Hi Wayne: Well now, a "good reliable" RV. That's a difficult question
to answer. There is absolutely no RV out there that does not have some
kind of a problem at any one time or another. My best advice that I can
give you is to do as much reading about all that is out there as you
can get your hands on. I subscribe to Family Motor Coach Association,
Good Sam and Motor Home Magazine. Each month, they evaluate different
brands and models of motor homes. One thing you will find out very soon
is that there is no such thing as "the perfect motor home". Each one
has pluses and minuses. About the only way your going to get close to
exactly what you are looking for is to get a custom built one. And the
likelyhood is that, once it is built, they will come out with something
new that you'll wish you had put in it! Frustrating, but just a fact of
RV life. Now when you discuss a new motor home versus a "left over"
(I'm assuming you mean a new, but last years model), keep one thing in
mind. As with any brand new vehicle, you will realize immediate
depreciation in it's value when the vehicle leaves the dealers lot.
That being said, I should say that two of the three rigs I bought were
brand new. The one I have now, a 2003 National RV Dolphin LX, was a
previously owned unit. I really lucked out with it because the previous
owner had never driven a big rig (37 foot). He bought it, put it on the
freeway and went "white knuckles" on the steering wheel. He contacted
the dealer and told him "take it back and sell it". Well, I got it as a
used vehicle with 1,300 miles on it. The original factory warranty was
still in effect and they allowed me to finance it as a new as opposed
to used unit. The chassis I have on this unit is made by Workhorse and
has the GMC Vortec 8.1 liter gasoline engine. It's equipped with an
Allison 5 speed transmission that was designed to work with the engine
and chassis. I have no complaints at all with the combination. I was
shopping for a diesel, but quite honestly, with the price of diesel
going above gasoline, I'm kinda glad I got the gas model.
I did test drive a Holiday Rambler Diesel (the model escapes me) and
was not happy with the power that the engine produced. I spoke with a
factory rep at one of the rallys they put on from time to time and he
felt that the rig might have had a problem with the way the engine was
set up. At any rate, I didn't buy that model. But Holiday Rambler,
Monaco, Alfa, Beaver, Fleetwood, Gulf Stream, National all make
excellent diesel RV's. Now, if your interested in a "High End" custom
RV, there are companies like Prevost, Newell, Marathon, Blue Bird to
name a few that will put you into a unit that will have all the "bells
and whistles" and then some. They also come with price tags that bump
up into the quarter million and up. But, here again, I have read of
problems that owner have had even with those exclusive units. It is
true that often times, the service they receive is a bit more superior
than some of the less expensive models but the bottom line is, if it
moves down the road at 50 to 60 miles per hour (or better), sooner or
later, something is going to shake loose or break and it's going to
have to go in for maintenance. I have also seen those high end models
listed in the "Recalled Vehicle" lists for design and manufacturer
problems so a high price doesn't guarantee a trouble free vehicle. An
important feature to note when you are selecting a coach is its rated
"payload capacity". They have other names for it but basically, it's
how much the vehicle can carry like food, clothing, passengers, tools
and whatever else you want to put in it that wasn't in it when it was
on the dealers lot. Some of the vehicles out there are so close to
their maximum weight capacity that basically, all you can put in them
when you get them is you and your passenger (that's an extreme
statement but I have read that it comes close to that).
I don't wish to beat this to death, but my best advice I can give you
is read everything you can get your hands on where it pertains to an
RV. There are numerous on line user groups and while some of the
members just sit and grouse, there are valid inputs that will let you
know what is going on with the different brands. If your not in a rush
to purchase one, try to get to as many of the RV shows and dealers that
you can. Grab their brochures, talk to the sales people and, again,
keep a note book. We carried a little portable file folder with us when
we were touring the shows and put all the materials we gathered in it
alphabetically. It gets rather confusing when you look at 20 or 30 rigs
in a day and you forget which one had what and what type of equipment
and price ranges were available. I hope this info help. Good luck in
your search. Maybe we might meet you face to face one day. We were in
Cape Cod this past October. It was one of our stops on an 8,400 mile
"ride" we took that went across the U.S. and up through the Canadian
Maritme Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton and Prince
Edward Island. Many happy memories were made on that trip.
Bob in Sacramento.

What would be a good reliable new RV, or a leftover? I'm interested in a
36-39' diesel pusher. What is type of chassis?<<

Wayne,
I would suggest you rent a couple of different motorhomes for a week or so.
That way you can find out your likes/dislikes before you go spend money on
one and then not like it.

Wayne, what you haven't said, and what nobody has ask, will this be
your 1st RV? Also, have you traveled in an RV in the past?  This will
make a huge difference in the advice you get. I'll just add to what
has already been stated. There are many slightly used pre-owned diesel
pushers out there that can be bought for tens of thousands of dollars
below new that will give you just as good an Rving experience as new,
because someone has made a mistake and can't handle a large motorhome.

Tom J