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Old 09-03-2018, 10:20 PM   #1
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Tentatively Buying our First Motorhome ...

Hi all!

My wife and I have pretty much made up our mind to buy our first motorhome (used). We’ve identified a tempting prospect: 1 owner, 22k original documented miles, overall nice condition, great price, but …

It’s a 1986 model (Winnebago Chieftain 33), 454 Chevy, carbureted, Turbo 400 Trans

It’s been sitting since 2012.

Has a few problems that we know of: Fridge isn’t working, 6.5Kw generator turns over but won’t start, needs batteries, one of the two roof A/Cs not cooling. These are reflected in the asking price.

We’re trying to anticipate what else is likely to need immediate attention in order to come up with an offer BEFORE spending the money for a professional inspection (which we absolutely WILL be doing). What we’ve come up with so far:

All engine belts, hoses, fluids.

Probably a carb rebuild (dry internals, as well as replacing with parts compatible with today’s ethanol-laced fuels),

Transmission flush, filter, etc. Complete lube job,

Roof coating, caulking all around,

Tires look okay, no visible cracking, but will probably count on replacing them before any substantial trips,

Cassette radio has got to go

Anything else?

We have a pretty limited budget, and if we make a mistake, we’re going to end up with a big, expensive lawn ornament …..

Thanks in advance, and hope to see y'all out on the road real soon!
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Old 09-04-2018, 05:19 AM   #2
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jbefumo; Welcome to the forums.

Remember, You're buying an old truck and an old house. Good luck with the project.. :-)
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Old 09-04-2018, 05:50 AM   #3
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How much of this work are you able to do yourself? If it's been sitting since2012 the tire WILL need replacing for sure IMO. How long have you been looking? I think I would add up all the possible and known repairs and add that to the price and see if you can find something in better shape and a little newer. Don't rush this decision or it may end up being a lawn ornament as you said. I think I would keep looking.
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Old 09-04-2018, 06:02 AM   #4
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Keep in mind.... you can find mid-90's Class C's for a little over 10K.

If you're more interested in using the MH than working on it try to find one that is a bit more "ready".

We found our 1995 Tioga for $9,500. The generator was the only thing that wasn't working. It had a new roof and awning.
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Old 09-04-2018, 08:04 AM   #5
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You are into it for about $8k before you bring it home 1K fridge, 4k generator, 1K for new A/C and controls. 2k tires. Add to that you will very likely need new brakes since drums and rotors have been rusting for 6 years.
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Old 09-04-2018, 08:28 AM   #6
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jbefumo,

I am glad to see that you are approaching this with your eyes open.
But,

You did not mention the interior....
If there are any signs that it ever leaked water inside, just walk away. The Winnies of that period had a wood frame work. When it gets wet, it rots. And it does it quickly.

Frank.
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Old 09-04-2018, 08:57 AM   #7
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The biggest thing for me, beyond the basic mechanicals, would be whether or not the roof was leaking. I would check thoroughly for signs of water intrusion; if you see a little, chances are there will be much more you can't see. Once water gets under the roof or behind a wall panel, it doesn't come out until it's removed along with whatever it has touched.

The rest of the stuff isn't that big of a deal. The generator is probably not running because it has a dirty carburetor from old fuel. The fridge could most likely be repaired. The carburetor on the 454 may or may not need rebuilt; it could just need a good cleaning. And the fuel system was most likely already made of materials that can withstand ethanol additives.

Of course the fluids need changed, and I am sure the tires do as well. I suspect that you'll need to do some work on the brakes, probably at least new hoses at the calipers. These are pretty inexpensive and available at most parts stores.

I am in the process of completely renovating a 1987 Class A motorhome myself right now. I like the vintage rigs and I feel that many of them were constructed to higher standards back then. That being said, its 33 years old, so there will definitely be issues with deferred maintenance and things that have simply reached the end of their useful life that will require replacement.

If you are willing to do a lot of the work yourself, an older coach can be great. The low entry price point can give you the opportunity to make the rig exactly what you want.

The rig I am rebuilding had some extensive water damage. I got it that way deliberately as I know that a lot of rigs suffer the same fate as people tend to neglect the roof and openings until it's too late. These repairs are extensive, and thus costly so lots of people just dump them for pennies on the dollar to avoid dealing with the work or pile of money. I am learning the techniques to mitigate the fiberglass delamination in the hopes of being able to flip an RV or two for profit.

Good luck with your first motorhome. Keep us posted either way. There are lots of helpful people here who can assist along the way as you learn about your rig. Pics are always helpful.
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Old 09-04-2018, 08:14 PM   #8
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My first reaction is, this will be a money pit, even assuming it was garage kept, no water damage, etc. Anything that is original that was made from rubber will need to be replaced, tires, hoses, bushings, etc. Anything that is original made from plastic will be brittle and prone to cracking, shower, sink, dash board, ... Then you have all that maintenance stuff listed above, tires, fridge, air conditioner, ....


Once you are done putting $20,000 and countless hours of labor into it, you will have a coach with a market value of about $5,000 on a good day.
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Old 09-05-2018, 05:26 AM   #9
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Yeah,

Interior is pretty pristine -- no sign of leakage.

The generator has low hours -- my guess is that worst case it may need a carb rebuild, or maybe just cleaning out fuel lines.



https://images.craigslist.org/00I0I_...S_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00000_...1_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00A0A_...b_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_...B_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_...z_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00b0b_...7_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00w0w_...E_1200x900.jpg

All the original paperwork is there on the table.

The guy's father bought it new and they used it for one trip to Florida each year, and one trip to Texas. Been sitting since the father passed away.

I've been looking (not seriously, but regularly) for the past year or so, but only now have the available funds, so I have a sense of what's out there.

No sign of any water damage at any time. Undercarriage shows nothing but surface rust.

We've pretty much decided to offer $3k, go up to $3500, and be prepared to walk away.

My thinking is at that price, worst case I can recover most of it parting out, and most likely, I should end up coming in at around $6500, which is the low end of the book value, not counting the low mileage.

Will post updates!

Thanks to all for the thoughtful advice.
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Old 09-05-2018, 05:31 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Waiter21 View Post
jbefumo; Welcome to the forums.

Remember, You're buying an old truck and an old house. Good luck with the project.. :-)
I should probably have mentioned that, in our early years, my wife and I decided to buy and live aboard a 50' 1916 wooden sloop, while both working office jobs in Manhattan, hence what may be an overabundance of caution ....

We know only too well how easy it is to get in WAY over one's head!

(Of course, the fact that we're still together, 45 years later, might argue that we can handle just about anything....)
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Old 09-05-2018, 11:40 AM   #11
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I believe the single most important factor in purchasing an old MH is your ability to perform the majority of maintenance yourself..

If you're not able to do this, then you'll differ maintenance or go broke writing checks to have the maintenance done, and soon realize that money could have been used to upgrade to something nicer.

ALSO

Our very first MH was a low cost MH that we bought for a very specific trip. It also served as a launch platform to see if this was something we would be interested in doing.. The mistake I made was I put a lot of time and money into fixing things and making improvements, and then turned around and sold it so we could upgrade.

I guess what I'm saying is, don't put a lot of time or money into this untill you figure out what path you'll be taking..

Our current MH, we like, a lot.. Its the perfect floor plan and fits our needs perfectly... Since this looks like the one we'll be keeping for a while, I've been spending a lot of time doing preventative and differed maintenance.
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Old 09-05-2018, 07:10 PM   #12
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I'll have to say in the pictures it cosmetically looks nice.
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Old 09-05-2018, 08:23 PM   #13
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That looks like a very nice RV. It will need many items replaced or repaired as others have mentioned. One thing about these older Chevy chassis they can be a handful to herd down the road sometimes if it has the front suspension with controls arms versus straight axle. Our first mh was a 1988 Winnie, 22' on a Chevy chassis. I put a lot of money into it along with Supersteer bellcranks. Made it better but still tiring to drive more than a few hours at a time. Our '99 Winnie 35' on a Ford F53 chassis is a dream to drive in comparison.


At the price you want to offer it would probably be a good buy if you can do the work. It will have R12 in the a/c unless it has been converted to HFC134a. I did this and it worked out good. Just do the necessary repairs first then use it for awhile before you invest in cosmetic stuff.
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Old 09-06-2018, 05:16 AM   #14
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I am sincerely grateful for all the insightful replies. In my many decades of managing projects I always railed against the tendency to plan based on best-case scenarios or wishful thinking, and stepping back I could see myself going in that very direction. I'm reminded of that old Peter Cook/Dudley Moore comedy skit: "I have learned from my mistakes, and can repeat them exactly."

I think I'm going to hold off for right now, and keep my eye on the prize, and again, I thank all for the guidance that has led me in this direction.

Joe
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