Buying an older rv

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Puahapa

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Joined
Jan 30, 2013
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13
Hello everyone!

So I am wanting to purchase a RV.  My lady and I are younger and in the military so we don't need all the fancy pants stuff.  We just want a mobile box with bed, shower, toilet, fridge, kitchenette.  We need something for burning man and to park at the bottom of the mountain so we don't have to spend $200 a night on hotels when we go skiing.  I found one that is for sale ($5200) across the country and I was going to have a RV repair shop in that area look at it.  When I called them they said that they don't inspect anything older then 1995 models.  I was told that RVs age in dog years and that something that old is going to have lots of problems and that it is going to be very expensive.  She told me that I should try to buy something after 1995 to avoid that problem.  Is this true?  Is this a standard belief/truth in the community?

The prospective RV is a 1987 Shasta Revere Class C.

Thanks
-K
 

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There is no standard belief/truth about anything the RV community except that it is fun.

Buying an RV sight unseen on the other side of the country is not a very good idea, and I am being polite here. RV ads are sometimes very misleading. You really need to drive it and inspect it yourself before putting any money it an inspection. Yes, old RVs can be very expensive to own. If you buy an old RV for $5200 plan on putting at least than amount into it to make it usable. You need to do a lot local shopping to see exactly what you get for that kind of money.
 
Welcome to the Forum!

Like Tom says, buying a used RV is high adventure anyway, especially cross country. I like his advice about shopping around locally to see what the money buys. It's worth your time to look hard and often.

There are lots of threads here on the experience of others. Your goal is admirable; the execution is where the fun is.

Enjoy your search!
 
You're right, buying sight unseen isnt the greatest idea.  The rv is loacted a couple of hours of where I grew up and where my family is, just not where I am currently.  I was planning on having my family go check it out and if I purchased it, have them bring it to the house until I can come retrieve it.  Does this assuage some concerns you all have?  Or am I still missing it?

-K
 
Puahapa said:
Hello everyone!

So I am wanting to purchase a RV.  My lady and I are younger and in the military so we dont need all the fancy pants stuff.  We just want a mobile box with bed, shower, toilet, fridge, kitchenette.  We need something for burning man and to park at the bottom of the mountain so we dont have to spend $200 a night on hotels when we go skiing.

Welcome

I found one that is for sale ($5200) across the country and I was going to have a rv repair shop in that area look at it.

There is a good deal of added expense and risk in purchasing a distant RV.  Unless you are a collector specifically seeking out a particular rig, it doesn't make sense to run a nationwide search for a low-dollar RV.  I would suggest finding something local.

When I called them they said that they dont inspect anything older then 1995 models.  I was told that rv's age in dog years and that something that old is going to have lots of problems and that it is going to be very expensive.  She told me that I should try to buy something after 1995 to avoid that problem.  Is this true?  Is this a standard belief/truth in the community?

It depends a great deal on care, maintenance, use, and storage.  I have a pickup camper that was made in 1971 that I bought a year ago.  It has been carefully maintained over the years by its various owners, and has been stored inside, and used only occasionally.  But it has an aluminum shell and is a brand with a reputation for longevity.

There are a number of very serious problems that can afflict older RVs:

1) Leaks, allowing entry of rain, causing rot and mildew.  Thorough repair usually requires, at a minimum, caulking the leak itself, replacing carpet, and replacing rotted floor sections.  In some cases wall and ceiling components can be damaged and require replacement.  If structural components are affected, they may have to replaced as well.

2) Back maintenance.  If there are multiple repairs left undone, they can add up to more than the RV is worth.  The most expensive items are usually tires, refrigerator, furnace, and air conditioning.

3) Chassis maintenance.  This is the "truck" portion of the motorhome.  With something from 1987 you will run into parts availability problems and are dealing with a carbureted engine and R-12 air conditioning.  As with any truck or van from this era you can go through thousands of dollars in steering, suspension, brake, engine, transmission, and cooling system work.

 
Puahapa said:
You're right, buying sight unseen isnt the greatest idea.  The rv is loacted a couple of hours of where I grew up and where my family is, just not where I am currently.  I was planning on having my family go check it out and if I purchased it, have them bring it to the house until I can come retrieve it.  Does this assuage some concerns you all have?  Or am I still missing it?

If someone with at least a little bit of mechanical know-how looks at it you can find out whether it's a basket case.  Have them check:

1) Age/condition of tires.  $1500+
2) Any mold or musty odor when first walking in.  Indicates presence of leaks, $2500+
3) Mileage.  Class Cs of this vintage are coming close to engine overhaul ($2500+) or transmission overhaul ($4000+) time once they hit 90,000 miles, unless these repairs have been performed recently.
4) Driving the RV at highway speed, are there braking problems ($1000) or steering problems ($1500)?  (If the RV isn't drivable it probably isn't worth considering at that price)
5) Does the dash air conditioning work ($2500)?

If you're still interested at that point you can have someone who knows RVs look at it.
 
Puahapa said:
Does this assuage some concerns you all have?  Or am I still missing it?
Not a bit. You are still missing it. There are thousands of RVs available for purchase in the US. Most RV buyers typically spend a few months of intensive shopping to find a suitable RV. I can just about guarantee you that buying that RV will be a disaster. You need to shop locally and drive a number of RVs before spending money. Do your research first.
 
Having family go check it out isn't the worst idea, and solves part of the distance problem, but what you should be hearing (and will hear more of) are the many things that make up good and bad deals on motorhomes. $5200 isn't all the money in the world, but it's that much less you have if you make a poor decision that could have been spent on something more suitable after a little shopping.

This is a buyer's market and patience and research are highly rewarded. There are lot of frogs out there; we're saying kiss a few 'til you find one you like, but having kissed a few  will make you much happier in the long run.  8)

It's not a science, more of an adventure!

 
Thanks everyone for the input.  I will take it all and put some thinking on it.

I just got off the phone with the guy, he seemed nice enough.  I asked about inspections, maintenance, etc.. and he told me he had it inspected and then fixed everything himself.  Then he also told me he had an external generator that he blew up when he tried to run his ac.  I know im new to this, but im gonna say those are bad signs, right?

Thanks again
-k
 
Is this plan because you're a short timer in the military, don't want to drive it across the country when you get out? Maybe keep saving and wait till you're home? Newer model possible that way?
It took me nearly a year of looking and learning how to look to keep from being snookered. Still had surprises, most were surprisingly cheap easy fixes for electrical issues. It helps to be handy around cars and trucks. If you've done brakes, alternators, and such on cars and pick up's, you can save a boatload doing your own chassis maintenance/repairs.
It's fun going to look at rv's, we didn't look for private sellers at first as we had no intention of buying yet. We found older rv's at used car lots and practiced looking at them that way. We always told the dealer we were just starting our search and weren't anywhere near ready to buy. Every one of them was good with that. Some left us alone to look, some were helpful with questions about rv systems in general. We enjoyed the process of searching forums like this one to learn things to look out for, how to spot them and putting them to practice. Picture a couple of 50 something year old kids all giddy with excitement when discovering some delamination, or dry rotted inner tires on the duals.

I was typing when you posted about genny. Yes, bad sign. Yes, good practice. Keep looking and learning.
 
We're just concerned about you getting stuck with a money pit....maybe one you can't get out from under. There are an abundance of RV's for sale nationwide....a quick perusal of Craigslist should net you a plethora of used units to choose from in your area.  Maybe find an RV owner who's willing to go with you if you buy them lunch....could be the best $30 or so you could spend. 

I reiterate....this is not an area for the unseasoned to buy sight unseen. 
 
We spent 2 years looking for ours - we bought a 1988 that had the floorplan that the DW liked (I didn't at the time, but she convinced me).  We bought it, lived in it, and replaced things as we could.  We love it now and wouldn't trade it for any reason - we made her what we wanted.  You can do the same with some forethought and reservations. 
Good luck - I hope you do as well as we have.
 
driftless shifter said:
Is this plan because you're a short timer in the military, don't want to drive it across the country when you get out? Maybe keep saving and wait till you're home? Newer model possible that way?
It took me nearly a year of looking and learning how to look to keep from being snookered. Still had surprises, most were surprisingly cheap easy fixes for electrical issues. It helps to be handy around cars and trucks. If you've done brakes, alternators, and such on cars and pick up's, you can save a boatload doing your own chassis maintenance/repairs.
It's fun going to look at rv's, we didn't look for private sellers at first as we had no intention of buying yet. We found older rv's at used car lots and practiced looking at them that way. We always told the dealer we were just starting our search and weren't anywhere near ready to buy. Every one of them was good with that.

No, I'm not a short timer.  I'm ten years in and half way to retirement.  I'm moving to Colorado and I would use this for outings in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.

That was another question i had about this rv adventure. I like to believe I'm pretty handy. When it comes to home repair I do it myself.  The biggest project I've done was pulling up a tile floor and laying a wood floor down.  I also enjoys woodworking.  I don't really mess with vehicles though.  But I would be willing to take classes if it would save me money.  I guess my question would be, is the "home" portion of a motor home a do it your self type of thing?  Or is it something that requires specific tools unique to rvs?

I would hazzard a guess that the chassis portion of it is similar to any other type of vehicular maintenance. Would that be correct?

Last question, is it realistic to think that I could drive a away in an rv, ready to park it on everest and slay dragons for under ten thousand?

Thanks again
-k
 
What do you currently drive?  Have you considered a travel trailer.  If you drive something capable of pulling a TT or you were willing to swap for a suitable tow vehicle, you might come closer to meeting your budget restraints.  Plus, you would have a way to get around while you are camping without having to break camp.  Since your camping needs and frequency seem to be fairly modest, this might be the easiest way to go where the dragons are.
 
Molaker said:
What do you currently drive?  Have you considered a travel trailer.  If you drive something capable of pulling a TT or you were willing to swap for a suitable tow vehicle, you might come closer to meeting your budget restraints.  Plus, you would have a way to get around while you are camping without having to break camp.  Since your camping needs and frequency seem to be fairly modest, this might be the easiest way to go where the dragons are.

I drive a faux suv. It looks like one but I would be surprised if it could pull a rickshaw.  I will look into swapping my ride for something more suitable to pulling a tt.  Any suggestions as to where to start?
 
Puahapa said:
I drive a faux suv. It looks like one but I would be surprised if it could pull a rickshaw.  I will look into swapping my ride for something more suitable to pulling a tt.  Any suggestions as to where to start?
Actually, if you are serious about pulling a TT then do your TT shopping and when you find what you want, see what it will take to pull it.  But, you initial post on your RV requirements could mean a decent pickup or full-size SUV would fill the bill.  Check out TTs and when you find something you like, take the GVWR of the TT and look for a tow vehicle that can handle it.  If you post your actual findings, I'm sure you will get some very good and experienced advice here from those who know.
 
Tools for rv chassis work increase in size as the wheels and tires increase in size. 3/8'' and 1/2'' drive socket wrenches for tt and class C with combo wrenchs up to 1'' maybe bigger. Class A gassers maybe the same with some needed big 1/2 in drive sockets and bigger than 1'' combo wrenches. If you get into a class A DP you have to get big stuff, 3/4'' drive socket set and 1'' plus size combo wrenchs. If you have done some repairs on old school rear drive American cars whatever you learned still pretty much applies. Brakes and suspension components are bigger with more room to work. Use appropriate size jacks and jack stands. Use plywood pads under jacks in dirt and under jack stands on anything but solid concrete. A jack stand will sink through pavement even in winter and pretty rapidly in summer heat. I never work with both axles on stands, and if it is doable,only one wheel up at a time. When it's on stands I'll leave a jack holding a bit of the weight for added stability. Give the rig a couple shoves to check stability before going underneath. Pay attention to rv stability when honking on a fastener to break loose or tighten. 

Bill
 
Any old, $5000 RV is going to be an adventure, but is certainly not beyond what a handy guy can manage. Just don't spend our last dime on it, cause it is going to need TLC and money soon, if not immediately. It certainly looks clean, but RV pictures rarely tell all, or even most of the story. And $5k isn't cheap for a 1987, though its not out of range if in good shape. $3500 is probably more typical.

A Class C motorhome like that is basically a van with a house "box" replacing the cargo area. RV houses are a lot different than residential, but nothing really difficult. You need to be handy with electrical (12v and 120v). We can usually help with the tech stuff, though.

Does anybody in your family know much about RVs? If not, having them look it over isn't going to help much. Old RVs nearly always have water leaks and the C type often has problem s where the cabover meets the cab. Leaks can cause a lot of damage, often hidden (mold, rotted wood in the walls, etc). Tires, appliances, plumbing, fridge, etc are all suspect in an old rig like this. If it has always been well-cared for, it may be in good shape, but after 35 years, who knows? Also, a 1987 motorhome is going to get terrible fuel mileage - maybe 6-7 mpg.

In the RV Forum Library there are checklists on buying a used RV.
 

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