How old is too old of a van to buy?

[Evergreen]

Hello everyone!

I've been watching the videos on youtube for a long time.  I've got several decades before retiring from a job that l love, but I am close enough to do some real retirement planning. 

I am looking at a 621 Winnebago 1981 Warrior to purchase just to begin to experience small trips away to local parks and sites to get my feet wet.  I would love information if anyone has any about this particular vehicle.

 

[highdesertranger]

what chassis is that on? Ford, Chevy, Dodge? engine size? highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Our first real motorhome was a late 1970's Winnebago I believe around 20'. It had a rear bedroom, combined toilet/shower. It was on a Dodge drivetrain, a 440 cubic inch motor I believe. A box on wheels! The roof was composite construction aluminum/foam/plywood and the reason I know was because it had roof air that caused the roof to slump puddling water around the ac causing the roof to continually leak. It just was not strong enough over time to support that kind of weight. It had 60,000 miles on it and was 25 years old when we got it. Transmission lines were rotten so we replaced them and installed a huge cooler as well as a new radiator. I think I invested about $2500 total into it. I didn't replace the dry rotted tires as we just used it locally and often stored it at the park storage as it was cheaper than buying gas (7MPG) to drive it home. The composit construction made it hard to fix. We used it 3 or 4 years and sold it to someone that wanted the drive train for $1500. We later bought a 1983 Barth aluminum motor home P32 Chevy chassis (10 MPG) for $11,000 we put over 100,000 miles on that after 15 years we still are living in although we do not travel as the drive train is worn out. There is a world of difference between different types of construction in motor homes and therefore durability and the ease of repair. The older Winnebagos would not be worth trying to fix and maintain in my oponion.

 

[John61CT]

Obviously, the answer is

It depends.

On the vehicle

and your skills.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/07/12/edsel-fords-wild-road-trip/30058739/

 

[spence_maribeth]

I have been looking too while I wait for disability and this is a good question for me. as the older ones seem to be more in my price range but I have very little know how when it comes to doing much on one. I mean I'm learning a lot from the the different videos but learning from a video and doing are to very different things. Plus I'm not sure that my body would be able to do much even if I did have a good idea of how...thus the reason for disability. I'd be working if I could and maybe once I'm in a place that is less stressful mentally maybe I can function enough to do some work again. Anyway yeah another question is what would be to much to pay for an older model.

 

[LeaveBehindTheDailyGrind]

1981 warrior is on gm p20 chassis. 350sb/th400.

 

[DannyB1954]

In the early 80's. There was electronic ignition, but most vehicles used carburetors, not fuel injection.
This means that it will not usually run well at high altitudes. It will not get the best fuel mileage either.
Odd bit and pieces may be hard to find for replacements. I have an 83 Dodge b250 and needed a windshield wiper switch with time delay. I think I found the last one available in the USA, (it was only used in a couple of model years, so not many were made). I like my old Dodge, but in hindsight I should have gotten one about 10 years newer.

 

[becida]

I've long figured '96 or better for the OBD2, in a van I'd go 3/4 ton or better. FWIW my rule of thumb is I expect a modern vehicle to have a 250,000 mile life expectancy.

I hope this helps...

 

[kimcpnp]

Hi All,

I am really new to all this and I want to be a full timer. I live with 2 cats and I have to have a kitchen, bathroom and bed... I need room for my cats too... I want to purchase ASAP! In the next couple weeks... can you provide some insight? I don't want to go above 12k...

 

[becida]

Hi All,

I am really new to all this and I want to be a full timer. I live with 2 cats and I have to have a kitchen, bathroom and bed... I need room for my cats too... I want to purchase ASAP! In the next couple weeks... can you provide some insight? I don't want to go above 12k...

You're looking for an RV.

Our 19' Pleasure-way had all that, just. We kept the bed a full time bed (for 2) so there was no table back there but there was a bed.  
It's a class "B" RV.  We do have a cat. 

Lot's of RVs for sale out there..

 

[Katherine]

Hello everyone!

I've been watching the videos on youtube for a long time.  I've got several decades before retiring from a job that l love, but I am close enough to do some real retirement planning. 

I am looking at a 621 Winnebago 1981 Warrior to purchase just to begin to experience small trips away to local parks and sites to get my feet wet.  I would love information if anyone has any about this particular vehicle.

About the 1981 Winnebago RV, I have just found a few information about it on rvtrader for $9,500 for 77,458 miles; nadaguides for $8,550 (the low retail price), you can search "621 Winnebago 1981 Warrior" in Google and then can see more information about them. 

 

[Smitty716]

I own a 1983 gmc with the 350 and I can tell you first hand , I get 10 mpg with that carburetor. If you wait and look around you can find deals , in that heavier class c I bet you don’t get 8 mpg. I bought a 1990 itasca class c with a 350 fuel injected engine for 3 k .

 

[becida]

About the 1981 Winnebago RV, I have just found a few information about it on rvtrader for $9,500 for 77,458 miles; nadaguides for $8,550 (the low retail price), you can search "621 Winnebago 1981 Warrior" in Google and then can see more information about them. 

That's a 37 year old RV... I bought a 2007 for just a little more than that.  I'd look on craigslist ( all over the place) and see what they are selling for in the real world.

Then I'd go look for something newer that cost less.

 

[Smitty716]

And if there asking 15 k for one you can probably get it for ten

 

[RoamerRV428]

decades before retiring and this is a 'get your feet wet' into rv'ing and hitting the road?

a lot of variables but if you are experimenting cheapest way to go is smart....you learn real fast what you do require. less space? more space for comfort? I need xyz and don't need abc?

but age of vehicle, condition, wrecks, and more come into play, pay cheap and learn is best. decades means you have a lot of time to play with what you truly want before true freedom hits and you are on the road permanently...and you might or might not even want that in the future?

best of luck