So, we just got back from Billings around 7 PM MT, Friday, after an extravehicular activity of a duration of about 11 hours, including three hours in transit, an hour-and-a-half on-site, and the remainder celebrating with linner/lupper at Golden Corral (but, the ribs special didn't start until 4 PM ... grrrRRR!!!), gathering vittles and dry goods in the Mart of Wal (including perusing the RV, auto, and camping aisles), acquiring fuel, and visiting the KOA where we will be spending most of June with whatever we wind up buying.
OK, so, it's a July, 1995, vintage Damon Challenger 315 (on a chassis completed in March, 1995) as verified by an additional stamped metal foil label below the vehicle info label that contains the VIN, etc. 315 was also painted in black to the left of the door in about 3/4-inch numerals. It's definitely coming up on 24 years old, but, it's in very reasonable shape, all things considered. It started right up after sitting since August, 2018, reflecting a new chassis battery as of about a year ago. The front tires are new as of then also, and the rear dualies are gently used, with all six tires having manufacturing dates less than two years ago.
The engine is in the front, which I wasn't expecting because there were no photos posted showing the access hump between the front chairs. I'd downloaded and been looking at what must have been a (red) P30 chassis manual for diesel pushers. The documents package includes a green P30 chassis manual with the equivalent info for the fuel-injected 454 Chevy engine, transmission, and rearward drive train.
I couldn't get under the MH because it's parked on a grass field that's a bit marshy, being downslope of what, until recently, was frosty white snow-covered sandstone cliffs and hills. It will be moved next week to his vehicle sales site in downtown Billings, and it will be made available to an RV mechanic in an appropriately-equipped garage. I was able to verify the integrity of all of the electrical and electronic circuits, including those associated with the engine and environmental components.
After the instantaneous start, the engine purred like a well-oiled kitten (with very large paws, body and mouth full of very large, sharp teeth). I exercised all of the controls that could be when not moving, and the rest will be checked when the mechanic does his thing. I was able to run the cab and front roof air conditioner, but, the rear A/C unit can only be run from the generator (or shore power?), so, that will be tested when the mechanic gets hold of it. Likewise, I couldn't test the city water plumbing due to the remote location, but, the owner did fire up the fresh water pump and demonstrate successful full flow to the sinks and shower from the fresh water tank. There was no odor from the gray or black water tanks, which had been fully flushed (and apparently, no poo pyramid!). The gray/black water tanks drain hose and adapter were there and in excellent condition (probably replaced a few years ago).
The roof is in outstanding condition, with no visible cracks in the rubber anywhere - I could barely tell where the seams are across the roof where the underlying plywood sheets are butted together. The edge sealant is fully integral, although it's clear that it's been redone at least once, and will bear checking annually to ensure continued viability. A water spray test will be done to ensure that highway-speed rain can't penetrate anywhere coming from the front. The vent has a weather shield large enough to allow the pivoting vent to open completely, although there's no fan in the vent, which seemed odd. I didn't see any wiring that could power a fan, but, I didn't get a chance to look closely to see if wires are tucked away in the vent frame.
The appliances all work (that could be powered by a battery and AC inverter), except that the Original Flavor glass standard definition TV above and between the driver and passenger seats didn't turn on, and I couldn't tell if the fridge was operable without running the generator, connecting to shore power, or turning on the propane tank. The generator is a Kohler 5 KW model that was installed a few years ago by the owner that actually has about 290 hours on it, not around 45. We didn't start it because the mechanic will be testing auto-switching between shore and generator power. The house batteries were replaced about three years ago when the dealer/owner acquired the MH, and seemed to be able to power their loads without any problem.
The fiberglass exterior has been exposed to the Sun and weather for the past three years of the current owner's possession, so, it's very slightly chalking. I've brought boats and TTs with fiberglass exteriors back to a glistening shine with the appropriate polishes/waxes, which will also greatly slow degradation of the outer surfaces. There are chipped edges of the fairings around the wheels, but, none of the straight fiberglass panels with butted-edge seam strips showed any damage or leaking. There isn't a single square mm of leakage evidence throughout the MH, including inside cabinets, around A/C units, in the shower and toilet/sink areas, down interior or exterior walls, around windows, etc., and there's no hint of mold or mildew, either.
The cabinets and all wood panels and trim are in amazing shape, as they've not been worn or sun-bleached. The owner has a couple of young kids, and there's no trace of the several trips per year that they make of several hours long on each leg. The carpeting is another story - I don't know if the owner plans to do anything about it, but there are obvious stains wherever the carpeting transitions from vinyl flooring. We may replace it to maintain the sound-absorbing properties, as well as the comfort factor, but probably not with the light blue that it currently is. That's probably a reflection of the tastes of Grandpa and Grandma, who kept their tootsies nice and clean coming in from outside.
The auto-steps at the door were damaged when they were dragged while in the down position, so, that's another "Oops!" that needs to be repaired/replaced.
The owner responded when asked that no one else had expressed any interest in the MH, and, in fact, he and the wife don't really want to sell it, but, financial conditions are dictating that it must be sold. He's in his mid-to-late 30s, and it appears the growing family is squeezing time and money for use of the MH. He's a decent guy, for a used vehicle salesman, and was forthright about things that aren't 100%, and didn't jabber any marketing blather, possibly because I at least sound like I know what I'm doing (HA!!!) ;D
I told him I'm seriously interested in it, with the final decision and offer subject to what the mechanic finds or doesn't find after the inspection and testing with city water and shore/generator power. He said that he'll take it off the website and is willing to wait for payment until I start receiving my research stipends this Summer. Barring some latent fatal flaw, I think we've found our Shangri-La, Mobile Edition.
He's put a significant amount of money into it, but, that was necessary in order to get and keep it on the road. I'll be adding my own contributions, that I hope won't overlap much with his "investments".
It's now real and, while there are warts (barring any serious ones discovered in the full inspection), they can be lived with where they're not critical, and a small number will need to be addressed sooner, rather than later, but, not this month. We're cautiously optimistic and went over to the KOA on the Yellowstone River where we'll be staying in June to ensure that the spot we'd reserved a couple of months ago is long enough for the Challenger. They did have to shift our reservation over and there was still room, but, if we'd waited much longer, we might have been out of luck
This is looking like a small dream come true, and finding it was a total fluke, as we had been looking for a tow vehicle when this popped up as the first listing for a vehicle between $10,000 and $15,000 on the owner/dealer's website. Sometimes, The Man Upstairs just laughs out loud at our ridiculous plans, and has his own idea what's best for us!
