Looking at purchasing a 1995 Winnebago Vectra 34'

Hi everyone,

After fooling around on the whole RV idea, I decided to look into buying an RV.  Keep in mind, we are a family with small kids 9, 6 and 3.  We would most likely be doing one long trip with mostly shorter trips.  We are new to RVing and trying it out to see if we would like it.  We don't want a huge investment, and I like the idea of being in arms reach of the fridge as opposed to a towed trailer.  I think it would be more comfortable too for when my parents do decide to go on trips with us.

After looking at a whole lot of RV, we decided to put an offer on a used 1995 Winnebago Vectra.  It is waiting an inspection - mechanical and RV inspection before finalizing the sale.  I have a couple of questions that I am hoping someone more experienced can answer...

1. The RV is priced at $18500 CAD.  It will most likely need 4 new rear tires and 3 new batteries.  The exterior and interior is in excellent shape.  It has 56000km on it.  It was purchased in Great Falls MT.

2.  What prices are 1995 Winnebago 484 gas engines going for?  I checked on NADA and those are reflective of American pricing.  There are no RV in Canada in this year that are selling for $9000!  I checked.  Does anyone have any knowledge?

3.  I have been reading on buying a 20 year old motorhome and everyone has different opinions, I am looking for opinions specifically relating to this model of motorhome - anyone that owns it here? Any advice and opinions would be highly appreciated.

4.  Any tips on what to look in terms of challenges or problems with this make and model would be highly appreciated as well.

Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experience. I also apologize for the long post!

We have friends that had a 93 Winnebago Vectra. They got it from his parents and he has passed it on to his son and it is still going strong with a lot more miles on it than the one you are looking at. Seems a little high priced considering the tires. I would think $12,000 to $14,000 in that condition. It was top of the line gas in that year.

$18,500 sounds awful high to me, but local market conditions prevail.

I always see quite a few Vectras of that vintage at the Winnebago Grand National Rally, so folks are keeping them on the road.

Some things for you to consider...

With that big block engine, it is going to suck quite a bit of fuel.  We figure it costs us on average $0.50 per mile just in fuel costs to move our coach from point A to point B (we're diesel and average 7.7 mpg, yours would probably be in the 8-10 mpg range)

With a 20 year-old unit, there are going to be more things that will need repair and/or upgrading regardless what the inspection indicates.  For example seat cushions, the bedding, other upholstery might be functional but in dire need of upgrading.  If the fridge is original to the unit, it is most likely at or near end of its useful life.

The chassis might be okay in the inspector's view but still might need new shocks, etc. 

Awnings, toppers might be 'functional', but in need of replacement.

How many people have owned the unit?  How complete are the service records?

The point I'm trying to make is that even with a good house and chassis inspection pronouncement, be prepared to sink a lot more money into it.  Not trying to scare you off, but be sure and budget a few thousand for repair/upgrades into your purchase decision.

Gary is right, that sounds very high to me. Last year I paid $6,500 for a 1994 32 foot Damon Challenger class A. And it didn't need tires. I think it would pay you to do some more shopping.

THanks for the responses!

@ John and Gary - Thanks for the response guys, but are these US markets or Canadian markets that you are looking at pricing?  I have been looking, and it doesn't look out of line with prices in Alberta.  But I just started...

I was thinking of offering her $15,000, pending the inspection, but now re-considering since tires will cost around ~$3000 and new batteries are $250/battery.  I will also need to add two seatbelts in the dinette.  Anyone have any clue how much that would cost?

@ John - As for the fridge, how can I tell if it's near its longevity, and need to be replaced?  Will the RV inspection tell me that?  And how much a new fridge?  Costs like a residential fridge?

Thanks everyone!

Any prices you are likely to see here are US$. There are no NADA figures available for Canada but, as you well know, we pay though the nose for everything up here and one of the many reason for  that is the RV market is not nearly as big here as it is south of the border. But on the bright side, the Canadian dollar is approaching par (.99xx today).

An example of unforeseen expenses you might encounter, should you need tires, you are looking at 6 tires not just one or two and at Canadian prices (unless you 'accidentally' find some on a trip to USA), Brakes, (the inspector won't actually see those unless he removes wheels), shocks, etc.

Fridge longevity?? No one can tell that, it either works or it does not and no way of knowing for how long. That is a really old Fridge if it is the original. Costs like a residential ??? You wish!!! Around 2500$ (US)  plus install if you are lucky.....

Good luck in your research!!!

So I called the seller and she clarified that the motorhome's odometer reading is actually 56000miles, so that would be 91000km.  Is this still worth it?

Stu gave a good answer vis-a-vis the fridge (he does that a lot  ).  I would consider it a ticking time bomb assuming it's original equipment.  Tell-tale signs of failure are a noticeable ammonia smell and any kind of greenish discoloration at the back of the fridge on the plumbing.)  I junked my wonky Norcold absorbed gas fridge for a residential fridge about a year ago and once again I'm a happy camper.

As far as the mileage, I have no idea if that is consistent with the price but 56K miles on that unit is fine.  Always better to put 5-10K miles on a rig every year than let it sit.

If you just started looking, give yourself plenty of time to survey the situation.  I will say choosing a used Winnebago Industries product is an excellent move due to the support available, i.e., plumbing and electrical wiring diagrams and parts lists available on-line (depending on the model year.)  Having documentation available makes troubleshooting so much easier.

Yes, I was thinking to go ahead with the inspection and see what comes out.  I do really like the coach, and it has been well maintained.  I'm just not sure about the price now, given I will need to add 4 extra seatbelts.  Does anyone know how much those will run?  I'm betting on around 350 for each seatbelt.  I like having the extra seatbelts so other family members can come with us.

You guys are great!  Thanks for the advice. 

So, in summary in CAD:
1.  $3000 for new tires
2.  $800 for 3 new batteries
3.  $2500 for a new fridge - I don't know how to mod a residential fridge for an RV - unless its a plug and go kind
4.  $ 1000 for 4 seatbelts - at least two for the parents

So that is ~$7000 for additional stuff once I sign the bill of sale.  :-\  Sounds like John Hilley was on the mark when he said about $12-14K

Tough decision. I'll present it to her and see what she has to say.  Probably give me a good boot to my hinny on my way out the door!

Any further comments or advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

lientrac said:

Yes, I was thinking to go ahead with the inspection and see what comes out.  I do really like the coach, and it has been well maintained.  I'm just not sure about the price now, given I will need to add 4 extra seatbelts.  Does anyone know how much those will run?  I'm betting on around 350 for each seatbelt.  I like having the extra seatbelts so other family members can come with us.

You guys are great!  Thanks for the advice. 

So, in summary in CAD:
1.  $3000 for new tires
2.  $800 for 3 new batteries
3.  $2500 for a new fridge - I don't know how to mod a residential fridge for an RV - unless its a plug and go kind
4.  $ 1000 for 4 seatbelts - at least two for the parents

So that is ~$7000 for additional stuff once I sign the bill of sale.  :-\  Sounds like John Hilley was on the mark when he said about $12-14K

Tough decision. I'll present it to her and see what she has to say.  Probably give me a good boot to my hinny on my way out the door!

Any further comments or advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

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You might be surprised. I just went through the same thing with the recent purchase of our coach. We spent 4 hours one day and 6 hours the next, going over the coach so the owner knew that we were serious buyers. I made a list of items that needed to be replaced and we settled on 1/2 of what they were originally asking (They were asking NADA low book price). Once the owner knows that you are a serious buyer, they will negotiate much better. They want it gone as badly as you want to have it.

Don't forget to add in a complete change of ALL fluids and brakes.

As for MPG..... we are getting ~6MPG with ours (over the last 1100 miles @ 60MPH tops)) and it only has 19K miles on it. That's after a complete fluid change and tune up (plugs, wires, belts etc). I only wish that we could get 10MPG. The 454 may do a bit better than our 460 Ford but that coach is heavier than ours, so I doubt it.

By the time we are done with ours, we will have about $6K in expenses. It would have been a lot more, had I had to take it in and have all the stuff done.

Hi Wavery,

We are located in Canada.  Looks like our used RV markets are higher priced than yours and there are way less RVs to pick from.  I would have a hard time finding an RV with NADA pricing here.  No way would I find a 1995 Winnebago for less than $10K in Canada. Coming into the US importing an RV could be a lot of work I'm unsure about.

Plus, I googled for RV for sale in Montana - and I wasn't able to find much either - either on RV trader or something similar.  What are similar make and models in the US going for?

It might be worth it!  :

The Norcold N641 has a retail price of $1195 and about $200 installation. I think you would find that the original refrigerator will last for a long time yet.  Batteries should be under $100 for the chassis and not much more than $100 for the coach. 1995 era Winnebagos are very high quality compared to some of the newer years.

I searched for used MHs in MT and you are right, not many.  The  older ones I found were way over priced compared to further south and in areas like CA, AZ, Fl, etc.  '95 winny, almost 14,000 for example.

This is sorta typical in SoCal....... I'll be you could pick this up for $12K:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/rvs/3778580759.html

The market is loaded with them around here:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/rva?zoomToPosting=&query=Class+a&srchType=T&minAsk=7000&maxAsk=20000&hasPic=1

Of course it's cheaper in the US! 

But then again, what isn't.  We would save around $3000 for a similarly equipped RV I think.  It's definitely a thought, but then I would have to drive it back and that would be three days.  Unfortunately, the thought of driving that RV back as a first trip driving a big RV  :  Probably not the smartest idea I have had yet!

I think a fair value on the vehicle would be $12,000 considering the new tires and batteries as a most definite upfront cost to owning the RV, plus we are in Canada.  Think she'll throw me on my hinny on the street?  :-[

Thanks guys!

lientrac said:

Unfortunately, the thought of driving that RV back as a first trip driving a big RV  :  Probably not the smartest idea I have had yet!

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You would have no problem driving the RV back to Canada. Large RVs are a lot easier to drive than you think, especially on an Interstate. You will find this out the first time you test drive one on a freeway.

Just an FYI, Lientrac:
As far as modifying a residential fridge for an RV, there is nothing to do to the fridge itself, you just have to find one that will fit  or almost fit into the location. RV fridges are usually a lot smaller than normal household fridges, perhaps about 10cu ft., more akin to apartment or dorm room size.

One thing to keep in mind is that RV fridges operate both on 110V and propane whereas a residential is limited to 110V. The next thing to consider is how you want to power it since you do not have 110V available unless plugged in. Some improve their house battery bank and add an inverter which will then permit operation from the batteries while rolling down the road. Others just get the fridge cold before starting and, by leaving the door closed, the modern fridge will remain cold enough for a day of travel. The only other consideration is whether the chosen unit will fit through the RV door as, I would think, removing a windshield to get it it is not much fun....

SeilerBird said:

You would have no problem driving the RV back to Canada. Large RVs are a lot easier to drive than you think, especially on an Interstate. You will find this out the first time you test drive one on a freeway.

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You are probably right Seilerbird, actually driving it back is the least of the worries. However, once you arrive at the border the fun begins. There are very specific requirements to import a vehicle into Canada that are clearly laid out here:  http://www.riv.ca/importingavehicle.aspx one of which is that the chosen vehicle itself is one that qualifies for importation, the prior notification  to both Canadian AND American border authorities, and "branding" (which has nothing to do with make and model but does deal with the actual title regarding the vehicle status (Salvage, rebuilt etc. etc)....

It is not that it is impossible to do, but it seems to me, purchasing one from an individual and not from a dealer who is (or should be) more familiar with the documentation requirements could be problematic. Using an broker to handle all this seems (for me) to be the least troublesome way of doing it. BUT you still have to furnish the broker with the required documentation such as proof of no outstanding recalls (which a private owner might have a problem furnishing), Certificate of Origin etc.

There are a few on this forum that have done this both with and without a broker but I am not one of them so the process scares me a little!!! It has long been a wish (or dream) for me to do so but I doubt in will ever happen now (age + other things), so I live vicariously through the dreams of others..

;D  Alfa38user - you're funny!  You're right, no - I don't want to take a part my windshield to add the fridge.  Hmm interesting idea though for when the fridge breaks down!  So many things to consider now.

Also you're right given the time and the effort required to transport an RV across the border, it's not really worth it.  If you had the time to do it for sure, it'll save you a few thousand.  I unfortunately don't.  But if I really like RVing, then my guess is in a couple of years, I will want bigger and newer.  Then would be the time to import from the US. I think the price difference then would most definitely be worth the trouble!

Now, is the waiting game...for Sunday for the inspection.

Haven't heard from anyone on costs for a the addition of seatbelts yet either.  I googled it, and lots of people have ideas, suggestions, have done it, but no one can give me a rough idea!  Does everyone do this mod by themselves?

Thanks all!