class c 1984-1991 58,000 miles

[georgic]

:dodgy:
so I am looking at three class c's today
ford econoline 1988 58,000
Jamboree 1991 don't know miles yet
coachman Leprechaun 1984 57,000 miles

how can I tell what are high miles on an RV??  nadaguides didn't say anything.
anyone have any watch out for's??

 

[JD GUMBEE]

A hammered on engine in a large RV (meaning one that lived climbing mountains) on non synthetic oil is often toast right around 60,000 miles.
Pulling all that weight around demands the very limit of power on a constant basis.
People who poke @ 60 will get longer out of their engine than the 75MPH crowd.
(...and a lot better MPG.)

Making an RV last involves a lot of rules not normally put to pickups or cars.
People come off the highway and shut them right off without a cool down.
They start them up and climb to highway speeds without a warm up.
They run their oil mileage (often the cheap stuff) right up to the limit, or past it.
The transmissions get beat just as hard. Ford OD's pop all the time before 100K in RV's.
Even the cleanest honest friendliest retirees who appear to care for things beat the snot out of RV's through ignorance.
Less miles means less chances of it being hurt.

I would not pay real money for a gas engined RV with more than 35K on it.

 

[bullfrog]

To get somewhat of an idea of the miles on the vehicle take a look at the manufacture dates on the tires and the amount of wear, should give you some idea of how long it has set. The examples you showed must have set for years and if they were not prepared for storage by treating gas, oiling cylinders, putting treatment or inside storage of all rubber componets including the roof and window seals you will have more problems from sitting than high milage. I would be more concerned about a vehicle that was used and then set 20 years than I would one that set and was driven 10,000 miles the last 5 years as all the storage problems would have been repaired. In my opinion Class C RVs especially large ones are usually overloaded and run hard as in being used to tow a boat or trailer (if it doesn't have a trailer hitch that is a plus) and I would have it scoped and checked completely by a trusted mechanic before purchase. It costs $200 to $600 to have a cylinder leakage test, all the fill plugs pulled and video scope the gears and internals as well as oil analysis, some will pull the pans, wheels, drums and physically check for the upper price. It is well worth it and something that will need done anyway most likely so do it before you buy if you are serious about spending thousands or don't have thousands in the emergency fund. The motorhome parts are pretty much up to you unless you have an RV mobile mechanic service that will do inspections. I haven't seen many that go over 70,000 miles that haven't at least had a valve job or major repair usually due to over heating either the transmission or motor. There are several here with them hopefully they can advise you about best brands.

 

[mespringer]

Hi, It was not until the mid 1990s that the big 3 found out how to build autos. If you have worked on vehicles that were built before mid 1990s and don't mind spending time parked on the shoulder of a rural road doing maintenance and repair it can become part of your day to day experiences. The older engines and transmissions often need to have extensive maintenance. Gaskets leak, hoses will break down, rats will eat the plastic on the wiring, etc, RVs built after the mid 1990s are far different. We are driving a 2004 Ford E350 van with a 5.4 engine and tow a 29' 1976 Airstream. We have been full timing for 12 years and since the van is on an aggressive 4X4 platform we pretty much go anywhere we want hills be damned. Other than regular maintenance we have had very few problems in the 300,000 we have driven it. Several problems have popped up like the fuel pump failure that left us stranded but I have had to do far fewer repairs than any of the autos I have driven over the years. Recommendation would be to go a bit newer and smaller on the RV such as a van or a Class C with a short box. You should not have any problem finding something for less than $20,000 that will last more than a few years.

 

[EnduroRdr]

Condition is everything! Miles not as much a factor!

If it smells when you enter, it’s probably had (or still has) water leaks - RUN FROM THAT!

Miles?

I’d rather buy a 20-30 year old rv that some old man took great care of maybe it lived under a roof. With high miles -
Than buy a low mileage 10 year old rv that had leaks or got abused and is dry rotted or sun baked (check rubber gaskets on Windows).

Also take the time to verify the systems all work.
Cold fridge, working a/c & heat. Water pump (coach pump for water tanks).
Check toilet operation, etc. Functional windows, look for any signs that it may have had water leaks - soft floors etc.
Will it need tires? Often low mileage RVs may have the old original tires that look like lots of tread but old tires become susceptible to belt separation. ( tires have date codes on them - if you suspect their original probably worth checking codes.

Don’t take sellers word that - yea it’s all working good - buyer beware inspect all systems.

Then if all that is good - go drive it.
Then check under for oil or water leaks. Like Mespringer said - old vehicles usually need a lot of maintenance, even low miles! If the hoses & belts are 30 years old it’s like old tires they are probably gonna fail once they go into regular use again.
And they will always fail at the worst time & place.

Older RVs can be great deals or can be nightmares!

Again - there are jewels out there, look for that one owner old man that took great care of his rig ( new tires, belts etc)

If your gut has reservations, don’t be afraid to walk. Another deal will come along.

Trust me I’ve been there, and wish someone would have schooled me before I dove in.

Take your time, bring a friend if possible that has experience with RVs.

Good luck, I hope it all works out for you.

Post back here - inquiring minds want to know. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[maki2]

Be sure you look carefully at all the rubber bits and pieces in the engine compartment and in the suspension. It can get expensive real fast putting new bits and pieces in to replace the old hardened and cracked ones.

Inspect the surface of the waste tanks under the RV and make sure the straps that hold the tanks in place are not overly rusted. People sometimes bottom out the tanks and get gouges and cracks in them or knock them sideways and put stress on the drain fittings going into them and the vents going out of them up to the roof. Tanks are fairly pricey to replace and sometimes require having one custom made to fit so it is worth the time to inspect them.

Be sure to take along an inspection mirror that has an LED light on it for looking at things such as the ones listed above and also see into cabinets and other areas to save bending so much. It will be handy for looking at the compartments where there is a lot of stuff like water tanks, pumps, electrical converter, plumbing lines, inside the propane and baggage compartment etc. They are not all that expensive and most hardware stores sell them. The LED is such a great modern addition to the inspection mirrors. Money well spent for a "tire kicking tool" that will also serve you well in your RV life.

 

[Gr8ful]

Run the engine, look & smell the trans fluid & oil. While running take off the oil fill cap & look for blowby, if you see any leave & look at another.

 

[ckelly78z]

When looking at any used vehicle, a good indicator of how it was cared for is the tires. If they are a good brand name that were mounted recently, and all the same size/age/brand/model, this indicates a that better care was given. I have found vehicles that had 4 different brands, and ages of tires, with one being bald, one being cupped, and the other two with dry rotted cracks. Also look in the carpets for stains, or ground in dirt. Another often overlooked system is shock absorbers and if the vehicle bounces when driving or pushing up/down on the bumpers.

Make sure you take a flashlight, and look carefully at the under carriage for leaks, or shoddy repair jobs. I have found vehicle that had soup cans as an exhaust pipe repair, and wire, or baling twine holding things in place.

 

[Doubleone]

Your proposed year ranges are right on the bubble where extra caution is needed.  Please take it to a good trusted mechanic before purchase.  New tires on an old rig might indicate an alignment or suspension problem, especially if it is just the fronts.  Plan to invest some money restoring it mechanically.  Of course, all the fluids.  Replace all the rubber hoses and belts.  Older models will have a maze of rubber hoses for smog systems.  U.S. manufactures were just figuring out and simplifying fuel injection systems in the late 80's and had some glitches.  They were still using feedback carburetors or throttle body injection (TBI).  TBI isn't too bad but they did have some issues with gaskets.  Radiators either rot or clog from sitting, heater core is not far behind.  Engine main seals and transmissions seals go oblong and leak (sometimes you get lucky and they reshape after warming).  Brakes get sticky because the hydraulic seals get dry and stiff or dust boots are torn or cracked.  Those years were about when they were using early water based paints, so it might have peeling paint on the cabs.   Then... there's the house part.  Appliances will be pretty much the same across all the brands.  Parts and manuals are available for DIY'rs if you're handy.  Most shops just want to sell you something new.

 

[user 2252]

some more help for you...

https://heathandalyssa.com/buying-a-used-rv/

https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-11-2013/tips-for-buying-a-used-camper.html