_suites_38resb3-rvs-for-sale

Jack in Alaska
08-28-2018, 03:28 AM
send us all another e-mail telling about your diesel pusher experience in about 5 yrs.

Stripit
08-28-2018, 10:09 AM
Hi Jack;
I tried to send you a private message but it would not let me.

Terry Weier
08-28-2018, 08:20 PM
I don't know how all the pusher ads showed up but that is my point like the 2004 Prevost for $260,000.....how much was it new $1,000,000 or better. That is why I will buy a used pusher with low miles and worth only one third of its purchase price someone else's loss will be my gain this time. If anyone has every looked at a Prevost up close I challenge you to find a 5th wheel built with anything close to the quality if you do please let me know I will write a check for two of them. I had the privilege to tour a marathon coach plant once and all I can compare it to is an aircraft.

wingnut60
08-28-2018, 09:15 PM
I bought a 2005 Doubletree 36TK3 in 2007 for $45000, MSRP was 101xxx. That was $56k depreciation in 2 years. After owning it for 10 more years, got $20k in trade on a used '15. The '15 had an MSRP of $134000 and at 1.5 years old, it was priced at $89000. That is $45000 in less than 2 years. Yep, lots of depreciation on these DRVs and any other...but only $25k in the next 10 years=$2500/year.
RVs are not an investment in any sense of the word.
Sounds to me like you need to sharpen your pencil on your dealing.
You can easily get ANY NEW DP from Motorhome Specialists for 25% off MSRP any day of the week. Take your 1M MSRP MH and get it for $750k--at what point will it go for $250k?--13-14 years later? If that's what you want, go for it.
If you get a Prevost, let us know how the deal went.

Terry Weier
08-28-2018, 09:45 PM
Lets be realistic I will not be buying a Prevost unless my Powerball ticket hits it will probably be a Zephyr or Mountain Aire or something similar that is 4 or 5 years old with less then 30,000 miles for around the $250 to $300. I know it will continue to deprecate, but I but it wont lose $120,000 more in the next 5 years. I know they lose a great deal in the first 5 years then kind of level out for awhile. I am just venting because of the money I have spent just to keep this Elite (POS) on the road and the money I have lost in deprecation is insane and I have every receipt to back it up.

Notanlines
08-28-2018, 09:55 PM
Terry, how do you believe your rants on this particular forum has or will help you?

Terry Weier
08-28-2018, 09:57 PM
It started off just to inform future DRV owners to do there homework before they drink the Kool-Aid.

Terry Weier
08-28-2018, 10:04 PM
I guess I should not be so rough on them my main issue has been my Lipper frame and anything with the name Dometic on it I guess that dam near includes most RV's made.

wingnut60
08-29-2018, 08:04 AM
That helps us some--Lippert does make most of the towable frames on the market, and yes, they rush them out just like the RV mfgs do. Dometic also has a ton of RV items and some of them have quality problems--just like the RV mfgs do.
In Lipperts' defense, I have an appt to have the front jacks replaced this Tuesday--no cost, just the trip to the plant. Why they continued to use that design after the internet was full of posts about problems is a real bother--don't know what their thinking is on warranty costs vs sales...
My 3-yr-old Dometic AC quit cooling yesterday, but again, I had 2 Dometics that worked just fine for over 10 years on my last Suites. Is that a warranty issue? Or a quality issue? Or luck of the draw on a manufactured product?

IF we quit buying junk, they would have to improve, but their bottom line is the only thing that matters.

porkchop
08-31-2018, 05:18 PM
You do know that Prevost DOES NOT in any way build RV's, right? They build chassis ONLY. Still don 't get it that you are getting screwed by someone if you sell it that cheap.
Hell, for that price I may be interested! Unless, as suggested by someone else, it's a POS and not taken care of.

Bill

4happyfeet
09-04-2018, 11:37 AM
DW and I have a 2015 Redwood 38RL. We took a trip to Austin, TX with it 4 months after we purchased it. We stayed at a 5 star resort in Lakewood. While talking to the park manager, I was lamenting as to how many things had gone wrong with our rig. He told me that the park had just hosted a Prevost rally the week before. Said that Prevost sent two semis out-one was full of parts, the other a complete machine shop. Said that the Prevost owners get together at these rallies so that the factory techs can fix all of their problems. Said he heard virtually the same complaints that I had. I was recently looking into moving up to a DRV, but reading the complaints here has changed my mind. We've finally got most of the bugs out or replaced and are pretty happy with our rig now. Guess that's about as good as it gets-no matter what brand it is!

porkchop
09-04-2018, 06:16 PM
4happyfeet=read the post right before yours. Prevost DOES NOT BUILD RV'S!!!!

Bill

Notanlines
09-04-2018, 06:52 PM
Prevost Car. Prévost (pronounced pray-voh) is a Quebec, Canada-based manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions. The company is a subsidiary of Volvo.
I’m curious about your point in all this.

4happyfeet
09-05-2018, 07:52 AM
My point is that RVs have similar issues, no matter what the price point.