Xplorer

[mothercoder]

Hope to go see this over the weekend. 
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/5917948967.html

 

[hepcat]

Those were awesome little motorhomes. That's some amazingly low mileage! Make sure it's plugged in and you can test all of the systems to make sure they work. A new fridge can be $700 and a water heater $500 if you have to replace them. I had to replace the water heater in mine because it froze at some point and ruptured. It'll likely take other small repairs, but that looks like a great buy.

Good luck!

 

[ArtW]

^^wat he said
Only thing I would add, is the dropped floor might limit how far off the beaten path you can go
But it's a MoHo! That fits in a parking garage!

 

[mothercoder]

I have heard only good things about these. I have my "tire kicking" checklist and a knowledgeable mechanic and RVer going with me. Hope all is good and I end up with my new home. I didn't think it would happen for a couple more months but maybe I'll spend winter cleaning it up while a Buddy heater keeps me warm.

 

[ArtW]

best of luck!

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Keep us posted!
Ted

 

[mayble]

Those are pretty sweet.  I looked at a couple of them.
I found a definite deal breaker for me however - the kitchen placement in front of the side door leaves a very narrow entry/exit point.  You really limit how much air and light you can let into the van (especially with no back door), and have to squeeze/shuffle between the kitchen counter and the passenger seat every time you go in and out.  
Of course those are individual things - the size of the person and the size of the van will vary, and some folks don't mind "cozy".  
Actually, I don't mind "cozy", I just don't like "cave-like".  I like to be in my cozy van but with the doors flung open in nice weather.  Light, air and the ability to move easily and live seamlessly between indoors and outdoors are absolutely necessary for my mental well-being    
YMMV, so get in there and spend some time - not just a quick look around, but sit down and hang out, read a book, whatever it takes to actually imagine spending days (weeks? months?) there, and doing everything you do on a daily basis.
Let us know what you think when you've looked it over!

 

[mothercoder]

So the owner is making it very difficult to see this and test the systems. Says he doesn't trust it if the roads aren't clear (we had a dusting of snow last night), the batteries are on a trickle charger in his basement and he can't lift them (so how did they get down there), claims he can't connect to shore power and the fresh water tank and propane are empty.

My mechanic friend and I are thinking "pass." May explain why he hasn't sold this.

 

[frater secessus]

Sorry the seller appears flaky. I really like the Xplorers and have a Craigslist search set up to find them for me.

 

[ArtW]

Yeah, seems flaky to me

 

[hepcat]

So the owner is making it very difficult to see this and test the systems. Says he doesn't trust it if the roads aren't clear (we had a dusting of snow last night), the batteries are on a trickle charger in his basement and he can't lift them (so how did they get down there), claims he can't connect to shore power and the fresh water tank and propane are empty.

My mechanic friend and I are thinking "pass."  May explain why he hasn't sold this.

I wouldn't give up on this one just yet.  

I'm thinking 'steal' here...  none of those problems are insurmountable.   Take a starter battery with you (and a jump pack.)  None of those things are irreparable if the drivetrain is good.   Take $2500 cash with you.  I wouldn't go any higher than that for it under those circumstances...  but if your mechanic friend pronounces it 'drivable' you may have a real gem there.

The difference between the asking price and $2500 will cover just about any contingency in the RV portion of the van. Just make sure it's been winterized, either with pink antifreeze or by having the air blown out of the lines.  If there's a problem with the water heater tank and it's been frozen, you'll likely be able to see it as it'll have a jagged tear in the tank about 6" long somewhere. The water lines are harder to see, and may be more difficult to repair; but not impossible if necessary.  The odds are that the fridge will work, the water heater, stove and furnace will all work, or can be made to work with very little to be done to them.   You'll likely need to figure in the cost of new tires, complete fluid changes... maybe brakes and some of the rubber lines... brake lines, hoses, belts etc. but you'll likely need to do those at $4100 anyway.    

If he doesn't accept your offer, give him your name and number and tell him the offer stands when he's ready.  And walk away.  You might be surprised when he calls you in a week or two and tells you to come and get your van.

The big thing is to make sure that the engine and trans are sound... as they're big ticket items that may be outside your budget.  But I've gotta tell you I think that's a pretty sweet van... and potentially a sweet deal.

 

[Ballenxj]

I wouldn't give up on this one just yet.  

I'm thinking 'steal' here...  none of those problems are insurmountable.   Take a starter battery with you (and a jump pack.)  None of those things are irreparable if the drivetrain is good.   Take $2500 cash with you.  I wouldn't go any higher than that for it under those circumstances...  but if your mechanic friend pronounces it 'drivable' you may have a real gem there.

<------snip------>

The big thing is to make sure that the engine and trans are sound... as they're big ticket items that may be outside your budget.  But I've gotta tell you I think that's a pretty sweet van... and potentially a sweet deal.

I'm in agreement with all of the above. Engine, transmission, and tires are the big ticket items. I wouldn't even worry that much about the fridge since those are so finicky about being level to work, etc. I'd be more inclined to save my pennies for a good 12v fridge that isn't so bothersome. Think about it, if you have to level every time you want your fridge to work, there goes your stealth. Also those absorption fridges take forever to cool down, so not too good for traveling, imo.  They do work good in something like a travel trailer that gets set up and leveled when you stop.
Good Luck what ever you decide.

 

[johnny b]

I'd be most curious as to 'why' the engine needed to be rebuilt at 60,000 miles.
I'm thinking it may not be the real mileage, or the guy abused the thing (no maintenance).

 

[hepcat]

I wouldn't even worry that much about the fridge since those are so finicky about being level to work, etc. I'd be more inclined to save my pennies for a good 12v fridge that isn't so bothersome. Think about it, if you have to level every time you want your fridge to work, there goes your stealth. Also those absorption fridges take forever to cool down, so not too good for traveling, imo.  

Contrary to the popular opinion that seems to have sprung up in the past few years, ammonia absorption refrigerators work just fine.  If you don't have propane, and you're stuck with big batteries and solar, then a 12v compressor model makes sense.  They were made popular on sailboats where propane is a bomb waiting to go off.  But in any vehicle that is propane equipped, there's no reason NOT to use one.

I've used ammonia absorption fridges for thirty years, and I use the one in my van regularly.  It's true that the old fridges from the '60s and '70s were really finicky about being level, but in fridges constructed from about the late '80s on, if the van is level enough for you to be comfy it's level enough for the fridge.    I run mine on propane most of the time, and that frees me from having to be concerned about having big enough batteries, solar panels and a regulator, and etc. etc. etc.  And the pilot isn't much more than a cigarette lighter flame, so my propane lasts a LONG time.  Mine is a 3-way.  I've never worried much running it on propane traveling, but if that bothers you running propane on the road, you can run it nicely on 12v as long as the engine is running.

 

[mothercoder]

I wouldn't give up on this one just yet.  

I'm thinking 'steal' here...  none of those problems are insurmountable.   Take a starter battery with you (and a jump pack.)  None of those things are irreparable if the drivetrain is good.   Take $2500 cash with you.  I wouldn't go any higher than that for it under those circumstances...  but if your mechanic friend pronounces it 'drivable' you may have a real gem there.

The difference between the asking price and $2500 will cover just about any contingency in the RV portion of the van. Just make sure it's been winterized, either with pink antifreeze or by having the air blown out of the lines.  If there's a problem with the water heater tank and it's been frozen, you'll likely be able to see it as it'll have a jagged tear in the tank about 6" long somewhere. The water lines are harder to see, and may be more difficult to repair; but not impossible if necessary.  The odds are that the fridge will work, the water heater, stove and furnace will all work, or can be made to work with very little to be done to them.   You'll likely need to figure in the cost of new tires, complete fluid changes... maybe brakes and some of the rubber lines... brake lines, hoses, belts etc. but you'll likely need to do those at $4100 anyway.    

If he doesn't accept your offer, give him your name and number and tell him the offer stands when he's ready.  And walk away.  You might be surprised when he calls you in a week or two and tells you to come and get your van.

The big thing is to make sure that the engine and trans are sound... as they're big ticket items that may be outside your budget.  But I've gotta tell you I think that's a pretty sweet van... and potentially a sweet deal.

Problem is that he doesn't want anyone driving it right now.  He feels the roads might be "dangerous" although there's no longer any snow on the road.  If I can't drive it and I can't check out the systems, I have no idea what the hell I'm getting.

 

[mothercoder]

Here's my worry: If there's no way to check any of the systems (not the water pump, heater, refrigerator, fan, electrical, propane) and all I can do is start the engine and let it sit there and idle, I could end up spending $2500 for something that needs to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Although I have a friend who is a mechanic, I still have to pay for the repairs and handle fixing anything that's wrong with it and I don't have that knowledge. My head is saying this is either a very sweet deal or a complete money pit.

 

[Gunny]

$2500 is no small chunk of change. If he doesn't want you to drive it, there is a reason. You can check out most of the systems while idling but until it's been driven I wouldn't hand over a dime. You may be passing on a great deal but I have my doubts just from reading your posts. Rob

 

[hepcat]

Here's my worry:  If there's no way to check any of the systems (not the water pump, heater, refrigerator, fan, electrical, propane) and all I can do is start the engine and let it sit there and idle, I could end up spending $2500 for something that needs to be completely gutted and rebuilt.  Although I have a friend who is a mechanic, I still have to pay for the repairs and handle fixing anything that's wrong with it and I don't have that knowledge.  My head is saying this is either a very sweet deal or a complete money pit.

I understand your hesitation.  Rust, the front end, and the drive train are going to be the biggest issues.  You may have some issues in the coach part to contend with, but if it's clean and nothing is rotted, then the odds are you won't have to 'gut' the thing.  The systems may need some repairs, but they're all simple to work on, even if you have to replace something.  You may end up spending another couple of thousand dollars on it to make it roadworthy, but still... what else are you going to find for around $5k that you can use?

I bought my Coachmen for $5k in Feb of '15.  It had 26k original miles on it.  I really couldn't test anything either, but I knew that once everything was working, I had a van worth about $20k.  I knew up front it needed chassis electrical work, tires, and new fluids at the very least.  I put $900 into the generator, $800 into tires, and another $1500 into the drivetrain, suspension, ball joints and tires, mostly for tuneup and preventative maintenance kinds of things.  I replaced the burst water heater and water pump myself for another $300 in parts.  Everything else was good.  I have about $9k into the motorhome now and have about 44k miles on it.   There's no telling for sure what you could get out of that one, but I'd guess that with all of the necessary maintenance performed,  and all of the systems working you'd probably spend at least $12k.

Again, that's all predicated on a solid drivetrain.  If it isn't too far away, I'd say it's still worth your time to take your mechanic friend and go and take a look at it.  Once you give it the once-over, you may just be able to sweet talk him into taking it for a spin.  You're still in the driver's seat here... you've got the cash and he wants your cash.   You can play it your way, or don't play as you choose.  He may be a little more likely to play along when you actually show up and demonstrate to him you're not merely a tire-kicker.

 

[steamjam1]

I wouldn't bother with ANYTHING where I couldn't test out the various systems, and take it for a test drive if your goal was "Jump in, and drive as-is"... Unless it was $500.


With that said, 1987 is an OK year for Dodge. They still have the rust problem, and are carbureted. HOWEVER by that time Dodge "put down the bong" and replaced the awful Carter Thermal-quad with a Rotchester Quadra-Jet. (Much better) Its going to get no more then 12mpg. (Assuming that its a 5.9L V8, which 90% of those Dodge model Xplorer's came with.)

 

[mothercoder]

What about all the rubber components? Thirty years if it hasn't been cared for could mean big trouble.

All of this could be a moot point because he has not responded to emails requesting additional information and never gave me an address.