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suzygirl2017 · 09-15-2018, 08:03 AM

I am considering a 1995 33 foot Beaver Patriot, it comes with the Cummings 8.3 300 hp and Banks Power Pack and has 128,000 miles on it. Built on a Spartan chassih, has roof solar panels. This coach is located in Northern California and I am in Northern New Mexico, the dealer is asking $19,900 and by the photos looks decent? Average retail Nada is $12,000. I am very mechanical and would expect to do and invest some time into upgrading it. I can work on the Cummings if needed.

I have been looking for a short diesel pusher and have narrowed it down to the Beaver 33 foot and the County Coach 32 foot.

Would appreciate your comments on this 33 foot Beaver Patriot, the good and the bad.

Thanks for your input
Dennis

Isaac-1 · 09-15-2018, 08:08 AM

See how it drives, some of those short diesel pushers from that era are notorious for being way too light in the front. I recall reading about one where a reputable shop fixed the drivability issue by welding several hundred pounds of steel plates to the front end to add extra weight over the steer tires.

gemert · 09-15-2018, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzygirl2017

I am considering a 1995 33 foot Beaver Patriot, it comes with the Cummings 8.3 300 hp and Banks Power Pack and has 128,000 miles on it. Built on a Spartan chassih, has roof solar panels. This coach is located in Northern California and I am in Northern New Mexico, the dealer is asking $19,900 and by the photos looks decent? Average retail Nada is $12,000. I am very mechanical and would expect to do and invest some time into upgrading it. I can work on the Cummings if needed.

I have been looking for a short diesel pusher and have narrowed it down to the Beaver 33 foot and the County Coach 32 foot.

Would appreciate your comments on this 33 foot Beaver Patriot, the good and the bad.

Thanks for your input
Dennis

Nothing bad to say about a Beaver. They were popular well built coaches for a long time. So were Country Coaches. The only thing I noticed is that if the NADA is 12K and they are charging 19K, it better be flawless!!

CountryB · 09-15-2018, 08:59 AM

I would not but a motorhome that is 20 years or more old, unless you are very mechanically inclined. Otherwise you will end up paying a lot to have someone else do the work.

And at that age a lot of the unusual parts (i.e. Beaver systems) will be real hard to find.

My suggestion would be to look a Class C motorhomes if you really want something that small (under 34 ft) - because the Class Cs are easier to have worked on by the respective shop (Ford, Chevy, etc.).

Sneelock · 09-15-2018, 10:15 AM

Suzy - the responses that have been offered so far have some good thoughts but not much in the way of encouragement. Without trying to contradict the very legitimate feedback thus far let me offer a slightly different perspective.

Whether this coach and this deal is a good bet for you pretty much comes down to you, your expectations, your abilities and your intended uses.

You have said that you're able to work on the coach if needed, and I'm going to interpret that as you have the means, you're willing, and maybe even you enjoy working on projects like improvements and repairs. Many of us do.

And be clear about this - no mechanical thing as complex as a motorhome is going to be flawless after 20+ years and 128k miles.

That said, Beaver is a TOP. NOTCH. coach builder and with that specific chassis, engine and transmission combination you may very well have one of the best coaches on the best powertrain ever manufactured.

I have a coach of the same vintage - not a Beaver - with the same chassis and power train and I love it more every time I use it. Yes, I'm more or less perpetually fiddling with or fixing one thing or another but by and large it's very dependable - I wouldn't hesitate to jump right in it for a full tour of the country.

If I were shopping for another coach right now I'd be looking at the same things you are. So I guess my feedback is have it checked over or have someone you trust help you check it out thoroughly and if it's in decent condition consider making an offer.

Also - it's not uncommon that a used rig like this would need tires and batteries among other things. Tires $2500-3000, a pair of chassis batteries around $300, coach batteries $500-1500 depending on how many and what type (not including lithium). Definitely use that for negotiating if the seller hasn't put new stuff in.

Anyway, good luck with your search, hope you find and get something you love.

Isaac-1 · 09-15-2018, 02:44 PM

Ignore NADA on older coaches it is way too broad and does little if anything to account for build quality

97Patriot · 09-17-2018, 05:27 PM

We got a '97 Beaver Patriot a little over a year ago. It had 60,000 miles on it and had been in the family since new. It had been sitting in a barn for about 8 years so it has needed alot of love..... mostly labor, cleaning etc.... but we have replaced, batteries/tires/alternator/radiator/AC compressor. It is definitely something that I constantly work on however I actually enjoy doing that kind of stuff and look at it as an investment in family experience for relatively low cost out of pocket. If you are able to address items, troubleshoot and repair items yourself, you can save alot of money out of pocket and still have the same fun as people buying new rigs.

vito.a · 09-18-2018, 11:17 AM

Dennis,
I really like the Cummins C8.3L mechanical engine. Be careful with the Banks kit as most are no longer supported.

I'm not a fan of short diesel pushers. The problem is you are hanging a very heavy cast iron diesel engine along with a heavy Allison transmission off the back of a short coach. It tends to be the tail wagging the dog and they can be road wild, especially in cross winds and when being passed by a large truck.

I'd recommend you open up your search to slightly longer coaches.
Best of luck!