Hello all! First time buyer, 1985 Pace Arrow 31'

Spyros wrote:
I am a bit curious as to how "classic" a 1985 RV is considered, to the RV community. Is this old enough to be turned down from extended stay parks? Would you say RVs are designed to be reliable? A 1985 house is somewhat new, a 1985 car is somewhat old, does an RV fall in the middle?

Welcome!

Sadly, no. A 1985 RV is more like a 1985 children's toy, from what I gather. A few -- mostly the ones that were very expensive when new or handmade by artisans -- will be fine. But most will be falling apart. It's good that you can work on it yourself! And people here are extremely nice and helpful with repair advice.

I had an a 1984 Allegro with a GM 454 engine, bought it new. The engine was a nightmare! Went thru 3 sets of headers until I spent the extra bucks to get some stainless steel headers, It had massive vapor lock problems from day one in hot weather and at altitude. Had to put in a second fuel pump at the gas tank to help with the vapor lock problem. The heat problem continually fried ignition wires etc. You couldn't give me another GM 454 engine!

There are campgrounds, and there are resorts
A campground is not going to turn you away
A high end resort full of near new DPs, is going to be snooty ( I can say this, I drive a DP )

The GM P30 chassis with 454 engine is know for heat soaking the starter
Shut down on a hot day, and then it won't restart until the starter cold off
You can buy a insulating wrap for the starter, to help alleviate this problem, should it arise, also check all the connections on and near the starter, down on the passenger side frame, gm in those years , has a major battery power terminal block down there, also the starter contactor is know to pit and leak current thru the sticky contacts, causing a chassis battery bleed down when parked and not driven
Yeah..I had two different RVs with this chassis and engine
It's easy enough to goto AutoZone and buy a battery disconnect cable switch to put in the negative cable of the chassis battery, use while camped and the chassis battery will always stay charged

Take it to a CAT scale and weigh each axle. Compare the actuals to the Federal Data Plate to see how much carry capacity you have. If at all possible, go to the FMCA rally in Indio CA in January and get individual wheel weights.

Here are the "big Items" you should pay attention to. These are the things that can let you down.

1. Tires - Don't trust tires over 7 years old. Look for the date codes. If you don't know how to read them simply Google tire date codes for help

2. Rubber - Hoses, belts, etc should be replaced. In particular upper and lower radiator hoses, and the heater hoses.

3. Cooling system. Have the radiator checked by a specialist. I can only assume the RV sat for long periods. The radiator is subject to clogging simply from sitting.

4. Brakes. Need I say more?

5. Obviously, the engine and transmission should be checked. Yes the RV only has 60K on it, but that engine and trans has been under constant stress moving that RV around. They tend to wear out faster than car engines due to the duty it has to perform.

6. Filters. Fuel, oil, air etc.

7. Batteries. You probably have three. If they have been sitting, they are probably at the end of their life cycle.

8 Refrig - Make certain it works. New ones (three way, gas, 12V and 110V) are very expensive. North of 2K from what I have heard.

Other than that, you should be good to go. Just expect lots of little things to go wrong. Hopefully, just annoying things. Have a tool box and a good attitude and you will be fine.

Don't know what you were camping in before. Even a 31 ft MH is quite heavy. Becareful driving off main roads. I can say with experience getting a MH stuck in loose sand is not fun. If you plan on driving off roads a lot you might consider carrying a shovel etc. Have fun and welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum. And, congrats on your Pace Arrow.

Two important things: check the age of your tires. RV tires usually age out before they wear out.
Check your roof, look for missing caulk, rips or anything that will leak. A small leak can cause a lot of damage if not repaired.

There are campgrounds that will turn away a RV over 10 years old. Don't be to concerned. Most of them use it to keep junk out of their park.
Keep your rig in good shape, you should have few problems with age.


There is a lot of experience and information available on the forum. Do not hesitate to ask questions.

Enjoy your travels.

at one time camping world and others carried a exhaust header metal plate baffle to duct air in and keep them cooler. don't know if they are still available however some could be fabricated easily.
bumpy

Son of Norway wrote:
Welcome to the forums! There are advantages and disadvantages to owning a "classic" RV. I hope that you are mechanically inclined. Come back to the forum with specific questions as issues arise. Start a list of the brand, model and serial number of everything on and in your coach. You can find a lot of manuals that will make things a lot easier.

Miles

Thanks Miles! I tend to be mechanically inclined, I've owned several Volvo sedans from the mid 80's - early 90's and always did my own repairs. Have never touched a vehicle like this one before, but I'm looking forward to getting familiar and forming a bond with it. I am a bit curious as to how "classic" a 1985 RV is considered, to the RV community. Is this old enough to be turned down from extended stay parks? Would you say RVs are designed to be reliable? A 1985 house is somewhat new, a 1985 car is somewhat old, does an RV fall in the middle?

Thanks again :B

Welcome to the forums! There are advantages and disadvantages to owning a "classic" RV. I hope that you are mechanically inclined. Come back to the forum with specific questions as issues arise. Start a list of the brand, model and serial number of everything on and in your coach. You can find a lot of manuals that will make things a lot easier.

Miles