Community Forums

cool1965 · 06-04-2013, 04:32 PM

Hey....
So im looking into buying a 1993 winnebago diesl 35ft RV, it has 120k miles on it and they're asking for $20,250, the generator has 270 hours on it. I really want to buy an RV, thats in my price range, is their deal worth it?
Is this a good motor home to invest money into?
I meed help since this will be my 1st RV.
Please and thank you
-Tony

Gary RVRoamer · 06-04-2013, 04:57 PM

It's almost nonsensical to use the word "invest" and "RV" in the same sentence, but I understand what you are asking.

120k miles is not a big deal for the base engine, but everything else on that coach has 120k miles and 20 years of wear and tear. An 20 year old alternator or fuel pump or radiator with 120k miles on it is just as good/bad on a diesel as on a gas engine.

So, condition is everything. Check it out in-depth and if all seems to be in operating condition and appearances suggest it was lovingly maintained, then $20k is a reasonable price for a used diesel motorhome of that age. If you are new to RVs, get someone with more expereince to help you check out the house and chassis systems. Better yet, hire a mobile RV tech to go over the appliances and systems, and pay a diesel chassis shop to take a look at the engine, transmission, suspension, etc.

And check the sidewall dates on the tires! Tires in the vicinity of 7 years old are very likely to fail soon, regardless of tread or appearance. They are in their old age and no longer reliable. Tires that size are a very expensive item to replace. So are batteries for house and chassis.

sc3283 · 06-04-2013, 09:42 PM

check the headliner and the ac/furnace.....when I was looking those 3 seemed to be bad in almost all the 93-95 Vectra

phays · 06-05-2013, 08:58 AM

According to NADA pricing, that is a pretty high price. NADA shows $11,200 as average retail price. For the asking price, it should have new tires, batteries and a really good maintenance record so you can see what has been repaired over the years.

The generator hours are pretty low for a coach of that age. Onan says to run the generator 2 hours a month. At 270 hours, that is a little more than half or what should be on it based on Onan's recommendation. Having said that though, When I've looked at used diesels, hardly any of them had the recommended hours on them. Both of the diesel coaches I bought at low generator hours for their age and the generators seemed to run just fine.