Am I crazy? Purchasing an older RV

[Curiosity]

I am shopping for a used RV.  Figure to keep it between 2010 and 2016 BUT I keep finding older Class A and Cs that are older some as old as 1999 at a really inexpensive price.  Would it be insane to buy something in the 12K price as a starter RV with the knowledge it may die on the side of the road. Some look like they were will taken care of.  I say a 1999 Class C for $9000. I do plan on having a mechanic check them out.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

  The only "problem" with an older RV (whatever that is) is usually the first timer with NO knowledge of mechanics or RVs and knows nothing of what he/she is looking at or for.. A recipe for disaster.>>>Dan

 

[Lou Schneider]

There are some good older RVs out there - and there are others that can turn into real money pits.  The difference is knowing what kinds of problems are expensive to fix and which you can just piddle around and fix yourself.  A lot depends on your skill levels -  how comfortable you are working on house and truck items, and how much you'll have to farm out to others.

Your time is fairly cheap - mechanics and RV repair persons, not so much. 

Besides a mechanic, see if you can find someone knowledgeable about the RV's house and systems (plumbing, appliances, etc.) to check it out.  The biggest cause of problems in an RV are water leaks - hidden or visible.  Most RVs are wood framed so an untreated water leak can lead to expensive mold and wood rot repairs.  Mobile RV repair persons are a good source, or a friend who's knowledgeable about RVs.

 

[John From Detroit]

You need to have someone who knows RV's (A good technician) go over it wheels to Roof top air conditioner.  Find anything wrong with it... There are some Used RV's out there that are basically in showroom condition, and some that are basically in junkyard condition, and most  in between.

Are you carzy: Yes but you are searching for the cure (It is crazy NOT to own an RV).

A thought. When Wife and I both retired, we bought this Class A I live in.. Now due to some problems I am having to pay some serious site rental (Compared to what I normally pay) but the site rental roughly equals the tax on the house I used to own, and once I get the problem fixed in a few months I'll be able to return to life on the road..

With the house, if the neighborhood goes go crap... Which it did.. You can't do much other than sell (At a loss) and clear out.  With the Motor home.. Turn the key, Pull the lever, Push the pedal, Turn the wheel and you are OUTTA THERE.e No loss.

 

[Punomatic]

A year and a half into our RVing experience, DW and I decided to switch from a TT to a class A MH, but we didn't want to invest a ton of money, in case we didn't like RVing in a MH. We looked and looked and finally found a 19 year old coach that was considered "high end" in its day. It had been garaged all its life. We paid $12K, and then we traveled around for 6 years. It required standard maintenance and a few upgrades (new tires, etc.), but we had a ball in that coach. Good ones are out there. Keep looking; find a good RV mechanic to inspect the one you think is "it." You can get a lot of coach for a little $$ if you are patient and do your due diligence. One of the fun things about owning an older "cream puff" is the interest it generates in RV parks. We met a lot of fun people because they were so intrigued by our venerable old girl. (Ours was a Hawkins Motor Coach, so of course, we named her Sadie.)

 

[Charlie 5320]

That would depend on what you are wanting to do with it. I've always owned older RVs, but I like to tinker with them and make them for ME anyways. I bought a 98 Daybreak last year that had 77,000 miles on it. It ran great but needed some TLC, got it cheap and started doing some renovations right away. I bought Coach net and drove the coach home over 350 mile without incident. I sold the coach to a family on a Tuesday and they took it on vacation to the west coast and back to central Illinois, over 7,000 miles with no problems. So there are older coachs out there that are still good enough to travel. A 98 may be just as capable as a 2010, just depends on how they were maintained.

 

[Curiosity]

Thanks for the support.  Looks like I will need to add a RV specialist to the team with the mechanic.  I looked up the RVs you folks mentioned interesting in how some things have changed and other remain the same.  I don't mind the older models I just don't want a money pit...I didn't mean that I know they are like a boat always looking for something to be done.  I just don't want to buy something and have to deliver it to the junk yard with a bad taste in my mouth.
I was surprised at the the Hawkins and the other Coach mentioned.

BTW John from Detroit hope everything works out oK and tour back on the road again soon.

 

[Fyrediver]

Starting here with your researching is a great start!  Attending an RV show and some of the seminars was another thing we did.  I knew NOTHING about RVs and still have TONS to learn, but I'm getting there. Luckily I've got a patient GF who is teaching me slowly.

One thing we did before we purchased my FIL's motor home is have a trusted RV mechanic/tech go over it to make sure we knew what we were getting into, what repairs it needed, what maintenance it needed (everything by the way!) etc.  We got a good price and the bill for repairs, maintenance, modifications, tires etc still kept our price below what we could have gotten a comparable unit for with the same features.  It has good bones and just needed some overdue maintenance and a few repairs but we knew about all of it before we bought it.

 

[Al Juby]

We bought a 1999 Fleetwood Storm with 70000 miles 4 yrs ago. We wanted to make sure we liked the life before we  invested a ton of money. We still own it. Have done some remodeling. ( floors, interior paint, reupholstering)  And look occasionally at newer couches but but haven't found one that would do a better job.   

 

[Utclmjmpr]

  The above is a perfect example of dealing with an older RV and doing it right.>>>Dan

 

[SBenoit]

I purchased a 1998 22' Class C (Minnie W Ford E350) with 124k for $12k on 11/11/2016.

Test drive was great, mechanics appeared perfect. Rig was very clean, previous owners had just striped and resealed the outside. They were letting it go because of medical issues that haulted their plans to travel cross country.

On my way home, my brakes went out. As in, pedal to the floor. I just spent $300 replacing the brake booster, master cylinder, and had to custom make a rear brake line.

I do not regret it for a second. I expect brake lines needing to be replaced. I don't mind replacing 20 year old parts that involve stopping a 10-14k lbs vehicle.

Other than the brake issue, everything seems solid (so far). If I get into it over a total of $15k (as in, I have another $2500 to spend on it), then I'll consider it moving into the category of money pit. For now, it's exactly what I want (length/feature), and I look forward to owning it for many years to come.

It might be a "starter" RV, but, I'm in my 30's, I don't need nor want something 200k+ sitting in my driveway right now.

My advice: Don't pull the trigger too soon. I was all ready to purchase something I didn't really want (28') on eBay, but couldn't bring myself to do it. One week later, this gem popped up.

Best of luck.

 

[garyb1st]

We purchased a 1999 in April of 2014.  Have added 28,000 miles to the motorhome that had 72,000 when we bought it.  We didn't have it checked out by a mechanic or someone familiar with house systems.  The reason is twofold.  First, after owning a travel trailer for 6 years and spending a lot of time reading the RV Forum and others, we knew what to look for.  Second and more important, we only paid about $15,000 for the RV.  If it turned out to be a total waste of money, I was OK with that.  It wouldn't break the bank and we would just look for another motorhome.  However, if we paid $50-75,000 and had major problems, that would be a different story.  While I would still have the money to do whatever, two things would happen.  First, I'd be kicking myself for a long time.  I hate throwing money away.  Second, we might have given up on RVing.  That would be the real loss.  We would not have been able to enjoy traveling this great country over the past 2 1/2 years. 

Regarding the mechanicals, we test drove the motorhome.  The engine sounded good and it shifted well.  It still does.  The house was in exceptional condition, for a 16 year old motorhome.  In 28,000 miles we had two hiccups.  The firs cost about $150.00.  The second was the black tank.  Because of the location I couldn't do it myself.  The tank was about $5-600.  The install was about $2,000.  It did not leak the first year which tells me an inspection would not have found the problem.  After we purchased it, I had the brakes checked.  Replaced the rear.  Purchased new tires, Koni shocks and had the emergency brake shoe replaced.  Replaced all fluids and belts and had the dash air looked at.  Probably spent $5,000.  But money well spent.  You can't buy an older rig and not expect things to go wrong.  But you need to have a few dollars in reserve.  For your peace of mind if nothing else. 

We've been looking at another motorhome for the past 2 years.  We've looked at both older and newer motorhomes.  We've gone back and forth between gas and diesel, slides or no slides and length.  While I'd like a 40 footer, the 33-34 foot motorhome just makes more sense.  One thing for sure, it will be another well used motorhome.  Condition is key.  If it looks good on the outside and is clean on the inside, chances are it was taken care of. 

 

[56safari]

Our logic was much like Gary's in buying our RV.  Didn't want to put a lot of $$ in before knowing if we would enjoy the experience.  Purchased a 1999 Rexhall 32 footer with one slide. Looked for unit that we liked and appeared to be well maintained.  During the last four and a half years of use - 15,000 miles of use and nearly a full year of occupied time - I have made only three repairs and all were what I consider routine maintenance.  Replaced the shower faucet, the coax cable to the antenna, and the holding tank dump valves for a grand total of less than $100. We have replaced the house batteries, but that is also routine. 

We replaced mattress and installed a flat screen TV but knew we would make those changes before we purchased.  I mentally added 20% to the actual purchase price for potential problems so I wouldn't be disappointed if something "big" happened soon after purchase.  Fortunately, that  did not happen.

The RV had new tires when we bought it, so our next decision point will probably be when it's time to replace the tires. Until then, the $$ saved by buying an older unit get to stay invested.  Not the newest or shiniest at the campground, but sure enjoy it!

 

[56safari]

A pic of the rexhall

 

[Curiosity]

THANKS to ALL of you who has replied.  I liked the Rexhall shes a good looking unit.

I was surprised that so many have the same idea.  I do have an idea as to what I am considering, and don't hate me, as expendable $$.  And some of the Class C or Bs that I have seen in that price range.  When I think about them I do consider worst case like mechanical, but I don't know about the House part.  How do you find good mechanics and house inspectors especially if the RV is out of town. 

 

[garyb1st]

  How do you find good mechanics and house inspectors especially if the RV is out of town.

Good question.  When traveling and need service, I've had good experience asking the management of an RV park for a referral.  Talk to one or two RV parks in the area where the RV is located.  They may know some good mechanics.  When we purchased an RV from a dealer a few years ago, the dealer used an independent inspector to do the PDI, pre-delivery inspection.  It's possible they could give you a few names.  Good luck. 

 

[scottydl]

Thanks for the support.  Looks like I will need to add a RV specialist to the team with the mechanic.

This is not necessarily true (although I know it can seem that way)... you just need to be prepared and know what you're looking at when checking out the rig.

Our first rig was a 1994 Class A motorhome, purchased by us in 2007 (so 13 years old at the time) for $12k.  Its NADA book value at the time was $16k-17k and the seller's original asking price was $14k.  I had researched and shopped for a solid year prior to purchasing, having joined this forum in 2006 and doing almost all my research here by asking TONS of questions and reading TONS of threads.  My only previous RV experience was camping with my grandparents as a kid (that's where I caught the RV bug!) and occasionally driving a 1980's Class C from one work site to another as an adult.

While I was no RV expert once purchase day arrived for my Class A, I felt pretty confident in checking out all of the components of the RV.  (P.S. Our forum library... see link at top of page... has tons of helpful articles for new buyers, used RV checklists, etc.)  I'd had two long (hour+) phone conversations and many e-mails with the seller, so I felt that I knew the history of the rig and the previous care/maintenance it had received. 

That is the main consideration with an older RV... how it was previously treated and maintained.  If it sat in a barn/yard/field/driveway for many years, chances are good that rubber/plastic parts (tires, belts, hoses, electrical connectors) can be brittle and worn out.  They may look okay at first, but are more subject to failure once the rig is thrown back into full service.  That's a primary reason why HIGH mileage on an older rig can actually be a better sign than LOW mileage.  At least you know the RV was used regularly, and didn't sit unmaintained for long periods of time.

High dollar items to check out on older RV's include the powertrain (engine/transmission), roof A/C, generator (if it has one), tires, and condition of roof + any signs of water leaks inside (water stains, soft spots on floors, separated wall seams, wrinkled wallpaper).  That doesn't mean there isn't more that can fail, but other things are probably more manageable/affordable.  If you have $12k and find what you want for $9k, keep the extra $3k in an "RV maintenance fund" for any costs/repairs that pop up... and they will. 

Our 1994 Class A served us well for many years, and resulted in many cherished family memories.  We took a 3-year break from RV ownership to pay down debt, and then saved up cash to buy another one (a 2008 travel trailer this time) to continue the much-loved family trend. 

 

[KandT]

I kept holding my breathe waiting for something to go wrong when we bought a 10 year old unit.  Only a few tiny problems and quite frankly I probably caused more damage/expense when I was sure something was wrong with it and ripped into fixing it whenever I just didn't know how to operate it.

We bought with no mechanic inspection - couldn't ask my mechanic to make the 6 hour round trip to look at her.  I needed to add antifreeze a few times when I first got it and made the mistake of looking it up on the internet.  I was sure they passed a blown head gasket onto me!  Must have been a bubble in the radiator because it hasn't used any in 1000 miles.  Previous owner had said he had it changed before he had it winterized but I was skeptical.

A good friend just paid $11,000 for a 31 foot 1999 Thor with no slides.  They have run it a lot this summer and had no problems at all.

Good luck - they are out there!

 

[German Shepherd]

I'm crazy too then,,Sunday Nov.27th  i bought a 1993 36' Fleetwood Pace Arrow Diesel Pusher,, 8.3 Cummins & Allison 6 speed with 40k miles on her. Its in great shape ,no delam, and owner recovered the seats and couch and put down an indestructible vinyl flooring ,,it needs maintenance , a through cleaning and some tlc but runs good. Hers a few pics,, see my next thread for in depth review of this rv. Did i get a good deal????

 

[NY_Dutch]

After years of tent and TT camping, our first real motorhome was a 1986 Toyota powered 21' Class C that needed a lot of work, both mechanically and for the "house". We bought it mainly as a project for me to work on immediately after retiring in 2005, so I wouldn't get bored I guess. About 6 months and $2000 later (We only paid $500 for it), it was far enough along to start camping. Over the next three years, we invested a couple of hundred more dollars in it along with enjoying the heck out of traveling in it all over the east coast. We sold the little coach for $4500, enough to recover every dime we'd put into it as well as most of our travel expenses on the road with it. The things we learned from doing the repairs and remodeling, as well as our travel experiences, showed us that we could do quite well buying older RV's as long as we knew what we were buying and that they were priced right for the condition. We've since bought a 1995 33' Class A in 2008 that we eventually used for 9-11 months a year before selling it just a few hundred less than we paid for it in 2014, shortly after buying a 2001 34' Class A at a private sale that needed almost no repair work, just a few minor items like a new awning fabric, restringing a couple of day/night shades, and replacing a missing flat screen TV. We have done a few hundred dollars worth of updates on it as well. I expect this one will last us a lot more years, and with both of us in our 70's, may well be our last RV. I guess my whole point is don't be afraid of buying older RV's, just make sure you know what you're buying and what your capabilities are for dealing any problems. Any older unit is likely to throw you a few unanticipated curve balls, but careful buying will minimize those.