Hi, everyone....I've been researching like crazy, and today I'm going to see the first of several used RVs I've found. This is a '99 ChateauSport. I don't know if it's on the Chevy or the Ford Chassis. The gentleman who has it sounds quite a bit older. He only has 14,110 miles on it, and up until a few months ago he had it garaged. He's moved to his retirement place where he has a lake and doesn't plan to use the RV again. The last time he drove it was last summer when he put about 2,000 miles on it. He put a back up camera on it last summer for his trip. Asking $14,000, which is high according to NADA. I really appreciate all the comments about what to look for when an RV hasn't been used much. This will be the first RV I've actually had hands on (excluding my friend's B which I drove several times) so I'm kind of excited. Any advice or suggestions appreciated!
'99 Four Winds Chateau Sport
- Thread starter llamalady
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Marsha/CA
Moderator Emeritus
First thing: There is a "check list" in our library, be sure to get it, read it and print it out to take with you. Second thing: Be sure to check the dates on the tires. Tires over 6-7 years old most likely have "dry rot" and are not dependable. There's an article in the library on how to do that by reading the DOT code. Third thing 
: It's not good for a motor home to sit for long periods of time. If you do decide to get an older RV that has done a lot of sitting, be prepared to change fluids, belts and possibly some seals as well as batteries. Older motor homes with low mileage are often more difficult to deal with than a motor home of the same age; but has been driven on a regular basis.
: It's not good for a motor home to sit for long periods of time. If you do decide to get an older RV that has done a lot of sitting, be prepared to change fluids, belts and possibly some seals as well as batteries. Older motor homes with low mileage are often more difficult to deal with than a motor home of the same age; but has been driven on a regular basis.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
A low mileage 1999 may well have the original tires yet and they probably look good. 11 year old tires are a time bomb, though. Figure on replacing them immediately. Learn how to read tire date codes before you look it over - see the RV Glossary in the Library under Tire Date Code for instructions.
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Thanks for the advice. I already had printed out the check list, and I knew what to look for re the tire ages...but I couldn't find the code. As y'all said the tires looked really good. The owner is the second owner on this unit, which he bought from the original owner in late '08. His last drive was in the summer of '09. It's on the Chevy 3500 chassis, and it's a dually. I did drive it and it handles well; the area was hilly and curvy, and I would have to get used to the extra height, which I really only noticed on steep curves. He has all of the original papers. No sign of rust, and it looked very clean on the underside. I told him that I would want to have a mechanic look at it before I'd make an offer, plus I have others I want to look at. For a short RV, just 22', it was well arranged, feels roomy. He's asking $14K. Presuming a mechanic says it's good, and remembering that it's a '99 with very low mileage, any idea what I should offer if I'm still interested? Thanks....
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Sometimes the tire date code, which is at the end of the DOT data string, is on the inside sidewall of the tire. Means you may have to crawl underneath with a flashlight to see it. A pain, but this is an important and expensive item.
Check the NADA RV guide at www.nadaguides.com for typical values. Private sales typically go for low NADA or less, but spring is coming and lots of people are shopping just like you are. Hard to guess whether somebody else will come along to big against you. And if the guy has only recently listed the rig for sale, he is probably still optimistic about the price it will bring. You say that$14k is high per NADA, but even the little 21 foot model averages around that with low miles. If it is one of the larger ones, $14k doesn't sound too bad. Perhaps not a great bargain, but not bad either.
Check the NADA RV guide at www.nadaguides.com for typical values. Private sales typically go for low NADA or less, but spring is coming and lots of people are shopping just like you are. Hard to guess whether somebody else will come along to big against you. And if the guy has only recently listed the rig for sale, he is probably still optimistic about the price it will bring. You say that$14k is high per NADA, but even the little 21 foot model averages around that with low miles. If it is one of the larger ones, $14k doesn't sound too bad. Perhaps not a great bargain, but not bad either.
Went to look at this model RV yesterday. It was clean and well kept. Drove well, but a bit top heavy because I'm new at driving these vehicles. Tires are original tires and would have to be replaced despite what owner says. 11 years on a tire is not good. Size is just right, seats very comfortable. He is asking $14K but NADA 'blue' book is lower. Do you think this RV with only 14,000 miles on it would be a good buy? And how much would you suggest would be a fair price? Thanks for all help.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
This is a duplicate of your other post on this subject from March 3, so I am merging this one with the other.
Gary....sorry, didn't think the earlier request for advice got posted. I'm not in a hurry, or at least I'm trying not to be, so I will keep looking, and keep an eye on the one I've already seen as well. When I checked NADA it said $11k to very best at $14. And I had read somewhere in this forum where someone said to offer 10% less than the low end value. I expect the cost to replace the tires will be high, too. Again, thanks for all of your help. Sue
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Sure, we recommend that you TRY to buy at NADA Low Book or less. Sometimes that is not possible and sometimes you just don't want to pass up a nice clean RV when it comes along, so you pay a premium price. It's a judgment call.
You are wise to take your time, though.
You are wise to take your time, though.
