Dutchmen Class C Questions

[JJHoneck]

Hi, all. I'm new to RVing -- we just bought a pristine, one-owner '93 Dutchmen 29' Class C motorhome today. (Wow, if you want to get a good deal, buy a motor home in late fall, in the middle of a really bad economy!)

We won't pick it up till next week (the dealer is fixing some minor squawks we had), so I'm using this time to do some research. I'm surprised at how little information is available on the Dutchmen website -- is it my imagination, or do they not seem to have much interest in supporting their older inventory?

- Are there any websites with specs for this type of motorhome?

- It's based on the Ford E350 chassis. Any recommended sites for E350 support?

- We're planning to put this motorhome to work, renting it out for weekend (and longer) vacations. My wife and I own a hotel, so we're set up for this sort of thing, but we have no experience with renting a "moveable hotel suite". Any advice?

- Any recommended accessory websites?

- Anything else? I'm wide open to any and all advice!

Thanks,
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA

[Fossilhog]

Ok, I'll take a shot at this. Prior to my current RV I owned a 1997 31' Dutchman class C on the Ford Super Duty chassis. If you say your's is "pristine" that's good hoping the previous owner took care of it. In my case buying it new I found a few flaws right from the factory. Leaks were present from the beginning from around the front and rear marker lights that soaked the rear bedroom wall. Then the seal between the cabover and the camper itself failed and black mold developed under the skin of the overhead bed. First set of front tires lasted 5000 miles before I figured the shocks were too weak and install Bilstiens. Other than that, it never left me stranded and we crossed country 2x. There were a few recalls, one beiing a drive shaft and carrier bearing. I also had the blend door break between the dash air and the heat...also a TSB.

[JJHoneck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fossilhog Ok, I'll take a shot at this. Prior to my current RV I owned a 1997 31' Dutchman class C on the Ford Super Duty chassis. If you say your's is "pristine" that's good hoping the previous owner took care of it. In my case buying it new I found a few flaws right from the factory. Leaks were present from the beginning from around the front and rear marker lights that soaked the rear bedroom wall. Then the seal between the cabover and the camper itself failed and black mold developed under the skin of the overhead bed. First set of front tires lasted 5000 miles before I figured the shocks were too weak and install Bilstiens. Other than that, it never left me stranded and we crossed country 2x. There were a few recalls, one beiing a drive shaft and carrier bearing. I also had the blend door break between the dash air and the heat...also a TSB.

It's funny what you say about the leaks. Our RV didn't leak after being in a torrential, 9-hour downpour last week -- but it DID leak when the dealer washed it before we picked it up. My only theory is that they blasted water up under the cab-over area, and got water to come in that way? Dunno.

Anyway, I'll keep your lessons in mind. We've got ours "on the line" at our hotel, leasing it out. (It's already rented this weekend -- see it here: Iowa City RV Rental ) We spent 13 hours cleaning and detailing, to the point where it looks damn-near new.

Just ordered a 12-volt HDTV -- this one: NAXA NX-555. Hope it works as well as the reviews say it will! Still hunting for the right generator...