Opinions on a 1990 Chinook

[uncagingmyspirit]

[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Opinions on a 1990 Chinook 17' Motorhome on Ford E350 ? 'I'm doing my research now but haven't found anything solid that helping me decide. [/font][/font]

[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Air Conditioning has a small leak[/font][/font]
[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A bit of water damage as the front ceiling fan has a small sealant leak [/font][/font]
[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]87k Miles, 7.5L V8 460 Motor, [/font][/font]
[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]No generator installed.[/font][/font]


[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]asking price is $9,000[/font][/font]

 

[highdesertranger]

"Air Conditioning has a small leak"

small leak large leak it really doesn't matter. in fact sometimes small leaks are harder to find and fix.
couple of questions for the seller,
how long has it not worked?
has it been converted? if not it's going to cost some bucks.

"A bit of water damage as the front ceiling fan has a small sealant leak"
there is no such thing as a bit of water damage.
is this the seller adding these descriptions, bit, and small. if so what else do they say?
is this a class B or C. got any pictures?

highdesertranger

 

[user 423]

Chinooks are sought after but imo it's way overpriced.

If it had no defects,new tires and it checked out OK by a mechanic and you are in SF....then maybe.

Are you ready to deal with what a 30 yo vehicle can cost you in repairs?

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

Hear you and yea, that's the question I keep asking myself "Are you ready to deal with what a 30 yo vehicle can cost you in repairs?"  Not just for the Chinook. My preferred year rang is 1996 to 2000

 

[desert_sailing]

way overpriced.

Pardon the interruption.. but I just can't resist.

I was on conversiontrader.com again.. and saw this 1990..90k miles.. HAHAHHA for 85,000!!!

https://conversiontrader.com/listing/vintage-dodge-ram-van-conversion/

A year older..  about 20k more miles than mine and a few more inches of headroom. If I could slap on a hightop and turn around and even get half that price I would be very very happy.

I guess van prices are like real estate in Hawaii??

clearly 30 year old rigs are still swinging strong.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

"Air Conditioning has a small leak"

small leak large leak it really doesn't matter.  in fact sometimes small leaks are harder to find and fix.
couple of questions for the seller,
how long has it not worked?
has it been converted?  if not it's going to cost some bucks.

"A bit of water damage as the front ceiling fan has a small sealant leak"
there is no such thing as a bit of water damage.
is this the seller adding these descriptions,  bit, and small.  if so what else do they say?
is this a class B or C.  got any pictures?

highdesertranger

The picture of the driver's seat with the pedal shows what looks like a lot of rust. Didn't notice that until I went to get the link.   I'm already starting to back away. 
According to the seller it's in great shape & looked at by his mechanic with thumbs up.... easy to write & I've looked in his area for a RV mechanic for an pre-sale inspection. Couldn't find any; which is why I haven't gone to look at it yet. VIN is clean.  I was pretty firm on myself with the no leaks on my list. But being in the PNW, I'm not having a lot of lot finding something within my budget that checks off all of my Must Haves/Can't Haves.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

Pardon the interruption.. but I just can't resist.

I was on conversiontrader.com again.. and saw this 1990..90k miles.. HAHAHHA for 85,000!!!

https://conversiontrader.com/listing/vintage-dodge-ram-van-conversion/

A year older..  about 20k more miles than mine and a few more inches of headroom. If I could slap on a hightop and turn around and even get half that price I would be very very happy.

I guess van prices are like real estate in Hawaii??

clearly 30 year old rigs are still swinging strong.

$85,000?!  YIKES.   Nice set up and sounds like a great van but 1990 & $85?

 

[bullfrog]

You can bet RVs will be over priced with everyone looking for one to escape the virus. This will not be a good time to buy period. If you do buy now you will pay a lot for a little.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

100% agree!  I was hoping to buy a few months ago but COVID  :dodgy:
I was hoping by the Fall it would slow down. Nope.  My job is extremely high stress/anxiety and I want to quite and get back on the road by January.... it's that bad. So, I'm stuck with the high prices.

 

[bullfrog]

Don’t think you will get a good deal on anything, so what I would recommend is not buying a older motorized RV unless you can afford to completely restore it. Finding one that is restorable will be a challenge as sellers realize people are desperate to buy, things they couldn’t sell before that are not easily repairable like water leaks with mold and structural problems. If you are skilled starting a cargo conversion and getting by until cost and availability get better. You can always sell it and since it is lower cost to begin with maybe break even. Tow vehicles are actually easier to come by with many construction companies going out of business I would think. There might be some reasonable buys from older RVers that have been forced by health to move to assisted living in long term parks, but again the roof maintenance may have been neglected but better built RVs under a shelter can be good deals. I would look for older Holiday Ramblers, Arctic Fox and Big Foot trailers if you don’t have the skills. Class A motor homes are the better deals initially if you can get a good one but can be money pits as they age. Hope this helps.

 

[nature lover]

I am always suspicious of leaks. Nine times out of 10 where they end upcoming out on the inside of the vehicle is far away from where they come into the vehicle From the outside. If you can see that this is by the fan where you say it is that’s great but I’d look around a little closer to see if the water hasn’t found other pathways in the walls etc. That only my opinion. If someone were to ask me my opinion about the vehicle I’m driving now I just said no it’s too old you’re gonna have problems.But I wanted a vehicle and I looked at a lot of different ones and this one seems to fit the needs and the budget. I have been praying that the drive train has no major problem. It’s a 98 dodge conversion with 110,000 miles my mechanic has gone over it thoroughly. But I’m not prepared for major costly repairs. If I waited till I was I would never get out of here. Taking a chance Yep but I’d rather do it here than in a casino. Good luck to you I hope it works out you find the right vehicle and you get on the road. God bless the No meds especially those looking for a new rig. God bless the nomads and help us to keep the mechanics from getting too much work.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

Thank you, it does help. 

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

If someone were to ask me my opinion about the vehicle I’m driving now I just said no it’s too old you’re gonna have problems.But I wanted a vehicle and I looked at a lot of different ones and this one seems to fit the needs and the budget. If I waited till I was I would never get out of here.  Good luck to you I hope it works out you find the right vehicle and you get on the road.God bless the nomads and help us to keep the mechanics from getting too much work.

:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:
Exactly!

My job has been so stressful that I went to bed immediately after work yesterday & haven't been able to stand the lights on today (and not the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th time).

 

[BC Guy]

I had a 1990 but it was 19'. I don't think that there was a 17'. Mine leaked around the upper front windows. It was a Class B.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

Maybe he listed it wrong.  How did you like it? Mechanical wise, driving/mpg and sleeping?

 

[BC Guy]

It handled okay. I had to have the A/C done after my first summer drive because it did not work. The manual said it was supposed to get 12 mpg but I never got more that 11.5. On the Chilcotin Plateau it got around 6 mpg. I used the folding couch for sleeping. I had to buy a topper to make it comfortable for me.
I just looked at my old pictures. It was a single upper window, not two. The tech that replaced it for me said that leaks there were common.

 

[uncagingmyspirit]

[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] 1990 Chinook 17' Motorhome on Ford E350 [/font][/font]

After reading the comments and a bit more research, I'm going to pass on the Chinook. I'm now looking at a 1992 Ford E250 Class B eldorado. A bit overpriced but compared to current prices, slightly average/below average. 

If someone was to do a pay for website with all of the Class Bs listed with basic info and a option to leave a review; they wuld probably make a nice bit of money.

 

[WanderingRose]

I have always liked the Chinooks, but agree with the stated concerns about a 30 year old vehicle.

Maintaining a vehicle that old will likely be a money pit, and then there are the systems inside which also need maintenance and repair.

Vehicle repairs, in particular, can be very costly and leave you dead in the water for extended periods of time.

If your budget is tight, my thought is to buy the newest model van that will work for you and then build it out simply, bit by bit to suit yourself.

My two cents.

 

[nature lover]

I certainly agree that the chinooks look tempting but a 30-year-old vehicle is a gamble. But I’m living in a 22-year-old vehicle and that’s a gamble too. Although like I’ve said before - I’d rather gamble on this 98 dodge them throw my money in the casino. I’m just sometimes terribly worried about a major break down without a cash Reserve. the advice experienced people give is to have cash for emergencies. In my case that’s easier said than done. I sunk everything I have into this thing. I hate using the word sunk. So I vacillate back-and-forth between worried about breaking down somewhere and looking forward to the excitement of moving to new places. At some point soon the temperature in PA is going to force me to fly south and even though I’ve been looking forward to it I hesitate.But this thread is more about you than me so I hope you find something that works and enjoy the life on the road. God bless the nomads even those who hesitate and speculate.

 

[Gary68]

dont let the naysayers scare you,my 1977 is a great one person rig,foot+ wider than a van,6'2" head room,fiberglass body,bath toilet,4 burner stove/oven,furness,killer stereo and a steely dan cd,what more do you want? dually so stability is much better than a single rear tire,that one being a 460 will be a gas hog,your going to be fixing stuff no matter,brand new rv's need to be fixed,best to find something you like and just roll with it