Community Forums

Entegra_TX · 06-25-2016, 04:24 PM

I am new to the forum, so I apologize if this specific topic has already been addressed. I am currently looking to purchase a 2012 Entegra Anthem with 40,000 miles. The owner lives in Canada and when I inspected the coach, it appeared to have a fair amount of rust on the under carriage (gen area, leveling jacks, engine compartment, etc). The owner says he has had the annual chassis maintenance done at the Spartan factory every year and that the coach has been stored in doors and not used during the winters.
I am not sure how concerned I should be with this issue. Should I have a third party inspector before I purchase the coach?
I appreciate any assistance.

pallencollin · 06-25-2016, 04:44 PM

I always error on the side of caution. Have it inspected by a professional RV inspector.

Peter & Kathy Collins
Woodland WA
2014 Anthem 42DEQ

Gary.Jones · 06-25-2016, 05:41 PM

My assumption given what he has told you is that the rust is due to traveling on salt laden roads. There are those owners who will never drive on winter roads for exactly that reason. I would guess that a good, responsible inspector should be able to give you some reassurance. Oh, and does he mean that he has taken it back to their main factory in Michigan every year for service....? if that is true, that would give me some reassurance and I assume a paper trail at Spartan.

Gary

FreshAir · 06-25-2016, 08:51 PM

I prefer not to travel on salted roads but sometimes unavoidable. Canadians don't always have that option. Some rust is more superficial & cosmetic than harmful. Get a body shop's opinion if your in doubt.

Entegra_TX · 06-26-2016, 05:19 PM

Thank you all for your responses. Gary - yes the current owner claims to have taken it to the Michigan Spartan factory for the chassis maintenance. I have not seen the paperwork yet but I will verify.
So my follow up question would be if anyone has a recommendation or insight into inspection firms (do's or don'ts, etc)?
Thanks again. I really appreciate the help.

Mr_D · 06-26-2016, 05:26 PM

I've found some rusty areas on our rig. I keep a can of rust renovator around just for that. When I find a spot I brush the rust off and give it a spray. Not a big deal.

gjw · 06-26-2016, 06:48 PM

My personal Opinion is, I would insist on a thorough inspection. This rust inspection could be given by you or be done by somebody else. I think back after you pressure wash the underside of the motorhome things would look a lot different…

Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

voltdoc · 07-01-2016, 04:27 PM

Our brand new 2013 Aspire was a winter delivery (April) and arrived with a fair amount of rust on the subframe, jack pump and other components near the front of the coach. The Spartan chassis rails themselves were mostly rust free.

It didn't look great but it was all just surface rust presumably caused by road chemicals. We had Entegra clean it up and spray with inhibitor under warranty and all has been fine. Since then we regularly wash the undercarriage even though we don't drive in freezing weather anymore. You need to get a sense for how far the rust has progressed.

It should be noted that Spartan has a lifetime warranty on the "frame" (Spartan Chassis) and Entegra has a five year "Structural Integrity" warranty that mentions the floor frame (Best luxury RV warranty: 2 years limited from Entegra Coach)

Entegra_TX · 07-04-2016, 11:35 AM

Thanks to everyone on this topic who replied. The dealer took care of washing and applying rustoleum to the visible and accessible rust areas.
It is in much better shape now than when I first inspected it. I would definitely recommend to anyone driving up north during the winter months to wash off the bottom of your coach as much as possible after each use, especially when de-icing chemical are being used on roads. Even the light covers had some rust o nthis coach. Anyway, happy to have it taken care of and home now.