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Old 06-28-2018, 11:18 AM   #1
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Buying older Motorhome....thoughts please

New to this forum. Sold my home, quit my job (56 y.o. Female). I want to take a year to travel U.S. and I came across a 1996 Fleetwood Sport Jamboree with 20,200 miles....states it’s in excellent condition (I would have it fully inspected). Has a 460 7.5L engine. Thoughts appreciated.
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:27 AM   #2
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The biggest area's of concern for the chassis (Ford portion) would be anything rubber - Belts, hoses, tires and gaskets (fluids go without saying)

The biggest area of concern for the coach (Jamboree) would be the roof - water intrusion is a death sentence for an RV and unchecked/fixed would be bad

My first question on a rig of that age, with that low of miles - When was the last time you took this RV on a trip? As with anything, just sitting around, not being used, doesn't help anything..

Good luck.. the picture looks very nice !!
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:27 AM   #3
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Welcome.

How long have you been looking for the right unit? We don't full time but there are many here that do and you can bet they have some great info to help you out
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:28 AM   #4
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Congrats! Go have fun!
I have no knowledge of that particular RV, so can't help you there.
There are some things to think about on any RV, especially since you're going to be living in it full time. You've already mentioned you'd have it fully inspected, so I'm not going to harp on any of that stuff.

At this point you likely don't know what 'stuff' you're going to be carrying with you, but there are some things you know now;
Is there a place for all of your clothes?
Is there a place for all of your kitchen utensils AND food (so often there only seems to be room for one or the other, not both).
Think of how and what you cook, is there REALLY enough counter space to prepare a meal for yourself (this is the one my wife and I missed on our first RV).
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:29 AM   #5
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Also - If you let us know what part of the country you're from and what your budget is.. many people could chime in with suggestions and options !!
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:42 AM   #6
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Get the inspection, take it with a grain of salt, the inspection is only as good as the person that does it. Some times your gut is a better indicator.

Expect to do maintenance. Everyone thinks that take care of their stuff. That only goes as far as what the person think needs to be done.

Look at the upkeep on the home and property. That can be an indicator of how well the RV was taken care off.
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:47 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by jvalich View Post
Welcome.

How long have you been looking for the right unit? We don't full time but there are many here that do and you can bet they have some great info to help you out

I’ve been looking for a couple years. Sold everything I own....and boy was that so fulfilling . I plan on traveling full-time for a year with my dog (Bear) before choosing my permanent residence on the beach somewhere.
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:52 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by GlennLever View Post
Get the inspection, take it with a grain of salt, the inspection is only as good as the person that does it. Some times your gut is a better indicator.

Expect to do maintenance. Everyone thinks that take care of their stuff. That only goes as far as what the person think needs to be done.

Look at the upkeep on the home and property. That can be an indicator of how well the RV was taken care off.

Have a couple RV inspection places in my area with good reputations. Do you have any suggestions on how to choose a good inspection company. My gut has good and bad feelings. That’s where I was hoping to get advice from others before I commit or turn away from. Maintenance is not a problem for me...my Dad tells me I should have been born a boy
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:56 AM   #9
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Keep in mind..
Your 1st coach is a learning tool..
BUY USED! & buy one with everything you "think" you want and will need..
As You will make mistakes and have booboo's We all have.....(sometimes more than twice..)
Within a year or two you will discover..about the RV

What you love about the RV...
What you can kinda-sorta tolerate with the RV..
And what you absolutely hate about that !@#$%^%$#@! RV.
Then you can go get what you should have gotten in the first place..
Happy Hunting
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:57 AM   #10
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That vintage of the 460 engine can be very prone to exhaust manifold gasket leaks. That is not a cheap or easy fix. The 460 is also a gas hog, if that matters to you. I had one, and it seems like on a good day, I could get 5MPG. Other than that, I agree with others about getting a really good RV inspection.
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Old 06-28-2018, 12:03 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by oakcreekeric View Post
The biggest area's of concern for the chassis (Ford portion) would be anything rubber - Belts, hoses, tires and gaskets (fluids go without saying)

The biggest area of concern for the coach (Jamboree) would be the roof - water intrusion is a death sentence for an RV and unchecked/fixed would be bad

My first question on a rig of that age, with that low of miles - When was the last time you took this RV on a trip? As with anything, just sitting around, not being used, doesn't help anything..

Good luck.. the picture looks very nice !!

Ad states roof was replace within the last year....would ask for proof. I, too, am concerned with the mileage and need to inquire about the low mileage from seller. Was told it belonged to parents in Utah, but is now in Alabama where I am visiting parents while I plan my trip.
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Old 06-28-2018, 12:10 PM   #12
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That vintage of the 460 engine can be very prone to exhaust manifold gasket leaks. That is not a cheap or easy fix. The 460 is also a gas hog, if that matters to you. I had one, and it seems like on a good day, I could get 5MPG. Other than that, I agree with others about getting a really good RV inspection.
Did a quick research online and found the following post...

On the 1996 460 (7.5L) the exhaust manifold gasket was only used on the California engine. The 460 sold in the rest of the states did not use a gasket.

Are you familiar with this? Thanks
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Old 06-28-2018, 12:23 PM   #13
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Hi,

Welcome to the Forum and the wonderful hobby of RVing. When you are looking at the rig, check every corner and seam of the roof. Check in cupboards for water stains. Be VERY careful buying a rig with these stains. You can get mold inside walls and you plan to live in it. How did they replace it? Was there roof damage and they slapped a Elastomeric roof coating on it but didn't fix the structural problems? Make sure you get high enough to look at the roof from the outside, It is important.

The Elastomeric roof coating isn't bad if there was no structural damage.

Check inside every basement storage and look for rust. Sometimes people drive their rigs along the beaches and the salt water does a lot of damage. Get under the rig and check for what looks like excessive rust.

Tires, how old are they? I do not care if they "look good", how old are they? If they are bordering on 7 to 10 yrs old plan on replacing them.


Like has been said, is there enough room inside for you? Write a list of what you would need to take with you, is there a place for all of it? Are you going to tow a car? This is another area for storage as long as you do not go over the weights of either vehicle. Can you raise your arms in the shower to wash or is it tight? If it rains and you can't go outside, will you be comfortable inside for a day or three?

These things can be a blast! They do take a lot of TLC and I enjoy doing the TLC. I will be recovering my roof with the Elastomeric coating next year but I do not have structural damage.

Find a rig and go enjoy life. Come back here as often as you need to ask questions. YouTube is a great place to learn how to live in a rig. Your dog is going to love it too.

Have you heard of work kamping? Come back if not and ask. Lynne
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Old 06-28-2018, 12:52 PM   #14
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Make a list of all your bad feelings and make sure each point is commented on.


This is a list I made for someone considering a diesel pusher so some stuff will not apply.


The price is a little high, but you have low mileage. Alimentally price is a subjective thing. You will pay more for something you really like. You will not be able to resell it for that price.

The one thing I would really watch out for on a low mileage coach is that it sat on a site and someone lived in it. Although it has low mileage, all the equipment may have a lot of use.

These engines and chassis like to be run.

The dead batteries are an indication of the types of problems you may run into with the vehicle not being used.

With that low of mileage the fluids may be old, fluid replacement is usually done by mileage. If you look at the recommendation in the manuals, there is also general service recommended based on time.

So a full chassis service should be looked at. Grease all the grease fittings and there are a bunch, change all the fluids, oil, hydraulic oil, transmission, coolant, filters oil fuel, coolant, water separator, check tire dates, cracking of air bags.

I have tried to put together a list of things to check.

Speaking generally it will not be the engine / drivetrain that gives you problems with an older coach. It will be all the other stuff (refrigerator, furnaces, A/C, etc)

This question comes up a lot so this is a canned reply I have created, so it may not fit your question exactly.

Your inspection should start as you walk up to the coach, look to see if it is sitting squarely to the ground (suspension has not released the air out of the bags, and that the height adjustments on the air ride is keeping the coach at the right height (front to back and side to side (there are simple adjustments to the height sensors to correct this).

Also when you walk up to the parked coach look under it for any drips, leaks.

Do not leave the Dealership until you have been shown how to use the Motor Home, and actually exercised all the equipment..

This should include checking the fluids in your engine, running the Motor Home on shore power, being explained how to dump both the black and gray water tanks, make sure you have a hose to connect to the dump fixture and the dump port in the ground, run the internal 12 volt water pump, have them explain how to hook up to city water, run the furnaces, check the level in the batteries, run the jacks / leveling system, in the driver’s seat go over all the controls (put you hand on each one and operate it) , run the dash A/C, run the ceiling A/C units, make sure you water comes out of the faucets (check that you make hot water), run the micro wave, stove, oven, check all the lights, work the toilet, Shower, review the charging, solar, monitoring system, run the washer dryer.

Do not for the generator. Change the oil, air filter, fuel filter, coolant, and there is a spark arrester clean out you can do. This is a good You Tube video on the Onan 7500 generator.

https://youtu.be/CxqkHAAH818

Good You Tube video on coolant change

https://youtu.be/0LB5ZhvhXas





Drive it for as long as you can, highways, back roads.

The big thing is do NOT let them rush you out, the time to ask questions is before you leave, once you leave getting answers gets much harder.

If you do a good job here you will find faults and get the promise that they will fix the problems in writing.

If you spend an hour you have not done it right, four hours is more like it.
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