We're planning on buying a "new" (used) Monaco

[anthrosciguy]

That's probably (we'll be getting something, and I think Monaco is very high on the list of possibilities). We started looking around online and were surprised to find how (relatively) inexpensive diesel pushers are, and we're planning on buying one. I've thought the Monacos would be out of our price range but it seems there's quite a few, especially Diplomats around 1999, about. I'd think a used Monaco Diplomat with low(ish) miles would be a great purchase. (We've had a 93 Safari Trek, the small diesel Isuzu chassis, for 15 years and put a lot of miles on it -- 200,000 ourselves -- and the idea of a back bedroom, a quieter and hopefully smoother ride, and of course more room in general sounds pretty good. So we're thinking it's likely that we'll be looking for a 1999 Monaco Diplomat or around that year.

I know this kind of question asking is always a bit vague, since I don't know what might be a problem, but hopefully you folks won't be too annoyed to see this post. If you are, just avert your eyes.

Are there are quality control problems around that time, or specific problems we should look for? (I've looked a bit through the forum here, but any details would be greatly appreciated)

Any problems with the airbag suspension? Is it really smooth? (compared to the Trek I'd assume it will be, since the Trek is kind of a rough rider, albeit -- or because it's -- tough as nails)

What kind of real-world fuel mileage should we expect to get? (this was one nice thing about the Trek, especially back when diesel was cheaper than regular)

I'm assuming that the engine and trans should be good for several hundreds of thousands of miles, given decent care; true? 300,000? (again, Treks with the Isuzu engine/trans are pretty darned good there, given that they have to work pretty hard)

How's hillclimbing in the mountains, and does it have any tendency to overheat? (Treks are slow there, but steady, except that in the last few years ours tended to overheat too easily and we'd have to give it breaks; by slow I mean that going up into, say, the Bighorn Mts. or over somewhere like Wolf Creek Pass, we'd slow right down to 15-20mph -- the Trek having just a 4-speed didn't help there either)

Thanks for any replies and info. Wish I had more specific questions instead of this sort of fishing expedition, but this is a new search/research for us.

[gprince]

I have a 1999 Diplomat. I bought it with low miles (23k) and high hours (750) on the generator. It was used mostly for tailgating, I was told. We've had ours for almost a year and just finished a 4k trip from Alabama to Yellowstone. Even though I have the 275 HP turbo, I have never noticed any problems with power, I also tow a 4 door Jeep Wrangler. The mountains can be a little slow, but I felt like I kept up with traffic really well! It likes to cruise around 65 mph or around 1800 to 2000 RPM's. Fuel mileage is 8 mph, you might get 9 if you drop down to 60 MPH, but then you're a bottleneck on the interstate, IMHO. I highly recommend purchasing an extended warranty. Inspect the coach on a sunny day and check for cloudy windows. It will most likely have a fiberglass roof, so it will need to be sealed along with putting new seals in for both air conditioners. Be prepaired to spend several hundred dollars on new fuel filters, air dryer filters, not including the generator filters. Tires are also a big expense. I didn't want to chance anything, so after noticing a different brand of tire all the way around, I replaced them. $2,600 minimum starting for a good set. Inspect the slide seal. It will be under the slide topper, but get up there and inspect it. Extend all the awnings, chances are they will need new pull straps and some of the parts are missing, especially on the main patio awning. On the inside of the coach, you will probability want to replace the old TV's. Check the floor, if it seams warped (high spots) under the tile, it could mean water damage. Last but not least, buy an tow plan from Coachnet or Goodsams and an extended warranty from Goodsams or Interstate, etc... I recommend getting one with the lowest deductable, because you will use it, I have. It's the little things that will cost you. Examples of my repairs: air conditioner circuit board, then a network connector after that. ALT Charge light, battery charge relay, air compressor on main engine. As you can see, nothing major, but the extended warranty has already paid for itself. Please let us know what you decide to buy! I still search the internet on, "Wonder what else I could have bought", and I still come back to my purchase, so happy hunting!

[gprince]

Also, this forum is great for helping out with any problem you might run into! Before you buy a coach, be sure you have a good owners forum to back you up! I'm so glad I purchased a Monaco! This forum is the best!

[Bobs911]

I think you are looking in a real good direction. We bought a 2001 38' two slide Knight 2 years ago. (our 3rd MH and 1st DP) We are super pleased. It has the ISC 315hp, and we don't have the trailing arm issue. The Knight is 1 step down from the Dip. Yes, I have dropped several thousand dollars into it. Tires, fluid changes, progressive industries HW50-c, TPMS, Konis, misc minor parts. (I know I am on borrowed time on the aluminum radiator too). We have travelled 10k miles and spend many months a year in the Knight.

We get 9mpg running 62 mph, and 8.5 with the CR-V in tow. It pulls the hills fine, we have been over CA299 (9% grades) many times.

A couple of thoughts:
Check tire mfg dates
Don't worry too much about the total miles
Be aware of the Norcold issue
Personally I would avoid an ISB Cummins
Be aware of trailing arm issues on certain 4 bag chassis
Think about spending a bit more and buying a year older Monaco Dynasty
Learn a lot from the forums
Join the Monacoers yahoo group.


Good Luck!!!

[WindsorDave]

We just sold our 2001 Diplomat 38A for $54K. It was our first motor home and we did not have any prior experience with owning/driving other motor homes. Given that we really lucked out. It was a great coach! We put shocks (Koni FSD's) tires and house batteries into it and enjoyed using it for the past two years. So much so that we are now on the hunt for a replacement coach. Focusing on Monaco's, of course, but there's a cute Allegro Bus that we're going to look at on Monday.

There are some features that we think we'd like to have. A second vanity sink, Aqua Hot, power awnings, power sun visors, slide out generator, slide out battery tray, etc. Options that are more commonly found on newer and/or coaches a step up the pecking order.

Diplomats and their sister Holiday Rambler Endeavors are solid coaches with a large customer base and therefore easy to maintain with parts, service, and institutional knowledge.

FWIW

[Coma]

We bought our 2000 Dynasty last fall. Remarkable bargains in the used market right now. Build quality is very good. There will be some electrical gremlins due to age and water intrusion, think Kwikee Steps. Tires were replaced by dealer, it was a deal breaker for me. The charger that keeps the chassis batteries topped off, $200, had quit ,replaced with Triklstart. Ours is a mid door, I had to re-shim it to get it to seal. All little stuff. Closet hardware for the wardrobe bifold doors has been hard to find. Someone had thrown away the two piece secondary fuel filter, Racor, and I had to piece it back together. Most parts have been easy to come by and Monaco support has been great!

Ride is great, power is great for the East. We leave for a 4500 mile CO/UT trip tomorrow, so I have a better report on hill climbing when we get back. Other forums posts indicate 35-45 up I70 over the divide, we'll see about that. Ours has the Aqua-hot, it's great. I wish we had the bath and a half, so I could get a half, .......sigh. We upgraded from a trailer so our learning curve has been steep. We did a very through walk through and ended up postponing delivery 3 times so they could fix it all. I did miss a couple items, small stuff, so far.

Bargain hard, fuel prices have many scared and dealers are pliable!.

Enjoy the hunt.

[hardy1000]

I bought a 2007 Diplomat new and it has been great. I am on a 4000 mile trip and the only problem I have had is with the KVH dome not picking up sattellite. The coach has 20k miles on it. Never a major problem just some minor house issuses like loose screws and front curtain hanging up on the rods. I have been very fortunate with my Dip but I also maintain it to the max. I think Diplomats have a very solid foundation and a great reputation.

[anthrosciguy]

Thanks for all the replies folks (any more info is also appreciated). I think we're probably going to concentrate on the Monacos out there for sale, altho I've also thought about Allegro Bus and Newmars because I've always heard they're good quality too. (With the prices now other things available seem appealing, like Discoverys and such, but I wonder if the quality would be a disappointment.)

I wanted to ask for some more details about this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by gprince I highly recommend purchasing an extended warranty. ... Last but not least, buy an tow plan from Coachnet or Goodsams and an extended warranty from Goodsams or Interstate, etc... I recommend getting one with the lowest deductable, because you will use it, I have. It's the little things that will cost you. Examples of my repairs: air conditioner circuit board, then a network connector after that. ALT Charge light, battery charge relay, air compressor on main engine. As you can see, nothing major, but the extended warranty has already paid for itself.

We've never had an extended warranty or a towing plan, but have thought of each (when we first started we had to run as cheaply as possible, and when we did have some problems we were lucky). This time we're definitely thinking having them is the way to go.

So what did your extended warranty cost, if you don't mind saying? And who was it with, and did they pay for all that, and without much trouble? Did the price go up after they had to pay out? (In other words, I really don't know anything about these really, and altho I'll be looking at others' experiences with them, it seems you've got some solid firsthand experience with a coach that's likely to be much like ours.)

From what I've read recently about towing plans it seems people have had better experiences with Coachnet than with Good Sams (I've read of some Good Sams experiences which basically consisted of ultimately unhelpful road service calls). Is this the experience of folks here too?

Thanks again for all the replies. Just thinking about how much easier it is nowadays to get info before setting out on something like this. Back when we first started researching RVs before our first one, I did a lot of internet but there was really little to no RV info on it to speak of, nothing like now, and the best way to learn was subscribing to several magazines and organizations. (And when we went out on the road, getting online was virtually impossible; people would just look at you funny. ) Now it's so much easier. Forums like this are great.

[Coma]

Good Sam insurance includes a towing plan, GMAC is the underwriter. They had the best quote for us. Extended warranties tend to be a personal choice thing. I have never been a fan of them. I do extensive research on vehicle before I purchase. Oil samples for engine and transmission as a minimum. I understand and am adept at mechanical systems and their repair. I am comfortable with some risk to save $. In our case the warranty quote was almost 6 thousand.

There are many reports on warranty experience on this forum. These are expensive toys and require financial reserves to enjoy them without worry. Find the best fit and balance between risk tolerance and $ so you can have a stress free experience.

[anthrosciguy]

Ouch. For 6 grand or around I think we can self insure for breaking bits.

[Mochisme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthrosciguy Ouch. For 6 grand or around I think we can self insure for breaking bits.

Big OUCH... I think the quote for our 34 La Palma was about $4,500.00 and I passed.

On the towing issue I just upgraded my AAA to Preimer RV which about doubled my yearly cost for coverage on the wife and I ($150.00 per year) and give a 200 mile tow coverage. I like to get remote, but I think that should be enough.

[gprince]

My warranty was$ 3,295. It might sound like a lot, but my offer was a lot less than they were asking, so I factored it in with my offer. It is a three year, 30K warranty with a $200 deductable. It covers the drivetrain, appliances, air conditioners, slide motors, etc... its just an option, but so far they have paid for a$ 1,200 air compressor, $900 slide motor, $300 air conditioner circuit board, $500 ALT Charge light issue. The trick is to take it for repair when you have more than one qualifying repair and you pay one deductable. So far, we are happy we bought it, because we never thought we would use it, but had it in the event we had a major mechanical repair, so far, we've only had small issues, but they can add up! Coachnet is around $89 the first year and is looking like $129 for the second. I've used it twice and estimate my tow charge would have been at least $500, so it has definitely paid for itself!

[anthrosciguy]

One other thing I wanted to ask about your replies was the cloudy windows thing. Is this a Monaco thing or general? (I've never heard of it) Is it like fogged over looking or etched or what? I would assume if this happens you have no option but to live with or replace, right?

[Chuck 1935]

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthrosciguy One other thing I wanted to ask about your replies was the cloudy windows thing. Is this a Monaco thing or general? (I've never heard of it) Is it like fogged over looking or etched or what? I would assume if this happens you have no option but to live with or replace, right?

I had two fogged widows that I fixed myself. I mean de fogged them and resealed them. The cost was zero. If you are handy it can be done. If not there are places that will repair them for you. You can do a search on here or someone will give you the name of repair people.