1st post. Shopping for a Class A

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johnd393 said:
Molaker
I didn't mean to disagree. I was just sharing my thoughts about it. I think buying a MH is more difficult. So many new things to check. I don't think I can trust my instincts about the systems that are shared.  I've still never driven  class A.
It's starting to make buying from a dealer more attractive.
Soon everything's gonna be covered with snow. We have a Florida trip planed. Maybe I can get some FL dealer to give me a driving lesson.

LazyDays in Seffner, FL (near Tampa) used to give regular RV driving class. I pretty sure they still do.

One thing to be aware of in older HR products. They have Aluminum Roof and sides, but the roof is flat with a seam down the middle. This seam can be a source of leaks. Easy fix with Eternabond if the inside damage isn't severe. Good thing is the all the framing is also aluminum son there won't be any rotted wood framing to fix.

ken
 
shop carefully...  older rigs can treat you right...  bought my 1983 G3500 6.2L Diesel brougham for around your price...  sight on seen...  Drove 20hours to pick it up...blew an oil cooler line 1hour into the trip home.  Caught it with smell and a dancing pressure gauge in time...

Driven all over (every drive for me is in the mountains) been a reliable rig....  would I drive it 2000 miles tomorrow yes.. would I pack my tools yes...  but I trust it more than some of these newer rigs... 

 
Having an inspection done wouldn't be a bad idea. It could save you money in the long run, and they know what to look out for.

Caryl
 
If tires 7 to 10 years old should be replaced.  Should I be afraid to drive a MH, with old tires, 60 to 90 miles home, perhaps keeping speed under 55 or 45?
 
johnd393 said:
If tires 7 to 10 years old should be replaced.  Should I be afraid to drive a MH, with old tires, 60 to 90 miles home, perhaps keeping speed under 55 or 45?
Just keep an eye and ear out for the tires, many times you feel a difference in the steering wheel or the brake pedal and that is a signal to pull over and check the tires.

I bought a 11 year old motorhome on Ebay, it was 300 miles away in Phoenix.  I drove there got in it and drove it home on 7 year old tires.
I wasn't expecting an 11 year old motorhome to be perfect, but it was perfect for me.

I look at everything as just part of the big adventure of life, even a flat tire.

 
Many times one can spot tire separations, as well as other severe problems with a good, thorough visual inspection.  By a careful inspection, you are looking, and feeling for abnormalities.  As you feel from the inside to the outside of the tire, it should be smooth, it should not have any splits in the rubber, one should not be able to see any steel, and if there is any dry rot, that would be of immediate concern.  I've seen people drive on very old tires without any problems, but it's just a roll of the dice.  Certainly proper air pressure and low speed travel will lower the risk of a tire failure.

A blow out on a steer tire could result in loss of control of the vehicle, many times resulting in a rollover.  So I would keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.  A blow out on any tire can result in severe damage to the MH, and the failure to pull over immediately after a tire failure can result in damage to the rim, requiring replacement, and more damage to the MH.
 
Take it from a person that bought a 1990 motorhome, I have put a good amount of money into it (for what it is) and there is still more to do. I paid 3850.00 for it and have probably put that much into it, less tires. I would NEVER do it again, I would get a loan for something much better like a diesel pusher. Way too much time involved and with everyone wanting to go to the rv park we belong to, there's not enough time to work on it and get the things done that I want too. I've resealed the roof, built a new dinette booth, all new belts under the hood, new jack knife sofa, new fridge with a custom frame around it, new tile replaced the carpet in the bathroom, new toilet, new bathroom vanity and top with new faucet. I starting working on the bottom part of the MH where the cargo doors are, the front ones were rusting thru, so I tore the galvanized panels out and had new ones made and I reinstalled them. I now will have to repaint the bottom 30" of the coach all the way around this spring. I have all the supplies ( base coat, clear coat) and all the primer, just have to get motivated early this year, weather permitting of course. Oh yea, I bought  a new awning this past fall which will be installed once the painting is completed. All in all, if I was 20 years younger this might not be much of a problem, but I am done with projects like this anymore. Next one will be a 40' DP with a couple of slideouts, then we can live in it out at the club for the summer with decent room to move about.
 
Deano2002 said:
Take it from a person that bought a 1990 motorhome, I have put a good amount of money into it (for what it is) and there is still more to do. I paid 3850.00 for it and have probably put that much into it, less tires. I would NEVER do it again, I would get a loan for something much better like a diesel pusher. Way too much time involved and with everyone wanting to go to the rv park we belong to, there's not enough time to work on it and get the things done that I want too. I've resealed the roof, built a new dinette booth, all new belts under the hood, new jack knife sofa, new fridge with a custom frame around it, new tile replaced the carpet in the bathroom, new toilet, new bathroom vanity and top with new faucet. I starting working on the bottom part of the MH where the cargo doors are, the front ones were rusting thru, so I tore the galvanized panels out and had new ones made and I reinstalled them. I now will have to repaint the bottom 30" of the coach all the way around this spring. I have all the supplies ( base coat, clear coat) and all the primer, just have to get motivated early this year, weather permitting of course. Oh yea, I bought  a new awning this past fall which will be installed once the painting is completed. All in all, if I was 20 years younger this might not be much of a problem, but I am done with projects like this anymore. Next one will be a 40' DP with a couple of slideouts, then we can live in it out at the club for the summer with decent room to move about.

It sounds to me that it has been a good learning experience though.  With your comment that the "Next one will be..." it doesn't sound like it has ruined your MH dreams, but taught you a lot about what you want out of the MH experience for under $8,000.  Most people would call that a low cost education.
 
99WinAdventurer37G said:
It sounds to me that it has been a good learning experience though.  With your comment that the "Next one will be..." it doesn't sound like it has ruined your MH dreams, but taught you a lot about what you want out of the MH experience for under $8,000.  Most people would call that a low cost education.

and the opposite side of that is a guy I know that bought one of the last $400k 3 axle Country Coach motorhomes ever made, and he's had nothing but problems...

like the whole rear cap fell completely off, and the whole front cap cracked and separated from the mail body with water damage inside. he claims that the motorhome was a total loser deal, now he is way upside down and he can't even sell it. 

there is no real guarantee on things ...it could be an $ 8k mistake, or $ 400k mistake, any warranty is only as strong as the company is.
 
99WinAdventurer37G said:
It sounds to me that it has been a good learning experience though.  With your comment that the "Next one will be..." it doesn't sound like it has ruined your MH dreams, but taught you a lot about what you want out of the MH experience for under $8,000.  Most people would call that a low cost education.
Well if there is a next one it won't be a fixer upper, thats what it taught me. Any money lost is not education, education should have been learned before hand on my part. I do know now what to look for now when looking at these coaches. You will not get much for not much spent
 
Deano2002  Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope you get enough use out of the MH to enjoy the results of the work you've put into it.

There is a 91 Lesharo for $2000 that wont start. 'Sposed to be an electrical problem. I emailed for more info.
I know Lesharo's have a bad rep, but I've seen them on the road so some of them run.
I've always been curious about them. It would be more for local use. I don't see serious traveling in something that small. I can't even stand up straight in one except in the entry foot well. I downloaded a service manual for some fun reading.
 
driftless shifter said:
It's a Renault driveline. Good luck finding even the simplest parts for it.
I knew that. There are parts sources and support sites online. It's unlikely the Lesharo will be nice enough that I will want to fool with it.
For oddball MH's I found this 1992 SONOMA Isuzu NK 400 Motor Home on CL. I search the entire US I found one other old ad. I think it was made by Cobra. There seems to be absolutely no info online.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/rvs/4799621203.html
 
johnd393 said:
I knew that. There are parts sources and support sites online. It's unlikely the Lesharo will be nice enough that I will want to fool with it.
For oddball MH's I found this 1992 SONOMA Isuzu NK 400 Motor Home on CL. I search the entire US I found one other old ad. I think it was made by Cobra. There seems to be absolutely no info online.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/rvs/4799621203.html
I would not by a 2000.00 unit, I think when they are that low in price the seller is just trying to dump it. Now if he wants to give it away, then a person could take weeks to look it over to see if they want to tear into it. If not maybe someone else would or off to the salvage it goes. Anything I have seen for the price is a basket of rusted metal and rotten ceiling and walls. The 8K one might be more realistically worth 5K, that engine might be the same as is in a truck at work an it is worthless going up even the slightest hill with any weight on it, its not nearly as heavy as that coach either.The fuel mileage on the later one might be close, just shop around, summer is a ways off
 
I looked up the Sonoma by Cobra, they don't list a 33' coach in 1992, I did find a 93-94 listing with NADA but for 1994 and only 26' L, did I miss it?
 
It looks like some rust on the bottom edge of the door. Seller has not answer email.
Tried to attach picture.
There is one in Sarasota for $6000. Much nicer. Ready to go.  Too much risk to buy 1200 mile from home.
 

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", just shop around, summer is a ways off"

The other thing about this quote, is if you buy one now it has to be winterized.  So don't rush the search, take your time.  I'm not sure I'd want to travel 1,200 miles to check one out, and you definitely want to look one over before you buy it.  Go to the "Library" then click on check lists.  That is where I got my checklist when I bought mine.  It is very comprehensive and well thought out.  I believe using the checklist found in our "library" here, is how I got such a great unit, and discovered the bad ones before I made a several thousand dollar mistake.
 
I know I should have joined this site before setting out to buy something of this size and complex, but to tell the truth it never crossed my mind. I was out in my today to make sure the mice have enough food ;D, and am glad summer will come before long.
 
I started looking at Craigslist locally before I was ready to buy. I went looking at rigs I had no real interest in, just for practice in looking for defects. Learned how to spot leaks and delamination. Saw what people and dealers thought was a good asking price for my region. Found one that needed chassis work, but had documented new engine, bonus points for everything in the house and the generator worked. The PO had issues with the engine installation and brakes that were all within my abilities to remedy. I was able to buy it far enough below local prices to make my expenditures worth buying it. My maiden voyage was moving my wife and I from MA. to TX, a 2500 mile journey. Found it about 20 miles away from my house. I did need a new fuel pump upon arrival in Texas. Take your time, don't fall in love with anything, listen to the voices in your head if they say run away.

Bill
 
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