I recently was thinking about selling our 1992 33' Breakaway and downsizing to a smaller unit. I decided that we should take a look at what was available for the price that we could get for the Breakaway and did a survey of RV Trader as well as looking at some local units for sale.

I found that I would have to double the amount received and get a lower quality unit. I looked at the way 2007 + units were built and the quality of the appliances that are included and then took a clear look at what we have in our Breakaway and realized that there is really no way to get the same quality no matter what the price. A Sprinter based class B is small, cramped and gets about the same mpg as our 1992 Barth.

Anyway, the object of this post is that Barth coaches have been proven over time to provide excellent service and with the proper upkeep will continue to do so. I think we will keep our coach and when the time comes pass it on to someone who appreciates the quality that was built into these coaches.

Good thinking. Glad you were not hasty and realize too late

quote:

Originally posted by Cantrade:
I recently was thinking about selling our 1992 33' Breakaway and downsizing to a smaller unit. ...
I found that I would have to double the amount received and get a lower quality unit. I looked at the way 2007 + units were built and the quality of the appliances that are included and then took a clear look at what we have in our Breakaway and realized that there is really no way to get the same quality no matter what the price.
Anyway, the object of this post is that Barth coaches have been proven over time to provide excellent service and with the proper upkeep will continue to do so. I think we will keep our coach and when the time comes pass it on to someone who appreciates the quality that was built into these coaches.

Good luck finding someone besides yourself that appreciates QUALITY! Hopefully we can keep this a secret. I cannot believe ther are folks out theere that will buy new JUNK over Barth.

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What a great topic!

Nothing compares to Barth quality. Some comments here

Prior to the Barth we owned two Airstream tow behind trailers and that was what spoiled us. We had no major troubles with either of them and I was able to fix any of the minor things that came up. The equipment installed by Airstream was top of the line and lasted forever it seems.

Our Barth is 26 years old now and the original appliances still work well. (You will never get away from maintenance, of course.) One of these days I will try to get the dash A/C to work.

I am one who appreciates the quality of our Barths, especially those built in the 80s and early 90s. However the chassis present problems to some. They are old, and when one starts to have to rebuild suspension components, and engines and transmissions, it presents a financial dimension that many cannot meet. Would I want another Barth? Certainly. Can I afford one? No. I no longer can do any serious work on motor homes. And there are few really decent shops in my area that know anything at all about 30 year old chassis, regardless of manufacturer. And even if there were, $100/hour labor is beyond my ability to pay. So I have had to settle for something of less quality but that is very dependable and I can leave it at my local Ford dealer to have anything done to keep it in good shape. I admire, respect, and am just a little jealous of those like Steve and Kevin and Ed and so many others who can do wonderful things with their Barths. But it's like other things in life, you do what you can and endeavor to find contentment no matter what your circumstances might be.

Jim is exactly right. I am lucky in that I am a retired technician with a solid mechanical background and am able to figure out problems and correct them without the $100/hour cost. It would pain me to have to drag my coach or car for that matter to a commercial shop every time it needed service or repair. I have paid to have the steering gearbox replaced but that is about it.