Newbie needs help! Coach coming apart!

[easyryder01]

Hi my name is Angel and I am new to the forum. Also new to the rv thing. I am in the process of buying a 2005 Jayco class c 30ss and the rv has some damage which I need to find out if it is still worth purchasing or a pure headache which is that the passenger side rear of the rv where the ladder is at is seperating from the passenger side corner of the rv. Starting from the bottom and working its way up. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[RV Wizard]

Angel, welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences. I am sure you will enjoy the website.
If you think the damage to the coach is water related then you could have quite a mess on your hands. You never want to let water get into the walls or roof of an RV.
There are many good units for sale out there, so take you time. Do some homework and you will find a nice unit that is right for you and you will be amazed at the cost savings at this time.

[paz]

A "fixer-upper" is a good way to save some money IF you know what you are doing. I am very handy and am not afraid to tackle repair jobs, but I would be very wary of a unit with the type of damage you describe. It could just be a couple of screws pulled out; but, on the other hand, I agree with RV Wizard that there could be hidden water damage. If you're not sure, you would probably be better off to keep on looking.

[easyryder01]

Thank you everyone for your hospitality and your info. This is the second forum that I belong to and I am feeling the same as I do on the JK- Forum. I was hoping that based on the condition of this rv it has meticulously taken care of and it is the only owner of it. I was hoping that the delamination was repairable and I could continue with the sale. Based upon the the feed back I am getting from you guys here sounds like a big can of worms. When I pointed it out to the seller she wanted to bring it in to her RV service center that she has been using locally I suggested to her that I wanted to be there for the inspection of it (3hrs away) and what should I expect to hear from her mechanic that it could be fixed ? If so what are they looking at in order to fix it ? I know it is not like body work whereas you can hide certain things with bondo on cars, how would yuou do a shortcut on something like this ?

[RV Wizard]

The repair facility should be able to remove some trim molding and inspect the substructure and framing. They should be looking for evidence of any water intrusion. Get an estimate of what it will cost to repair properly and completely.

[GaryKD]

Hi easyryder01,
The damage and location of the damage sends walk away signals, to me. Assuming water damage, I've been there and done that. Like Mike posted, there are a lot of RVs for sale. Consider continuing your search.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Any chance of getting a picture of the damage? I can't tell from the description whether it is water damage & delamination of simply a seam that is separating and needs a bit of work.

Get the service center to give you a written estimate of the repair cost. That way there won't be any cover-ups since they have to stand behind the estimate. Just make sure the estimate is for something like" restore sidewall at corner" rather than "Put two screws in molding". The first one states a level of repair, while the second only sass they will do some work and does not promise the RV is actually fixed when they get done.

Also, the dollar cost of the estimate will give you an idea of the seriousness of the problem.

[justimagination]

Has the current owner shown any sign of taking care of the repair cost that her RV Center is going to inspect ? Could be something fairly simple, and as you put it.......could be a can of worms. The MARKET is wide open, you have a lot of advise to look elsewhere....probably not a bad idea. Good luck,
David G.

[easyryder01]

Unfortunately I didn't take any pics but I wish I did, as an Insurance adjuster ( for properties) I did not view any signs of any water damage applying my expertise to this area as far as I can. The damage was repaired by her local rv dealer and I sent in an rv inspector to confirm this repair and it was done. The one thing that bothers me is that although it seems like 90% no water damage the dealer that did the repair claimed that this happens due to the torque that the coach suffers from. Is something like that possible ? Sounds strange but out of my field of expertise.

[TXiceman]

Quiet frankly, I would pass on the RV. The only way I would trust the repair was if I saw the reapir and the wall opend up.

Ken

[NeilV]

Angel - If the frame is twisting enough to cause the corner seams to separate what do you think you should do. If it was a house you would probably have it cribbed up so the foundation could be repaired/replaced underneath it. It is a roll of the dice. The price would have to be well below market to make it worth the risk however even if the price was good enough do you really have the time and desire to deal with something that could go bad and then drag on for months or even longer to get to a final resolution? Camping should be fun. It would be one thing if they hooked something while pulling out of the gas station or camp site because lets face it, accidents happen but the frame flexing so that it is twisting the body apart is quite another matter.

[hamdave]

Originally Posted by easyryder01

Thank you everyone for your hospitality and your info. This is the second forum that I belong to and I am feeling the same as I do on the JK- Forum. I was hoping that based on the condition of this rv it has meticulously taken care of and it is the only owner of it. I was hoping that the delamination was repairable and I could continue with the sale. Based upon the the feed back I am getting from you guys here sounds like a big can of worms. When I pointed it out to the seller she wanted to bring it in to her RV service center that she has been using locally I suggested to her that I wanted to be there for the inspection of it (3hrs away) and what should I expect to hear from her mechanic that it could be fixed ? If so what are they looking at in order to fix it ? I know it is not like body work whereas you can hide certain things with bondo on cars, how would yuou do a shortcut on something like this ?

Quit wasting your time on this unit.

[melvonnar]

Originally Posted by hamdave

Quit wasting your time on this unit.

if in dought-----walk away

[Always-RVing]

I've been hearing that water damage is the worst enemy of RVs.

Oh!!! And idle