Potential 2001 Holiday Rambler Purchase

[pplummer]

Hi there,

I was hoping to get some feedback from some of you folks regarding my purchase. I am looking to find a 32-35 foot diesel pusher (older) and decided on the 34Pxx holiday rambler and monaco models.

I have a 2001 Holiday Rambler I am getting ready to buy next week and wanted to get your feedback on the unit.

The bus has 70xxx miles on it, which sounds high, but doesn't scare me. He has all service records (which is over 50) and most of the work has been done at the same shop. He's showed me where he's had two leaks and how he's repaired them (one over the entry door, one by the drivers window)

He's an honest, long time rv'er and has been upfront and honest.

My expectation for this unit is to do some minor interior freshening up and drive it on weekends / week long trips since I work full time. (carpet, flooring, fixtures, etc) I will probably keep it 3-5 years if we use it, then trade it in or sell it.

It's been hard to find something in the 'less than 35 foot' DP range. Hopefully, you all agree that the HR ambassador 34PDQ is a decent unit.

Let me know what else you think I should be looking at for known issues / specific to this model (other than the obvious)

I am fairly well mechanically versed, so feel free to throw it on me! I have never owned a DP before, but owned many TT's and 5'ers. I understand this is a totally different game from what I've been reading. I have my savings ready to spend on this beast in repairs....LOL


Also, I did have some specific questions maybe some of you can answer

There are some black marks appearing on the ceiling. My research indicates that it's probably sweat and rubbing from the aluminum ribs coming through. The Factory also confirmed that's probably the case. Any ideas, and has anybody successfully cleaned it?

The parking brake exhausts on the inside of the coach when you engage it? Why? Seems kinda crazy to me. I have a commercial drivers license and most semi's vent outside. I pulled the parking brake and nearly jumped out of the chair! Anybody change this?

The eternabond on the roof seam running down the center is curling up on the edges. Monaco said trim it with a knife and caulk the edges. I've also been told to replace it too, but it's not leaking. Anybody concur?

Is there any 'wood' per se in the unit? Is the fiberglass laminated to plywood? Just curious more than anything else as to where to worry about leaks more in some areas than others where wood is concerned.

What's under the carpet that is just to the right of the entrance stairs where the fire extinguiser sits? I have looked at two monacos and both were squishy under there like rotted wood from a leak. They all seem to leak in this area? This particular coach seems tight, but I was more curious than anything else



Thanks

[OneRVer]

The only thing that I could add is to have an oil analysis done on both the engine and transmission. Should not cost you more then $40.00 total and might be well worth it. Good luck.

[DtBt]

Why are you limiting yourself to 34-35 ft?

[pplummer]

primarily because it fits on my current pad I have at my home. I live in a more 'rural' subdivision, but it's a subdivision no less. My previous fifth wheel fits on the pad really well. Also, some of the parks I travel to have a length restriction as well. I know it will probably hurt me on resale in the future, but by then, it probably won't be worth much anyway!

[jimkate]

The black marks in the ceiling are normal. They increase and get worse as the years go by, and are extremely difficult to try to clean.

Ask the previous owner how the rig handles. Drive it on the highway, preferably on a windy day with 18 wheelers driving all around you. Not all, but some of the shorter motor homes can be really bad to drive.

[greystroke]

I have a 34 ft HR Endeavor but it measures 34 ft 10 inches. No black on the ceiling

Entrabond can be trimmed and/or replaced. Would not consider that a big problem.

Watch the engine if it is cummins. After I bought my rig I found out my ISB I had the infamous 53 block that has been known to crack. After all these years it did not and I have been fortunate so far. If fact I really like the engine. Good economy and perfromance. So If it has an ISB check it out real good. The internet has a lot of info on the 53.

Don't know why your brakes are exhausting in the cabin. Never heard of that complaint. Got to be a problem.

[pplummer]

Thanks for the feedback. I am not really that concerned about the 53 block IMO. I did some reading and it looks that the earlier blocks (98-99) were the most prone to it. There are some guys out there pushing 500rwhp on these blocks and while they do say they can fail, it's less than 1%. I think I'll take the chance. Worse case, I'll repair the block and keep on rolling. I have quite a bit of engine rebuilding experience, so I guess it doesn't scare me that much.

Jimkate - What have you used to clean the ceiling? Have you tried taking down a ceiling panel? Just curious.

Greystroke - I agree. I love the engine / trans combination and that's why I am going this route. Fuel economy is fantastic and people seem to love this combination. My thoughts are that with this powertrain, I should be able to keep maintenance costs down and my local diesel mechanic can also service it if I get in over my head since he knows these engines really well. Oh, and I mean that when you engage the parking brake, it blows off in the cabin, not the foot brake.

[greystroke]

My rig is about 23500 loaded and I pull 4000 lb toad. 9.5 to 11 mpg..

Love that MD3060 tranny.

My understanding is that some 53s crack when loading it too soon. I always wait until the thermostat opens. I can tell using the VMSpc. I have also read reports that it may crackss during mountain driving. Keep in lowest gear possible.

Just make sure to check the block under the turbo for signs of leakage

[srydve]

Check to make sure it does not have the trailing arm problem. I am not sure what years or models are affected but a search should give you lots of info.

[pplummer]

Perfect, that's what I like to hear. Anything over 10MPG to me is a bonus!

This has the RM4C chassis which I believe didn't have the trailing arm issue. I am hoping that with the 70k miles on it, there will be few issues. I am not worried about the engine as much as I am everything else!

[pplummer]

Well I must say that we are very happy with the purchase. The 85 year young owner delivered it to my house Saturday. I could only hope to RV and be as sharp as this guy at his age. He didn't look a day over 65 and I'm not kidding. We are hoping to do the swap out of our 5'er this week and head out in it this weekend for 10 days. A little scary to do a long shakedown trip, I normally don't do that, but what the heck. This is our 4th RV and I think we made an excellent choice. We cleaned it up this weekend and it turned out really nice. When we get back, it will get new carpet and flooring and a few other odds and ends. It ended up not being the 53 block, but that didn't bother me that much anyway.

Here are some pics if anybody is interested. You'll see why I wanted 35 feet from the photos.

MobileMe Gallery

I'm sure i'll have many DP questions to come. I have my parts order (just for fussing on small specific things) to go to Monaco today. My few calls to Monaco parts have been excellent from a customer service perspective to date.

[OneRVer]

NICE!

[pplummer]

Hi all,

Well I spent most of the weekend working on the unit cleaning it up inside and out. I've managed to start doing some of the small things on it like changing out the wiper blades for nicer beam blades and re-painted the wiper arms. I also started touching up some of the areas that needed attention around the firewall and cleaning it up just to 'get-in-touch' with the systems and check and see where everything is. I do have a couple questions (you knew this was coming) and am looking to the wise ones for some help.

1. There is a main battery cut-off switch by the door. It activates a solenoid (I can hear it) I believe this turns on / off the 12V source to the coach. The question is: What happens if I push the button when I am plugged into Shore? Anything? I have already done that (for better or worse). I am just trying to get an idea as to what order / how to use each of the power sources. The manual says it's "ok" to fire up the generator when plugged into shore power (even though I don't think I would do that). I do know not to have anything turned on (load) before I fire up the gen, plug into shore, etc. But I am a little puzzled as to what order / how to use each source. For instance, if I am travelling down the road using the batteries, (no gen) then pull into a site to plug into shore, do I shut the batteries down first? What's the order here folks?

2. Can you adjust the shifter cable on the trans at the handle? I notice it's a bit sloppy (morse / teleflex unit) I checked at the trans and it's tight and adjusted correctly.

3. I need to recaulk the vertical seams where the aluminum roof meets the front and rear caps. I was going to use sikaflex 221 as I've had great success with this stuff in the past. Any reason why I wouldn't do this?

4. The rear muffler looks kinda punky around the rear muffler flange and one of the hangers is rotten. I am thinking about putting a new muffler and rear tail pipe on it. Any suggestions? I see lots of info on the aeroturbines, but know nothing about them. I'm not looking for performance or noise, but I figured if I can keep it cooler and keep the cost down a bit versus buying a stock boat anchor muffler.

5. The screen door looks as though it's missing its clip that holds the screen door to the main door. Monaco said they don't have any schematics to know what type it is. It looks like maybe a clip system? Does anybody have pics?

Thanks in advance,

[OneRVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pplummer Hi all, Well I spent most of the weekend working on the unit cleaning it up inside and out. I've managed to start doing some of the small things on it like changing out the wiper blades for nicer beam blades and re-painted the wiper arms. I also started touching up some of the areas that needed attention around the firewall and cleaning it up just to 'get-in-touch' with the systems and check and see where everything is. I do have a couple questions (you knew this was coming) and am looking to the wise ones for some help. 1. There is a main battery cut-off switch by the door. It activates a solenoid (I can hear it) I believe this turns on / off the 12V source to the coach. The question is: What happens if I push the button when I am plugged into Shore? Anything? I have already done that (for better or worse). I am just trying to get an idea as to what order / how to use each of the power sources. The manual says it's "ok" to fire up the generator when plugged into shore power (even though I don't think I would do that). I do know not to have anything turned on (load) before I fire up the gen, plug into shore, etc. But I am a little puzzled as to what order / how to use each source. For instance, if I am travelling down the road using the batteries, (no gen) then pull into a site to plug into shore, do I shut the batteries down first? What's the order here folks? 2. Can you adjust the shifter cable on the trans at the handle? I notice it's a bit sloppy (morse / teleflex unit) I checked at the trans and it's tight and adjusted correctly. 3. I need to recaulk the vertical seams where the aluminum roof meets the front and rear caps. I was going to use sikaflex 221 as I've had great success with this stuff in the past. Any reason why I wouldn't do this? 4. The rear muffler looks kinda punky around the rear muffler flange and one of the hangers is rotten. I am thinking about putting a new muffler and rear tail pipe on it. Any suggestions? I see lots of info on the aeroturbines, but know nothing about them. I'm not looking for performance or noise, but I figured if I can keep it cooler and keep the cost down a bit versus buying a stock boat anchor muffler. 5. The screen door looks as though it's missing its clip that holds the screen door to the main door. Monaco said they don't have any schematics to know what type it is. It looks like maybe a clip system? Does anybody have pics? Thanks in advance,

I will try to help with a couple. The solenoid you hear is in your battery compartment. With the switch in either position (on or off) connection to shore power / generator is no problem. However when you unhook from the shore power / generator the switch will remain in the same position it was in before you connected to shore power / generator. When connected to 110 volts AC it will automatically turn the 12 VDC on.

I would not hook up to shore power with the generator on. If the contact in the relay box get dirty you could cause an arch and burn the contacts or may cause problem with the converter. JMHO

Recaulking, I would use Dicor caulking if you have a rubber roof.

The rest of the stuff I will leave to the smart ones on the forum.

Looks as though you have a very nice unit. Enjoy!