recently I came across a coach for sale at a dealer with a blown engine. I had a small stroke, a bleed, in the fall and don't find my driving safe anymore. DW drives the car now, but there is no way on earth she will drive a DP. Not gonna happen. Now, our favorite park in central Florida allows people who stay through the winter to leave their rigs on their site all summer at a cost of $50/month. So, I have been thinking of putting an older DP (read, lower cost) on a site and using it as our Florida home. Those of you who know me will realize it's not an unlikely prospect for me to consider just about anything, so i began thinking about the blown engine coach as our winter home. Sort of like a park model....Can any of you advise me on how nuts this is? Questions I've come up with so far are:1. Are there other salvageable parts I wouldn't need? Transmission, batteries, maybe inverter come to mind...2. What would I need to add back? A small air compressor if it has air levelling, Probably want to change out the Norcold for a residential refrigerator. Might need to put in electrical cooktop and water heater if there's no propane delivery. Anything else?3. I'd need to tow it to its final stop....Anyone know what towing costs where Coach-Net wouldn't be paying?4. Am I insane? Why do you think so? Savings would be in the neighbourhood of $30,000 so this isn't as crazy as it sounds, although I'd maybe need to put up a bond or something to cover the cost of future removal.Looking forward to your thoughts.

Buy a park model! Way more room, better i sulation, easier resale when the time comes.

Mr. Jim, I can certainly see the interest, especially, if the coach is in good shape. If it has Aqua Hot, you will need to keep the fuel tank, that fuel will last you forever! Of course you will have to close the engine antifreeze loop. You really won't need your air suspension or hydraulic legs, just put heavy duty jake stands underneath. The slides can be run manually if they are hydraulic or even electric. If the engine motor is required to run the slides, you probably could bypass that feature.I would probably want to keep the generator too in case you lose power in a Florida Hurricane. You can bring fuel in a five gallon can as needed. The inverters will charge the house batteries, everything engine related could be parted out.Good luck, keep us updated!Mr. Mark

If it were my park I'de tell you no way are you going to tow that thing into here and leave it. Get a nice travel trailer or park model.I am in Florida and see lots of them for sale in parks for $10,000. Lot less aggrivation than towing a rig there that don't run.

donn0128 wrote:Buy a park model! Way more room, better i sulation, easier resale when the time comes.This makes the most sense! If you are going to leave the RV on site, just get a park model, or if the park allows, a small mobile home.Why have systems to maintain that are designed for constant, mobile use when the unit will be stationary!?

I would think that whatever money you put into it would be gone forever. When the time comes that you no longer can go stay there you would probably have to give it away to get someone to tow it off. Like the others said, I would go with a park model that would have some resale.

Blown Engine | Good Sam Community

donn0128
Explorer II
Mar 30, 2016
Buy a park model! Way more room, better i sulation, easier resale when the time comes.
Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
Mr. Jim, I can certainly see the interest, especially, if the coach is in good shape. If it has Aqua Hot, you will need to keep the fuel tank, that fuel will last you forever! Of course you will have to close the engine antifreeze loop.

You really won't need your air suspension or hydraulic legs, just put heavy duty jake stands underneath. The slides can be run manually if they are hydraulic or even electric. If the engine motor is required to run the slides, you probably could bypass that feature.

I would probably want to keep the generator too in case you lose power in a Florida Hurricane. You can bring fuel in a five gallon can as needed. The inverters will charge the house batteries, everything engine related could be parted out.

Good luck, keep us updated!

Mr. Mark
Ranger_Smith
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
If it were my park I'de tell you no way are you going to tow that thing into here and leave it. Get a nice travel trailer or park model.I am in Florida and see lots of them for sale in parks for $10,000. Lot less aggrivation than towing a rig there that don't run.
DownTheAvenue
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
donn0128 wrote:
Buy a park model! Way more room, better i sulation, easier resale when the time comes.

This makes the most sense! If you are going to leave the RV on site, just get a park model, or if the park allows, a small mobile home.

Why have systems to maintain that are designed for constant, mobile use when the unit will be stationary!?
JnJnKatiebug
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
I would think that whatever money you put into it would be gone forever. When the time comes that you no longer can go stay there you would probably have to give it away to get someone to tow it off. Like the others said, I would go with a park model that would have some resale.
azrving
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
How much do they want for the MH?
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Mar 30, 2016
I met one gentleman at an RV park that also could no longer drive. He had a friend that would drive the RV to the park, set it up, and then the gentleman and his wife would spend the Summer in the RV park. AT the end of the Summer, that same friend would then drive the coach back to storage until next year.
If you can get the coach for a good price, and the rest of the systems work, it could be a great deal. I would always keep in the back of my mind that the resale value is zero and if you sell it, you get anything, consider it a bonus.
Two_Jayhawks
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
I don't think it is a great idea to "deliberately" buy a motor home with a blown engine. If my use was like you describe yours (staying at one RV park for a long time) I would get a fifth wheel. You can certainly contract to have it moved when you wish. If the RV park you want to stay at requires a class A I doubt they would let you in with a class A with a blown engine anyway.
gonesouth
Explorer
Mar 30, 2016
To clarify, no they don't require Class A's though they do have a 10 year rule which is observed more in the breach.... They do have some park models, but a comparable level of quality would be probably $50,000. The rig I'm looking at is at $12k.

The resale on a coach is always $0 until it's actually sold.

Stairs are problem, and I'm not keen on having the commode two feet from my head, so fivers are out, too
crasster
Explorer II
Mar 30, 2016
For me for not traveling, Park model RV. Cheaper, roomier, more homey.