Community Forums

Hrdwrguy · 06-30-2017, 01:40 PM

So my wife and I are shopping for a used Class A motorhome that we plan to live in for a year while we travel the country. We are still young and want to have an adventure together before settling down, starting a family, etc. We have been shopping for used coaches for a little while now and know what we want size layout and feature wise. But we are having a heck of a time finding a used motorhome that fits the bill without signs of leaks (whether past or current).

Most buying guides advise walking away from any signs of water damage. But is seems as though every coach in the 10 to 15 year range that we find has some signs of it somewhere, usually bubbly wallpaper somewhere near a window or something.

We are looking at a coach now that we like with a couple of these kind of spots. We have been all over it, on the roof and walked around. My guess is the windows need some new sealant as well as around the shower skylight (there are no signs of someone trying to re-caulk these areas with rough ugly gobs of Dicor smeared around or anything like that) So my question to all the experts here: is a little water damage ok, or even expected in an older RV? I am a pretty handy guy around the house with some good tools and while I have no RV experience I feel like cutting out a section of interior wall and replacing it is within my abilities. For the right price (and what is the "right price"?) should we go for it, or just keep hunting?

Mike

homeless · 06-30-2017, 01:48 PM

I would use water damage as a way to drop the price, if you like the rig! I had an old rig with water damage, even the one I am I now is not perfect and I was able to heal them both up pretty well. When you go to sale your rig with water damage you will have to take a hit also.

Podivin · 06-30-2017, 01:50 PM

*I* would say that if you're sure it's structurally sound then go for it.
I've owned 20 and 30 year old boats, and now have a 21 year old RV.
They all have had some wet spots in their lives, but nothing structural was damaged.
Stop the leak, fix the damage (or not, if it's not HURTING anything) then go camping!

Waiter21 · 06-30-2017, 01:56 PM

Use extreme caution when evaluating water damage....

You need to know specifically what caused it, and what it will take to repair it.

If you know what your getting into, you can make some real bargains. i.e. the asking price for our Mirada was 21k, we drove it off the lot two weeks later for 13k, and they installed a new generator.

It was on their lot almost a year. When we looked at it, the horrible looking water damage (looked real bad) was actually the easy one to fix. The one that no one noticed was the hard one to fix.

This was a simple repair:

http://www.2001mirada.com/repair-int...nation-damage/

This was a lot more complicated. the entire wall below the frig compartment was rotted out:

http://www.2001mirada.com/repairing-...-water-damage/

When we found this one - we also looked at a Mirada (same year and model) that the entire drivers side window behind the windshield was rotted away. We could have gotten that one for 5k, but it needed a lot more work than I had the time to do...

Craig36 · 06-30-2017, 04:22 PM

It is a tricky question. I just bought a used coach that had a leak in two locations. The owner fixed both and there is no further sign of the damage.

One would expect the previous owner would have fixed all VISABLE damage before putting the item up for sale.

Check all ceiling lights and fans. Water frequently causes them to corrode and make bad connections.

The big if is mold, which cannot be seen, but requires a sharp nose. If you smell mold, walk away. The only way to fix that is to tear off the headliner and maybe some wall boards.

All that being said, I would not rule out a coach, just because it got a leak once, if the price reflects the condition.

Sandy Swede · 06-30-2017, 09:58 PM

Are you in that big of a hurry to buy a used MH that you would accept water damage? How confident are you that you have identified the extent of the water damage? However, if you are looking for a project and have the time, knowledge, and skill to rehab the coach, go for it. Let us know how the project progresses. Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

4x4van · 06-30-2017, 10:28 PM

I almost have to laugh when I hear people claim that ANY water damage is a deal breaker. Most older RVs, at some point in their life, have had at least a small leak or two. Major damage is much rarer, and usually much easier to spot. Don't let an otherwise great rig go because of a few water stains or bubbles. Inspect it closely, good chance that it's fixable without breaking the bank.

BTW, bubbled wallpaper does not necessarily mean water intrusion. My last RV had significant wallpaper bubbling in several locations that were simply from age, nothing more.

ahicks · 07-01-2017, 06:21 AM

I'd agree that loose wall paper may not be a deal breaker - but that's assuming the luan underneath isn't rotted/delaminating, even a little. That's a pretty easy repair.

I'm all for generating a little sweat equity. It's the large delaminated/bubbled panels (interior or exterior) and/or drooping headliner I'm not even going to give a second look at. Those are a mess that are generally pretty difficult to do or justify doing even when providing the labor yourself. These coaches often have a pretty distinctive smell to them as well. Not saying these coaches can't be made road ready, or that you can't get them water tight. I'm saying only that these coaches are generally a really poor investment - especially if you only plan on owning it for a year. Once problems like that start, they generally are not stoppable. They just keep getting worse.

Note also, there ARE older coaches out there that have been well maintained. We just sold our '97 38' HR with absolutely no history of water leaks of any kind, and yes, it spent it's entire life outside. Yes, we spent a LOT of time looking for a coach with solid bones that we could bring back up to 100%. Chassis stuff, and appliances are both relatively easy repairs. It's the floor, ceilings, and walls you need to be concerned with....

Trilug · 07-01-2017, 05:27 PM

One of the big things for me is checking the corners, and smell. If it smells to clean, it might have just been cleaned for a showing. I had a pickup camper that didn't show much interior issues, and smelled clean, after having it a week the musty smell started. Fortunately I hadn't paid much for it because the guy just wanted it gone, and the appliances where what I wanted to start with. Unfortunately the damage was so bad that the whole thing had to be scrapped. It didn't show the damage because a previous owner had done a good job at replacing the paneling, and put in plastic between the panels and frame. The frame was saturated to the point of being spongy, and when compressed black water came out.

Not trying to rain on your parade, and I'll admit that mine was an extreme case, but it shows some of the stuff to look for.