Advice

[Laamake]

I know delamination and water damage is a big issue but the owner bought it as is and has had it four years with no issue , no mold etc…. There is delamination around the side that has not gotten worse since purchase . The engine is solid and the interior has no soft spots . My budget is only 15000 and I have been looking a year this seems like a great buy! I I intend to use it for cross country travel for one year only. It is a 2000 forest river subseeker class c . Thoughts?

 

[84southwind]

Don't walk but RUN away from this. It will have a very costly repair and I'll give you anything that there is mold behind those walls, this show that there was very poor maitenance done on this unit. For what you want to spend there should be a lot better out there unless you have specific wants.

 

[Laamake]

She says prior owner repaired leak and bubbling was there when she bought it four years ago and it has not changed since she has had no smells or soft spots during her ownership could the damage be just external?

 

[SpencerPJ]

I would fear that with extensive travel as you plan, it comes loose, and it will rip off, leaving a very bad situation. Is there a way you could hire a local RV Mechanic to look at it with you, might cost $100, might save thousands. There are RV inspectors as well, I understand they can get pricy. I also would ask a mechanic to give you an opinion. 21 years old, it might need some updates prior to over the country drive. Tires are probably going to need replaced, they age out 7 years tops, do you know how to read date codes? (4 numbers ex: 3218, means built in 32nd week of 2018). Good luck, not saying it's not a good deal, I'd just recommend some other professional eyes. If they break down, the towing bill alone will be bigger than you want to know.

 

[SeilerBird]

You don't want a class C for a one year trip around the country. You will need at least a 30 foot class A. I agree with the above, run away from this one.

 

[jackiemac]

You may only want it for a year but I assume you will want to sell it and if so I think you might have a problem in doing that.... if not and you are happy to get a low figure or to scrap it then that is a different choice perhaps.

 

[Laamake]

I would fear that with extensive travel as you plan, it comes loose, and it will rip off, leaving a very bad situation. Is there a way you could hire a local RV Mechanic to look at it with you, might cost $100, might save thousands. There are RV inspectors as well, I understand they can get pricy. I also would ask a mechanic to give you an opinion. 21 years old, it might need some updates prior to over the country drive. Tires are probably going to need replaced, they age out 7 years tops, do you know how to read date codes? (4 numbers ex: 3218, means built in 32nd week of 2018). Good luck, not saying it's not a good deal, I'd just recommend some other professional eyes. If they break down, the towing bill alone will be bigger than you want to know.

Thank you for some hope lol I do plan on having a inspector check it out they are pricey but worth it in the end that’s pending the advice I get in this awesome forum

 

[steveblonde]

Run run run and then turn on the afterburners

 

[Rene T]

Save your money and don’t bother with a inspector. He’s going to tell you what we already know. It will take you several months of repairs at a minimum. Don’t believe the seller. He will tell you anything just to get rid of it. Walk away from this one and take the money you would have to put in it and buy something a little newer. Maybe a small class A like Tom recommended.

 

[TheBar]

With the prices of RVs going up people are dragging these wrecks out of fields where they were abandoned years ago. In the 2nd picture you can see someone glued the bottom edge back together above the door. It has serious damage and is way beyond repair. You will end up having to pay someone to get rid of it when it comes apart on the highway.

 

[ziplock]

Please don't buy it.

Better off to wait a few years and save up money for something else.

I think you know that thing is an ugly piece of crap.

Do you know the seller personally? If so, the seller must hate you to want to sell you a piece of crap like that.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

That isn't just "delamination", that's frame rot and has questionable structural integrity. Even if I had the intention of junking it after one year I would have doubts it would make it the one year. I wouldn't adopt this thing if it were free.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Kirk]

Thank you for some hope lol I do plan on having a inspector check it out they are pricey but worth it in the end that’s pending the advice I get in this awesome forum

If you buy that RV, only spend the amount that you can afford to lose since you may well experience complete failure at any time. The seller may be telling you that it isn't getting any worse, but that only means that either she doesn't know or she isn't telling the truth. I would not waste money paying for an inspection for this rolling disaster.

 

[SargeW]

If you were purchasing that rig to do short trips from home on country roads it may work. The problem with that kind of delamination on an interstate at speeds of 60-80 mph, the wind forces are significant. And that's just the forces created from your vehicle moving forward. Add in a 40-50 mph side wind and those side panels could peel off easily.

I just had a member on another forum with a 15 year old Class A coach that he thought was in good condition. He got into some wind coming across the desert and lost half of his fiberglass roof in minutes.

The advice you have had here is from seasoned RVers who are looking out for your best interest. A RV that seems like a bargain, even from someone who is trying to be honest with you (or so it seems) could wind up a disaster for you and your family.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'm not one to run away at the mere thought of delamination - I even bought a coach with some delam, and at a good price too!. Got good service from it and it never got worse (it was glue failure rather than leakage). However, this is a rather severe case and it's hard to imagine that there has not been any underlying damage. Plus I don't consider $15k for a 21 year old "C" a bargain price (though the market is a bit crazy right now).

Is this the Sunseeker advertised on RVTrader.com? Has already had transmission and brakes replaced at 46k miles? That suggests abuse, lack of maintenance, or both. After a careful inspection I might offer $10k.

 

[ziplock]

You can see water damage on the wall in picture 8 of gary's link............mold behind that?

I didn't bother looking any further at the pics after that pic.

Desperate people, then go for it.

 

[ziplock]

I just had a member on another forum

Do you mean John Stephens on this forum?

Retirement trip, Part Two

In 2019, we took our coach on a 9,000-mile trip to see as many national parks as possible along a route to the NW of the North American continent. We were able to see the Black Hills, Badlands, Devils Tower, Cody, WY, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, and Jasper NP before dropping south...

www.rvforum.net

 

[darsben]

I'm not one to run away at the mere thought of delamination - I even bought a coach with some delam, and at a good price too!. Got good service from it and it never got worse (it was glue failure rather than leakage). However, this is a rather severe case and it's hard to imagine that there has not been any underlying damage. Plus I don't consider $15k for a 21 year old "C" a bargain price (though the market is a bit crazy right now).

Is this the Sunseeker advertised on RVTrader.com? Has already had transmission and brakes replaced at 46k miles? That suggests abuse, lack of maintenance, or both. After a careful inspection I might offer $10k.

If it is the same coach then the last picture shows the whole back wall delaminated. Sellers says tires look good which suggests they are out of date (over 7 years old) and most likely need replacing. I would not be a buyer on this rig and would hesitate taking it if it were free.

 

[ziplock]

I hope she comes back to report if she bought it or not, but it looks like she hasn't been here since Wednesday night.

 

[jackiemac]

Looking at the photos in the Ad, the whole thing looks as if the laminate is ready to come off. Also odd that inside photos very clear and sharp yet outside ones are a bit blurred.