'75 Winnebago

[Imladris]

I'm going to check out a 75 winnebago asap. Any thoughts on what I should be checking for? I have very little info on it right now. A friend of mine owned it for a short time before it got towed. He doesn't care about it anymore, so I could get it for the price of towing and storage. Unfortunately, this friend doesn't really know anything about it either, but it has been stored for just over a month at this point, and I think it should be about $1000 to claim it.

 

[cyndi]

<FONT size=3>Check floors, walls and ceiling for soft spots and water stains especially around window and vents</FONT><br><FONT size=3></FONT>&nbsp;<br><FONT size=3>check under carriage storage for soft spots and and evidence of leaks</FONT><br><br><br>

 

[4x4tour]

Rachel,<br><br>Good info from Cyndi.&nbsp; Check to make sure the parking brake works. Take off the doghouse and listen for start-up knocks, and then warm noises (shouldn't be much...lol).&nbsp; Look at both sides of the radiator for leakage, bottom of the engine etc... Aside from having it inspected, you're kinda going on sight... Check the roof areas for leaks/mold. <br><br>Good luck<br><br>

 

[VanTramp]

Pay &nbsp;close attention to the tires too. 6 new tires can set you back quite a bit. Also, if you are going planning to use the LP system, take a good look at the tank to make sure it isn't rusted too badly and is up to standards. If too many of these types of things are problematic with it, even starting with a free RV, it doesn't take long to add up to the cost of a newer, cleaner rig.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Good luck, I hope it does work out for you either way <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div>

 

[cyndi]

<FONT size=3>For future reference I carried this checklist with me, when going to look at RVs</FONT><br><A href="http://changingears.com/rv-checklist-inspection.shtml" target=_blank>http://changingears.com/rv-checklist-inspection.shtml</A><br>

 

[Dust of the Sun]

This might be a good time to revisit the issue of 1970's RV's with regard to ALL RUBBER rotting out...I've been told if I'm not mechanically inclined (and I'm not) that I should stay away from 70s era RVs.....and that all rubber fittings everywhere should be replaced...so maybe one of the more knowledgeable members here might point out where all to look at the condition of rubber throughout the rv. Obviously you might find one where some skilled owner has meticulously replaced all this but this particular motorhome doesn't sound like it.&nbsp; How far off am I here?? Dust<br>

 

[Vanimal]

I agree with Dust of the Sun. Old RV's are just that. Old. I'm a big fan of avacado green but breaking down in the middle of nowhere is NOT fun. Even if minor things break it can be a hassle if your not carrying the proper tools and parts to fix it.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Check out this Jamboree my brother bought about 5 months ago. 1994. Paid $4,000. Everything works great and it's really clean and nice.</div><div><br></div><div>

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[Imladris]

Heh, I found that site too. I think I'm going to hold out for a trailer. I'd rather have a trailer so I dont have to worry about an rv motor and I can leave it parked whilst I am running errands.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif"><FONT size=3><b>On a trailer.</b>&nbsp; <b>I have noticed the small ones sell fast on craigslist. If you go small and don't like it or need something else, you should be able to resell it easily. My 2 cents, no pop up. To hard for one person.</b></FONT><br><b><FONT color=#33ff00 size=4>Dragonfly</FONT></b><br>

 

[Seraphim]

Carburetters. Pain in the neck...

Any MH of the 70s will have one. Except a diesel of course.

 

[sputnik]

Living in a 1971 Winnie here. &nbsp;Great advice from the others. &nbsp;More than rotting rubber there is also rotting plastic, rotting caulk, rotting sealing everywhere, heck, it's all rotten. &nbsp;It's been around for forty years! &nbsp;If it's soft or sensitive to UV, it MUST be replaced. &nbsp;How do you replace all this stuff? &nbsp;More than the cost of materials (they aren't too bad really, few hundred bucks not counting major appliances) is LOTS &amp; LOTS of time and elbow grease, you can't afford what someone would charge, that means YOUR elbow grease. &nbsp;If I had it to do over again I'd go for something newer. &nbsp;I love my Winnie now, but it took alot to get her to this point. &nbsp;And I still have some mechanical stuff left to do, yuck. &nbsp;One cool thing though, because everything was replaced/resealed/re-everything'ed, don't have to worry about nickel &amp; dime stuff now for a long time. &nbsp;Because I did it myself for myself and looked in every crack &amp; dark corner and left NO stone unturned, don't have to fret about it, I know it's all right. &nbsp;And a lot is very custom, couldn't buy one this way.<div>Anyhow, I responded to a similar question recently with a more detailed description:&nbsp;<a href="https://vanlivingforum.com/post?70s-era-RVs-opinions-experience-advice-5344586&amp;trail=45" target="_blank">https://vanlivingforum.com/post?70s-era-RVs-opinions-experience-advice-5344586&amp;trail=45</a></div><div>Oh, about the tires too. &nbsp;Almost surely they are too old, doesn't matter how they "look". &nbsp;I think legally you have to replace them every 7 years (although I can't believe it could be enforced), I know for sure they are only safe for 7 years. &nbsp;They are protected from ozone, etc. by sacrificial materials and after 7 years those materials are ... gone. &nbsp;Try about $180 x 7 (don't forget that spare!). &nbsp;Of course, this could be an issue with anything more than 7 years old.</div><div>I'm not going 60mph down the highway without a complete replacement of ALL brake parts in this bread truck/kite/oversized ice chest (pick one). &nbsp;Roughly $650 if I do all the work myself.</div><div>1 thing though blkjak, I'm a member of classicwinnebagos.com. &nbsp;Some of the folks there claim 9-10mpg (wooo), they say if you keep your foot out of it and relax &amp; enjoy the drive @ 50mph it does the trick. &nbsp;And really, the newer ones aren't much better, about the same. &nbsp;Oh, that's with the 318/360's though <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div><div>Alot of these concerns are going to be there with anything more than a few years old, the difference is it ain't a mystery with the '70's box. &nbsp;It's a certainty. &nbsp;Saves you the trouble of looking <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">