First motorhome 1999 Monaco diplomat

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Captain154

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Dec 16, 2017
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Hello, new to forum and I have just purchased our first motorhome. My family is not new to camping we have started with a pop up camper,to bumper pull,to a fifth wheel toy hauler. Now we have decided to take the next step we have purchased a 1999 Monaco Diplomat 36 with a Cummins 275hp with 63000 miles on it. I would like to hear what your opinions are about this make/model, and and thing to watch out for? I have done a little reasearch berfore buying this and have heard several say that Monaco was a good manufacturer. But let me give you a little back story on this motorhome. It was purchased new in mid to late 2000 buy the first owners and then was sold in early 2002 to the owner I purchased it from (15 years). The motorhome has been kept inside a climate controlled garage when not in use. He advised that he has always done the maintenance himself (oil changes, filters,etc) but didn?t really keep a good record of it. All Tires and house batteries were replace last October (2016) the only reason he was selling was because he was 81 and losing sight in one eye and didn?t feel comfortable driving it anymore. So as I stated before any opinions on this make/model as well as things to check on with and older model like this would be appreciated. Thanks again
 
I can't offer much advice beyond what you already know. I would check the maintenance state on things other than engine oil & filter, though. Sometimes owners do well on that but don't know about or ignore things like the air dryer cartridge, air filter, coolant & coolant additives (SCA), tranny filters, etc. Chassis lube too.

My preference is to perform all those routine maintenance things immediately except for those items I am confident they have been done recently. That way I know they are all up to date and I can plan future checks/changes based on time & mileage going forward.
 
Thanks I also plan on sending oil and trans fluid samples off to be tested, what type of additives are you referring for coolant and what brand would be the best ?
 
Most diesel-grade coolant requires what is loosely called Supplemental Coolant Additives (SCA) to help prevent corrosion (called cavitation) in the cylinders.  A diesel coolant generally comes pre-charged with SCA, but it needs to be checked annually and more added if needed. There are test kits for SCA levels.

There is an extended life type of coolant that uses OAT (Organic Acid Technology) instead of SCAs to prevent corrosion.  If you change to an OAT-type coolant, you won't have to worry about adding SCA, though the coolant still requires periodic replacement.

Note that diesel coolant is not the same as the stuff you use in a gas engine cooling system.
 
If you are in a cold climate or intend to be in one with this MH, check the water compartment for insulation.  I have a friend who had a Monaco of about your vintage and the bottom of the compartment was a thin sheet of plastic.  His froze in the cold and cost a few $$$$$ to repair.
 
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