1997 Class C Winnebago, 47,000 miles too old to buy?

Xavpil wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
Suggest you are a good candidate for renting a Class C.

Renting prices are out of this world, $300/day, and limited to 100 miles/day, unless I am not looking at the right vendors

Yipes. Anyway situation remains. After you have had it for a while and things stop breaking, you can trust it better for long trips.

Have it inspected, replace all belts and hoses then go have fun. I have been driving old vehicles on long road trips for years. See my sig.

BFL13 wrote:
Suggest you are a good candidate for renting a Class C.

Renting prices are out of this world, $300/day, and limited to 100 miles/day, unless I am not looking at the right vendors

Thx

Nothing against buying an older Class C at a good price, but the OP's idea here is not a good one IMO.

With ours it took a few short trips over the first six months to get it in shape. Right after buying it went in for a mechanical inspection where it got a few things done. Even so, it had to be towed twice; one time to get a new starter, second time it was burst hoses under the doghouse-no water would stay in radiator long enough to drive it.

After the first six months it has been great except needed new tires--of course it was an inner back tire that went flat.

So the one "dream trip" is likely to be when all the fun happens. :(
You will wear out your Good Sam Emergency card.--and don't leave home without one of those!

The RV house stuff will have problems that mostly you can fix yourself, except you might have to order parts from Amazon. How to do that on the one dream trip?

So IMO don't do that. Suggest you are a good candidate for renting a Class C same as those European tourists do. If you meant to buy it and stay local doing short trips here and there, then yes.

klutchdust wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
My concern would be that 5 to 7 years down the road you may have trouble getting anything for it so it all depends on the cost, assuming other issues are no problem.
bumpy

Anything meaning what, house or chassis? Chassis parts are readily available, maybe the shiny do-hickey

moulding may be unavailable but then there is always Walt's in Riverside.

anything as in $$$ selling it or unloading it. I believe that the OPs response indicated he understood me.
bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:
My concern would be that 5 to 7 years down the road you may have trouble getting anything for it so it all depends on the cost, assuming other issues are no problem.
bumpy

Anything meaning what, house or chassis? Chassis parts are readily available, maybe the shiny do-hickey

moulding may be unavailable but then there is always Walt's in Riverside.

Ron,

My 2005 has disk brakes. I've replaced the rear brakes 3 times since 2009. I've driven it about 120 miles and I try to avoid using the brakes when ever possible.

Xavpil wrote:
I did my due diligence and read the FAQ and also did a search
I am looking at a 97 Winnebago Minnie Winnie with a ford engine with 47,000 miles on it.
It looks great cosmetically and drives good. But I know this is the tip of the iceberg and it will require a thorough inspection.
It is my first RV. I’d take it across country.
I know it depends on a lot of factors but is there a rule of thumb that says RVs shouldn’t be older than....
Thx guys

There is no rule of thumb with age. If it smells good inside (no moldy smell) and there are no water stains on the interior walls, especially in the cab-over bed area, then at the right price, that rig might be worth considering.

Given the rig is a 1997, the Ford chassis might have the older V8 engine, or the later V10 engine. The older V8 gets worse fuel economy and are prone to exhaust leaks where the manifolds bolt to the engine. The manifold bolts like to break. The V10 engine that replaced it is a much better engine with improved fuel economy and reliability. Since you mentioned going cross-country, know what to expect concerning fuel consumption.

You did not mention the length of the rig, but back in 1997, the E450 chassis did not exist. So if that rig exceeds 25 feet in length, it may sag a lot in back when you are loaded for a trip. Unless a previous owner addressed that problem, plan on adding a leaf spring or two in back per rear corner. Also heavy duty front and rear stabilizer bars and heavy duty Bilstein shock absorbers. Going cross country with these things addressed will make your cross country driving experience much more comfortable and safe.

If you buy that rig, you will surely want to adjust the rear drum brakes so the shoes are right there at the drums with a free-spinning slight drag after you pump the brakes. Otherwise the front brakes will work exceptionally hard, and the rears won't contribute adequately. Trust me on that, I know from personal experience with my previous motor home. It is a night/day difference in safety, especially noticed in mountain and canyon driving. If that chassis is not equipped with 4-wheel anti-lock front brakes which I believe to be true, the front brakes will lock up and skid when slowing down in the turns. Think about that nightmare. The rear drum brakes work exceptionally well, but only if adjusted properly for maximum performance. With 4 tires in back, they will stop that rig very nicely without skidding, especially because of the weight on those rear tires.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I purchased a 1987 unit in 2000. I replaced all hoses and belts, but one hose was no longer available. By 2005 I was having difficulty getting parts for the engine. It was a Ford chassis.

I would suggest that 1997 is a bit too old for a Ford chassis, as the V-10 became the "standard" in 1999. I'd buy no older than 2004 due to the spitting out of spark plugs before that time frame.

wasn't the change in 1999 just for the Class A chassis? he is talking C here. and if the spark plugs were going to spit, I think they would have done that long ago. I drove my 1999 for 14 uneventful years.
bumpy