Community Forums

pphillips · 07-21-2015, 02:56 AM

Hello friends:
I'm a newbie to this forum - and to motorhomes period.
I have a chance to buy a 1999 Monaco Windsor, 40', no slides - for $20,000
Is this a good price? The seller says it's 1/2 price, he's leaving the country and needs to sell. It was listed for $25,000, and came down to $20,000
It has a small leak - he THINKS it's just where an antenna used to be, but I don't think he really knows.
There's also an issue with the starter - when you turn the key, some magnetic thingy doesn't work so you have to do something else in order for it to turn over. Please excuse my mechanical ignorance. Also - there's a leak in the hydraulic fluid that feeds the whole unit. No sure how much that is gonna cost.

I just really need to know if $20,000 is a good price and does it have a good re-sale value.
How hard is it to learn how to drive a diesel with air breaks. Seems daunting to me.
Thanks all!!

the_vfox · 07-21-2015, 03:00 AM

Big red flag is leaving the country. Second red flag, leak. I would say thank you, but no thank you. The other two issues could also cost you a bunch of money to fix.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

MJoyce · 07-21-2015, 09:23 AM

Offer him $21,000 and he gets to pay the repair bill, no matter how much.

Rburian · 07-21-2015, 01:59 PM

Why buy, if there are several unknown issues, without knowing the cost to repair.

Bucky1320 · 07-21-2015, 02:51 PM

If it was mechanically pretty well ready to go, and in pretty decent shape with no roof, wall or ceiling issues, I would say it is worth it.
The issues listed could cost from $500 to $2500 (or more depending on the roof) to fix. The tires probably need replacing because of age, and that is another $2500 to $4500 depending on the tire.
And I always suspect there is more to these things than what you are being told by the seller. Can it even be driven right now? The list could grow substantially.
As far as driving one: One in good mechanical condition is really nothing more than a very large vehicle. Know your limitations in that area.

Papa_Jim · 07-21-2015, 07:22 PM

There's always something that needs to be fixed on these motor coaches.

Having said that, a motor coach that's for sale with a leaking roof that hasn't been fixed, a problem with the electrical system that renders the vehicle difficult to start, and a problem with the hydraulic system are three great big red flags to avoid this motor coach!

He should have had these issues solved before listing the coach for sale.

If these three critical issues exist, then it's probable that regular important maintenance items have been avoided too.

If he wants to sell it as a mechanic's special, he should consider setting his price accordingly.

Just my humble opinion.

Jim

TMan59 · 07-21-2015, 08:01 PM

Just my opinion here.
I would pass, mainly because of the unfixed roof leak.
You would be far better off to spend more getting a coach that only has minor issues.
They ALL have minor issues, like the ice maker isn't working kind of minor issue.
You would spend more upfront, but less trying to fix major things like a roof leak that may have, may have even affected the walls.
Windsor is a good coach.

pphillips · 07-22-2015, 09:09 AM

Thank you so much everybody - for your thoughts and advice. Taking everything into consideration, I basically told him thanks but no thanks. Besides the "up front" issues the coach had, there were too many unknowns. The seller didn't take care of his Windsor - it was a total wreck - messy, full ashtrays all over the place, mould in the fridge, etc, etc. It didn't feel right - right from the start. It wasn't maintained over the years, you could just tell that right off the bat. Another one will come along, there's always more out there. It's kinda tough though - up here in the Yukon. Things are more expensive up here....
I feel good about not buying it. Feel like a load has been lifted! Thanks again everyone!

Bucky1320 · 07-22-2015, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pphillips

Thank you so much everybody - for your thoughts and advice. Taking everything into consideration, I basically told him thanks but no thanks. Besides the "up front" issues the coach had, there were too many unknowns. The seller didn't take care of his Windsor - it was a total wreck - messy, full ashtrays all over the place, mould in the fridge, etc, etc. It didn't feel right - right from the start. It wasn't maintained over the years, you could just tell that right off the bat. Another one will come along, there's always more out there. It's kinda tough though - up here in the Yukon. Things are more expensive up here....
I feel good about not buying it. Feel like a load has been lifted! Thanks again everyone!

Hearing the rest of the information, I'm glad you didn't jump on it as well. If they are sloppy with some things, most likely they are sloppy with everything.

Siesta · 07-23-2015, 12:05 AM

You made the right decision....you'll find enough to do with a 'good' unit. I recently moved south from your hometown, Whitehorse, Yukon, so as an aside I'll tell you what I did when I found the meagre selection up there a couple years ago. Figure out what you want, educate yourself on the unit(s) then watch sites like RVTrader.com. I found that the best selection was in the southwest U.S. (and low mileage, dry climate vehicles). Talk to the sellers often and establish a trusting relationship. When you're ready to close a deal on one (or two), fly down to the seller to kick tires and do the final paperwork, then drive it back (its a great trip). Of course there are several import procedures to deal with, and I could brief you on that if your interested (private message me if so).

pphillips · 07-23-2015, 12:50 AM

Thanks Bob and Manola, I might take you up on that!

jacwjames · 07-25-2015, 07:30 AM

Another good place to educate yourself on the different motorhome, options, and price is EBAY. You can create a search for specific things you are interested in >>> Diesel, Length, etc. Once you do this it is easy to find coaches you are interested in and compare. Follow the ones you like to see if they sell or not. Once you do this for a period of time you will learn the value of the different coaches and the pricing.

I got lucky on my first RV, a Class C, bought it at an auction, the dealer was liquidating his stock and got it for basically his cost. We had this RV for +10 years but then wanted to upgrade

We started to look at Class A's stopping at RV lots and walking through dozens (++++) of them to see what we liked and didn't. I also was looking on Ebay. Just by chance I had to drive my parents down there and happen to see one listed on Ebay, so on the way back me and my wife stopped to look. It was being listed by a person who bought repo's and flipped them. The coach was in very good condition. Ultimately we bought this coach for ~1/2 what is worth.

Good luck on your search