Good Cheaper motorhomes

[Isaac-1]

My brother in law just bought a 37 ft 2002 model year diesel pusher with 2 slides from a dealer sight unseen 700 miles away for $15,000, and it appears to be in surprisingly good condition. Is it perfect, no, does it desperately need new tires, yes, but overall it looks good, has under 50,000 miles, furniture is in very good shape, no obvious signs of water leaks, it made it the 700 miles home so that says something. The vinyl graphics on the exterior are cracking and there are a few small dings, but overall it looks good from 40 ft away. Basically it appears to only need a new set of tires, and a new set of house batteries, plus a small amount of TLC to be travel ready (some of the plastic DC light fixtures are broken, the cargo compartment gas struts and some of the latches need replacing).

I am posting this just to let you know that one can still buy a functional diesel pusher for under $20K all in (including cost of new tires, batteries, etc)

 

[Kirk]

I am posting this just to let you know that one can still buy a functional diesel pusher for under $20K all in (including cost of new tires, batteries, etc)

While that may well be true, having bought it site unseen, traveling 700 miles is hardly proof that it was a bargain. I'll be hoping that you are right, but it needs a lot more to know for sure. If it were me, I would get an oil and transmission fluid analysis before either are replaced. I would plan to replace all rubber parts, not just the tires. If accurate, 50k miles should be in good condition but that would only be about 2100 miles per year. If sold by a dealer, there must be some reason for that price and to get a feel for what it should sell for, check out RV Trader for older motorhomes. Since he already owns it, speculation isn't very important, but I'd sure want to go through it completely before venturing very far from home. A blown diesel engine or transmission can be painfully expensive.

 

[Isaac-1]

Kirk I agree that buying something like this sight unseen without inspection is not the best move, though I did not find out about it until the deal was well underway and no one asked me. I also did not do a full inspection on it, I did take the NRVIA level 2 inspector course a few years back, life took other turns and I have never formally hung out a shingle. Though from a casual 1-2 hour walk through, looking in all the compartments and under most of the access covers I did not see anything that set off my alarm bells, though the propane water heater and refrigerator were showing a bit more rust than I would like to see under their access panels. I also don't claim that it managing a 700 mile drive is proof of engine condition, though I do take it as a sign that nothing was seriously wrong, ie engine got up to operating temperature, had no apparent issues, etc. (Engine appear to be a 330 HP Cat 3126, it is 1 year too old to have a C7)

As to the low price this may partly be due to its location, it was in Amarillo which I suspect is not a booming diesel pusher motorhome market. Also while its obvious issues with broken plastic light fixtures, and compartment door latches and gas struts are easy fixes for a DIY'er, if paying shop labor rates, fixing them before selling it along with replacing the dry rotting tires (cracks visible), might have significantly raised the price.

p.s. i guess I should mention it is a 2002 Fleetwood Discovery, so what I would call an entry to mid level DP of its era, lacking some of the "modern" features, ie no pass through storage, no multiplex system, propane furnace and water heater, (optional) 4 door Norcold fridge, and nose mounted 7.5KW onan generator, but not mounted on a slide out drawer, making generator service more difficult.

 

[bigb56]

I wonder if the same saying applies to diesel pushers as it does to Mercedes "There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes".

On the serious side I've seen some pretty nice diesel pushers for sale for what I thought was a low price and would be tempted if I had a place to park it at my house.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am pretty sure that applies to all motorhomes, though with this one my biggest concern is probably the now 23 year old TPO roof, even if it is not leaking now, how much longer will it last. Though that may just be my bias towards Fiberglass and Aluminum roofs (my 2002 Safari Trek has an Aluminum roof)

 

[Onyrlef]

I am pretty sure that applies to all motorhomes, though with this one my biggest concern is probably the now 23 year old TPO roof, even if it is not leaking now, how much longer will it last. Though that may just be my bias towards Fiberglass and Aluminum roofs (my 2002 Safari Trek has an Aluminum roof)

There's an '02 Fleetwood Discovery 37' with 120k miles on RV Trader for $42k. I'd say he did okay. Take into account too, an '02 is a cash and carry op. No one is going to carry a note on a 23 year old RV, so that makes them more difficult to sell. 50,000 miles on a Cummins Diesel is just getting broken in.

 

[SpencerPJ]

I wish him/them years of fantastic service at a bargain price. Many of us keep things in nice condition, and the next owner gets the benefit of an above average deal, and we rarely get above average selling prices. He has your knowledge and expertise. Hopefully you guys have some new travel partners, nothing better than brother and sister love around the campfire

 

[Onyrlef]

I wish him/them years of fantastic service at a bargain price. Many of us keep things in nice condition, and the next owner gets the benefit of an above average deal, and we rarely get above average selling prices. He has your knowledge and expertise. Hopefully you guys have some new travel partners, nothing better than brother and sister love around the campfire

I've been thinking about selling mine. Another pandemic frenzy would help.

 

[RV_Lee1]

I wonder if the same saying applies to diesel pushers as it does to Mercedes "There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes".

On the serious side I've seen some pretty nice diesel pushers for sale for what I thought was a low price and would be tempted if I had a place to park it at my house.

Older pre DEF diesel pushers must be a good buy because they're all that I see out when RVing. I might see the odd new Newmar or Tiffin but the vast majority are older Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Beaver, County Coach, Newmar from 20~ years ago.

 

[RayIN]

Some years ago a friend sold his DP on ebay. The buyer was in WA, buddy in IN. Everything was done from their respective homes.
Buyer flew to St. Joe and drove the MH to WA.
So yes, it is successfully done.

 

[Jubilee]

2002 virtually no emissions controls on diesel engine.
VERY big deal

 

[Kirk]

Also while its obvious issues with broken plastic light fixtures, and compartment door latches and gas struts are easy fixes for a DIY'er, if paying shop labor rates, fixing them before selling

No question that a lot of cosmetic damages will have a major impact on the price and how quickly it would sell. It sounds like he should have had you take a look too, so he missed an opportunity. Another factor could well be the difficulty in finding financing for a dealership sale. If it were me I'd still suggest that he get an oil & transmission fluid analysis as that can often tell you if things are on the verge of failure. I know a lot about RVs but a diesel mechanic I am not. If I were advising him the chassis would be my main concern, after the tires.

now 23 year old TPO roof,

If it is in as good a condition as you believe, it might be a good idea to look into one of the permanent, sprayed on roof materials. TPO is said to last between 20 & 30 years on an RV so it might not need to be replaced, but I'd examine it very closely and at least replace any caulking.