Motorhome Advice

[tbiddy]

Just wondering what tips any of you guys have when it comes to buying an older motorhome? Looking at a 1986 La Salle. Needs a little TLC but it only has 54,000km and passed a SK safety inspection last year. Price is decent at around $7000. Anything I should be focusing on?

[CritterCommander]

Fill it with water and fire up the pump, check for leaks, water tanks, heater, etc. Check grey and black tank valve operation, power system is charging, etc.

Most of these older units have long had the bugs worked out of them so should be more or less trouble free except for the usual maintenance items all depending on who had it before you.

Good luck, sounds like it might be a sweet deal.

[tbiddy]

Of course the ad states everything is in good working condition. My biggest drawback to a motorhome is having another vehicle to maintain but at this price it seems practical. I have a 2009 GMC with 300,000km on it that I maintain to pull my 5th wheel. Get rid of the GM and it should be even in the end.

Now to convince the wife....

[gtr]

Originally Posted by tbiddy

Of course the ad states everything is in good working condition. My biggest drawback to a motorhome is having another vehicle to maintain but at this price it seems practical. I have a 2009 GMC with 300,000km on it that I maintain to pull my 5th wheel. Get rid of the GM and it should be even in the end.

Now to convince the wife....

Hopefully that's the easy part.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by tbiddy

Just wondering what tips any of you guys have when it comes to buying an older motorhome?

Not that it will likely help you, but at $150/night, $7,000 buys 47 nights at a hotel and doesn't require insurance, registration, maintenance, fee at a campground, considerably more fuel to get there than a normal vehicle, etc.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by CritterCommander

Fill it with water....

That would probably bring the price down anyway....

[tbiddy]

Originally Posted by Trochu

Not that it will likely help you, but at $150/night, $7,000 buys 47 nights at a hotel and doesn't require insurance, registration, maintenance, fee at a campground, considerably more fuel to get there than a normal vehicle, etc.

I spend about that many nights in a hotel during the year already. Due to work we don't get to go camping as much as we'd like but we love it when we get to go out.

[buck12]

Went the same route once. Even had low miles. After regular repairs, higher insurance and surprises we went back to a towable trailer and had a vehicle to get around in when we got there.
But it is each persons choice. Check all the sytems and smell the tranny oil, they sometimes get neglected and burn out the clutch packs

[bobcatguy]

As with any camper check for water damage in all corners and all of the floor Open storage doors and see what the floor looks and feels like soft = rotten Make sure fridge ,stove and all water works

[Unregistered user]

If it has 16.5" rims negotiate the price down as tires for these are no longer made. Big block is way better than a small block especially when towing or going thru BC.

[Dean2]

They do still make 16.5" tires, lots of them. However if it has split rims you will need to buy new ones as very few shops will work on split rims any more. Also, a 1986 is 30 years old. Parts for the stuff in the motor home, like fridge, water heater, stove etc will be unobtainium. Parts for the power train may or may not be available depending on which motor and running gear it was built on.

Personally, no matter how low the mileage I would never buy a 30 year old motor home. You can buy much newer ones, try to buy no more than 6 or 7 years old, with about the same miles on them in the States for about the same price. They are very easy to import to Canada.

[Sooner]

As mentioned, check in behind all lowest cupboards at the floor to wall areas for signs of water leaking in. Get up on a ladder and check the roof, seams and caulking around all the vents etc. I think pretty much any older RV will have had some kind of water issue. Wet wood, paneling is soft to the touch or loose. Wall paper that looks like it's lifting is a sign of water in behind the paneling.

My surprise 3 yrs after I bought it but the RV is 33 yrs old and I didnt pay a ton for it. Its a great RV but a Window was leaking for years. Stepped on a soft spot about the size of a small paper plate in the floor last fall(wasnt soft enough in the spring to notice). Pulled up the carpet to see and as with all water issues, it's always worse. All cleaned up and ready for the replacement wood to go in this week. I was going to pull the original worn out carpet and re floor the trailer with some nice peel and stick stuff anyway, plus I'm not afraid of a little wood work .



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