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barmcd's avatar
barmcd
Explorer
Nov 03, 2015

Buying an Orphan or Semi-Orphan--Any Concerns?

The year and price range we are looking at for a DP motorhome contains quite a few brands that are no longer made or brands that have been bought by another company. Would you have any concerns about buying a Gulf Stream or pre 2009 Monaco coach?

In the case of Gulf Stream, I don't believe anyone is still manufacturing the brand. Do these companies sell their stock of parts to anyone so they would still be available? I'm not talking about parts for name brand appliances and such, but things that were manufactured specifically for Gulf Stream which may not exist on other coaches.

Does Allied Specialty Vehicles still provide parts support for Monaco coaches manufactured before the company went bankrupt in 2009? When Navistar originally bought Monaco, they purchased existing stocks of parts and any remaining parts should have transferred to ASV when they bought Monaco from Navistar?
Class A
  • msmith1199's avatar
    msmith1199
    Explorer II
    Nov 03, 2015
    Like already stated, motorhome manufacturers really don't make motorhomes. They assemble them. Almost everything on a motorhome is made by somebody else and just assembled by the manufacturer. There are some exceptions to that where the manufacturer makes the chassis.

    My National tropical is an orphan and the only thing I'd have a hard time replacing would be the front or rear caps. But I can't think of too many ways those would get damaged that would not be covered by insurance so it's my insurance companies problem to figure that out if something happens.
  • barmcd's avatar
    barmcd
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    Ivylog wrote:
    You can join Monacoers (A yahoo group) which was started when Monaco first went under as a source of information and parts sources. It has a very extensive list of part numbers and who made them... not Monaco. As an example... my headlights are series 5 BMW. Like this site it is a very good source of information on how to fix a problem that you may be having with your Monaco.

    Monaco's customer support has been excellent through all of the changes. Yes, I'm partial to Monaco.


    Thanks for the lead. It looks like there isn't going to be a big issue buying a discontinued brand.
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Nov 03, 2015
    You can join Monacoers (A yahoo group) which was started when Monaco first went under as a source of information and parts sources. It has a very extensive list of part numbers and who made them... not Monaco. As an example... my headlights are series 5 BMW. Like this site it is a very good source of information on how to fix a problem that you may be having with your Monaco.

    Monaco's customer support has been excellent through all of the changes. Yes, I'm partial to Monaco.
  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Nov 03, 2015
    I'm sitting in a double orphan right now - 1996 Safari Sahara - a pre-Monaco Safari. No one makes the Magnum chassis, CAT is out of the OTR engine business, even the original 9R22.5 tire size is passé.

    However, these coaches were so well built I would not be happy with anything new, even if I could afford it. I just like the look of the older coaches, especially a nicely polished Prevost or Bluebird. Nothing like the paper bag buses they sell today.
  • DSDP_Don's avatar
    DSDP_Don
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    Pretty much the only thing that is really manufacturer specific is the front and rear caps. Monaco had the Roadmaster chassis, but it was built with front and rear end suspension parts used by many. There are very few parts that are no longer available, but when they do become obsolete, there is always someone that finds something else that will work.

    Monaco's parts department never really closed through all of the changes and is still open today. With that said, even though they're still open, many of the companies that supplied components to them went out of business in 2009-2010. This is not just a Monaco issue, but an issue for every manufacturer.

    I would never be afraid of buying an orphan, especially a Monaco coach. They're still one of the most popular and best built brands on the road.
  • Executive45's avatar
    Executive45
    Explorer III
    Nov 03, 2015
    Monaco in Oregon sold most of their parts to NWRV in Coburg. We were there when that took place. Some of the larger items such as front caps etc went to Indiana. Coach parts are still available from Allied in Decatur and Coburg as is service at both locations with campgrounds. I would not be hesitant to purchase another Monaco product...Dennis
  • WyoTraveler's avatar
    WyoTraveler
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    I'm not sure what newer or I should say recent MHs do. Back in 89 Fleetwood used a Chev Celebrity tail light. To make it different they put the right chev tail light on the left side so it was upside down. Some of the dealers would pass on the info others would not. I had a list of body parts back then but it got passed on when I sold the MH.
  • barmcd's avatar
    barmcd
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    Thunder Mountain wrote:
    You really don't have to worry about most orphans. We owned a 2007 Holiday Rambler Endeavor for 9 years which was an orphan when HR was acquired by Monaco and then Monaco went belly up.

    All the components such as heating, air conditioning, refrigerator, and electrical are common through out nearly all brands orphaned or not. Most chassis, engine and transmission components are likewise used across many product lines. Cummins, Allison, etc. parts are readily available. Your biggest issue for an orphan might be replacement body parts.


    That's what I was wondering about. I had to replace the plastic recessed ring that went around the electrical connection on our 5th wheel. The local RV supply house had three different sizes, none of which fit our trailer. We ended up having to order it from the manufacturer.

    The original was smaller than what the RV store had so I could have used one they had, but it would have involved enlarging the hole in the side of the RV. I was glad I didn't have to do that.
  • Thunder_Mountai's avatar
    Thunder_Mountai
    Explorer II
    Nov 03, 2015
    You really don't have to worry about most orphans. We owned a 2007 Holiday Rambler Endeavor for 9 years which was an orphan when HR was acquired by Monaco and then Monaco went belly up.

    All the components such as heating, air conditioning, refrigerator, and electrical are common through out nearly all brands orphaned or not. Most chassis, engine and transmission components are likewise used across many product lines. Cummins, Allison, etc. parts are readily available. Your biggest issue for an orphan might be replacement body parts.

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