Prospective Alpine Coach Buyer

[HamboneTHW]

Well the inspection happened today. Haven't gotten the offical report yet, but the findings were:

1. Smoke Detector, LP Detector, and CO Detector need to be replaced.
2. No fire extinguisher onboard.
3. One of the roof fan vents would not close all of the way.
4. Some cracked tiles on the floor.
5. Minor clear coat peeling where the roof meets the sides.

I think I am good with all of that. No issues with any of the actual systems. Tires were noted in good shape and pressure as well. Would any of these be overly alarming to anyone?

Also, would anyone happen to know the brand and part numbers for those detectors on a 2005 Limited 40FDTS? In addition, where each is located? I'd like to get them on order so I can fix them as soon as I bring it home. Having a baby sleeping onboard, I want to ensure these detectors work as designed.

We are excited to take delivery in early April!

[RVPioneer]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Well the inspection happened today. Haven't gotten the offical report yet, but the findings were:

1. Smoke Detector, LP Detector, and CO Detector need to be replaced.
2. No fire extinguisher onboard.
3. One of the roof fan vents would not close all of the way.
4. Some cracked tiles on the floor.
5. Minor clear coat peeling where the roof meets the sides.

I think I am good with all of that. No issues with any of the actual systems. Tires were noted in good shape and pressure as well. Would any of these be overly alarming to anyone?

Also, would anyone happen to know the brand and part numbers for those detectors on a 2005 Limited 40FDTS? In addition, where each is located? I'd like to get them on order so I can fix them as soon as I bring it home. Having a baby sleeping onboard, I want to ensure these detectors work as designed.

We are excited to take delivery in early April!

Nothing you've listed should be considered a deal breaker. The first three are easy to remedy. The cracked tiles can be left as they are until you decide to repair or replace them. The clear coat peeling is typical. Not sure what it would cost to repair.

[zinom]

Items 1,2 &3 probably would have "aged out" by now anyhow and are replaceable. Item 4; There is a good chance there are spare tiles stored somewhere in the coach, usually in the basement. Item 5. The peeling clear coat along the roofline has occurred on several of our rigs, but has caused no problems. Several of us have chosen to repaint along that line either professionally or on our own. . Like RVPioneer said: these 5 should not be a deal breaker. Good Luck

[HamboneTHW]

Also forgot to add the sixth. He said the dash air was not blowing cold. Any suggestions on where to start? I was going to have a shop check the refrigerant level to see if it needed to be recharged to start.

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Also forgot to add the sixth. He said the dash air was not blowing cold. Any suggestions on where to start? I was going to have a shop check the refrigerant level to see if it needed to be recharged to start.

All of the problems you have noted are typical for an Alpine 13 years old and are nothing to be concerned with. The A/C never works great (you have 40’ of hoses between the compressor and the dash, a typical car has about 5’). A good A/C shop can help but the dash air is not designed to cool a 40’ coach, if it is warm enough run your genny and the roof air. There are several posts on keeping the coach both cool in summer and warm in winter that you will find if you do a search.

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Well the inspection happened today. Haven't gotten the offical report yet, but the findings were:



1. Smoke Detector, LP Detector, and CO Detector need to be replaced.

2. No fire extinguisher onboard.

3. One of the roof fan vents would not close all of the way.

4. Some cracked tiles on the floor.

5. Minor clear coat peeling where the roof meets the sides.



I think I am good with all of that. No issues with any of the actual systems. Tires were noted in good shape and pressure as well. Would any of these be overly alarming to anyone?



Also, would anyone happen to know the brand and part numbers for those detectors on a 2005 Limited 40FDTS? In addition, where each is located? I'd like to get them on order so I can fix them as soon as I bring it home. Having a baby sleeping onboard, I want to ensure these detectors work as designed.



We are excited to take delivery in early April!

1) no need to replace with original, get latest technology.
2) no need to replace with original, get latest technology.
3) most likely something jammed under vent lid or bent bracket, replace with current technology.
4) some folks say the an RV is like driving a 7.0 earthquake down the road. Cracked tiles are not unusual, as mentioned there may be tiles in the basement. Depending upon the location you might want to replace or not.
5) as said this is common on Alpines, this happens when the side walls meet the roof, either live with it or get a body shop to fix it, but nothing that would stop me from making the purchase.

On tires, you want to know the born on date, every tire has it. RV tires age out not wear out. If the tires are about 7 years old you will see sidewall checking, start thinking about replacing them.

I see nothing about the engine, was it checked over? How many miles?

[HamboneTHW]

Originally Posted by DrDaveMA

1) no need to replace with original, get latest technology.
2) no need to replace with original, get latest technology.
3) most likely something jammed under vent lid or bent bracket, replace with current technology.
4) some folks say the an RV is like driving a 7.0 earthquake down the road. Cracked tiles are not unusual, as mentioned there may be tiles in the basement. Depending upon the location you might want to replace or not.
5) as said this is common on Alpines, this happens when the side walls meet the roof, either live with it or get a body shop to fix it, but nothing that would stop me from making the purchase.

On tires, you want to know the born on date, every tire has it. RV tires age out not wear out. If the tires are about 7 years old you will see sidewall checking, start thinking about replacing them.

I see nothing about the engine, was it checked over? How many miles?

Dave,

The tires are 5.5 years old (4012 date stamps). The inspector said they look great.

It has the 400 HP Cummins ISL with 125,000 on the odometer. The inspector found nothing wrong during his inspection and running of the motor. Normal oil changes through the life of the RV. I will get the lab report on transmission fluid and coolant early next week.

Inspector said that overall it appears to be a well taken care of coach and was in good shape for its age.

The coach and generator oil, oil filters and fuel filters were changed in April of last year. I found a Speedco along my route back home when picking the RV up. I know it would be a little more money, but I'm thinking about having them perform the changes (priced at $350 for both systems and that includes the fuel filters as well). They say in and out in about an hour. Thoughts?

Lastly, the driver side window is fogged. Is this a repair I can complete myself? Or do I need to find a glass shop to open it up, clean it and reseal it?

Thanks in advance.

[Jeff and Cheryl]

HamboneTHW:
Speedco is good for the services you are getting. Their prices are generally the best around. The fogged window is doable as a DIY project, search for a thread on this forum regarding Dave Root Fogged Window Repair. However, there are several places around that have considerable experience in this area and are reasonably priced. Dave Root in the PNW, RV Fog Dr. in Arkansas, and Suncoast Designers in Florida are three that folks on this forum have used with good results.
Welcome to the Alpine Family!!

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Dave,



The tires are 5.5 years old (4012 date stamps). The inspector said they look great.



It has the 400 HP Cummins ISL with 125,000 on the odometer. The inspector found nothing wrong during his inspection and running of the motor. Normal oil changes through the life of the RV. I will get the lab report on transmission fluid and coolant early next week.



Inspector said that overall it appears to be a well taken care of coach and was in good shape for its age.



The coach and generator oil, oil filters and fuel filters were changed in April of last year. I found a Speedco along my route back home when picking the RV up. I know it would be a little more money, but I'm thinking about having them perform the changes (priced at $350 for both systems and that includes the fuel filters as well). They say in and out in about an hour. Thoughts?



Lastly, the driver side window is fogged. Is this a repair I can complete myself? Or do I need to find a glass shop to open it up, clean it and reseal it?



Thanks in advance.

Cummins recommends an annual oil change, IIWY I would stop at Speedco that way you will have a base line to work from. I have found Speedco does good work and has you in and out in about an hour, only delay will be if there are trucks already there, they do a first come, first served, no reservations. Just be SURE they get BOTH engine fuel filters, the second one is hidden high up on the frame rails, if they try to tell you there is only one tell them if you show them the second one you want them to come the bill. http://www.amerescosolar.com/store/charge-controllers

I have used RV Fog Doctor several times and found they are good. To DIY you need to get a new spacer for between the panes and that is not readily available or as I understand it cheap. Additionally the profession shops offer a guarantee.

Did you get any maintenance records? Did the inspector look for leaks around the radiator, ‘05’s are known for issues in that area.

[HamboneTHW]

Originally Posted by DrDaveMA

Cummins recommends an annual oil change, IIWY I would stop at Speedco that way you will have a base line to work from. I have found Speedco does good work and has you in and out in about an hour, only delay will be if there are trucks already there, they do a first come, first served, no reservations. Just be SURE they get BOTH engine fuel filters, the second one is hidden high up on the frame rails, if they try to tell you there is only one tell them if you show them the second one you want them to come the bill. Solar Charge Controllers | Ameresco Solar - Green. Clean. Sustainable. We distribute solar components, manufacture solar panels, and engineer solar systems

I have used RV Fog Doctor several times and found they are good. To DIY you need to get a new spacer for between the panes and that is not readily available or as I understand it cheap. Additionally the profession shops offer a guarantee.

Did you get any maintenance records? Did the inspector look for leaks around the radiator, ‘05’s are known for issues in that area.

Dave,

The coolant levels were all good. He did not make any specific notes on the radiator having any signed of a leak.

Where exactly should I tell them to look for the second fuel filter?

Thanks so much for the continued and helpful advice! I go pick her up April 7th!

[HamboneTHW]

Ok, attempting to post some pictures here. The general exterior picture and general interior picture are just to show the shape. For the others:

1. Will I be safe to drive with that driver side window fogged the way it is?
2. The digital screen on the speedometer seems to be going. Is this common? If I buy another (is this possible) speedometer with odometer, will it automatically pick up the mileage?

Once again, thank you all in advance.

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Dave,



The coolant levels were all good. He did not make any specific notes on the radiator having any signed of a leak.



Where exactly should I tell them to look for the second fuel filter?



Thanks so much for the continued and helpful advice! I go pick her up April 7th!

The second fuel filter is located on the inside of the passenger side frame rail. When looking from underneath it is in front of the starter.

Good luck, you will enjoy your new (to you) Alpine.

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Ok, attempting to post some pictures here. The general exterior picture and general interior picture are just to show the shape. For the others:



1. Will I be safe to drive with that driver side window fogged the way it is?

2. The digital screen on the speedometer seems to be going. Is this common? If I buy another (is this possible) speedometer with odometer, will it automatically pick up the mileage?



Once again, thank you all in advance.

The coach looks great the window fogging looks pretty sever, but drivable, get it fixed ASAP.

The speedo,is an issue. From what I have heard they are no longer available and no one has found a shop to repair them.the good news, the important information they display comes from the engine ECM so it never goes away. The speedo has been an issue for a long time, I had mine replaced in 2007 for the same problems and it has been good ever since. The problem is the display screen or the chip driving it. I suspect Actia got a bad batch of parts that have slowly deteriorated. You can check salvage yards to see if they have a replacement. Another work around is get VMSpc http://www.silverleafelectronics.com/?q=node/6 and run it on a laptop sitting on your dash. If you want more info on that PM me or check out my prior postings, VMSpc is something you might want for several other reasons.

[HamboneTHW]

Originally Posted by DrDaveMA

The coach looks great the window fogging looks pretty sever, but drivable, get it fixed ASAP.

The speedo,is an issue. From what I have heard they are no longer available and no one has found a shop to repair them.the good news, the important information they display comes from the engine ECM so it never goes away. The speedo has been an issue for a long time, I had mine replaced in 2007 for the same problems and it has been good ever since. The problem is the display screen or the chip driving it. I suspect Actia got a bad batch of parts that have slowly deteriorated. You can check salvage yards to see if they have a replacement. Another work around is get VMSpc VMSpc | SilverLeaf Electronics, Inc. and run it on a laptop sitting on your dash. If you want more info on that PM me or check out my prior postings, VMSpc is something you might want for several other reasons.

Is there a different brand of speedometer replacement that will fit the same hole with the same plugins?

That VMSpc looks really neat. I'm definitely adding it to my list of future upgrades.

Thanks for the great info, as always, Dave!

-Tommy