2000 Itasca Suncruiser 32V

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Went to another dealer this morning and looked at a nice Winnebago Adventurer 2001 32V.  Workhorse Chassis
The negatives I saw are the following:
1) Little bit of bumps and bruises...but nothing major..just some scratches here and there
2) Brakes seemed a bit soft
3) The underbody showed some signs of rust...could see some signs of rust in by the propane tank and the underneath of some of the storage areas

The biggest issue was that when we took it for a test drive and put it in "park" it kept rolling.  I'm assuming this has someting to do with the transmission.  I did not notice any shifting problems while driving it.  Does anyone have any advice/experience with this?? 

The dealers bottom line is 38K.  It's on consignment.

According to the dealer they will fix the "park" issue.

Before I sign my name I wanted to check with the experts on this site.
 
The transmission on that chassis does not actually have a Park like on a car. It actually applies a brake to the drive shaft and it sounds as though that is malfunctioning, which is not all that unusual for that system. It can be fixed easily enough, but may happen again in a few years.

Now that you have a $38k quote from a dealer with a similar model, go back to the first dealer with the Itasca and tell him you have a better offer than his on a newer coach. Sometimes it works...
 
Good idea...I just shot him an email...we will see what he says

In the mean time before i move forward with the Adventurer I just want to clarify a few things in my head.
1) You don't feel like the rolling while in "park" is a concern.  It was also rolling with the emergency brake on so i'm guessing the emergency brake needs some adjustment as well.
2) Are signs of some underbody rust a concern at all?  It wasn't real bad, but somewhat noticeable...especially near the propane tank
3) one thing i forgot to mention...when i was examing the outside of the coach there were 2 buldges a bit bigger then the size of a softball...they were not below any windows so i don't think it is a sign of delaminating, but i could be wrong.  I pushed on the 2 spots and it didn't seem to be soft or anything..maybe just dents?

thank you so much for your replies...you are a wealth of knowledge and i'm glad that you are willing to share it

 
I believe the park and emergency brake are one and the same in that particular chassis (which I'm guessing is the P30/P32 rather than the W series Workhorse). The brake is readily repairable and separate from the transmission, so is not a concern from that point of view. It is, however, a trouble prone component and therefore a slight drawback in choosing that particular coach.

As for the rust, yes I would be somewhat concerned. In addition to the nuisance of dealing with it, it may indicate the rig was used extensively near salt water or driven in winter conditions on salted roads. RVs generally don't fare well when subjected to that sort of thing.

The two small bulges would also concern me. They may not be from window leaks, but they are almost certainly delamination from what you describe.

This coach may not be a good bet, but may help you bargain for the other one.
 
How do you know if it is delamination?  I see no sign of anything on the interior wall.
 
zinkjo said:
...
3) one thing i forgot to mention...when i was examing the outside of the coach there were 2 buldges a bit bigger then the size of a softball...they were not below any windows so i don't think it is a sign of delaminating, but i could be wrong.  I pushed on the 2 spots and it didn't seem to be soft or anything..maybe just dents?
...
Click to expand...

Are they going in or out?  To me, a bulge is out, a dent is in...
 
good point...i believe they were going out...they were not very noticeable...had to kind of see it at an angle.

The dealer i am working with also does body work...I think i will ask that the 2 bumps are taken care of as part of the deal...will also ask them to reseal the roof and new caulking on all the doors/windows/vents/etc

 
Well it is getting more interesting now...The original dealer who hold the SunCruiser called back last night and wants to further discuss the situation...
 
be firm on your offer. if you are planning to finance some of the money, ask the bank you are dealing with for the price on the extended warranty, lots of banks sell them and make no proffit on them, and make sure it covers appliances as well as the chasis and structure, you will be surprised about the price difference, and don`t be afraid about asking the dealer to fix any major problems and replacing all tires if they are aut of date. it is there responsability to sell you a coach with good tires. just hold on and be firm and have patience. if they do buisness like that they don`t sell coaches every day. they should kiss your feet by just showing at the door. Please make sure everything works, plug it in and let the fridge work for a whole day if you have to before you sign. It`s your money, not there`s and you work hard for it.
 
Talked to the suncruiser dealer last night and he is not interested in budging from the 44K quote.  Claims they bought if off of consignment from the seller and that it is in too good of shape to let go for less then 44K.

do you think it's worth going back to the Adventurer dealer and ask him to fix the "rolling when in park" and the small delamination on the exterior wall?  Or is it too great a risk when there are signs of delamination?
 
I'd keep looking.  There are so many RV's out there for sale.  It's a buyers' market.  You are spending a lot of money, I'd try to get the best I could; even if it took longer than you want.  Have you looked at private coachs for sale rather than ones on a dealer's lot? 

Marsha~
 
Pretty much been looking at dealer's lots...is there a good web site for private sales?
 
zinkjo said:
Pretty much been looking at dealer's lots...is there a good web site for private sales?
Click to expand...

Dozens.  rvtrader.com, rvtraderonline.com, rv.net classifieds section, your local newspaper that probably has online versions, eBayMotors.com, craigslist.com for your area, etc.  Even if you don't buy from a private seller, checking out online listings are a great way to educate yourself on what's out there and current asking prices.  eBay is probably the best site for research, because you can see what the listed RV's actually sell for (if they sell at all).
 
I'd keep looking - there is no need to accept a risky one when there are lots of good ones around.

The asking prices on the RV sales web sites will be all over the map. Private sellers start with high expectations but after some months with no sales they learn to accept reality and lower their price, or at least accept much lower offers.
 
thanks for the heads up, but that's a bit out of our price range.
i've been poking around on Craig's list and saw this one.... http://cnj.craigslist.org/rvs/719426363.html

any thoughts on that model?
 
You may not want the two included campground memberships.  They have annual fees and can be impossible to get out of.  That's probably why this person is including them in the MH sale.
 
Certainly looks like a decent one, but there isn't much info on that web page. 13k miles indicates it wasn't used much, which is both good and bad news.

Don't get mislead by that Thousand Trails & Outdoor Resorts membership that is included - it isn't worth anywhere near $20k.  I recently bought a Thousand Trails membership for $2000 including the $850 transfer fee and an OR membership can be had for a similar amount. Lots of them available too. The annual fees run around $500 each, which is a bargain if you use them and a waste if you don't. There is no problem accepting them in the deal - you don't have to transfer them into your name if you don't want them.
 
agreed...i wasn't really interested in the campground memberships.

I'm going to go see it Thursday night.  Need to do some research on what things to look for.
 
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