Community Forums

debblackburn · 11-17-2022, 09:34 AM

I'm in the thinking stages of purchasing a 1985 Winnebago, immaculate condition, 91k miles, one owner - very inexpensive. I'm an older woman thinking I might just take to the road - is this something I can handle on my own? I'm concerned about the water and gas, is it simple enough so that I could figure it out? I'm pretty tough, but not very mechanically inclined. Am I asking for trouble?

DerekF · 11-17-2022, 09:53 AM

Class C class A what king of RV
Just my opinion
Older RV require more maintenance as more things will break/ need attention
Some parks have 10 year rule
As far as operating the RV most are not too complicated
I’d suggest if concerned about driving look into some RV driving lessons. We used RV Driving School. I had 34’ class A years ago was little familiar with. Mostly for DW she still won’t drive. I learned a lot too.
Whatever you decide have fun and safe travels

mikf · 11-17-2022, 09:57 AM

what model and how long. maintenance on something that old could be very expensive. and have you ever driven a vehicle that size before?

wolfe10 · 11-17-2022, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debblackburn

I'm in the thinking stages of purchasing a 1985 Winnebago, immaculate condition, 91k miles, one owner - very inexpensive. I'm an older woman thinking I might just take to the road - is this something I can handle on my own? I'm concerned about the water and gas, is it simple enough so that I could figure it out? I'm pretty tough, but not very mechanically inclined. Am I asking for trouble?

debblackburn,

Welcome to iRV2.

Yes, you are asking for trouble.

Would you buy a 37 year old car and drive cross country? Assume it had been neglected for some portion of that 37 years.

No, add the complexity of all the RV systems and pretty lightweight construction........

Same advice even if you are very mechanically inclined unless you just want a project.

Old Scout · 11-17-2022, 09:59 AM

A newer RV is no guarantee of a problem-free experience, but you have to ask yourself--would I buy a 35 year old car as my daily driver? It's a sure bet that almost anything made of rubber will need to be replace on this rig. The real challenge will be finding parts for a 35 year old vehicle. In most states, a vehicle is considered antique if it's over 20. And like most antique vehicles, they are pretty to look at, but not so good for touring the country. However, opinions will vary--just my two cents.

Flyer15015 · 11-17-2022, 10:00 AM

A 1985 coach is 37 years old, so all the plastic inside is that old and IS very brittle. The systems are also that age and a LOT of improvements have been made over the years.
Tell us what your intended usage and budget is.
How big a coach do you want / need. Will you be doing a lot of camping or a lot of driving? "Camping" can be expensive if you need full hookups every night.

Will you be towing a toad? If so, life just got a whole lot more complicated.
What age are the tires? That right there is a major expense and cannot be avoided if they are over 7 years old.
Lots to consider, even if the coach were free............

Mike in Colorado

Mark_K5LXP · 11-17-2022, 10:09 AM

Water and gas are the least of your worries. Dealing with a decrepit vehicle is the elephant in the room. I am mechanically savvy and the idea of heading out across the country in something this old would scare the hell out of me. It's not a matter of if, but what will fail and if you can even get parts or anyone that will work on it. This is the kind of RV you park at the lake and leave there, or keep in your back yard as a spare room or studio. If you decide this venture is on your bucket list, start with an RV that's not old enough to vote.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Unplanned Tourist · 11-17-2022, 10:23 AM

Like the others have said, a rig that old WILL have problems.

Run away! Unless it has been totally restored, there will be surprises that will require mechanical knowledge.

Try renting a similar sized rig for a week or 2 to see if you even like the lifestyle. Bad weather, crowded RV parks, annoying neighbors, noisy dogs and kids cutting through your space can get under your skin. But there are lots of quiet, peaceful places to enjoy if you look hard enough.

Let us know how it turns out.

dbircky · 11-17-2022, 10:50 AM

Deb,

I can’t see the pictures you posted that others have seen to determine the immaculate one owner motorhome you’re looking at is a decrepit danger, dry rotted, and never maintained. There’s a lot of assumptions being made without evidence.
Just because some people don’t maintain their rv doesn’t mean everybody else doesn’t.

Is there someone you trust locally to look at it and have you thought about hiring a qualified inspector before purchasing it? I’d recommend doing both.

Your age is much less of a factor as your attitude. How do you handle setbacks and unexpected events? There’s people that roll with them and others fret and worry to the point of paralysis. Panic and anxiety don’t mix well with RVs.

The only place I’ve seen a 10 year rule at are high end RV “RESORTS”. Stayed at a few with my +10 year old MH.

You’re off to a good start asking questions. The other thing is you mentioned a good price. Is the price such that you wouldn’t be hurt if you lost that amount? I’m not asking for specifics, but let me give you an example.

I bought a 30 year old Jeep from an online auction. It was 1,500 miles away. I was satisfied by what I saw and realized that I’d be out a three day round trip drive, and the purchase price if it was crap. I looked at the trip as an adventure with my son and the cost of the Jeep as disposable. Still own the Jeep, it was better than I expected and the adventure? My son loved talking about driving to Texas and back in three days and our stop at the Corvette museum. I’d pay ten times as much just for that time with him again.

Good luck with your endeavors!

David 70 · 11-17-2022, 05:48 PM

I’d pay ten times as much just for that time with him again.
Some things just can't have a price put on them.

SergioP · 11-17-2022, 09:51 PM

An 85 RV will be carbureted and have a 3 speed transmission. I would look for a newer model with fuel injection and at least a 4 speed automatic. Something around the 2000 year model.

Even a newer RV will need some repair every so often. You need to be handy with tools. YouTube has plenty of videos on how to fix things. The forums for each brand have lots of info too. None of us knew everything about an RV, but slowly we learned. There are groups that travel together so you are not so much on your own.

A cheap good deal RV stops being such a good deal after a few breakdowns or tows, cutting into your trip plans.

TXiceman · 11-17-2022, 10:13 PM

With a 37-year-old RV, expect expensive major repairs. Things that will get you are tires, brakes, refrigerator, A/c, furnace, engine, transmission and leaks. You need to set aside a minimum of $5000 for maintenance and upkeep for the first year and hop you do not have engine or transmission repairs. Another issue on these older units is replacement parts some of which will be out of production and require a change which can be additional money.

In short, it can be a money pit. I don't want burst your dream bubble, but these are the things that can bite you.

Ken

Arch Hoagland · 11-17-2022, 10:17 PM

I suggest you call around the area you live in and see if there is anybody who would actually work on the engine/chassis.

You don't happen to be in SLC Utah do you? Worked with a guy named Blaine Blackburn there back in the 60's

cruizerEd · 11-21-2022, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debblackburn

I'm in the thinking stages of purchasing a 1985 Winnebago, immaculate condition, 91k miles,...

I'll bet it has been sitting a lot, especially lately. Stay away. Even free it might not be worth it.

You can get an old coach and be ok if it was owned by and engineer or a pilot and has been in continuous use for at least the last few years, with detailed service records. Any coach that has been sitting a lot is going to be a lot of problems even one much newer than this one.

I was at a shop and this guy comes in with this old coach and he is bragging it only has 100 hours on the genset. My first thought was that doesn't sound good. It wouldn't start. Turns out it was locked up and worthless.

These are complex machines and have to be kept in service to be worth anything to someone who wants to actually use it. On the other hand if you love just working on them I'm sure it will be very rewarding.