This is probably THE Number One most difficult question to answer OBJECTIVELY. Why? Because you are in a Unity Forum, and most of us already made our decision and bought a Unity. Some -- like me -- bought the first RV that we fell in love with, kept coming back to, and were most-impressed by -- the Unity. And, in my opinion, NOBODY on the Internet seems to be willing to say "I made a mistake in my decision." -- assuming they ever realize that they did.
Like you, I started my research out by looking for answers on Google. I found everything from "The Best Reasons NOT to Buy an RV!" (some lawyer in Michigan who thinks we're all crazy - and he may be right) to this website that DOES publish a number of books, reports, and even offers Purchasing Secrets (NONE of which worked for me, nor seemed to apply when talking about Leisure Travel Vans products):
https://rvreviews.net/motorhome-comparison-guide/
He does offer some Reliability Data -- but it's mostly a category-based points system. He claims his numbers and reports are up-to-date. I ordered ALL of the pertinent publications he offers (which can add up). And I even ordered his Market Price Report - which was basically useless because he was telling me I could get a 30% Discount if I followed his suggestions -- BS on that! It might work for Winnebago, but not LTV. I finally came to my own conclusion: Follow your gut. In my case, I was impressed by the following with LTV:
1) The coaches are downright beautiful.
2) The design elements are well thought-out. Curved outside bin doors. Plenty of storage. Storage bins that move WITH the slideout. Recessed HVAC systems to make the ceiling less claustrophobic. Rear cameras that do not look like an afterthought. They invented the Murphy Bed floorplan (although it was at the suggestion of a well-known competitor, believe it or not).
3) Their reputation online. I tried very hard to find disgruntled people - and found very few.
4) Their videos and marketing materials are second to none.
5) The Dealers seem to respect them far more than any others.
6) They are hard to find on a sales lot -- this tells me they are grabbed-up quickly.
7) They seem to hold their resale better. I cannot prove this, however. But when I priced used vs. new, I decided new was a better value.
And, now that I've owned mine since the end of 2016, I can add one more: I have NEVER had a reaction in public like I get on nearly every trip when driving my Unity! People stop and gawk, and total strangers start up conversations. Nearly every one of them say something like...
"That's the RV that I really wanted, but my partner/wife/husband talked me into something else!"
"Dang! That sure is pretty!"
"I am really impressed with your Unity - compared to the junk I'm driving." - hard to believe, but that last comment came from a fairly recent Tiffin owner, parked right next to me in Salt Lake City. I was shocked because I've always heard Tiffin builds a stellar coach.
So, I know I did not answer your questions, nor resolve your decision. You might ask yourself this: How many of the other brands, and those models, do you see sitting on a Dealer's lot as you travel around? How does that compare to LTV? If you come to the conclusion that I did, there may be a reason. LTV has a unique niche market. You do pay more... for a reason. LTV could not maintain those pricepoints for very long if a lot of their buyers were ultimately dissatisfied. You would see huge discounts everywhere.
Keep in mind, in most States, that $110,000 RV can be a small write-off when filing taxes, since it can be counted as a second home. You may be hard-pressed finding one in that range, if you are including taxes in the final figure. But there are hundreds of RVs that were barely used by their owners, so buying used can be a way to save, if you are careful and lucky. The average motorhome gets used only 21 days each year.
