Experience With PPL?

[gaylemarlowe]

Has anyone dealt with PPL in Texas, and if so, would you recommend them?

We are 1200 miles from their location, and we would like to make fairly sure that the drive is worth it.

Considering purchasing a used Class A dp from them.

[wolfe10]

PPL has been in business a long time and is one of the largest consignment lots in the country (and largest parts department). Good reputation.

Be aware that these are mostly consignment coaches, so they have not been PDI's by PPL or anyone. Owner maintenance varies from great to terrible. It is your responsibility to check coaches out completely-- that means chassis as well as house systems. Same as at any consignment lot.

Their website gives you an excellent overview of coaches. Don't expect the photos to show the hickies-- they tank photos from the same place on each coach.

Brett

[Xplorer]

Can't speak to their consignment business. Their parts service has been great. I have purchased tow bars, base plates, etc from them on several occasions.

Excellent customer service.

They have a good reputation with their parts department, which is why I started doing business with them. I have not read any negative comments about them over the years.

Here are some reviews from rv service reviews.

http://rvservicereviews.com/ReviewDetails.asp?Submit=&FacilityID=1571&State=TX&Search=&CategoryID=

Good luck and as Wolfe said, due diligence.

[jc21014]

If you do end up going to PPL in Houston, here is a another dealer who seems to take great pride in the units he sells. Have not personally dealt with them but they were recommended by several people we know from the Houston area.

http://www.bestpreownedrv.com/

[gaylemarlowe]

Thanks everyone for your input. It is always good to hear others experience with a particular firm. And yes, I understand the need to be aware of the hidden maintenance issues as the seller usually does not want to reveal ALL potential problems as it would just reduce the potential selling price.

On another note, do you feel that an oil analysis is warranted before purchasing a used coach with several years of use? Heard of one owner that was having his engine use water on a regular basis, not much but regularly, and eventually caused major problems with the engine. Evidently an oil analysis would have picked up on this and could have been fixed as a minor repair instead of a major repair. ??

[jc21014]

You have to keep in mind that most of these used rvs are being sold for a reason. Most owners/dealers are not your friend and will not reveal/volunteer any more information about their rv than is necessary to a potential buyer or dealer. What is the year/model of the unit you are looking at as some have known past issues that have been posted about. Some Winnebagos have rust issues on the frame under the windshield, those with basement ac can have cooling issues to name a few.

Class A mh on work horse chassis from approx 2000-2008 have brake caliber problems causing lockup/overheating issues; Some earlier Monaco class A mh models had dangerous trailing arm issues on the frame but was able to skirt their responsibly for issues by filing bankruptcy and forming a new company; your cost-$2500-3000.

Some of the earlier 2000 year range Spartan chassis has an inferior quality rubber boot covering the ball joints. The rubber rotted away exposing the ball joints to road grit, etc; which require replacement. They supposedly knew this but only fixed it if you were under warranty. Your cost to fix, $2500-3000. Does it have a Norcold or Dometic 4 door fridge? These and some of the 2 door models have been subjected to numerous recalls for fridge units built from roughly 2000-2009 because of poor cooling issues. After being on for 18-24 hours, the freezer should be +5 to -10 and the fridge box in the 38-40 degree range. If the fridge does need replacement, the options usually are, replace the cooling unit on the back with an Amish built unit, $1100-1200 for the (2) door or $1400-2000 for the (4)door model with some cabinet mods sometimes needed. A new (2) door can be in the $1400-1800 range and a new (4) door in the $3000+ range. But are you buying another problem, have they fixed the new units? I don't really know. Some folks will remove the RV fridge entirely and replace it with various house models. These run strictly off of an inverter, (usually 1500 watt or better) and pretty much limit any boondocking. How old are the tires and what brand are they? Generally speaking, anything with a DOT date older than 5-7 yrs can be a potential hazard for blowouts and should be possibly replaced by the seller or an allowance for replacement in the selling price.. Thes tires usually age out before wearing out. How many hours on the generator? Has it been used regularly or been ignored and not used. We put 150-200 hrs per year on ours as they are meant to be run regularly. 9 times out of 10, our gennie is running when we're going down the road. In the past when we have decided to give a serious look at a rv, I called the dealer/owner and requested that they plug the unit in, turn on the fridge, put some fresh water in the tanks, etc. I had them start the generator right after we go there and turned on the ac's, and tried every appliance. Does it have a washer/dryer? These need to be turned on and checked. I would want all fluids/filters changed in the big engine and generator or proof that it has already been done. Depending on the year of the rv would determin if the belts/hoses need attention also. Finding a good/reputable rv qualified person to do these inspections is always an option but be prepared to spend $300-500. Your money, your choice but not taking the right inspection steps can/might be very expensive down the road. They are a lot of fun but can be a money pit also.

[gaylemarlowe]

Coach we are looking at is a 2003 Monaco Dynasty 40ft with tag axle and 400 Cummins. 750 hrs on generator and supposedly everything serviced at 5000 intervals. Does the trailing arm issue you mentioned apply to the tag axle models and this particular year? Don't know what fridge is in it yet. We are waiting for a call for further info before we actually spend the time and money to go the 1200 miles to look at it. Is there some kind of a check list of major issues to look for on this particular model?

[jc21014]

Coach we are looking at is a 2003 Monaco Dynasty 40ft with tag axle and 400 Cummins. 750 hrs on generator and supposedly everything serviced at 5000 intervals. Does the trailing arm issue you mentioned apply to the tag axle models and this particular year? Don't know what fridge is in it yet. We are waiting for a call for further info before we actually spend the time and money to go the 1200 miles to look at it. Is there some kind of a check list of major issues to look for on this particular model?

Here is an extensive link on another forum that covers the trailing arm issues. It appears to cover the 4 air bag chassis instead of the 8 bag ones. The first 8-10 pages have a listing of the effected models so it appears that yours is not affected. You most likely will have a 4 door fridge, either Norcold or Dometic , in that size/model of mh. These, especially the Norcolds, have been the cause of a lot of problems for many people. Even though the recalls may have been done, many owners are still complaining of poor cooling. As you can see from my signature, our unit is a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star on a Spartan Chassis so my overall knowledge of your unit is limited. Users on this forum such as, Wolfe10, Rich(RichandLois), and Hermann Mullins would probably be more knowledgeable on your particular. I don't want to sound to negative on any particular brand over another but to advise on what I know from experiance or have read on the ones mentioned. Also, be advised that FMCA has a very good tire purchase program through Michelin, that is available for members that can result in a noticeable savings. Tire brand choices among folks can lead to interesting discussions but my past experiance steers me away from Goodyear based on my bad experiance,rivering, out-of-round issues, and price. Michelin has always been a good tire for us but can be a little pricey also. We went to Hankooks (Korean made)about 3-4 yrs ago on our class A and personal vehicles and have been very pleased. We payed $300-400 less than GYs and Michelin. Other tire brands to consider would be Toyo. Yokohama, Bridgestone, etc.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f24/trailing-arms-cracked-on-roadmaster-54838.html I believe the issue has also been discussed here on the FMCA forumbut don't have the link readily available.

[gaylemarlowe]

Thanks for the info. I contacted source engineering and they informed me that the chassis for the dynasty with tag is the best. No trailing arm issues and it probably came with Bilstein shocks with lifetime warranty. Really nice honest guy. He did not have to tell me about the Bilstein warranty at all.

[wildebill308]

Not knowing your level of expertise I would recommend getting some one down there to check it out for you. Are the service records available? As stated by someone else it might cost a little now but save you lots latter.

When you go look the coach over don’t be so in love you can’t walk away if it isn’t right. Get any “promises of repairs in righting”. Once they have your money their hearing gets really bad. I am not talking about PPL in particular I haven’t heard any bad with PPL but a lot of RV dealers make used car salesmen look like saints.

Bill