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New RV owner in Northern NV
Hey all, just scored a killer deal on a 2005 Four Winds Class C. E-450/V10 Ford based unit. Older gentlemen owned it since new, and put 30k miles on it. Hasn’t been out anywhere since 2017 or 2018. Have all the receipts and paperwork since day one. Sadly, some dirtbags stole the catalytic converter off it, and that’s what prompted him to sell it as he was unable to really use it anymore.
I bought it on the recommendation of a friend and long-time RV owner. He looked it over and we came up with a game plan to get it home from Phoenix to here in Northern NV. He reported that everything on the unit works, but it was very dusty and dirty, and would need a complete interior/exterior detail. He found a $3k Solar battery charger system on it, and a $3k hydraulic leveling system. The levers seem stuck, but that is the only problem found. The old man paid more for the solar and the levers than he sold the unit to me for, so I did ok I think!
First step was to remedy the missing cat. While I love the sound of open headers, I figured that would be a little loud for the 700 mile drive home. Since this is over 14k, the cat isn’t monitored, so the computer doesn’t care if its there or not. For now it got straight piped and is nice and quiet. The long-term plan is a banks power-pack with full exhaust, and I’ll put a nice free-flow 3” cat in at that time.
Next was ride quality. The old dude had put 6 new Michelin tires on in 2017, and only logged 140 miles on them. Sadly, it’s sitting in Phoenix all these years resulted in nasty flat spots and excessive road force which made the RV vibrate and shake badly at highway speeds. We opted to put those tires into trailer service, and I ordered 6 new Bridgestone’s and a set of Alcoa wheels while I was at it. This all took a little longer than planned, due to OnTrac somehow losing 5 of the 6 tires for a week and half, but they finally all showed up.
I flew into Phoenix last week and drove it home. Other than hitting really thick Fog north of Hawthorne, NV, it was an easy drive. It’s happy spot seems to be 65-68mph, returning a whopping 7.5MPG. It’s not short on power, as it’ll pass anything but a gas station. I let the furnace run all night the first night home, as it was only 20ºF here. The next day I drained everything, and put some pink RV antifreeze through all the lines and faucets so it can be stored until better weather allows me to do some more work.
So far I know it’s going to get a new radio/backup camera, and a trailer brake controller. The shower pan has seen better days, may need some work there too. Gotta find out if Ford put the wiring in place for the TB control, or if I need to add it. I also plan to go over all the sealant on the roof with new stuff as a preventative measure. Already ordered the Dicor. The rear hitch it has would be fine for a small motorcycle trailer, but I plan to reinforce the frame and build a better hitch to tow 7k or so behind it. If the wife and kids enjoy and we decide to keep it long-term, I’ll do the Banks Power Pack unless you all have a better idea. What else should I look for on this thing?
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