20 year old CC. What do you wish yours had?

[bigthinkers]

We are seriously considering an older model of Country Coach as a 1-2 year home, traveling the country full-time. I've done 2 years of research on full-time RVing and on various makes/models (both gas and diesel), but there is nothing like real-life experience.

We are toying with the idea of spending $25-30K on an older Country Coach, then adding things like solar, better batteries, and a washer/dryer (if not already included or prepped for it). We plan to do quite a bit of boondocking, though not exclusively.

Full-timers, is there anything you wish your older CC included that newer coaches have?

Are there enhancements you've made that have "made all the difference"?

All things being equal (and not including unexpected repairs and everyday repairs), did you find the lower initial cost of the RV helped offset the higher price of fuel and maintenance?

Just looking for some real-life insights!

[dons2346]

We have done a lot of upgrades to our '02. New TVs, more cabinets, more shelves, a chest of drawers in the closet, FASS fuel pump, solar, AGM batteries, got rid of all the gold fixtures in the coach, got rid of the original day/nite shades, updated window treatments. Did some other stuff too.

[docj]

IMO the single best improvement we made was installation of a residential fridge which we did ~8 years ago when it was still kind of novel.

Other than that, most of what we've done would be considered (to us at least) just part of normal home redecorating. Things like window treatments which we've customized to our tastes, new high-end furniture, lighting, flooring, etc.

Our Beaver has walnut cabinets so other than freshening them up we have no interest in replacing or painting them. We did recently replace the brass pulls with more contemporary "champagne bronze" but that was done because the pulls are more attractive, not because brass is "out".

Of course, it goes without saying that all the audio/video electronics were replaced right away. In fact I'm now considering replacing our ~4 year old 40" HDTV with a new 43" QLED UHDTV just to further improve picture quality. We have a 26" HDTV in the bedroom. Now that we're streaming all our video I no longer have to worry about moving a DirecTV signal around the MH. Both TVs have Roku's and that's all we need.

The things that are truly "missing" from our 20-year old MH are things that aren't all that important to us. But there are also some things that we have that are hard to find today. For example, our MH was designed around a large inverter that serves most of the outlets. As a result, most of the interior lighting are 12V residential fixtures which, with LEDs, can provide far more light than is possible in average RVs with 12V lighting, even with LEDs in them. Our engine and transmission are a CAT C-12 with an Allison 4000 which can't be found today in coaches <$500k.

Yes, there are repair issues with older MH's, but, after 65k miles I can say that none of them have been monumental. When I total everything we've put into the MH including the purchase price, we're still well below the price of a new MH of this quality.

Joel (AKA docj)

[Smitty77]

For full timing with an abundance of boon docking, consider the size of the unit. At the price point you're looking, some one and two slide coaches may come up. 40' would be the max size I'd recommend for boon docking, but of course if you're careful and plan accordingly, larger coaches are seen while we're out and about in the 'sticks'.

Look carefully at tank capacity size, again with boon docking in the thought process.

When looking, IMO, it's worth paying up a little more (Budget permitting.), if a well cared for and loved coach comes along...

If you are not really up on coaches, recommend a Coach Inspection when you narrow things down.

You're profile shows you're from Florida. But, if you will be out and about traveling - don't limit your hunt for a coach to the Southeast. Most of the remaining CC braintrust of talent are in the Northwest area, Eugene and Junction City, like Premier RV Services, Oregon Motor Coach, Kenai, and many more (Premier both services and sales coaches. Terry at Kenai is mostly sales. ) Toss in Eric Oldstrum in Tucson as another excellent and respected CC person. So buying a coach in a region with CC talented Tech's, would give you the advantage of having one of them pre inspect your coach.

Have fun, and best of luck on this journey!
Smitty

[bigthinkers]

Thank you for the replies so far! They're really helpful.

We're looking for something around 36-37 foot, and we're searching nationwide. We will definitely have an inspection done prior to purchase. If the right coach came up, with thing like solar and washer/dryer already installed, we'd go higher. We're just thinking we KNOW we want to add them if they're not already there, and we want to be sure we CAN.

I guess I'm wondering about things like tech. Self-leveling jacks, enough plug points, room for tech so we can keep working online...that sort of thing. Are there any issues older Country Coaches can't deal with or need a great deal of modification to deal with, that might be standard on newer coaches?

[docj]

Originally Posted by bigthinkers

I guess I'm wondering about things like tech. Self-leveling jacks, enough plug points, room for tech so we can keep working online...that sort of thing. Are there any issues older Country Coaches can't deal with or need a great deal of modification to deal with, that might be standard on newer coaches?

As someone who can level our MH with its manual jacks in less than a minute, I'm not sure why automatic jacks are on the top of your list. Some MHs with auto jacks get "confused" by somewhat unlevel sites and actually take much longer to level.

As for power plugs, more is always better, but I've seen plenty of newer coaches that lack sufficient outlets. Don't forget that you can run the appropriate cable through the basement to add an additional outlet where you need one. For example, even though we have a very nice kitchen, one mod we made was to extend the washer/dryer circuit to a new outlet on the side of a kitchen cabinet. When the dryer isn't running we use it to power our countertop Breville oven or the sous vide cooker. All told, between this, the microwave circuit and the existing outlets we have 3 full 20 amp circuits in the kitchen, nearly as many as you find in many homes.

[deandec]

We have owned only one coach and did live in ours exclusively while house hunting for about 9 months recently. I learned that fair weather is a great feature while full timing.

Our rig has no slides but is 38 feet long. That makes for a longer wall to sit things against resulting in a longer galley countertop and two long couches. We would not go to a shorter rig if full timing.

I wish we had a bigger torque engine here in the West, but our C8.3L Cummins has delivered us to our destination every time in @ 90,000 miles

We do have automatic air leveling which I like. Our interior equipment is original except for A/V.

We will probably change to a Residential Refrigerator at some point but our 25 year old Dometic refer seems to defy its reputation and keeps on running.

Slides might be a nice to have feature, but we have never been delayed by a slide that would not operate. Plus, in our vintage, the slide mechanisms consumed about 8" of floor length on each end of the slide. We have a more narrow aisle but longer stuff on the wall.

Do carefully evaluate the cargo carrying capacity and towing capacity of your selected target rig. Some rigs of that vintage had precious little capacity when empty.

[Kodiakan]

As Dean mentioned, a little bigger engine would be nice so there wouldn’t be as much shifting pulling hills. Am I willing to cough up a gazillion dollars for it; nope. The other direction, what does our 20 year old coach have that I hear people complain about in the newer rigs:
Real household quality electric outlets, not the RV type

I hear folks complain about how bad the couches sleep. While I havent had to sleep there (yet), my kid who visits says it is more comfortable than his bed at home

In viewing the newer coaches I see leather seats and furniture that is crackly looking and many ugly brown colors. Ours is silky smooth without a crack or blemish. The drivers seat is oh so comfortable. And the color is a rich creamy off white

The wood, all of it, is solid oak. The quality that is very hard to find today.

The HWH leveling and slide systems are top quality

Probably enough out of me.

[bigthinkers]

As someone who can level our MH with its manual jacks in less than a minute, I'm not sure why automatic jacks are on the top of your list.

They aren't at the top of my list, I'm just asking about things I don't know about. That's one thing I'm curious about from a real-user standpoint.

Do carefully evaluate the cargo carrying capacity and towing capacity of your selected target rig. Some rigs of that vintage had precious little capacity when empty.

That's very helpful, thank you!

The other direction, what does our 20 year old coach have that I hear people complain about in the newer rigs:
Real household quality electric outlets, not the RV type

This is the first time I've come across that comment, so thank you! Just goes to show there's always something new to learn. I'm now on a mission to find out more, as I wasn't aware there is a difference.

[Metalbendr]

We bought an older (1997) 23 years old now Intrigue, no slides last year. It is well cared for but still did need a lot of work as we are planning on spending a good deal of time on the road with it.
As a side note we lived in it for the last six months up here in the Northwest and we did fine living in it full time. We were amazed how well it did in the cold but as has been said fair weather would be better. If you are in the cold you will need a dehumidifier, its a must.
our list of improvements seems to be unending but we are close to the end. I wanted to make sure everything is looked at before we go so here is some of what we have done to get an older coach ready.
New inverter and and upgraded battery bank, the coach already has solar on it but will increase it later. Added and AGS and battery monitor. Had to add a sub-panel for the inverter as the coach did not have one with the old freedom 20D inverter.
We upgraded to a new residential refrigerator and installed a new couch and recliner. Upgraded the A/V including adding a smart TV, HDMI switch box new DVD player and installing WiFi Ranger. Also added a Sonos Beam sound bar (it is awesome).
We have gone through the coach mechanically and that has been an adventure. Normal service stuff, oil and filter changes, Transmission flush and filters, Coolant flush and filters (new overflow reservoir), new air bags, Shocks, Brakes, Axle seals, Tires and added Pressure Pro TPMS. Front end alignment and added Safe-T-Plus steering Centering and Dampener to steering axle.
Reseal the the windshield, replaced the wiper arms and blades, changed all clearance lights to LED, Reconditioned over the road AC and recondition of the over the road heat control and mix box.
Generator radiator replaced and new belt, hoses and oil pressure and coolant temp switch.
I am listing this so you can see that a for us, our $20,000 coach is really going to be an almost $50,000 dollar coach when done.
I really do like our coach and the build quality of the Country Coach is second to none.
These are complex machines with lots of systems, there is no cheap way to go on the road safely without making an investment. Go in with your eyes wide open.

[bigthinkers]

That's exactly what I needed to know, Metalbendr, without knowing exactly what to ask! I didn't want to ask how much people have invested in their coach, so your comment about $20K becoming $50K is well noted.

I know every rig is different, and we actually met a couple who purchased a 20 year old coach in such great shape they did nothing to it other than change the tires, but your comments give us a realistic view of where it could (and more likely will) go. Thank you!

[Tee Jay]

For boondocking, get a straight drop head, and avoid a macerator. The water savings is amazing. Air leveling is better than jacks, unless you want to use it to change a tire. A HydroHot or similar is better than a propane water heater. It should also power a hot water heating system for the interior, and should also run off the engine heat for chilly mornings. A real refrigerator is better than propane, and less likely to start a fire. Independent front suspension beats a fixed axle. A Dynomax Chassis is better than any other. Net carrying capacity should be over 4,000lbs. A GE Advantium oven microwave is wonderful, and cooks properly. I suspect your mentioned price range is way too low for the features you are looking for, essentially a 1998 model year with 2008 features and upgrades. Best wishes for a successful search. All the inventory at Kenai Coach and Premier RV are on line, with pis and specs, but it may be worth your time to go there to touch and feel and see.

[deandec]

Originally Posted by Metalbendr

We bought an older (1997) 23 years old now Intrigue, no slides last year. It is well cared for but still did need a lot of work as we are planning on spending a good deal of time on the road with it.
As a side note we lived in it for the last six months up here in the Northwest and we did fine living in it full time. We were amazed how well it did in the cold but as has been said fair weather would be better. If you are in the cold you will need a dehumidifier, its a must.
our list of improvements seems to be unending but we are close to the end. I wanted to make sure everything is looked at before we go so here is some of what we have done to get an older coach ready.
New inverter and and upgraded battery bank, the coach already has solar on it but will increase it later. Added and AGS and battery monitor. Had to add a sub-panel for the inverter as the coach did not have one with the old freedom 20D inverter.
We upgraded to a new residential refrigerator and installed a new couch and recliner. Upgraded the A/V including adding a smart TV, HDMI switch box new DVD player and installing WiFi Ranger. Also added a Sonos Beam sound bar (it is awesome).
We have gone through the coach mechanically and that has been an adventure. Normal service stuff, oil and filter changes, Transmission flush and filters, Coolant flush and filters (new overflow reservoir), new air bags, Shocks, Brakes, Axle seals, Tires and added Pressure Pro TPMS. Front end alignment and added Safe-T-Plus steering Centering and Dampener to steering axle.
Reseal the the windshield, replaced the wiper arms and blades, changed all clearance lights to LED, Reconditioned over the road AC and recondition of the over the road heat control and mix box.
Generator radiator replaced and new belt, hoses and oil pressure and coolant temp switch.
I am listing this so you can see that a for us, our $20,000 coach is really going to be an almost $50,000 dollar coach when done.
I really do like our coach and the build quality of the Country Coach is second to none.
These are complex machines with lots of systems, there is no cheap way to go on the road safely without making an investment. Go in with your eyes wide open.

I think what you have done is admirable. You are a perfectionist and endorse preventative maintenance for your convenience. But was it necessary?

Only time will tell.

I think I have spent about $30k in maintenance and repairs over 18 years. Our rig has only been in a shop about 10 times and only because I was still employed for the first 4 years of ownership. It was never returned to the selling dealer.

Solar and AGS battery are nice to have, but are they necessary? Led's necessary?

My 25 year old 2500 kw inverter is still functional. Meets my needs. Same with my air bags.

I have a Solar panel for the storage lot which was a $150 want. AGS battery is a nice to have, but I buy wet cell batteries at Costco and Batteries Plus with a cost of about $150 per year for my 7 batteries.

Each owner has their needs and wants. We should not discourage the next owners with costs of wants.

JMHO.

[mike brez]

I Purchased mine 18 years old and didn’t spend anything on it until last year. Replaced two air conditioners only one was bad but decided to do both $2400
Blew a turbo gasket after taking it apart decided to change gasket and turbo $1200. Did both myself.
I personally like my electric/propane Dominic fridge.
I really can’t think of anything else I would want in the rig. Everything works as it should and looks pretty good for 22 years old