Opinion on used 1998 Winnebago purchase - what do you think of this one?

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fishon71

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Oct 5, 2009
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I'm excited to find a 1998 Winnebago Adventurer 30' for under $20K - it has under 40K miles 2 owners. It will need all new tires. It comes with several added options one I don't understand, something about air bags in the front (true steering or something) can you explain? Any concerns about the Chevy 454 vortec 7.4L engine? They have been running synthetic oil for some time.  I don't know what it has for a transmission.

Can I tow a small car with this with out any issues? What will it do in the big mountains out west? That will be my next " how to" but I'm sure there is info on this site about the best ways to tow a car.

Any and all comments will be appreciated on this vehicle, thanks
 
The NADA low retail on this unit is $12,174 and average retail is $14,461 with 40K miles figured in.  Since it needs new tires you can add another $2K plus to your cost.  Doesn't sound too attractive to me.
 
I realize its above NADA, I have not nogoshated price yet and I feel the owner is some what ready to move it. Right now my concern is not so much about the cost but the machine itself. Is this a good package? Is this a good motor for this machine, any issues that are common? If it appears this is a good machine I will work on the price. Keep in mind the price you quoted is with out adding any options, I need to find out exactly what it has, thanks
 
Keep in mind the price you quoted is with out adding any options, I need to find out exactly what it has, thanks
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The prices I quoted are for a 11 year old MH with only 40K miles.  The low mileage actually increased the used value.  Without adding value based on mileage, the low retail value is $10,870 and the average retail value is $13,090. 

As has been mentioned in here many times before, you don't want to add options to the retail value if you are the buyer.  The options won't have anywhere near the value listed in the NADA listings anyway so start with the bare low retail value and go higher only if justified.  Actually, I would even subtract another $1,500 or so  from the low retail value because it needs new tires (you can't expect it to have new tires, but you shouldn't expect worn out tires either).  This then would bring you to about $10,600, where you should really start your negotiating.

Another thing, don't fall in love with the unit if you know it's overpriced.  Act like you'd be interested in the unit only if it was priced right.  If the salesman knows you like the unit, he's less likely to drop the price.
 
The NADA value is "as typically equipped", so all the common options are already accounted for. It would have to be something really unusual and valuable to add anything to the value, e.g. a central vacuum system in a coach of that model and vintage.

On the other hand, the NADA value is an estimate and not based on actual sales data in your area. Some popular models may command a higher price than the NADA estimate.
 
This is a private sale and in like many cases the owner thinks its worth more than it really is. The actual asking price is $18K and I think the owner is ready to move it but its seems offering $10-11K is might be an insult. But I do see the NADA drops every few days or maybe once a week it get adjusted. Will six Michelin's really cost $2K for the whole job, I thought more like $1500. Another thing the front AC does not work I'm told but it has cental AC.

I figured out the steering thing, it has the Blue Ox Trucenter added, sounds like a plus.
 
Will six Michelin's really cost $2K for the whole job, I thought more like $1500.
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More, if you want Michelins and have 22.5" tires.  I paid a total of just under $2300 for our 2 new Good Year 149s in front and 4 new Bridgstone 250Fs in the rear.  And I thought I got a pretty good deal.  Remember that mounting, balancing and taxes are included in the total too.
 
I'm guessing that rig has 19.5" wheels, or maybe even 16" like mine.  That last option with LT tires is your cheapest option (good news for me when it comes time for tire replacement) but it also limits your weight allowance somewhat, since LT tires are limited in the available load ranges.

As mentioned, do NOT add options to the NADA price when figuring.  Aftermarket add-ons are nice when you're the owner, but we all know you never get your money back out of them when you sell.  You won't get an additional dime if/when you would ever sell this rig, so you shouldn't be paying extra now.  I don't know how long you've been looking, but I researched for a solid year before deciding on a make/model and specifically shopping & buying our motorhome.  The more you know (and just about everything I learned came from this forum), the better your purchase decision will be - which of course ideally will make any future issues easier to deal with.
 
6 x 19.5" Michelin or Good year RV tires in the size likely to be on a 98 Adventurer could run anywhere from $2100-$2500, depending on where you buy them. That should include mounting and balancing. Bridgestones, Continentals or Goodrich would probably be somewhat less.
 
I contacted the owner , hope to have the actual tire size soon. Now for my orignal qustion, can some one advise on "Any concerns about the Chevy 454 vortec 7.4L engine" and will I be able to tow a Toyota Corrolla behind it in the mountains out west?
 
You didn't say what year Corolla you have, but according to the Toyota website the 2010 model weighs in at 2822 pounds.  I'm sure previous years wouldn't be much more, since it's always been a compact model.  You won't find a car much lighter than that, so it should tow just fine.
 
I was in that spec also but could not find some important numbers like tire size, toe capacity, max load capacity etc. But I did find out from the owner that the tires are 225/70R/19.5 and I got three prices form Town Fair Tire for the total package.
Hankook $1566
Goodyear $2076
Continental $1913
 
Don't forget to shop some other discount sources like tirerack.com for instance.  Actually I'm not sure they sell truck/RV tires but I would assume there is a similar site out there.  They could drop ship your tires to the shop of your choice for installation.  Or if you show Town Fair that you can save money buying online, they may match the price to keep your business there.
 
You can go with the Continental if you need them - they are an excellent tire. Hankook is Korean and I haven't heard of any problems, but hard to know as it is early days for that brand in the US.

This coach will have a 3500 lb tow limit, which is adequate for the Corolla you mentioned if flat towed. Marginal if the weight of a dolly has to be added in.

The GM 454 engine is a solid performer, though it has has problems with cracked or broken exhaust manifolds that sometimes need replacement. The P30 chassis under it has an air bag front suspension and the bags may need replacement - make sure they are pumped up and holding air. This chassis is also notorious for a poor quality steering bell crank, which causes loose and sloppy steering. Replacing it with a Henderson Supersteer Bell Crank will fix the probelm and result in better handling.
 
All that said, the fact remains that this motorhome seems overpriced and my advice is to keep looking around before you overpay for this one.  It's a buyer's market for used RVs right now, and probably will be that way for quite awhile.
 
It seems no mater what unit you look at each one has its own issues. The 2005 Toyota has a curb weight of 2600 pounds, can this be flat towed, I thought it might have to be put on a dolly because its an automatic. I also have a 1997 Mazda Miata 5 speed, (2300 LBS) I read many stories some say you can some say you can't flat tow for long didtances.

As far as steering, the owner added the Blue Ox Trucenter steering aid, will this help with the issue you mentioned?
How expensive and can I do it are the air bag replacements if needed?
 
Towing = look in the vehicle owner's manual.  It will tell you if/how the car can be towed 4-down or on a dolly.  Some automatics can be towed 4-down by pulling a fuse, some need a drivetrain disconnect and/or transmission lube pump added (i.e. expensive).  It all depends on the car.
 
fishon71 said:
I contacted the owner , hope to have the actual tire size soon. Now for my orignal qustion, can some one advise on "Any concerns about the Chevy 454 vortec 7.4L engine" and will I be able to tow a Toyota Corrolla behind it in the mountains out west?
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The 7.4 Vortec is a great engine! Mine has more than 100K miles on it and runs perfectly and I get close to 10 MPG (~9.5 average) in my 24 footer. It does great out here in the west even at the highest elevations and towing with it shouldn't be much of an issue (but I have not yet towed anything with mine).

I was impressed with mine since the first time I drove it on I-80 over Donner Summit (7,220 feet).


-Don- SSF, CA​
 
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