What Warning Signs Should One Look For When Purchasing A Used Class A

[DOWDYL350]

What warning signs should we look for when shopping for a used Class A? We're going to look at a 2007 Fleetwood Revolution who has had 2 owners. Is that something to be concerned about or just possibly a sign of the economic times?

[hermanmullins]

dowdyl,

Ask for thr CARFAX. Well maybe not, but a look at the maintenance record would be a must. Take the Engine Serial number to Cummins, Cat. or who ever made it and check if it has had any major work preformed. Is there any service bulletins done or not done.

Low mileage doesn't always mean low usage. It may have been used by snowbirds. Down for the winter and back in the spring=lived in for many months. The wear and tear can be on the inside and not on the outside.

See if you can talk to the previous owners.

Take a look at the DOT dates on the tires. The coach is 5 plus years old and it is getting close to the max. life on the tires. Do all the tires match?

Like the old song says,"Hay look me over".

Good luck, hope you find a good one.

[DOWDYL350]

Good information on the engine. I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the "heads up"!!

[Frankturman]

I would look over the out side of the coach for bulges in the skin this may indicate water leaks. This would occur around the windows and the water heater. I would also check the inside ceiling for stains that would indicate water leaks from the roof. Check to see that the generator is in working order start it and power the coach for a few min making sure that all the air conditioners and other electrical appliances work.

These items are high cost and difficult to repair.

[Guest BillAdams]

Look out for the saleman. If his lips are moving he is lying! Seriously, do not take anyone's "word" as truth. If they promise it, get it in writing!

[DOWDYL350]

Thank you ! Jim

[five]

In the boating world, when trying to insure a high dollar boat, the insurance company requires a written prebuy inspection from a licensed surveyor. It's not that way in the RV world, but I would get an RV mechanic and have him go over the entire coach and check everything out. We do prebuys on homes and boats...why not a MH?

[shields]

Dowdyl,

First and foremost, does the coach meet you needs or requirements? Before you can answer that question, you -or the tow of you - need to discuss what your proposed use and needs are. If this coach is not equipped to meet your needs, keep looking. Its very much a buyers market these days.

If the coach will meet your needs, then make arrangements to inspect and check the operation of every single thing on the RV. Yes, every switch, light, window, faucet, gauge, cabinet, door, storage bay, rooftop gadget, etc. This will take at least a couple of hours; if the seller won't make the time available ... Adios amigo.

If the coach checks out and you are still interested, then have an experienced professional inspect it for you again. This will cost you some money but it will be worth it in the long run. Have the pros put the coach on a dyno to see how the engine and trans are performing, and have them road test it with you.

With that information, you'll be in a position to make an informed decision and a good deal. Take your time, and good luck.

Tim

[rcgoss]

Dowdyl,

Having purchased a used 2000 American Eagle a bit over 3 years ago I can say from experience that there are a lot of things that can go unseen. Our coach is riding on a Spartan Mountain Master Chassis with an independent front end built by Granning.

The information you've received to date is all valid and should be strongly considered. Here are some more things you might be able to see:

Look for rust stains below windows. (Ours had two rust streaks that would show up below the passenger window just aft of the entry door. Upon removing the window considerable rust scale was present on the steel box beam construction due to voids created during the window installation. All the scale had to be chipped away, surfaces cleaned, treated and painted, missing insulation put in and the window replaced.)

If the unit you are looking at has a driver's window that goes up and down, be advised that water can and will leak past the lower seal causing rust scale to form on the steel structure in the wall below. Check the bay/compartment below for standing water/dampness.

Assuming the unit you are looking at has a generator that is on a slide out at the front, check all the steel angle framing holding the front facia to see that it is not rusting.

Look at hardware attached to the outside of the motorhome with specific attention to apparent condition of the fasteners. If rust is present there may be problems further down. (If a dealer has the unit, ask the salesman to remove a few of the questionable fasteners so you can see their hidden condition.)

Check around windows to assure that the upper areas have been sealed and that the sealer is in good condition. (Leaks around windows do not necessarily cause stains inside, but can lead to delamination of the fiberglass shell and swelling of the interior paneling, not to mention rusting of the structure.)

Check operation of the window awnings with attention to condition of the fabric. Also inspect the fabric covers over the slideouts. Roller tension is important here. It is not unusual for springs in the rollers to break.

A unit that has had pets in it may well have carpet stains and urine smell that just will not go away unless the carpeting and carpet pads are removed and renewed.

Check all the day/night shades for proper operation. The cords have a habit of breaking/coming adrift...just because...and they do not fare well under ham-handed operation.

Now for the stuff that isn't so apparent:

If the unit has a kitchen slideout, have the flexible PVC drain line checked. (The line loses flexibility with age. Ours kinked near both ends and the tubing wall cracked on each side of each kink.)

If it has one, does the clothes washer function properly and is there an operating manual for it. Check for leaks after the cycle is completed and have the owner open the lint filter. (That can be a yucky surprise if not maintained.)

Fire up the generator and turn on all lights, A/C units and electrical appliances installed in the motorhome to assure that the generator and breakers are up to the task. Then do the same thing just on 50 amp shorepower and check the shorepower cord for unusual amount of heat build-up near the ends and at the plugs.

Look under the coach (or have an independent rv technician do it for you). If the unit has an independent front end assembly, is it said to be "maintenance free"? If so, it isn't. After a few years of operation (it was 8 years for ours), the boots on the ball joints have a strong tendency to disintegrate and allow the grease to wash out. With no way provided to lubricate the ball joints they will go bad, handling will suffer and it won't be possible to get a good alignment on the front end. (About a $3,000 repair job at Spartan - but they did ours right the first time.)

You didn't say how much mileage is on the unit, but front shocks may well be about due too.

Assuming the unit has pneumatic suspension, find out how long it takes for the unit to lose air pressure in the suspension allowing the unit to settle. It should take a little over a week for that to happen. Faster than a week then there may be system leaks that need to be dealt with. (Ours just involved tightening some fittings and cap screws on the leveling valves.)

Determine how the previous owner has been maintaining the engine and chassis. That could be very important/expensive, especially if it's been done improperly. (For example: On our unit, Cummins has specific maintenance intervals for coolant, coolant filter, lubricants, fuel and oil filters, adjustments, etc. Transmission is an Allison and there are very specific fluid and filter change intervals that must be followed. The differential lubricant must also be changed on a regular basis as specified by the manufacturer. Likewise the ride height must be checked and maintained or damage to the universal joints could occur. There's lots more too.) If the unit's chassis was built by Spartan, get the chassis number and call them. They can tell you everything that's on that chassis and who to contact for maintenance information. In fact, they even have a generic maintenance list that they can send you.

If there are Goodyear tires on the steering axle, are there wavy undulations in the outer ribs of the tread (referred to as rivering...I don't know why except it looks wavy)? If so, check the rear tires for similar wear patterns. If they have them too, the previous owners have been rotating the front tires with the ones on the rear. (Michelin tires do not get that wear pattern, at least they don't on my unit and the steering as well as ride was vastly improved.)

By the way, I use to be one of those Marine Surveyors referred to above.

Hope this helps too.

Richard Goss

Livingston, TX

F329512

[rcgoss]

Dowdyl,

Howdy again. Forgot to mention that many RV's have a weight bias that you might want to investigate before you load anything into the unit. Found our that ours has about a 450 pound bias to the right side on the front axle. (I don't know why, but it's there and it makes a sizeable difference in front tire air pressure.) Have the unit weighed with independent wheel scales. That will help you with weight and balance considerations when you and your's load the unit and it may help prevent tire problems down the road.

Good luck. Keep the shiny side up.

[jc21014]

Thank you. Very nice writeup. We will looking at a 2001 HR Imperial with 61000 miles, 370 Cummins this week and this info will be helpful.

[freemn2]

Best advice is to be prepared! Use due diligence when buying the motor home and get the best price. Them get the best extended warranty and the best insurance. We got ours through American Roads. www.americanroadsrv.com The insurance was through National Interstate and the warranty is through GO RV. The best coverage and the best price!! And we did a LOT of research.

Bill F

07 Camelot

[jamador]

Great Advice....

[dickandlois]

I found a nice looking Coach, that I liked! but the down fall was it had been on a trip to Alaska.

Now the story and what we needed to do.

Nice and clean in side. Outside was in great shape. Looked over the paper work and information on maintenance and service.

The unit was back to the factory 3 times for outside skin and hardware repairs. OK! this explained why it looked so nice.

I then took a look underneath and went OH BOY!!!

The party that had owned it did not take any time to have the Coach washed well while driving in areas of dirt roads,where they use Calcium Chloride to reduce the dust. They do mention one should be washing underneath.

This lack of getting it washed,had allowed the Chloride to eat away every piece of metal framing from the floor down to the pod support assembly and the metal holding the lower portion of the side panels. This would require removing every inch of the metal work exposed to this chemical.

Not being one to walk away from a challenge, I made and offer on the coach. No way, no how was the reply.

OK ! Then sell it to someone and get stuck with the paperwork and cost, when you have to replace everything and put up with a very unhappy party.

Three months later we received a call. ARE you interested in the Coach? Well yes, but on my terms. Good Price and 6 months of my labor, its still on the road and I know where every nut,bolt and weld seam is. Not everyone would even consider or attempted this venture.

Having most of the tools and time spent over the years fixing about everything with wheels and some items without. This was one I had to try-- win or loose!

The life style is fantastic, You can get a new view out the window anytime you want and have fun meeting different people with many of the same interest.

Remember, you are buying a house with all the required maintenance, a large truck with the required maintenance and a power plant to supply your electricity.

With a few other amenities thrown in. The Learning Curve can be steep, but the rewards are something you can not put a price tag on.

Coaches come with many options and floor plans. So take time to think about how you travel. Stop at campgrounds.Travel to out of the way places, Travel at night when the kids are sleeping. When you make a short stop can you get to what you need with out opening a slid-out or two.

Everything is on the table, this is your home away from home !!! Then you might know what size and items you need to fit the life style!

Remember the bigger the Coach the fewer the locations you can enter, many state and federal camp grounds have size limits.

Best of Happy and Safe travels. R.M.

,

[jts131]

I am looking at at 2009 Monaco Knight. only 5000 miles. Looked great till I saw black mold all alone the top edge of the ceiling. This indicates water leaks. Dealer claims he will repair all area's with water damage?? Does anyone have any experience with this happening to a 3 year old Monaco?? even if?? the dealer does do this repair, would anyone buy a coach with this kind of damage? My real problem is, do I believe the dealer will do the repair properly?? I have ask them to allow me to see the inside of the ceiling and walls, but they just claim they will do a good job.

Unfortunately, it is Dream RV in Bradenton fl. and I have found some neg. reviews about them.

Will use any advice I can get.

Thanks in advance,

Jim and Sunny

[Guest BillAdams]

I would not buy it simply because you will have no way at all of knowing whether what actually caused the problem was fixed or not.

[jc21014]

Water issues are a definite red flag for me also. I can guarantee that most dealers,(think 99.9%) will tell you what they think you want to hear. I would run the other way as your dream RV is still out there waiting to be discovered.

[stvscharfe]

I have purchased several used motorhomes in my lifetime and the one thing that always shows up is windshield rock chips. You need to check the windshield over very carefully, both from inside and outside, as you can't always spot the chips from the outside. Trust me, new windshields are not cheap!