IF you were going to buy a 15 year old DP.....which one would it be??

[Wright1]

Nice post

[APhotoWizard]

My search list was much like smitty77's. I wanted a high quality older unit and I love Mercedes so I wanted a Freightliner chassis. (They are made by Daimler Benz) As I said, I was looking for something on the list Smitty77 provided, right up until my wife looked over my shoulder and exclaimed, "Look at all those cabinets." That was it. We had to have a Tiffin. It took almost 8 months to find the right unit, but we eventually purchased a 2001 Allegro Bus 3 years ago.

Immediately spent $1500 to have the Freightliner dealer check it over, replace much of the engine rubber parts and service everything. Since then the injector pump failed which cost me $4000 to have it rebuilt. I replaced all the entertainment system, added a WIFI system while the wife made plans, cleaned, made cabinet dividers, etc. All in all I spent about 20% of the purchase price on repairs, replacements, and upgrades.

We have driven over 40,000 miles in the past 3 years and it has never left us stranded. (It did take some doing when a rock took out the fan and radiator on the Dalton Highway in Alaska, but we made it back to Fairbanks with a water hose taped to the bathroom faucet and the other end in the radiator.)

I am very happy with the purchase. It fit within the bank's budget, the upgrades have been fun and experiencing full-timing for 6 months at a time lets you see lots of the country.

Hope to see you on the road soon.

[Motor7]

Took the day off yesterday to look at a 2005 34' Winny DP. Glad I went, but the coach was disappointing with corrosion and rust just about everywhere. What I discovered is that 34' is way more coach than I want.

So they had a 32' Winny on a Workhorse 8.1 chassis so I took it for a test drive. In my pea brain I really didn't think there would be much performance difference between Wanda @ 23'/454 and the 32'/8.1....I was wrong. I was surprised at how quite the 8.1 was, the hill climbing ability and the brakes...oh the brakes were sweet. It also has a much tighter turning radius than I had thought.

So now I have really muddied the waters eh?

[tropical36]

Originally Posted by Motor7

Took the day off yesterday to look at a 2005 34' Winny DP. Glad I went, but the coach was disappointing with corrosion and rust just about everywhere. What I discovered is that 34' is way more coach than I want.

So they had a 32' Winny on a Workhorse 8.1 chassis so I took it for a test drive. In my pea brain I really didn't think there would be much performance difference between Wanda @ 23'/454 and the 32'/8.1....I was wrong. I was surprised at how quite the 8.1 was, the hill climbing ability and the brakes...oh the brakes were sweet. It also has a much tighter turning radius than I had thought.

So now I have really muddied the waters eh?

And you didn't make an offer on it, why?
Hopefully you didn't lose a days pay in the process.

[Motor7]

Originally Posted by tropical36

And you didn't make an offer on it, why?
Hopefully you didn't lose a days pay in the process.

A host of reasons. Dealer brags that all coaches come with a 90 day warranty. The Workhorse had not been through their "34 point inspection yet". Cruise control did not work, basement A/c was kinda of anemic, hyd levelers would not go down...up but not down(might have been operator error). Engine batteries were so dead they gave no voltage reading on the panel.

When I verbalized those concerns about getting the coach ready by Monday or Tue, the guy said they were backed up two weeks for delivery....wait...what? Then he offered a thou off to take it "as-is".......hmmmmm. Then the topper....."Oh, this one is a '02 so it does not qualify for the 90 day warranty anyway, and the boss says he won't fix anything on it, and the price is firm, and we are going to give you exactly half of what the NADA low retail value is for your coach(even though our coach is priced $5K higher then NADA retail).

NOT

So I drove Wanda 2.5 hrs in both directions for "nuthin".....{sigh}.

Turns out, these guys buy all the rejects from the big boys like Lazy Days in FL. This is a good concept if you are going to fix the stuff that is the reason Lazy Days didn't hang onto it to sell, then flip it for a reasonable profit.

No pay loss....retired, but I have not figured out the concept of retired yet and it's been 10 years....every day is chock full of "stuff to do".....

[mike brez]

Hang in there and keep looking. We just got back from putting a few thousand miles on our 20 year old rig without a single issue until I got home and backed it into my deck LMAO

[tropical36]

Originally Posted by Motor7

A host of reasons. Dealer brags that all coaches come with a 90 day warranty. The Workhorse had not been through their "34 point inspection yet". Cruise control did not work, basement A/c was kinda of anemic, hyd levelers would not go down...up but not down(might have been operator error). Engine batteries were so dead they gave no voltage reading on the panel.

When I verbalized those concerns about getting the coach ready by Monday or Tue, the guy said they were backed up two weeks for delivery....wait...what? Then he offered a thou off to take it "as-is".......hmmmmm. Then the topper....."Oh, this one is a '02 so it does not qualify for the 90 day warranty anyway, and the boss says he won't fix anything on it, and the price is firm, and we are going to give you exactly half of what the NADA low retail value is for your coach(even though our coach is priced $5K higher then NADA retail).

NOT

So I drove Wanda 2.5 hrs in both directions for "nuthin".....{sigh}.

Turns out, these guys buy all the rejects from the big boys like Lazy Days in FL. This is a good concept if you are going to fix the stuff that is the reason Lazy Days didn't hang onto it to sell, then flip it for a reasonable profit.

No pay loss....retired, but I have not figured out the concept of retired yet and it's been 10 years....every day is chock full of "stuff to do".....

Plenty of good reasons there.
As for Lazydays, just left there yesterday morning for home after Nashville and a couple of weeks on the road. Did a lot of looking while there, as always and mainly for comparisons to what we have, it's condition, what we paid and what something comparable would cost, even if you did buy below low retail, like we did. So far, I think we did good and have had our present coach, since last year. My advice is to go with the DP and plan on keeping it for awhile or indefinitely.
Anyway, they have some interesting rigs up there and piled up in the lot down behind the garages. Especially if one is into buying cheap and doing all their own fixing and restoring. They don't keep them long and as you say, will take bids on them from wholesalers, before too long. After that, I've seen many of them on eBay. Quite a few Dolphins in fact and definitely a good coach if it's right or can be made right and assuming one is looking for a gas puller.
I've seen some Bluebirds there and with this stop, found some old Newell's.
One is a 98 and most sure it could be bought, dirt cheap, as I find it doubtful that they have much invested in it. It has the big Detroit and probably my favorite Diesel engines.
As for retirement, I'm in the same boat and have no time at all for a real job. Don't know how I did it before, but then age does take it's toll.

[Motor7]

Had to drop off grand daughter near Charleston SC yesterday so I scoped out a prospect near Greenville. Big dealer.....20 ac big. The coach they showed me was not the one in the photo....same model, but it was even a different color. Of course it was backed into the weeds, had been there a while, never cleaned inside or out and was not in any condition I would have wasted my time on even if the photo's had been correct for that unit.

So anther disappointment and I am building some serious loathing for dealers. Inmho, the dealers are idiots to treat older used coaches like lepers. There is money there, but they don't see it. If nothing else, hire a crew to detail these coaches.....vacuum, wash, etc. Then have a guy just do a walk through with a friggin screwdriver in his hand to fix the stuff that is hanging. Then keep the darn things plugged in.....do they know how much more time it takes to get Earl from the garage to drive over there in a golf cart with a booster pack every single time someone wants to hear the engine run, or take it for a test drive?

Seriously, they give pennies on the dollar in trade then squander those pennies because they refuse to fix them up a bit to make...wait for it...more money. Sheesh!....Ok rant over ....kinda

[Motor7]

Hey Mike...back-up camera not working....?

Pulled into a campground in Dodge City 10 or so years ago. Was tired, wife offered to help me back in....nahhh, it's a 24' Class C...I got it. Broad daylight....hit a tree limb and crunked the ladder

Tropical, I have been to LD and just the size of the place makes you feel like a 8 year old at Disney. I would love to spend a month crawling all over their trades....maybe this winter I can shoot down there.

[ALF1]

Be sure to look at the lower rails where the compartment doors latch. Bought a coach 10+ years old, Cummins engine. Low mileage engines not necessarily well taken care of. The coach most of its time next to the shore in TX or FL. Rusted to hell and back. Love our Class A pusher but spending a lot o $$ to overcome rust and abuse.

[19jcm79]

Bought a 2002 Newmar 38ft Kountry Star DP last fall. Have used it a few times and loving it. Quiet ride with the engine in the back. A little over 9 MPG, Freightliner chassis 300HP Cummings. Been very happy with it so far.

[lilchamp]

hey motor 7
i'll bet it is the dealer who is on ebay all the time and says almost every rv ran fine from florida to greenville sc. i live south of the dealership by only about 15 minutes and when i pass it on route 85 i give it a big fat nope while having thoughts of stopping.

[Motor7]

Alf, yep corrosion and or rust in any significant amount is a big NO for me. Been there done that and lost the battle.

19, 38' is just too big for us.....I'm re-thinking the whole DP thing, and now leaning towards a 30' Workhorse Chassis.

Champ, uhummmm does it rhyme with Bedford?

[ALF1]

I had an old Georgie Boy with Chevy power. Being short in stature, climbing around engine housing to get in driver's seat a pain. Also, engine noise was a factor in the decision to change. My wife and I migrate to TX in winter, we appreciate the extra room.