1987 Itasca 22RC feedback

[Pen Wize]

The house sold! Closing is June 7th! Ack! So, I went and took a look at a 1987 Class C Itasca 22RC. It has 34,000 original miles on it. Listed for $9995. One owner, a baseball youth team coach. He used it to travel to the games. Everything is the original inside, no leaks of any kind. I test drive it tomorrow. It is small and cute. I will need to check it out more thoroughly but even tires look rather new. No wear and tear that I can see. I found it on craigslist through looking for an RV tech. They specialize in repairing RV's. They are local and have a good reputation. I had contacted them to see about what it would cost for them to go through an RV for me checking it out. They do 200 (?, I think that is what they said) PSI. They said that takes about 3 hours and would cost $400. Does that sound right? 

When this RV was not used it was kept inside of a barn. Ok, what questions should I be asking? I have studied up on what to look for in terms of sponging floors, signs of leaks in cabinets etc. It is Chevy. Feedback would be great. 
Thank you!

 

[shadow]

One of the first questions I would ask, is when was the last time the roof was checked and re-sealed ?.

Look under the over the cab bed cushions, if there is a leak the water likes to collect there and rot out the wood.
Even if its been kept in a barn, check it anyway.

Make sure everything works, start the generator, run the A/C, make sure the water heater works, make sure the heater works, check the fridge and make sure it gets cold, make sure the stove works, make sure the water pump and all faucets work, make sure the toilet works and does not leak.

On the chassis, check all of the tires for cracking and tread wear. Ask when was the last time it was serviced and what was done ?.
Test drive it and see how it handles on the road, make sure it doesn`t wander and tracks straight.
Ask when was the last time the brakes were checked or replaced.

That's all I can think of right now, but it should give you a place to start.

 

[rvpopeye]

See if they can turn the fridge on 24 hrs in advance.
They take a long time to get to temp.
And check the DOT date codes on the tires.(5-7years is old no matter how the tires "look".

 

[GotSmart]

If you are planing on going on the road with a 40 year old vehicle, you need to be able to check things out yourself.  

1987 with 34K miles ~~~

Gas mileage and motor.  

Check tire dates If it is more than 5 years old ~~~ 

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

Check the rubber parts on hoses and fittings.  Squeeze parts and look for cracks.  Any cracked item will need to be replaced.

Run your hand lightly over the tires.  If there is anything but an even smooth surface, it needs an alignment at the least, and expensive rebuilding at the worst.  Sometimes the tires are rotated to hide this problem.  ASK QUESTIONS! 

Buy a moisture meter.  This will tell you if something is leaking behind a wall, cieling or floor.   

http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-..._8903vry57826_pcrid_73529852758671_pkw__pmt__

Crawle under, and look at things.  Flexible parts on the brake line at the wheel.  Look for cracks.  Look for damage, scrape marks, bent parts.  Anything that does not look perfect.  If there is a buildup of greasy crud, or it has recently been powerwashed ~~~ 

If it passes so far, have the owner show you how things work.  TAKE NOTES.  

Service records, if the AT has not been serviced, it is way over due.  After 30 years parts break down when sitting in patrolium products. 

Anything you buy unless factory new (No guarentee see Serenity thread) will need at least 30% of the cost invested to make it safe for the road. 

Now that $400 inspection is looking better ~~~ Call around and ask.  Some places will lie to you so you hire them to fix things.  Never get things repaired at the same place as inspected at.  Look up the shop on Google to see their ratings.

 

[Gary68]

dont have to ask much but listen to what the inspector says,$400 a little high but rv techs are"special"

if you can hangout in it for a while,sit in the driver's seat and bathroom for a while,see how everything fits you

 

[user 37446]

Hepcat replied to you on the other thread (CL help) much the same as GotSmart. While most any well regarded shop can inspect all of the mechanicals (chassis), it takes an RV tech to determine the condition of the "house" systems. 

Do you have an RV owning friend you could take along for the drive and the walk-around inspection prior to committing to the $400? That might be a good first check.

I differ slightly with GS when he states that you should never get work done where it is inspected. Sound advice if you just close your eyes and pick a shop, but not necessarily true for one that is well regarded and reviewed. Same as any tradesman, plumber, electrician etc. I know of a couple shops locally that I have no concerns with. AAA award winners for 10 years in a row speaks something to me for honesty. Use the rating services in your area to check!

Shadow and rvpopeye's advice also accurate. The roof and any water damage possibilities are critical. Rust kills vehicle frames and water kills the house part. Watch a couple YouTube videos on how to look for water damage, some are scary, but real life!

In general, I'm not a fan of something quite that old, however there are some gems out there. Just remember that anything rubber, as well as seals, degrade when 30 years old, barn stored or not. That baseball coach sure didn't drive to many games if that's all he used it for... :huh:

 

[SoulRaven]

I wouldn't pay that much, so I went to NADA.com and 22RC is not listed for that year as a Class C, but as a Class A. Need to figure out which it is as something is amiss. I never take "options" to mean anything on an older RV as most of them are something that needs to be replaced, if they have something newer that is replaced, that is worth taking into consideration.

Average retail is $10,300 for my zip code, low is $8550. Very low mileage is not a positive in an older vehicle and neither is "all original". Stored in a barn? I would look closely for rodent damage. Tires will run $1,000+ to replace. At a minimum, the A/C will probably need a recharge. Check for "nests" of all sorts in outside compartments. Look for rust everywhere, a barn may have been drawing quite a bite of moisture. Also, I wonder when the last time was that it was ran.

It should be super clean, unless someone was living in it, sometimes with lower mileage if they look quite used on the inside, people have been living in them. Beware of smells that you don't care for as it can be difficult to impossible to remove them depending on what they are. Look for pet stains! Ask to see maintenance records.

Have you seen anything else in your area to compare this to? Also, many people are not truthful, so trust your instincts.

 

[tx2sturgis]

All great advice here, I will add a couple of items. I owned a Chevrolet 1987 Class A Itasca for 16 years, I have some knowledge of them.

In addition to all of the checks mentioned, after the test drive, be sure to leave the engine idling, in park, and parking brake set. Bend down and look for leaks. Get on your hands and knees and really look. (take a piece of cardboard to kneel on) Let them SEE you looking under there. Don't be shy about it. If you see anything dripping, point it out to them.

A little clear water dripping from the exhaust, muffler, or the AC condenser is fine, but you dont want to see engine coolant (red or yellow colored) or blackish oil dripping. Look at the shock-absorbers, make sure they look good, no oil leaks.

Also, listen for exhaust leaks, you can hear that up near the engine, underneath. It will sound like a fairly loud 'chuffing' sound. In most states, an exhaust leak will be a reason to fail the state inspection if your state has one.

Make sure the electric engine fans come on with the AC. A class C chassis might not have these but the Class A chassis (called a P30) WILL have them.

Open the access door to the propane tank and look over the fittings. You will probably see some light surface rust, which is OK, but major rust is a big problem. Look at the gauge on the tank if there is one, and make sure it is not empty, which would mean the lines either have leaked, or the tank is completely empty and might have moisture or was declined a fill due to leaks or age.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Pen Wize]

One of the first questions I would ask, is when was the last time the roof was checked and re-sealed ?.

Look under the over the cab bed cushions, if there is a leak the water likes to collect there and rot out the wood.
Even if its been kept in a barn, check it anyway.

Make sure everything works, start the generator, run the A/C, make sure the water heater works, make sure the heater works, check the fridge and make sure it gets cold, make sure the stove works, make sure the water pump and all faucets work, make sure the toilet works and does not leak.

On the chassis, check all of the tires for cracking and tread wear. Ask when was the last time it was serviced and what was done ?.
Test drive it and see how it handles on the road, make sure it doesn`t wander and tracks straight.
Ask when was the last time the brakes were checked or replaced.

That's all I can think of right now, but it should give you a place to start.

That is very helpful and will do! I have realized this one will be too small for small and I need something bigger. My sons, ages 18 and soon to be 20 will be with me on the road sometimes.

 

[Pen Wize]

I wouldn't pay that much, so I went to NADA.com and 22RC is not listed for that year as a Class C, but as a Class A.  Need to figure out which it is as something is amiss.  I never take "options" to mean anything on an older RV as most of them are something that needs to be replaced, if they have something newer that is replaced, that is worth taking into consideration.

Average retail is $10,300 for my zip code, low is $8550.  Very low mileage is not a positive in an older vehicle and neither is "all original".  Stored in a barn?  I would look closely for rodent damage.  Tires will run $1,000+ to replace.  At a minimum, the A/C will probably need a recharge.  Check for "nests" of all sorts in outside compartments.  Look for rust everywhere, a barn may have been drawing quite a bite of moisture.  Also, I wonder when the last time was that it was ran.

It should be super clean, unless someone was living in it, sometimes with lower mileage if they look quite used on the inside, people have been living in them.  Beware of smells that you don't care for as it can be difficult to impossible to remove them depending on what they are.  Look for pet stains!  Ask to see maintenance records.  

Have you seen anything else in your area to compare this to?  Also, many people are not truthful, so trust your instincts.

Thank you, I went over there yesterday and got down on the ground and looked underneath it, only one thing had rust on it, everything surprisingly pristine as in not rust! I opened all of the cabinets and pulled off the cushions looking for signs of leaks, found nothing. The only place on the whole thing that had moisture was an outside storage compartment. I even climbed up the latter and a good look at the roof, nothing that I could see that was a problem there either, in fact, it looked new. I drove it and the brakes felt spongy and there is some play in the steering wheel, also I could not see out as well as I would like as the windshield is not tall. (Hard to explain, but I can see myself at lights having to bend my head down and peer out to see the light changed, that is a downer) Sadly, though,  I had major anxiety dreams over this rig on the weekend. It is just too small. My boys (18 and soon to be 20 will be traveling with me sometimes) plus one large dog (Pitt and German Shepard mix) and a cat). I am feeling more confident about looking over and examining these things.

 

[Pen Wize]

All great advice here, I will add a couple of items. I owned a Chevrolet 1987 Class A Itasca for 16 years, I have some knowledge of them.

In addition to all of the checks mentioned, after the test drive, be sure to leave the engine idling, in park, and parking brake set. Bend down and look for leaks. Get on your hands and knees and really look. (take a piece of cardboard to kneel on) Let them SEE you looking under there. Don't be shy about it. If you see anything dripping, point it out to them.

A little clear water dripping from the exhaust, muffler, or the AC condenser is fine, but you dont want to see engine coolant (red or yellow colored) or blackish oil dripping. Look at the shock-absorbers, make sure they look good, no oil leaks.

Also, listen for exhaust leaks, you can hear that up near the engine, underneath. It will sound like a fairly loud 'chuffing' sound. In most states, an exhaust leak will be a reason to fail the state inspection if your state has one.

Make sure the electric engine fans come on with the AC. A class C chassis might not have these but the Class A chassis (called a P30) WILL have them.

Open the access door to the propane tank and look over the fittings. You will probably see some light surface rust, which is OK, but major rust is a big problem. Look at the gauge on the tank if there is one, and make sure it is not empty, which would mean the lines either have leaked, or the tank is completely empty and might have moisture or was declined a fill due to leaks or age.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Wow, this is really helpful! I was wondering what to look for in terms of leaks and how would I know is bad.Now I know! Thank you so much. I never would never have known what to check for around the propane tank, the exhaust, and AC. You rock!

 

[rvpopeye]

If you can't see traffic lights just don't stop so close.
Cross that concern off the list.

It will be a plus when driving towards the sun too.

 

[tx2sturgis]

If you can't see traffic lights just don't stop so close.
Cross that concern off the list.

It will be a plus when driving towards the sun too.

And she can always stick a little convex 'blind spot' mirror on the top of the dash...