Thinking of buying a 2000 Alpine Coach 36FDS LE

[J Rod]

Monty, I would appreciate it if you would pm me.
Rod

[takepride]

daveshan and Renipladlo:

Can I get the last 5 numbers of the VIN for those coaches for the Alpine Register?

[daveshan]

Don't have the VIN yet, should be with the report which I'll get tomorrow. I'll pass it on as soon as I get it.

[takepride]

Great! Good luck. I know you'll like it!

[daveshan]

Well guys sadly the coach failed the inspection miserably,

1. Pull to the right, brakes soft, didn't stop well.
2. Batteries leaking/extensive corrosion.
3. Generator slide sticking both on the way out/in.
4. Rear AC has bad vibration.
5. Dash AC not working.
6. Evidence of maintenance neglect (what appeared to be original belts on engine/no records)
7. Some paint issues that may indicate bodywork.

And a few minor things that we could live with or I could fix easily, interior was pretty much rock solid, too bad the POs had neglected it. Given that it's over 1k miles away and already discounted ($50k) I doubt if we'll try to get the owner to fix these items. Too bad the rig was exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks all for the feedback, must say you guys were very helpful.

Also the report did not include a VIN even though I asked for it. Inspector said he couldn't locate it. ???

[Renipladlo]

So send that lady an e-mail about the 05, they are nice folks.

[daveshan]

Monty,

We looked at NADA and while we would jump all over it if possible the difference between a $50k coach and a $100k+ coach is the difference between writing a check and financing. We have no obligations (including stick and brick) and want to keep it that way. Our upper limit is $75k and that would leave nothing in that fund for extras.

Since this would be our first "A" we want to keep it a "starter unit" to ensure DW likes the idea before spending large money. I've been dragging my built '01 Wrangler around the southwest with my Super Duty/Lance 845 and know I'll be happy but if DW decides it's not for her the rig could be for sale again soon.

Oddly enough after a couple of weeks of ignoring our questions the salesman from PPL now wants to talk to us and suggested we put in an offer low enough to cover all repairs. We're thinking about it while we look over in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

[Renipladlo]

Dave, I would try anyway, you don't know for sure what they would take, my impression is, they just want out. It never hurts to ask, they can always say no.

Hmmm, are you handy? I will e-mail you on how to fix the stuff shown up in the inpection. Most of it you can do yourself provided you have a place to work on it.

[daveshan]

Ok I emailed them, like you say won't hurt. I have to admit I read the invoice and am still drooling ;-)

I'm very handy, for a hobby I build rock crawling Jeeps, I've done all my own work on autos for the last 40 years. The only thing I don't do is gear setups when a re-gear or locker is required. If I can get the '00 home (~1100 miles) I can fix it.

Thanks again for all your help, the learning curve on these things is huge and the price of making a mistake is just as big.

[Old Scout]

Completely understand what you are saying about price and opportunity. Sounds like you have the ability and motivation to fix the minor mechanical and cosmetic issues on this coach. With more research on this site you can get a pretty good idea of what is/might be wrong with the brakes--if need be--replacing the discs and pads shouldnt be alot of money [again, see posts on this site].
The Allison tranny is pretty bullet-proof so unless it was totally abused, you should be ok there. Onan gensets are also pretty durable unless they were abused--check hours? The HWH hydraulic system [jacks and slides] can be a problem if not well cared for and part/repairs for older HWH stuff could become a problem. Chassis hydraulic system [engine fan, power brakes/steering] can be an issue. Vibration in the rear AC could be as simple as a mud-dobber nest [we live in Texas]. Dash A/C is pretty much a std Automotive system so it can be fixed--although the original supplier [Acme] is gone. Older water heaters and furnances are problematical but fixable. Tire age is important--anything over 5 years [from born on date] is an issue and bus tires are pricy--$2500-$3000 for 6 tires.
So what is left is the Cummins engine--this is a biggie. If not well cared for, it can get really expensive, really quick, to correct any abuse. A dusted engine [dirt thru air filter] or poor fuel habits [plugged pump] could quickly run over $10k. Definitely need to get a once over from Cummins, to include an oil sample. They cant catch every thing but at least you did your due diligence. [PS--the exhaust pac brake on these older coach tends to rust an get stuck]

Bottom-line: Think there are better maintained coaches out there for not much more money, but if you can get past the above issues and get out the door for $50k, you will have a well-built coach which both you and your "better-half" can enjoy for many years to come. Besides--Apliners are the best travel folks in the world--check out the ACA [Alpine Coach Association] website.

[Dave and Jaime]

Originally Posted by daveshan

Monty,

We looked at NADA and while we would jump all over it if possible the difference between a $50k coach and a $100k+ coach is the difference between writing a check and financing. We have no obligations (including stick and brick) and want to keep it that way. Our upper limit is $75k and that would leave nothing in that fund for extras.

Since this would be our first "A" we want to keep it a "starter unit" to ensure DW likes the idea before spending large money. I've been dragging my built '01 Wrangler around the southwest with my Super Duty/Lance 845 and know I'll be happy but if DW decides it's not for her the rig could be for sale again soon.

Oddly enough after a couple of weeks of ignoring our questions the salesman from PPL now wants to talk to us and suggested we put in an offer low enough to cover all repairs. We're thinking about it while we look over in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

If you have the "Alpine bug" (and why wouldn't you?), you can find wonderful Alpines between your $50K-75K range. Here are some recent ebay actual sales:

Ebay sales:
2002 36FDDS sold for $50,001 on Aug 29
2003 36MDTS sold for $57,900 on Jul 28
2003 40FDTS sold for $72,101 on Aug 14
2005 40FDTS sold for $79,300 on Aug 29

From the pictures and descriptions, none of the above had any problems like you describe for the 2000 you are considering. Many Alpines have been well taken care of and 7-8 year old Alpine has many miles and years left on it due to the high grade of materials used.

[EngineerMike]

One other large cost on an 05 could be the radiator if it has the problematic aluminum unit and hasn't been upgraded. Call it $3500 for a proper replacement.

[Algoma]

From the report you got I would say none of those are biggies and would not put me off. I know this has been discussed endlessly in the past but I would get an extended warranty to cover major mechanical problems. A 3 year warranty would cost around $3k and you could get the dealer to pay for that. I had one and it paid for itself twice over.

[EngineerMike]

You could try a net offer (on this or another rig). I.e. net total paid w/the various issues corrected w/in that dollar amount.