Buying a used Class A Repairs to Expect?

brightond wrote:
Hi There!

I'm looking at an older Class A RV to renovate for a 1-2 year adventure with my family.

Right now I'm looking at a 1998 Fleetwood Southwind (30' with a Ford engine and 35K miles.) I could get this for just over 10K.

I've researched these Southwind's and have mostly found people saying they loved them and that they ran great for them.

Now I realize that I will need to budget some funds for repairs/renovations but I would love some input on what I may be looking at for tuning a vehicle like this up.

Any advice on what I should consider when purchasing a vehicle would be appreciated.

Thanks!

James

I'm not so keen on the 460 V8 and if going with the Ford, I'd try and negotiate myself up to the V10 which was introduced in 99. Even at it's lesser power introduction, it should serve you well in a 30ft rig. The early engines may have some spark plug issues, but that kind of stuff can be rectified.
At 30ft, the Chevy would be a good choice and mine as well, with not having the auto park to contend with and once the front coils are upgraded and the air bags discarded, you'll have a much nicer ride on it's P32 independent suspension.
As to what to expect during ownership, it'll mostly be the unexpected and the good news is that you won't be needing another hobby.
Are the tires fairly new or will you have to figure in a set of those at this price? If you're not familiar, return with the last four digits of the DOT number on one of the sidewalls and keep in mind that looking like new, doesn't mean much.