Consensus Please

[sharokha]

I’m looking between 2 class C RV’s. Will be my first. Don’t know which is better. Any consensus on these?

#1. The ad reads -1994, 24 foot class C RV with only 60,000 miles on it. It is in good condition with a sound structure, good breaks, and a very clean and well kept interior. Both the couch and the dinette fold out into beds along with the twin bed above the cab. All lighting and electrical works well. Large awning on the passenger side. There's a full kitchen with a stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator and freezer. There is also a bathroom with a shower. The RV runs and drives well but is in need of a tune up. The RV is sold as is. It’s a Ford for $8250. Pics look pretty good. Clean, not trashed, nothing looks broken. 

1989, Ford Econoline RV runs great, new tires, low miles 49000 Serious inquiries only)
I have looked at this one. Not very clean. The owner says she doesn’t have the time nor the interest. Wasn’t hers to begin with and she just wants to get rid of it. It’s about 27’ from what I judge. Nothing seemed broken or damaged inside but the battery was dead at the time so I haven’t driven it. The outside looked pretty rough. Ladder looked like it had been backed into. Some of the siding trim was loose, etc. But I feel like the condition is reflected in the price. They are gonna get a new battery so we can drive it but they said it does run fine. 
$2500 and she said she wouldn’t go a penny lower. 

This is my first post here too. Hope this isn’t a stupid question. If so please be kind.

(Mod edit to fix the formatting)

 

[nature lover]

The biggest question with this type of rig is how much water has leaked in. With the second rig you said it has some siding coming off so there’s a good chance that there’s some rotting in the walls or ceiling. I would have someone who knows a little bit about these vehicles look at it for you. Don’t be offended by this but you are just the kind of unsuspecting person that some people are looking for to take these things off their hand. If the seller Will not allow somebody to come and look at it who knows what they’re looking at that should be a red flag, walk away. I don’t mean to totally discourage you because sometimes you can run into a good used rig and if you’re handy with tools you can keep it going but water into the walls and in ceiling destroy them every time. Sometimes just opening the cabinets and taking a big deep breath of air from it will tell you if there’s moisture and mildew or mold. Good luck hope you find what you need.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums sharokha! If possible, post the links to the ads. We will be able to give you much better advice if we can see some photos of the RVs you are considering.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Morgana]

What the ad says should be your bare-bones starting point. People can say (almost) anything they want in an ad! Then you should check the vehicle out as carefully as you can yourself, and then you should have a mechanic check it.

In other words, I don’t think it’s time to be doing a comparison yet. First find out if either one is a truly viable option; if they both are, then you can start comparing.

Here are a few of the websites I used to try to help me learn how to shop when I went through this a year ago:
https://www.kiplinger.com/article/cars/t009-c000-s001-how-to-shop-for-a-used-car.html
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/buy-used-car
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/how-to-buy-a-used-car
https://www.carfax.com/blog/car-buying-checklist
There may very well be RV-specific sites as well. There’s tons of advice online now. Take advantage!

I don’t know anything about RVs myself. What naturelover and rvwandering said makes sense.

To me, “The owner says she doesn’t have the time nor the interest. … she just wants to get rid of it” could be a red flag. I wonder if anyone has “had the time or the interest” to maintain the vehicle … or to be honest and helpful during the vehicle sale.

It’s amazing how much people will sometimes reveal about themselves during a car-sale attempt. I remember, from when I bought an earlier car (2004), peering into one vehicle’s coolant reservoir and saying “hmm, there’s nothing in here but some green and black scum” and the seller saying “there’s supposed to be something in there?” This time around, I had an individual seller angrily refuse to give me the VIN (vehicle identification number — you need it to check and make sure the car has a clean title), and one dealer actually put a picture of a car with a crumpled front bumper on the website, then tried to downplay it. I kept thinking “what is that? a bad camera angle?” Nope, just the sleaziest dealer in the county; glad I asked.  Don’t ever say to yourself “it must be OK; nobody could be that whack.” Yes they can.

That said, there are good ‘uns out there too, so I don’t want to be too discouraging. I hope you find the perfect adventuremobile. Good luck!

 

[sharokha]

Thanks so much guys for the feedback. I think part of the problem right now is how hot the market is. And if you know a thing or two about RV’s and a good one comes along they are gone so fast. Makes me feel like I better grab the next one that “seems” good. Not the best environment to be trying to make a big decision. ?

 

[Sofisintown]

Anything that only run 40-60 K miles over 25-30 years has serious 'sitting' problems. It may start and even move, but wires, hoses and belts are dry-rotted, and if it was sitting outside will have leaks an mold, compromised floors and potentially rust. Don't even think of checking it yourself, because if you never had an RV you don't know where and what to look for.
Have an RV inspector do the job, the 3-400 dollars you will pay will save you thousands.

 

[mkl654321]

The later model, more expensive one would be the better choice. There are just too many question marks with the older one.

Judging from what I've seen in the present insane used RV market, the price asked for the 1994 model is low--something in that good condition, with mileage that low, has been in the $10K range. Plus, 23-24 footers are hot hot hot hot hot right now, as they make great solo vehicles (or couples-who-won't-end-up-killing-each-other rigs). So, paradoxically perhaps, it's such a good deal that I would wonder WHY it's a good deal.

The biggest potential money-munchers would be the transmission (set fire to forty $100 bills) and the tires ($250 x 6). Any vehicle (not just an RV) used as little as this one over almost three decades is likely to have problems in those areas. If the vehicle sat for any appreciable length of time, the tires are probably shot. Oddly enough, engine problems aren't quite as critical or spendy. Everybody and his dog knows how to work on large domestic (Ford, Chevy, Dodge) engines, and parts are easy to get.

The "house" will be a carnival of malfunctions no matter what. RVs back then (and, mostly, now as well) were built with an intended useful life of two weekends a year. It's like owning a 110-year-old horse. You will have to either become very, very good at fixing things or have a steamy, illicit relationship with your local RV mechanic.

If you like the looks of the younger one, test drive it, kick the tires, and if it still seems right to you, spend $250 or so and get a mechanic to check it out. It'll be money well spent either way; either you'll avoid buying a ticking time bomb, or you'll know exactly what the issues are with the rig you're gonna buy. And yes, stay the hell away from the cheaper one. It may actually have negative value (cost of tow truck to take it to the cemetery).

 

[Scorpion Regent]

Welcome sharokha.
I agree with what everyone has said so far.  Based only on your descriptions, the Econoline is intensive project and the RV is closer to road ready. 

The only reason I can see buying the Ford is it has low miles so the engine and the transmission will last a long time if you take care of them, but you will have to throw a lot of time and money into it, very likely more than the purchase price.  Some one with a lot of time and strong skills might buy it.  If that's not you, then find something else.

That doesn't mean that the RV won't need work too.  Anything used will require something and RV's can be labor intensive to maintain.  It would help if it comes with all the service records & receipts.  A nice interior is a good sign, but it's not the only criteria for buying.

Have professional inspect anything you are seriously interested in.  Insurance against toxic buyers remorse is money well spent.

 

[wayne49]

$2500 was what I paid in 2016 for my 1989 Ford E350 Class C, 25 foot Tioga, with 44,000 miles. Mine had been sitting around in lower Nevada for some years.

I've put 13,000 miles on it, most of that in the last two years. The engine and drivetrain haven't had any issues.

Check if the fridge works. Expensive to purchase, and not easy to swap out, meaning labor costs if you cannot do it yourself. I reused the vacated space for a DC compressor fridge with its own 200 AH AGM battery bank.

Check the generator, if so equipped, also the water pump and water heater.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

My family lived in an RV for about a year when I was in junior high. That forever soured me on RVs.
We initially bought it to go visit our friends and relatives in neighboring states. Which it was great for. We drove from Louisiana to Palm Beach FL and many places in between.
Then our house had a fire, right in the middle. Whole place was smoke and water damaged. We had to be out for a year while insurance paid for it to be rebuilt.
We tried living in a hotel room but it was untenable in the long term, so we moved into the RV.
It was fine for a while, but after a couple months it was starting to really show the wear.
What really surprised me was how my sister went through the wall of the bathroom when our mom slammed on the brakes.
Not so much that the wall gave way, but that it was all stapled together!
Also in my experience RVs are often not very well insulated.
All that in mind, a good one might not be bad for non rowdy grown ups in temperate areas.
Since the alternative is building out a van yourself (what I am doing) or having it done for your ($$$$$$).