2005 Monaco Knight

[tjship64]

I’m new to forum, looking at a 2005 Monaco Knight and am wondering what are some things/issues to look for? Going to look at the unit next week, it looks super clean in photos, has 32,000 Miles.
Any suggestions be greatly appreciate.
Thanks
Tim

 

[IBTripping]

Not an expert, but Monaco has a reputation as a good product. However, the condition of the RV is more important than the brand.

 

[tjship64]

Ok thanks

 

[Tom]

I’m new to forum, looking at a 2005 Monaco Knight and am wondering what are some things/issues to look for? Going to look at the unit next week, it looks super clean in photos, has 32,000 Miles.
Any suggestions be greatly appreciate.
Thanks
Tim

Please refrain from duplicate posting. Asking the same question twice encourages answers to the duplicate questions, Best to keep all the answers in one thread.

 

[Kirk]

I would suggest that you get a professional pre-purchase inspection before you spend any money. It could be a bargain or a disaster and it is very difficult to know which.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You can download the sales brochure for the 2005 Monaco Knight from this page:

Monaco RV Service & Repairs - Monaco Coach

If your Monaco Coach needs maintenance, repairs or an upgrade, our service team is ready to help!

www.monacocoach.com

The Knight was Monaco's lower-mid range diesel pusher model, a quite nice compromise between price and capability. It was a good step up from the entry level Cayman diesel but less expensive than the Diplomat and higher tier models like the Camelot and Dynasty. The RR8R chassis is a good one and Monaco in those years had a solid reputation for quality body building. One flaw I recall in that family of models is that the front fiberglass cap shifted around a bit too much on the highway or when leveling on an uneven site, eventually causing leaks where it is sealed to the roof and side walls. Check carefully for signs of water leaks inside, e.g. over the entry door and along the interior cap seam. Monacos also were prone to water leaks at the bottom ends of the slide outs, and there were some aftermarket gadgets designed to channel water away from them. Chances are a well-kept example of a 2005 Knight has already had both problem areas addressed.

Another area to look at closely is tires and batteries. For tires, age is a major factor even if they look fine. A rule of thumb is that tires are good for about 7 years whether worn or not. If more than 5-6 years old (as evidenced by the DOT date code on the sidewall), plan for tire replacement sooner rather than later, and tires in this size are quite expensive.

As others have already said, the condition of this particular coach is more important than brand name. And if you lack experience with large RVs, get professional help or an experienced friend to help inspect it.

 

[Kirk]

(as evidenced by the DOT date code on the sidewall),

 

[billwild]

I had a Holiday Rambler, kind of the same family as Monaco. It had the water leak in the awning channel as Gary described. I just gave it a good caulking in the channel and all was good again, no more leak.