Is 2005 too old?

[IlliniCathy]

We are still on the hunt for a tag axle with large engine. 450+. Recently found a 2005 with Detroit 60 series motor. The question is will we be bombarded with items which will need to be replaced with the age of the unit? Plumbing, belts, hoses, etc? Or are we overthinking? We like the layout and goodies on this unit and the price is right for us. Love to hear your thoughts. thanks!

[Gordon Dewald]

IMO the lower cost to purchase will offset some of the many maintenance items you will have to recognize and organize to have done. Tires, filters, belts etc may need to be replaced.

You should ask for any maintenance records the owner has. If they appear to be incomplete you will have to start a log. Until you have a good record you will have to be diligent to keep on top of the many items that need maintaining.

2005 is not too old.

[jdoc]

If you are having doubts get it inspected.

Jerry

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by IlliniCathy

We are still on the hunt for a tag axle with large engine. 450+. Recently found a 2005 with Detroit 60 series motor. The question is will we be bombarded with items which will need to be replaced with the age of the unit? Plumbing, belts, hoses, etc? Or are we overthinking? We like the layout and goodies on this unit and the price is right for us. Love to hear your thoughts. thanks!

The only time a 2005 MIGHT be TOO old is when you're about to enter some snobby RV park that doesn't allow any rig that's 10 years old or, older. Other than that, heck no an '05 is not too old. There are some really, really nice '05 units out there just waiting for nice new owners. There's always POTENTIAL operational costs that could crop up, at any given time. They may happen on the way home from your purchase point or, 1-2-5 years later, who knows?

These things are mechanical. ANYTHING mechanical can break, at any time. But, things have been very well improved over the years. No doubt about that. Some coaches/brands/makes/models have better reputations for holding out/together for a longer period of time. Some, start falling apart as the papers are being signed.

You take a good look at your potential coach, study it, check out every aspect of it, and, try and compare it to others of the same make/model/year to see how it's held up over the years. Drive trains pretty much speak for themselves. Most are engineered for decades and zillions of miles of service.

The box itself, can be a good, quality one or, like stated, driving out of the dealership can cause issues. Cabinetry, plumbing, fit and finish, drawers/glides/slides/locks etc. can hold up for a long time or, start giving up the ghost in the beginning.

Ours is a 2004 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT engine, Allison MH3000 trans. It's an outstanding coach. Very nice workmanship. Fit and finish is great. The ride is great. Plenty of power (for it's size, weight and capabilities), the body is FULL BODY PAINT and gets more compliments, every time we camp someplace than I'd ever would have thought.

The CAT engine performs very, very nice. We tow 6,500 lbs. of Truck and Motorcycle and, it works outstanding.

But, one thing here. Depending on your capabilities as a mechanic or, do-it-yourself type person, there are somethings that, at that age, may or may not need immediate attention. Maybe belts, hoses, tires, batteries, inverters/converters/battery charging systems/water pumps/interior lighting/roof seals-vents-caulking-sealing (or re-sealing I should say)/trailer plug wiring/ and a few dozen other items.

But, that certainly doesn't mean all of those items ARE BAD, or will be bad, any time soon. If you're NOT d-y-I type or, not all that mechanically inclined, well then, yes, it can POTENTIALLY cost you a bit to get all this inspected and or, repaired/replaced/maintenanced. Good luck.
Scott

[Mr_D]

Well even with an inspection by the dealer, oil test and a 2009 high end MH you can have trouble or things need replacing!
So far we've spent around $25,000 since mid Feb and still have the tires to go. I knew about the tires and batteries but never figured the engine would drop a valve 2,300 miles after we bought it. NO inspections or tests would have discovered the problem before it happened.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by IlliniCathy

We are still on the hunt for a tag axle with large engine. 450+. Recently found a 2005 with Detroit 60 series motor. The question is will we be bombarded with items which will need to be replaced with the age of the unit? Plumbing, belts, hoses, etc? Or are we overthinking? We like the layout and goodies on this unit and the price is right for us. Love to hear your thoughts. thanks!

Any '05 coach with a DD60 engine will be a top level coach. Monaco used the DD60 in the Signature, Executive, HR Navigator and a Beaver. '05 was in the middle of the golden years of coach production and the quality of this top coaches was very good. The TVs will be ready for up dating but that may have been done by now.

You will need to check the dates on the tires and if maintenance records are available you can just keep up with the schedule. If no records, then you will have to accomplish a maintenance cycle to establish a base line.

Our coach is an '03 and I would happily head for Alaska tomorrow.

Here is a fairly complete list of maintenance items:

Complete base line service for Cummins diesel motorhome:

Engine: filters to be Fleetguard
1. Oil/filter
2. Fuel filters (2)
3. Coolant filter if equipped and test/ adjust SCA level if standard coolant. Change coolant @ 5 years. Add extender at 3 years if OAT type coolant.
4. Air filter if over 3 years old. Inspect plumbing between filter and turbo inlet for evidence of dust. Inspect CAC plumbing.
5. Inspect hoses & belts.

Transmission: filters to be Allison high capacity.
1. Change filters @ 36 months & top up.
2. Change fluid @ 48 months or test sample.
Always use TES295 fluid as approved by Allison.

Chassis:
1. Complete lube including lifting front axle from ends to unload king pins.
2. Including 3 zerks on steering column and one zerk on steering box.
3. Change Hydraulic filter & top up.
4. Change air dryer cartridge @ 2-3 years.
5. Grease front wheel bearings 3-5 years or change to oil hubs & inspect.
6. Change differential gear oil @ 3-5 years.
7. Inspect brake surfaces.
8. Inspect oil level tag axle hubs.
9. Inspect both chassis & house batteries. Make sure all connections are clean & tight. If flooded lead acid, check & top up with distilled water monthly.

Generator:
1. Oil/ filter
2. Fuel filter
3. Air filter
4. Perform valve lash, belt/ hose replacement and generator unit service before 2000 hours. Replace thermostat and coolant @ that time.

AquaHot:
1. Replace fuel filter
2. Replace burner nozzle
3. Exercise tempering valve.
4. Inspect coolant level at top of AquaHot unit and at expansion tank.

Inspect and clean all battery terminals.




Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[gbburgess]

The previous posts hit the mark! I traded a 2008 gasser for a 2004 42' diesel and have never looked back. A better coach in ALL respects. Yes, I spent about $10,000 getting everything checked, serviced, updated, etc. but OH MY what a coach. I wish we had done this first before I purchased the first 2 coaches. I would have saved a lot of money.

[IlliniCathy]

wow! What great replies! Steve what a wonderful post with such specific maintenance lists. Your guidance has helped us immensely. This is such a wonderful forum with such a wealth of information and good folks willing to share their expertise!

[gemert]

I have had my 03 for almost 2 years. No records when I bought it so I have spent about 10K getting everything I know about to base line with some upgrades such as synthetics and new ELC coolant.

[Papa_Jim]

We have had our '95 for 7 years. Thoroughly updated it in 2009. Regular maintenance is the key. We would head out for a major trip in a heart beat.

Jim

[Ludmilla]

No, a 2005 is not too old. I have a 2004 and it works well. I had to bring the maintenance records up to date but you will need to do that with most used coaches you purchase.

[B Bob]

It depends a lot on the quality of components, original assembly, and after sales service. Some coaches go hundreds of thousands of miles and at 20 years old are in great shape. Others have many worn out items after 2 years and 20,000 miles. As mentioned in a previous post, if this so far un-named coach model/brand has a Detroit 60 it is likely a high end rig and has good components. If it has a heavy duty chassis and Detroit 450hp that part will have a long life.

Some makers assemble their coaches much better than others. After ten years this makes a big difference. When I was looking at coaches to buy six years ago I bought the RVCG information to get their opinion on build quality. I thought their opinions were right on.

And here is the real important factor. How has this coach been maintained. A ten year old coach that has been carefully maintained for it's life and you can see proof of that is likely to have few problems. If you cannot get proof that it has been maintained well you had better buy an extended warranty.

[JFXG]

No, 2005 is NOT too old. You're talking about a good quality coach, and good quality lasts. That said, large, complex machines break from time to time. It's what they do. But the high quality ones generally tend to break less frequently.


John & Diane, fulltiming since '12
'02 DS, FL, 3126, '04 Element

[Wobster]

Not too old but do expect some expenses after purchase. We have updated the TVs (adding an outside TV). We have updated some styling (tiled the sink area to replace the old wallpaper), had a water pump give up, replaced tires, added SteerSafe, converted to LED lights and a few other things...but have driven the MH 11,500 miles in the last 11 months and have been happy with our purchase. We still have some things we want to do but we are still well below the cost of a comparable newer MH. The only thing I would have liked to have different is that I would have preferred a bit more power, however I wanted an Airstream (as we are club members and have made some really good friendships through our local club) and Airstream only made a few Motorhomes so I did not have a choice.