marshall2u@yahoo.com

I picked up the motorhome. I'm going to start going through it soon, if it would ever dry up around here! I plan to make some significant cosmetic changes and perform pretty much all maintenance, just so I know where I'm starting. One big surprise, after going through all the paperwork and records, is that the original owners kept detailed MPG calculations through the first 30K miles, or so, and this coach has gotten as high as 14 MPG, averaging around 12. This is better than I expected. I also think it may have the 230HP Cummins, and not the 190 that I was told...but I have to verify this. I have a quick question....it has the Spartan EC-2000 chassis (1993) and the speedometer does not currently work. Is this a cable or electrical speedometer?

Well, after looking at the DP, I've made my decision, offer, and down payment. I pick it up on 1/27/10. The overall unit was a little rougher (cosmetically) than I was expecting it to be, but, honestly, since I planned to do some upgrades anyway, I think it really makes no difference, other than me getting it for what I consider a very good price (but I guess time will tell on that). My wife has a hard time seeing the potential and understanding my desire for the DP over gas, but she's taking my word on both. If anyone's interested, I'll keep updating my progress with this project, including pictures (and probably lots of questions!). Thanks again for all your help. Marshall

Thanks to everyone for your input! I am driving my wife to the airport tomorrow and plan to "swing by" and take a look at the diesel pusher I originally talked about (look at it for the first time, that is to say). From what I've picked up from the responses, floor plan is a real biggie. This certainly makes a lot of sense, and I will try not to let my love of diesels cloud my decision making process over a good floor plan. OK, since you all now know that I love diesels, I also like the idea that it is located in the rear, and further from my ears while driving. Does anyone consider this a serious issue (I've NEVER been in a rear engine ANYTHING)? A few other things that have gone into my thoughts on this purchase: I appreciate the suggestions that we rent first to see whether we love this whole thing or not. Although, after checking out rental rates, and comparing them to potential depreciation on a low-end purchase, I feel I have to purchase, as the depreciation over a few months of ownership still won't equal what we would spend on a rental (and I'm a very good shopper, so I ALWAYS get a good deal....unless I get duped on something! ). Another thing I have in the back of my mind is that I can turn this into a mobile place of business for both the wife and I. We are both self employed and are both in the process of changing the focus of our businesses. This thread has certainly made me think much more seriously about a couple issues that I didn't think would be quite as important as some of you more experienced folks have suggested. I will absolutely keep those things in mind. That being said, I'm gonna ramble a bit! As I've said, I LOVE diesels. I have owned many and still do: VW's, Mercedes, Ford's , Chevy's, GMC's, Cummins.......I currently own 9 vehicles, and 4 of them are diesels. I have a Mercedes diesel that I have converted to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO). So, that being said, I am afraid I am going to give the DP an advantage, just based on the fact that it's a diesel. One of the most tangible things about a diesel I love is their fuel efficient nature. Do they have sluggish take off? Sure. Have I gotten used to this? Absolutely. I have a diesel Jetta that gets 44 MPG around town. I know it's a mental thing, but I cannot STAND to get in my 5.4 V8 Ford pickup and drive it @ 11 MPG. So, if my diesel motorhome gets 9-11 MPG instead of 6-7 MPG, that is a major increase, percentage-wise. And, considering that I'm in a LOW initial cost for the motorhome scenario, it's actually pretty significant, both monetarily AND mentally. OK, so....back specifically to the Rockwell that I will be looking at tomorrow. Does anyone have any experience/knowledge of this vehicle, or the brand in general? First hand? Second hand? Any input prior to looking at it would be so appreciated! Again, thanks for all the input. I hope to be showing you soon the pics of my first RV purchase, and then pics of my first RV "adventure!" I think we will do Florida first. Although, my wife just told me tonight that she would first like to go to Savannah GA. I told her "are you kidding? We will have a motorhome, capable of going ANYWHERE, and you choose a place so close I could spit on it??" I guess that is an argument that will be settled down the road.......

Let me start by saying Thank You to everyone here for all the great advice I've been reading. I'm new to both this forum and to RVing (actually getting ready to purchase my first). I'd love to see if anyone has some input to help me make a more informed decision on my first purchase. It's taken a couple of years, but I have my wife sold on the idea of trying out some RVing. She initially felt we should wait until we are a bit older before trying this, but she has come around and now sees the potential in this type of vacationing. Truth be told, there is no telling how either of us will feel after our first outing. I won't ramble on about how we got to this point, but we are going to jump in, albeit with a limited budget. I figured our first rig would be a "smallish" A Class, probably a 28-32 footer. The year would probably be in the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s. I would love a diesel, but thought I would not find one in our price range. As it turns out, I came upon a 1995 Class C rig with a Ford 460. It's a 28-foot Fleetwood Conquest with 47K miles. It's in pretty decent shape and the price is right. I was ready to make an offer on it, when I came upon a 30-foot DP this morning. The DP is a Rockwood Embassy with a 190HP Cummins and a 6-speed Allison tranny. I have not seen the DP in person yet, but, at less than $2,000 more than the Fleetwood, this seems like a no-brainer (provided it's as good as it looks in the photo's). The DP has 65K miles. I've tried to find info on the Rockwood, but have had very little luck finding much of anything. I guess my question is, can anyone offer any information about it (and the Fleetwood too, for that matter)? Is there some reason the price seems so "reasonable"? Is this rig known to be some sort of lemon or something? I know the Cummins and the Allison are know to be of very good quality, but what about everything else? I'm a handy guy, and I've rebuilt automobiles from front to back (other than a transmission), so I have no issues with an older rig, per-se. Any thoughts, comments or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Again, I'm new to ALL of this, so forgive me if I SOUND like a total newbie, and am asking either the wrong things or unimportant things. Pictures of the two rigs I'm considering: