Questions about 2000 Suncruiser

[geekygpa]

We have been looking around to buy a used MH and found a 2000 Suncruiser 35U that we really liked, The dealer is asking almost 40K. Do any of you have any experience with this coach? The dealer has said he will work with us on the price some, but we are wondering if the price is in the right range.

Also, his info says that it has a Workhorse chassis and engine. The brochure I downloaded from Winnebago show that the 35U only comes with a Triton V10. Did that change in midyear? I need to go back this next week and look more at the engine and the paperwork and also try it out on the road to see how it handles. I did check fairly good for leaks, etc and didn't find any. I know that the roof will need to be sealed again as there are just a few checks and small surface cracks.

That's all I can think of right now. May have more questions later. I did see the thread on basement air, so I know that shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks in advance,
Carl

 

[seilerbird]

http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2000/Itasca/M-35U-FORD+-35/Standard-Equipment

The 2000 Suncruiser has a high NADA value of $32k and a low of $27k. The dealer will be adding in all the standard equipment and calling it optional to jack the price up higher. Here is a quote directly from the NADA web site that RV dealers conveniently forget to tell you about:

Option note: Only select options below that are in addition to standard equipment and equipment noted in the manufacturer or year notes show above. If you are uncertain of what came standard, please contact your manufacturer with your VIN.

This price is typical for almost all RVs for sale. The owner jacks the price way up to give him lots of room to deal. Since there are so many different types of RVs and very few are identical it makes it hard to establish a realistic price.

There is no way of knowing exactly which chassis gets used with which year RV. I have been to the Winnebago/Itasca manufacturing plant in Forest City, Iowa. They have a large yard full of RV chassis. These are bought well in advance of the next model year so they have plenty of chassis in stock to build motorhomes on. They don't always have the exact chassis that is in the brouchures, so they will substitute whatever will work best.

Since the chassis and the RV are made by different manufacturers at different times and different places there will always be this type of discrepancy in RV models.

 

[pkunk]

Here's 2 in the low 30's.  Both F53 w/ V10.
http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail4597871.htm
http://www.pleasurelandrv.com/Showroom/tabid/279/Show/View/RV/18163/2000_CLASS_A_MOTOR_HOME_Itasca_Suncruiser_35U.aspx

 

[Alfa38User]

If it is a year 2000, the chassis could be a 1999. and that was the first year that Ford put out the V10 engine. I believe a 1998 FORD chassis was never produced. Prior to 1998 Ford used a V8 engine.

Are you sure it is a Workhorse chassis, I think the Workhorse chassis usually had GM engines (V8) at that point in time.

 

[John Canfield]

Sounds like the dealer has his info wrong - I checked the brochure also and the 35U only came on the Ford chassis.  The 35U model might have been too heavy for a WH chassis at that point in time.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the NADA RV guides are not very accurate, so I wouldn't put much trust in them.

If you like the unit, make the dealer an offer - start at 30k (or lower) and be ready to walk away from the deal.  You will find out what the dealer thinks it is really worth if they try to work with you or not.  Never get emotionally attached to anything you are trying to negotiate a deal on.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Way too much money for a 2000 Suncruiser 35U, in my opinion. You need to get to the low 30's.

It should be easy enough to tell if it is a Ford or Workhorse. The steering wheel will have one  emblem or the other, and there is usually a emblem on the front fender as well. The Ford F53 chassis will have the V10 emblem, while the Workhorse has a stylized horse head with WORKHORSE across it.

Workhorse chassis have a GM V8 engine (either the 454 or the 8.1L) while the Ford will have the V10.

 

[John Hilley]

How many miles on the chassis. you mention that there are cracks on the roof. Do you mean in the caulking around what goes through the roof or are there actual cracks? How many hours on the generator? What are the DOT dates on the tires? What are the dates on the batteries?

 

[dirko]

Hi Ho Carl:  We have the same RV that you are looking at and like it a lot.  In buying a used coach the most important thing is how well it was maintained.  Were maintenance items done at a regular interval?    Has the body been maintained?  Are there signs of an accident?  With a coach of that vintage there are a number of things that should have been replaced.  These include:  Batteries (more than once), tires (what is the date code?)  Slide toppers and possibly the awning.  Little things like dump valves, spark plugs, etc. etc.  How does the interior and exterior look?  And of course with a gas model:  How many miles?  But how it looks and how it was maintained is probably more important.

You can get a diesel pusher of that vintage for the amount of money you indicate.  Too much for a 35U.

Dirk

 

[geekygpa]

Thanks to everyone for the info, but it seems I got a couple of things wrong. The wife told me it was 2001 Suncruiser with 9600 miles on it. I checked their website and found out she has a better memory than I do. We had found 2 MH's that day we really liked, but the Suncruiser fit us better. One year newer and a lot less miles would mean a higher price, but we will probably start at about 30K. There was a large package of manuals and maintenance sheets in one of the overheads, but I didn't look at it real good. Will go back again this week and look at the unit better. We were just doing a fast browse at several dealers in the area, so didn't spend a lot of time on any one unit. After we compared notes and pricing, we agreed that the floorplan on the Suncruiser was better for us. The wife has problems walking and has diabetes. So the more open layout with the slides in is better for us.

When we go back this week, I will climb all over the MH and check things out much better. I also know not to appear too anxious, or the price won't go down as much. We are still looking and will tell that to the dealer.

In regards to the checking and small cracks, they are in the caulking. No signs of a problem with cracks in the roof or sidecaps. I know that as long as the cracks don't go all the way thru, there is only a small chance of any rain damage.

I spent 25 years in QA and inspection, so I have a tendency to be a bit picky when I finally decide on things. So I will go over the coach with a fine tooth comb and give it a good test drive before we start the bidding.

Thanks again for all of the replies.

 

[John Hilley]

With that low mileage it does command a higher price. We payed $42,000 for a 2003 Winnebago 38g with 26,000 miles a year ago. If you could get new batteries and tires and some kind of warranty, it sounds like a good buy in the $35,000 range.