First Time Buyer...Updated 03/06/2006
This post is intended to be helpful to the first time buyer of a motor home. For those of you who don't fall into that category or believe this post is incomplete or off the mark, do us all a favor, a...
Forum Discussion
I just registered here and saw this forum as I have just bought my first RV, I came into it by accident and was not planning on buying one but this RV I am very familiar with.
Last year here in Alaska where I am head of operations for a concrete batch plant the owner brought to me for my mechanical expertise a problem class A Pace Arrow, I believe its a 1990 or possibly a year or two newer, its a single rear axle possibly about 30-33' long.
First off was problems with the batteries, problems with the fuel system for the Ford 460 and then poor brake performance, the roof was in terrible shape and had some water damage into the walls.
Replaced the batteries, new starter, new in tank fuel pump, new pump for the brakes, new brake pads front and rear, spent a considerable amount of time on the roof, stripped out all the caulk and resealed the roof, made a custom aluminum frame and installed a four panel 160 watt solar panel array and wired it into a voltage controller.
Interior wise it was in great shape for the age of it, the owner wanted a smaller separate inverter for a bedroom bluray player and an LCD screen, replaced a bad toilet, repaired broken plastic panels in the shower, installed an automatic roof vent in main area, installed a new in dash sound system, I could go on and on but basically I performed a multitude of minor repairs as needed as this coach had been in outside storage in Alaska for several years. It actually belonged to the owners daughter and she hardly drove it anywhere.
The owner then drove it to Yuma Arizona to his winter ranch, the trip down the Alaska highway caused some problems, a leaky radiator and electrical glitches from the gennie and the inverter, one flat tire.
Otherwise it ran very good, now he flies back and forth a lot and often drives from AZ to AK in the fall and in the spring but at his age he doesn't want to do it anymore, plus is of course the fuel costs.
(sorry about the long history post)
Myself I am 55, a master mechanic and I have several TT's in my yard and I have worked on RV's many times. All the time I was reconditioning this Pace Arrow I asked if he would sell it, no he says, now after he takes it to Yuma he says yes and we have a gentlemens agreement and I said I will buy it, the price is fair especially when I consider all the materials and time I spent on it while being paid to do so.
Being a seasonal worker and having from 4-6 months being laid off every winter I have had fantasies about having a place to stay in Florida for the winter, its only about a 2000 mile trip to say around Orlando from Yuma and I think I could just find a decent storage lot with good security, keep it there for the summer and then fly down during the winter and then have my vacation or a working vacation as I also really want to start a sailing boat project.
Now I have seen many an affordable RV listed on Craigslist in Florida but this coach has been worked on by me and I know it inside and out, I don't plan on actually driving it around a lot but its nice to be able to be more mobile, also I can use it to haul my motorcycle around as well. That is what I would do first and that is to ride down south on the bike, its a big Yamaha cruiser and then get a nice enclosed trailer to take it from there to Florida, I really don't get any riding time in Alaska, especially during the winter.
I ccould just keep in in Yuma and then center my winter time in CA but the boat project I have in mind is better off in Florida, more choices there and cheaper as well.
Anyhow, thats it.
Last year here in Alaska where I am head of operations for a concrete batch plant the owner brought to me for my mechanical expertise a problem class A Pace Arrow, I believe its a 1990 or possibly a year or two newer, its a single rear axle possibly about 30-33' long.
First off was problems with the batteries, problems with the fuel system for the Ford 460 and then poor brake performance, the roof was in terrible shape and had some water damage into the walls.
Replaced the batteries, new starter, new in tank fuel pump, new pump for the brakes, new brake pads front and rear, spent a considerable amount of time on the roof, stripped out all the caulk and resealed the roof, made a custom aluminum frame and installed a four panel 160 watt solar panel array and wired it into a voltage controller.
Interior wise it was in great shape for the age of it, the owner wanted a smaller separate inverter for a bedroom bluray player and an LCD screen, replaced a bad toilet, repaired broken plastic panels in the shower, installed an automatic roof vent in main area, installed a new in dash sound system, I could go on and on but basically I performed a multitude of minor repairs as needed as this coach had been in outside storage in Alaska for several years. It actually belonged to the owners daughter and she hardly drove it anywhere.
The owner then drove it to Yuma Arizona to his winter ranch, the trip down the Alaska highway caused some problems, a leaky radiator and electrical glitches from the gennie and the inverter, one flat tire.
Otherwise it ran very good, now he flies back and forth a lot and often drives from AZ to AK in the fall and in the spring but at his age he doesn't want to do it anymore, plus is of course the fuel costs.
(sorry about the long history post)
Myself I am 55, a master mechanic and I have several TT's in my yard and I have worked on RV's many times. All the time I was reconditioning this Pace Arrow I asked if he would sell it, no he says, now after he takes it to Yuma he says yes and we have a gentlemens agreement and I said I will buy it, the price is fair especially when I consider all the materials and time I spent on it while being paid to do so.
Being a seasonal worker and having from 4-6 months being laid off every winter I have had fantasies about having a place to stay in Florida for the winter, its only about a 2000 mile trip to say around Orlando from Yuma and I think I could just find a decent storage lot with good security, keep it there for the summer and then fly down during the winter and then have my vacation or a working vacation as I also really want to start a sailing boat project.
Now I have seen many an affordable RV listed on Craigslist in Florida but this coach has been worked on by me and I know it inside and out, I don't plan on actually driving it around a lot but its nice to be able to be more mobile, also I can use it to haul my motorcycle around as well. That is what I would do first and that is to ride down south on the bike, its a big Yamaha cruiser and then get a nice enclosed trailer to take it from there to Florida, I really don't get any riding time in Alaska, especially during the winter.
I ccould just keep in in Yuma and then center my winter time in CA but the boat project I have in mind is better off in Florida, more choices there and cheaper as well.
Anyhow, thats it.
