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99Dolphin · 08-20-2012, 04:47 AM

My wife and I looked at a 1999 Dolphin 5350 this past Saturday. It has the Ford V-10 with less than 17,000 miles on it. The owner told us that e bought it in 2001 as a Bank Repo and has no paperwork on the unit. He also told us that he has not used it for the past 2 years but recently got it inspected here in Pennsylvania so that it could be driven. The main battery for the engine is weak and needs to be replaced. I looked at the tires and there look good with no cracking, but they are from 1998 which would make them the originals. He had the unit under roof in storage but it does need a good cleaning on the outside and could use a once over ion the inside. The gas generator works, the refrigerator gets cold, the a/c units work fine, and the slideout motors work. The water systems need a complete flushing and should be sanitized, but that is something that should be done anyway. What would be a fair price for the unit. He is looking to get $20,000 for it but my thoughts are I should at least take off the price for a set of 8 tires. The original tires were Goodyear 245/70R195. I know that there are other brands out there beside Michelin and Goodyear. Any suggestions? I did not see any delamination anywere and the roof looks good other than it could also use a cleaning. The leveling jacks work aslo. I am planning on taking it to an RV dealer and have the fluids changed.

I know the milage won't be good but what should I expect to get?

Anything else I should look for? Any problems I should know about?

njs42 · 08-20-2012, 06:12 AM

Price? I have no idea. I think these get old enough that it is worth what it is worth to you. Someone else can comment or find some method of comparison.

National is a good brand and I see many of this age in use. It is a liability to have so little usage but it is not a death sentence.

You will need new tires regardless of how these look. A fourteen year old tire is risky, six is just asking for trouble.

When you say the generator runs, does it run under load? That is the test, can it run the air conditioners and other systems for instance. Many of them can start and run but because they have been idle for so long they cannot pull a load. The repair could be expensive.

What about the engine. running gear, brakes and the transmission, shocks etc; have you driven this enough to get to check those things on the road?

If you are handy, have some tools and like doing things your self then you need to realize this unit will have things cropping up from time to time. Anyone of the systems can stop running at anytime because it is old and hasn't had exercise. If you have to have everything done professionally then this could be an expensive proposition.

garym114 · 08-20-2012, 07:56 AM

don't forget to flush the brake system.

99Dolphin · 08-20-2012, 03:21 PM

Yes, the generator ran the 2 a/c units and the lights when we looked at it. It seemed to drive fine, the transmission shifted smoothly and would kick down thru the gears when pushed to the floor. Both the transmission fluid looked right and engine oil was new. Hard to see the antifreeze and power steering fluid from the small opening in the front. I am trying to find someone up near the motorhome for the tires so I don't have to drive 100 plus miles home on them.

LandKinaMoho · 08-22-2012, 12:06 AM

$20K is a good # to work with. Tyres thrown in or discounted. Brakes etc. Very low mileage is a bonus. :0)Be prepared to be handy. If you get it, stay in touch. I bought mine a yr ago for similar price. 28k miles and unused for 7years. New motherboards on furnace, jacks, new brakes, boots and roof thrown in.

Mr_D · 08-22-2012, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandKinaMoho

$20K is a good # to work with. Tires thrown in or discounted. Brakes etc. Very low mileage is a bonus. :0)Be prepared to be handy.

Or not!! Things like seals and gaskets go bad if not used and kept lubricated. Low mileage means not much usage and the owner already said it's been stored for two years.