Buying older motorhome as first purchase

As you can see...so many thoughts. I concur with the cost of mantaining rv's. Man, they do run up bills. But...anything we do costs. There are no free rides when it comes to recreatinal things. Much of your decision making maybe should be based on what you are planning to do with it. If it's a two weeks a year drive...? rent one. Lots of folks buy then park. Sort of like that cabin...go once a year and fend of those that want to borrow it.

As far as the RV itself? See it as two distinct units. The truck/chassis part and the house part. Tires are $1,500 a set and spring or shocks will cost big time too. Depending on what badge you buy..Ford or Chev...a tune-up is a grand. So...before you buy, have the tires looked at for date of manufacture. If older than 6 years? They are too old and need to be replaced. Park the truck on a flat bit of ground and go stand out front by 40 or 50 ft, turn and look at it. Does it lean? If so...likely some suspention work.

Make sure all systems work..hot water tank produces hot water. Furnace blows hot. Fridge makes ice. Turn on power to the water pump and listen to hear if it comes on by itself. (just a wee rhump) Means a line is leaking somewhere. Lift up the mattress on the top bunk..looking for wetness and or stains. If there is a front window? Very often the location of leaks. Plus the front clearance lights. The putty dries out and the force of the wind against the window forces water in. By itself not un-fixable. But if there is wood rot? Major major trouble. Do not buy such a problem. Same for floor..is it soft? In the bathroom..is it soft? Wood rot, again.

All that I have written here is just a heads up..to look for. Should you buy one? Hell yes. In the fall or winter tho...not now, in summer.



Gary Haupt

I bought a 30 year old MH back in November. 1987 Lindy.
Don't believe NADA prices; at least not in California.
The MH was in very very good condition, but let's face it, it was 30 years old.
72,000 miles on a Ford 460. It also had a 4x4 conversion done to it with only about 12K miles on the conversion.
Thirty year old plumbing, engine, gaskets, cushions..etc.
I have a list of 114 different things I have done to it in the last 8 months.
I've dumped a lot of money into it; which is a relative statement since I've done all the work myself. Imagine having to pay someone to do it!
YouTube is your friend along with those who have had prior experience.
Expect repairs and definitely learn how to get your hands dirty if you want to save a bunch of money.
I wanted it to be clean in and out and be reliable with EVERYTHING working.
To give you an idea, here's the list:

-0-
New RV port
New gravel RV pad
Fog lights front and rear
New top cab front window
New battery
Buss bar
Rear camera and monitor
Headlight dimmer switch fixed
Seatbelt retractor fixed
New floor mats from a Winnebago
-10-
New LED interior light bulbs
Two new interior lights
New mattress cover for top bunk
Fire extinguisher (two)
New ladder
New door strap
New dinette cushions
New valances
New shades
New stove top cover
-20-
New carpet runners
New hoses for fresh water tank
Furnace fixed
Got all tank sensors to work
New rear mattress
New bedding
Latch on bathroom cabinet fixed
New bedroom curtain
New shower curtain
New shower ceiling
-30-
Fantastic fan fixed
New bathroom door strap
New fresh water inlet
New drain valve
New city water inlet
New water heater compartment latch
New locks on all exterior compartments
Flushed out water heater
New anode in water heater
New license plate frame
-40-
New top rear running light cover
New front shocks
New parking pawl actuating rod
New transmission fluid
New Transmission Mount
Sealed all roof seams
New breaker switch
New macerator and hoses
New bumper end caps
New black tank cleaning wand
-50-
Detailed under motorhome
New eye bolts on front bumper
Peek-a-boo hatch installed for fridge flame
New air hose connector
New entry door window frame
New steps for driver and passenger
New tire chains
New tools
New kayak rack
New screen door slider
-60-
Rear view mirror wobble fixed
New bump stops in front
New dump valves and 'Y' connector
New dump cap
New dump hose
Step support
Winch cover
Cig lighter fixed
Fixed fridge locking latch
New Ignition key cylinder
-70-
New front brake pads
New rear brake shoes and calipers
New brake master cylinder
Removed headliner (3x) to fix squeaking
Secured upper bunk to cab with thru bolts, fender/felt/lock washers and nuts
Fixed rattling problem in 4x4 shifter
New LED Dash lights
Removed Satellite receiver wiring
Rerouted iPod cable
Removed Subwoofer cable
-80-
Fixed shower lift valve
Painted bottom of LP tank (silver)
Painted outside electrical outlet (black)
Repainted electric steps (black)
Fixed bedroom window from sticking
Fixed LED clock above range
Cut larger hole in range hood for circuit board
Soldered the broken trace on the circuit board for tank monitors
Replaced and painted wood panel in upper bunk under large window
New curtains and rails in upper bunk
-90-
Replaced missing 350 emblem
New outside door mat
Fixed broken door lock
New thermostat
New timing chain and gears
New Timing Cover and bolts
New Water Pump and bolts
New radiator
New radiator cap
New Fan Clutch
-100-
New Harmonic Balancer
New gaskets on the oil filter adapter
Cut the tranny cooling lines, flared them and added flex hose
Added new flared inserts to the radiator
Made extension bar to open bunk windows and vent
Removed A/C compressor and brackets
New distributor cap
New ignition rotor
Fixed fuse holder for air compressor
New rear differential gasket and fluid
-110-
Painted rear differential
New spark plugs
New spark plug wires
Fixed gas leak at carburetor
Detailed engine

The chassis of a motorhome ( engine, transmission, suspension, etc.) generally run well over 100 thousand miles before major repairs are needed, IF maintained properly. Do have a pro truck mechanic check over the entire chassis including the engine cooling system, brakes, lights, etc, and give you a list of fixes needed including parts and labor estimates. Tires should be replaced if over six years old by DOT date codes. RV tires may look new but may be unsafe due to sidewall cracking. The "housebox" should be inspected carefully for any water leak damage which may include mold, dry rot, etc. which is very expensive to have repaired. The fridge, roof air conditioner unit, furnace, water heater, fresh water pump, awning as well as house batteries, converter charger and related electrical system devices must all be checked for proper operation and replaced as needed. Without these checks, a ten year old used motorhome can require months and thousands of dollars in repairs before it safe and pleasurable to use for touring and camping

I see that NADA lists This Unit low at about $32300.

So the price at At El Monte RV of $28989 is not far off.

I made an offer at their price as Out The Door price and they accepted the offer,it gives you a good starting place.

I see that you are in Colorado,El Monte has a program that if you fly in to purchase a RV they will deduct the price of the ticket from the price of the RV.

10 years ago when I was shopping for a used motor home, one brand caught my eye. They were called a Telstar by Firan. They were made starting around 1986 to 1995. I personally liked the ones with the updated Ford chassis 1993-1995. They offered many different floor plans. One was close to what we own today, a rear corner double bed in the 24 foot range. They seemed built well from what I could see on the internet. Barbara Streisand owned one. It was for sale some years ago. It was done out in pink and purple velour inside. It even had a built-in cell phone hanging on the wall. I never got a chance to see a Telstar in-person.

Search the internet for "Firan Telstar" and many will pop up in pictures. They are hard to find for sale. You will be lucky to find one in your area. Now that they are 20-30 years old, they are running under $10,000

lfrese wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:
I think an ex-rental from Cruise America or El Monte would be your best choice. Pricing will come close to your budget, they have been well maintained, reconditioning is superior, and come with a nice warranty. An old RV, not used a lot and poorly maintained, will be a money pit.

Ive seen those. the ones from Cruise america are bigger than id like. Why do they get rid of them at 100k miles? I assumed it was because the maint costs go up after that. I also looked at El Monte rentals. I was concerned that around 100k miles things like new engine or transmission, suspension, etc are necessary, no?

No. Expect easily 250K on the engine and 150K on the transmission. These are not your grandpas engines anymore. proper maintenance is the key. Friends pick up just turned 300K on engine and he had 175K on transmission pulling trailers or loaded with a camper. His is Chevrolet, big V~8. Another V~10 I know turned 478K and one cylinder didn't fire all the time but it ran pretty good, a pick~up for his company.

IAMICHABOD wrote:

lfrese wrote:


Ive seen those. the ones from Cruise america are bigger than id like. Why do they get rid of them at 100k miles? I assumed it was because the maint costs go up after that. I also looked at El Monte rentals. I was concerned that around 100k miles things like new engine or transmission, suspension, etc are necessary, no?

No,with proper maintenance,which Rentals get,they will go easily go to 200000 miles or more with no problem. An average RVer puts about 5000 miles a year so there are a lot of years left.

It isn't the mileage that is the determining factor,it is that most Rental companies turn over their fleet every 2 to 3 years,the public likes newer RVs regardless of mileage.

https://www.rvtrader.com/dealers/El-Monte-RV-Center--Santa-Fe-Springs-732104/listing/2014-Thor-Four-Winds-23U-122587192

Something like that is going for $28,900, the low end of NADA without any extras selected - assuming there are about 120k miles on it. From those who are experienced with this sort of thing, how low ball would they go?

It's just too expensive for Cruise America to keep their RV's after a certain age. When they break, which they all eventually will, their customers, who are usually on vacation, are not happy. Think about it. Towing, etc.

Chum lee

lfrese wrote:


Ive seen those. the ones from Cruise america are bigger than id like. Why do they get rid of them at 100k miles? I assumed it was because the maint costs go up after that. I also looked at El Monte rentals. I was concerned that around 100k miles things like new engine or transmission, suspension, etc are necessary, no?

No,with proper maintenance,which Rentals get,they will go easily go to 200000 miles or more with no problem. An average RVer puts about 5000 miles a year so there are a lot of years left.

It isn't the mileage that is the determining factor,it is that most Rental companies turn over their fleet every 2 to 3 years,the public likes newer RVs regardless of mileage.

Cruise America is currently selling the Thor 23A, a nice smaller size Class C for $25000 to $30000. Not a bad deal with a 1 year power train warranty. Your should realistically get another 50,000 to 100,000 miles from that power train without major failure. For the average private user, that is maybe 10 years. For a rental fleet, that is 18 months. I think they represent a very good value for budget buyers.