Looking to purchase - what to look out for

[Spada84]

My wife and I are looking for a coach to eventually go FT in. We have narrowed down to Monaco or it's brethren. We both have a list of must haves, nice to haves, and if it doesn't have we can easily change. Originally we were looking at 40' with 3 or more slides. However, we have found a '03 43' Executive with 2 slides. The coach appears to be well cared for and has had the interior refreshed and slightly remodeled to a floor plan that we really like. Exterior also has recent refresh. We are going to look at it this weekend and I'm looking for anythings that I should pay particular attention to.

Coach has 70K on 500HP Cummins. AquaHot, serviced regularly (I'll ask for maintenance records), new tires and batteries within the last year. 3 new cameras, air and hydraulic leveling.

I'm a controls engineer, and have done plenty of mechanical, including rebuilding engines. Just looking for areas that I should pay special attention to. Even being 13 years old, it's still a lot of money to invest.

[gemert]

Water stains, rusty screw heads, delamination and checking on outside surfaces. Tire age. Those are some of the most important in my experience. Mechanicals are not really mu thing.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by gemert

Water stains, rusty screw heads, delamination and checking on outside surfaces. Tire age. Those are some of the most important in my experience. Mechanicals are not really mu thing.

Yep, we were looking at Monaco's, Newmar's, and CC's. Found several Monaco's that would have worked and one that really looked good from the pictures. Went to look at ti and found water stains on the ceiling over the drivers area. Salesman really tried to discourage me from getting up on the roof but I did it anyway. Looked like the sat dish had been changed and the roof not resealed well enough. Scratched that one off and kept looking till I found the Magna we now have.

[gemert]

Salesmen don't like us to look too close do they? I wonder why?

[adamfolger]

Get a creeper and crawl under front to back looking for wet spots and leaking oily stuff. Bad shocks will be have oily residue. Look for foggy duel pane windows. Do the slides close flush with the side walls and check for uneven seals when open? Do the slides make a lot of noise when moving in and out? Slides can be expensive to fix. Air the coach to travel height and walk around the coach listening for air leaks. Ask them to have the coach plugged in and all 110 stuff works and then unplug and check everything that runs off the inverter. (Air conds only work 110) Then fire up the generator and see if all 110 stuff still works. Three different power systems need to work. Ask them to turn the referig on and cold when you get there. If they say " We will show all that during the walk thru".....walk away. They wont let you! If everything works talk price. Everything that doesn't work drops the price. If they say we will fix it if you buy it, get it in writing. Don't sign an AS IS ,at purchase, unless you are completely satisfied.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by adamfolger

Get a creeper and crawl under front to back looking for wet spots and leaking oily stuff. Bad shocks will be have oily residue. Look for foggy duel pane windows. Do the slides close flush with the side walls and check for uneven seals when open? Do the slides make a lot of noise when moving in and out? Slides can be expensive to fix. Air the coach to travel height and walk around the coach listening for air leaks. Ask them to have the coach plugged in and all 110 stuff works and then unplug and check everything that runs off the inverter. (Air cons only work 110) Then fire up the generator and see if all 110 stuff still works. Three different power systems need to work. Ask them to turn the referig on and cold when you get there. If they say " We will show all that during the walk thru".....walk away. They wont let you! If everything works talk price. Everything that doesn't work drops the price. If they say we will fix it if you buy it, get it in writing. Don't sign an AS IS ,at purchase, unless you are completely satisfied.

Not always true, some, like ours, did have a factory option to run the front one off the battery bank and inverter. Ours doesn't seem to have that option but it was offered.

[adamfolger]

Drive it on different kinds of roads and check for steering play, turbo boost working, gauges working proper, smart steering wheel functions: wipers , cruise control, air horns. Maintenance records are mandatory for diesel engines. Pay the money to have the engine checked by a professional. Mobile RV service techs are good for that. Pay him for two hours and have him accompany you while you look at it. You will get your money back during price negotiations.

[adamfolger]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Not always true, some, like ours, did have a factory option to run the front one off the battery bank and inverter. Ours doesn't seem to have that option but it was offered.

Thanks for the correction MR_D, but only one in 100 Monacos will have that option, and a huge battery bank. I was just letting the OP know not to expect it...If it has that option, it will be one very nice Monaco

[falconman]

Your getting into the years that things are going to start need replacing, either because of use or just age. As others have stated, you have to check out the main systems to make sure they all function. The Aqua Hot needs to work in all zones and operate with no smoke or leaks, especially if it comes from an area subject to freezing weather. You absolutely must get on the roof and check it out. Foggy windows, torn slide seals, windshield and gasket, window covering operation, plumbing leaks and appliances. All these are repairable but the costs can add up.
The generator should start and run smoothly without smoke and if possible, run it with the a/c on while you monitor the panel. The slides should open and close smoothly and evenly (take a tape measure) and shouldn't creep in/out when left in either position. The awnings should be inspected for any seams starting to unravel. Unless updated, the TV's and electronics will be past their prime, including any older Sat system.
An RV tech will be helpful for the majority of items but a qualified diesel tech should be employed to check out the drive train/ chassis. You may have mechanical skills but these things have so many systems that having it checked out couldn't hurt. Good Luck!

[bobcovey]

We bought a 2003 Executive with 2 slides about 20 months ago and have been full time in it for 12 months. I would buy it again.
All the stuff that has been suggested applies to any used coach. the 03 Execs (and Signatures) are really well built coaches. They are loaded with systems that are wonderful when working and potentially troublesome and/or expensive when not. We are currently sitting in the parking lot of an Allison factory service center because our tranny is throwing electrical faults, a huge hassle and maybe expensive, but not a fatal flaw.
For what we could spend, we didn't see anything to compare to our coach for full timing. I counted about 90 cabinets and drawers in the interior. The galley is great, we cook about 95% of meals in house. The cabinetry is outstanding.
I keep busy fixing relatively simple stuff, and sometimes breaking it, too. These are really complex systems and the potential for cockpit errors is significant. RTFM, then reread it. And then read it again, especially the electrical section.
Certainly do look for water stains, but then focus on other stuff. The original Sony TVs need to go. If it has the original dome satellite antenna, it is no longer supported, so it will need to be replaced, too. Does it have the HughesNet dish? also no longer supported and the hardware company is out of business, so don't pay for it.
Check carefully for hydraulic leaks in the HWH systems for the front slide and the generator slide. Check the rams and equalizer manifolds for the front slides. Check the fluid level in the reservoir with the slides in. Lift the mattress, remove the panel to expose the bedroom slide motor and check for leaks from the gearbox. Ours all leak, but that isn't fatal, just a hassle until it gets bad enough to repair.
Run the engine until the air pressure maxes. Dump some air using the HWH panel then level the coach on air. Note the air pressure. leave it level and come back in 24 hours. Is it still level? If the air pressure has dropped more than a few pounds there is a leak somewhere. Make them fix it, then retest.
Run the slides in and out a few times to be sure they don't bind. Be sure the front slide locks retract completely. Get on a ladder and inspect the upper corners of the slide seals.
Check the Norcold door seals carefully. They are not replaceable, but can be fixed. We like dry camping so want to keep it going.
The ISM and Allison 4000 series transmission are about as good a power package as you can get in any coach. That said, these coaches are heavy. We are at the front axle limit with full fuel, propane and a couple of hundred pounds in the frwont bay. We are at the max weight on the drive axle, too, with EMPTY water, grey and black tanks. We do have the mid and rear bays full, and all the interior compartments and drawers mostly full, but we aren't carrying ingots. These coaches are heavier empty than they are spec'd to be, so don't plan to carry your rock collection.
Check the maintenance records against the schedules. Today we discovered that the transmission fluid and filters had never been changed on our coach since new. That sucks. Don't trust, verify everything.
I could go on, but it is way past my bedtime. I would be happy to answer specific questions.

Cheers,

Bob