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Old 07-20-2018, 12:10 PM   #85
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 11
1999 Monaco Dynasty worked great fro us

First we defined what we were after, then started hunting for the models that fit.

This was OUR spec. Everyone here will have their own take.

Some of our main specs were:
1. Front entrance: didn't want a mid stairway.
2. 4-Door fridge - full timing --need all the fridge space we could get.
3. 2 slides is nice. 1 big slide is enough.
4. Decent bathroom with real sized shower.
5. Washer/Dryer - sitting at a laundromat sucks and the price adds up.
6. Diesel generator - lasts longer and enabled us to keep LP for cooking and hot water.
7. No booth. Takes up too much space. We ended up removing the table and chairs and put in a small chest freezer and more storage.
8. Full side-to-side bay storage (Roadmaster or similar Chassis)
9. Cummins Diesel instead of Cat - easy to get parts and help.
10. We wanted an LP oven, but didn't get that and rarely missed it.

NOTE: CHECK THE TIRE AGE (oval MMYY stamped on tire). They last 7 years MAX!!! and they cost $500+ each to replace. No matter what they look like factor the tire age into your decision/negotiation $3000+ replacement. Most bad RV things happen due to bad tires. Invest in a TPMS too.

We looked at a lot of RVs and ended up with a 1999 40' Monaco Dynasty. It had 104k miles and no sun damage. 125CF of storage. It was $236,000 new in 1999. We bought it in S. Florida 5/1/14 for $35,000.

During the next 2 years we put about $5K into it with 4 new rear tires (8yr old 1 blew) and rebuilding the chassis AC ($1800). IVR2 and RVForum.net were priceless resources!

I was able to do a few DIY repairs that probably saved $3K with a little help from Google, YouTube, forums and in one case an uncle that drove trucks for a living.

Sold it 6/1/16 for $35,000 including maybe $1000 of extras we had added like water softener, lots of extra water hose, electrical cords, adapters, etc.

Net cost of $6K-ish for 2 years, 22,000 miles of amazing travel.
http://20fromnow.com - if you scroll back to 2014 you'll get the whole story.
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Old 07-20-2018, 12:44 PM   #86
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Older Diesel Class A help

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edrps View Post

A concern I have about purchasing a MH older than 10 years is that some CG's are not allowing RVs older than 10 years into there facility. Perhaps some here could share their experiences in that regard.

An important point on my must-have list was full body paint. Blistering, fading decals are the sure sign of age and what the “higher end resorts” are trying to keep out with their ten year old restriction. I have shown photos of my 1999 American Dream at the registration counter or by eMail at these places and they have always said “Sure, no problem”.
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Old 07-20-2018, 01:02 PM   #87
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Location: Platte City, MO 64079
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We love our old Dynasty!

It may sound crazy, but I literally spent about 7 years studying everything I could find about RV's before buying. By the time I felt like I could make a sensible decision, our hit list included:
- 400 HP diesel pusher (durability & power)
- Tag axle (load carrying capacity and handling)
- Opposing slides (most interior room when camping)
- Older coach but high end model (all the benefits of quality construction and equipment on a budget)
- Aquahot
- Acceptable floorplan
- Mechanically sound
- Cosmetically appealing exterior

From there we started shopping, and ended up with a very solid 2002 Monaco Dynasty that was well worn inside, but looked very good and checked out mechanically, with 83,000 miles. This coach stickered for almost $320K, and we bought it for $69K in 2015.

This set us up for the chores I had planned on, including new tires, shocks, fixing all the little odds and ends, and a total remodel of the interior of the coach. It has beautiful solid cherry cabinets, and that's about all we left in it! New cherry hardwood floors, wainscot, stainless cooktop, residential fridge, stainless convection micro, wallpaper (that was a chore), cabinet knobs, LED lighting throughout, TPMS, See Level tank monitors, pure sine wave inverter, interior fans, toilet, sink fixtures, electric fireplace with big screen TV behind it on a lift, leather theater style love seat, and the mod I am most proud of... a completely new shower with the drain piping plumbed under the floor, picking up 11 inches of headroom. I'm sure I'm missing some stuff, but you get the idea.

Total investment after doing all this work (which I did myself, except for the tires) is just under $100K for a high end coach that looks good, drives great and has a modern interior. It will last us as long as we want to travel.

High end Monaco products of that era are known to be very well built, and they had many of the advanced features that came later on lower end models. The all steel monocoque framed chassis is rigid, and the Roadmaster chassis rides and handles very well.

So, if you are handy, and want to get the best bang for your buck, an older high end coach can produce a great result and be a fun project as you work toward quitting the J.O.B.! That's what we did!
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2002 Monaco Dynasty Baroness,
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Old 07-20-2018, 02:37 PM   #88
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We've owned 3 Diesel Pushers in the past we now own a 2003 Newmar Kountry Star 38', 2 slides, 320 Cat Diesel. Just love it..everything about it is just good old solid construction and sound proof, a dream to drive down the freeway. I goggle this coach every now and then they rarely come up for sale....good hunting.
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