Question about purchasing a used Damon Challenger

[sgrecu]

Hello, Everyone! We are brand-new to iRV2.com and are hoping you can give us a bit of advise. We are looking at buying a 2005 Damon Challenger 371W. My husband and I have been searching for a reasonable, clean, newer model motorhome that will be so much fun but easier on our pockets! We have looked at all kinds of coaches, from those stated as "immaculate" with doggy doo-doo all over, to newer really clean ones out of our budget to clean older ones with delamination. Oh, my...such a search. But we have come upon this Damon that is clean, has only 22,000 miles and seems to fit our style. AND we are aquainted with the seller and know he is trustworthy. Other forums love to bash certain manufacturers so I was hoping we could find out if anyone of you has this year Damon and how you feel about the Damon quality overall. We are in our 50's (well, I am- I robbed the cradle a bit and he is in his late 40's) and we hope to travel to the west coast this summer for an extended 6 week trip and do other southern tier travel in the winter.We presently live in the northeast. Any advise is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

[skipwil]

WELCOME sgrecu: this a great place to find answers to most all questions and concerns re: rv'ing. someone will have an answer for you. i've only owned a fleetwood and now a geo'town class a m/h. maintaince records are a must in nearly all cases. i think any m/h (new or used) is subject to problems-now or later. my g/town had both sides,one slide,floor and a new door replaced at the factory due to a roof leak. that didn't turn me against a forest river product. things happen even to a one year old coach - all was covered /warranty (thank goodness).does the floor plan suit your needs? i would check the roof seams. ck. under,over and around the entire coach. even 'tho the seller seems trustworthy it might be money well spent on getting a professional person also to check it over. there's nothing like having your own bed-bath and kitchen all self contained
good luck,safe travels and post often to keep us informed.
Again welcome to the forum...

[soonerdave]

I currently own a Damon Tuscany and I frequently reccommend Damon to many people, they are a good company and make a fine product, and provide good value for the money. My best friends who I travel with have a Challenger and they love it! Any coach can have problems, they are complex machines, but overall Damon builds a great product. If the coach is in good condition, has had regular service and been maintained well you shouldn't have problems. You stated you trusted the seller, that is a big part of any purchase. Look the coach over for any leaks, inside and out, especially around the slide-out seals. Check the slide-out toppers for wear and be sure to extend the awning and check it as well. Hook the coach up to water and electric. Test all the plumbing systems and look under the cabinets for any potential leaks that may have occured. Check the heater, AC, and TV's. Look under the coach for any signs of leaks, water or oil. Start the engine and drive the coach if the seller will allow, which they should. Basically you need to look at and check every system on-board. If possible take someone with you who is familiar with RV's to assist you in looking over the coach. Good luck with you decision! Let us know about your decision. Happy RVing!!!

[John H...]

sgrecu, We owned a new 04 Class C and wanted to make the jump to our Class A, but really couldn't afford new. We ended up with our 04 Damon in 07. It was 3 years old, but in great condition with only 5800 miles on it. I had spent a lot of time searching on the net for something we could afford, but was in good shape. We drove a lot of miles different times looking at MH's supposedly in great shape that ended up being over used junk. Many disappointments. The model doesn't make as much difference as condition and floor plan. Since we have had the Damon and we were to get another, I wouldn't hesitate to get another Damon. So far it has suited us well and has performed great. If you do as soonerdave says and check out all systems and be sure there are no roof leaks and the floorplan works, then go for it. Your advantage is knowing the person is trustworthy. Keep the forum informed with what you do. It is also a great place to get answers to any questions you have. Where are you located? we are in Western PA. Good luck, John H...

[ddtcat]

I have a 2001 Damon Challenger 329 Its Great! I bought it last year. it has 12,000 miles on it and runs great. I live in Center Pa. in a town next to Penn State called Bellefonte.

[sgrecu]

Thanks to everyone! It is perfect in everyway but one- it has a fiberglass crack on the lower right corner where the bedroom slide is. The crack is about a foot long. We can't tell if the slide maybe went off the track one time or if it is frame flex. The present owmer said he bought it that way and did not know why it was like that. Does not seem to be delaminating but stilll- cause for worry. My hubby is going to check it today further and we have ordered a report from the rv consumer group and hopefully we can determine if this is ok to purchase or not. We had money down on a Four Winds before but found delamination and got out of the purchase. Money is hard to come by these days so we do not want our desire to go rving obscure the safety and potential quality problems it could have. Thanks again for your input, it is well taken and we welcome any other suggestions or ideas!

[John H...]

Sandy, If that is the only thing wrong, then it doesn't sound too bad. It may only be cosmetic and not structural. Your husband should be able to determine that when he looks at it closer. A good body repairman will probably be able to fix it and you'll never know it was there. Good luck, John H...

[bmanSC]

we own a 03 challenger 329 and luv it like soonerdave said just check it out real good. also check the caulking around the clearence lights in the front and the rear for cracks which could lead to leaks we looked at alot of coachs and liked the floor plan and the quality that we saw. good luck and enjoy.....kurt

[Kennyjb]

06 355 Challenger.....Bought new Sept. 07....Had a water leak into furnace compt. but fixed at factory on way to FL this past Oct. and has been fine since. We are fully satisfied after going fulltime.