Forum Discussion

wmblake's avatar
wmblake
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014

Hello! and a couple questions.

Hi all. I'm looking at buying my first RV and I don't know anythingabout them.

My situation quickly first so we can skip over some obvious answers.
I'm poor. I've moved into this area (central illinois) for work 4 months ago and my wages are paying for my hotel and nothing else. On the way here I blew the head gasket on the truck and can't afford to fix it. So this week is the best check in 4 months and I have planned my escape.

So, I could buy a $900 Chevy Blazer and hit the road, or, I can buy a cheap, cheap, cheap RV and maybe stay a while longer and pocket the $1000 per month that I give to the hotel while parking at a campground.

OK, hope you're still with me. I found an ad for a 1978 Dodge Rockwood. Ad says the awning was ripped off by wind, fridge doesn't work, no generator, speedometer doesn't work, one tail light don't work, needs a new battery for the engine. Say's it runs and drives and everything else works fine. In the pictures it looks OK.

There is water damage on the wall over the table. Says he tried to fix it and the mold came back.

Price? $600

Soooo, the most I could hope to come up with for a purchase is about $1500 MAYBE $2000. I see a couple other ads in my area, one for $1700 for a 1974 coachman (she's selling it for a friend and knows nothing) and one for a 1987 Ford E-350 "something or other" for $2500. Maybe he'd come down to my range, I haven't talked with him yet.

So I guess my question is, would I be a blithering idiot to buy the $600 one?
How much is a generator used?
How much is a fridge used?
And most importantly, is the leak and water damage a huge red flag not to buy the RV?

Thank you for looking. BTW Great forum, I read through the FAQ pages last night, good stuff.
Class C
  • Grandpere's avatar
    Grandpere
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2014
    Keep your $600 and run, you are looking at a lot of $$$ to get that thing into shape to run and this guy knows it is shot and is trying to unload it on someone who is not too bright, $600 is probably double what he would get for it at a junk yard, if they would even pay anything for it.

    Question is are you looking to travel or to park for some time?

    If you are going to just be setting in one place, you will get more bang for your buck by getting a travel trailer (tt) or a 5th wheel (5er).

    If you are planning to follow the seasons and travel then look at the motor homes. In either case you can get a cheap car, either to tow behind the mh or to drive to work.

    BTW, welcome to the group.
  • TyroneandGladys's avatar
    TyroneandGladys
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2014
    Once a leaker always a leaker. I agree with the other poster that a travel trailer might be a better way to go considering your budget. I would think that a motivated seller would agree to deliver the trailer to where you are going to be staying.
  • wmblake's avatar
    wmblake
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2014
    I understand about the trailer and if I had a running truck to pull one with that would be my choice. However, with the situation I'm in, money scarce and only able to either pay rent on the hotel for another month or by a vehicle and run, I thought the best idea is to buy an RV. I don't have enough to buy a truck and a trailer.

    So, spraying, painting, covering with tar or something, bracing with sheet metal? No way to fix a leak?

    Grandpere, I don't know, I'd imagine I'll be putting a couple thousand miles on it in the next year.
  • Trackrig's avatar
    Trackrig
    Explorer II
    Aug 05, 2014
    Being as you're hurting for funds, the $600 RV might be the way to go. After all, all you have to is use it for a month (even if you don't use it anymore) and it's paid for itself. You can live in it for at least for another three months without a working furnace.

    After you buy it, you'll have time to evaluate it a little further to see if it's worth a refrigerator. Buy a dorm unit used and put that in there. The main thing is that it has to be able to move on its own so the engine and tranny have to work. And check the tires that they're good enough to get it to a camping place.

    And find a camping place that will let you in with it before you buy it.

    I like to see that you're working and trying to find a way to save some money but I wouldn't figure that one of these will be a long term solution to your housing needs, but should work for the summer months.

    Bill
  • Bordercollie's avatar
    Bordercollie
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2014
    The Rockwood would sell for $4000 if it were a cream puff with everything working, it sounds like an unsafe to drive wreck that will break down and leave you stranded on the highway.If the Blazer is really in good running condition you could sleep in it and/or buy a tent, a sleeping bag, a coleman stove,a lantern and an ice chest stay in primitive camp sites where tent camping is allowed for free. I hope you can find work that pays well enough for decent housing and food. I don't think that an old motorhome is an answer for you.
  • wmblake's avatar
    wmblake
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2014
    I guess I left one thing out of the equation; I have a Husky dog, my best friend. I must be able to leave him in the camper with air conditioning running for 6 hours while I'm at work.

    With the RV I figured I could park at work and hook up to electric there and check on him every so often. No way to do that with the Blazer. This is really what led me to the RV is that I need to take care of my dog. If I have a place to sleep and clean up and dress and keep my boy, then I can work for 2 or 3 more months where I am and get a little ahead and buy something better.

    Trackrig, I like what you say, but you seem to be the only one lol.
  • wmblake's avatar
    wmblake
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2014
    http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/rvs/4597196947.html
    http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/rvs/4590730955.html
    http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/rvs/4575626563.html

    I hope links are OK here. First is the one I would pay $600 for because he'd be delivering it.

    2nd has no genny and she knows nothing about it.

    3rd is the best bet, I think but I don't know if what I have and what he wants will come together.
  • Matt_Colie's avatar
    Matt_Colie
    Explorer II
    Aug 05, 2014
    Wildtoad gave a less than complete answer.
    Yes,
    Too Much
    Too Much
    Oh Yes, As soon as you see water damage (with distinctly few exceptions) that unit is toast. I have even seen them collapse under their own weight.

    You are reading Chicago adds. If that is where you plan to stay, an RV is not the way to stay there. You will freeze you gonads right off. in two months there will be NO RV parks open and even if there were, the monthly rate would be 4~500$us PLUS Electric....

    I hate to stomp all over your dream, but I would rather that then have you get into this and have the whole world stomping on you.

    Matt - Had a similar plan 50 years ago
  • Grandpere's avatar
    Grandpere
    Explorer
    Aug 06, 2014
    Trackrig wrote:
    Being as you're hurting for funds, the $600 RV might be the way to go. After all, all you have to is use it for a month (even if you don't use it anymore) and it's paid for itself. You can live in it for at least for another three months without a working furnace.

    After you buy it, you'll have time to evaluate it a little further to see if it's worth a refrigerator. Buy a dorm unit used and put that in there. The main thing is that it has to be able to move on its own so the engine and tranny have to work. And check the tires that they're good enough to get it to a camping place.

    And find a camping place that will let you in with it before you buy it.

    I like to see that you're working and trying to find a way to save some money but I wouldn't figure that one of these will be a long term solution to your housing needs, but should work for the summer months.

    Bill


    This is a good plan as you will not be able to live in during the winter, this gives you the rest of August, all of September,and part of October to save money to get into an apartment for the winter. then you will have to find a place to store the mh for the winter which you need to start checking and making reservations now as by October most places will be filled up and you will probably not be allowed to park the mh at the apartment which means you are going to have to find other means of transportation during the winter.

    Leaks can be fixed and the water damaged roof and wall can be fixed/replaced if you are handy with and have the necessary tools. Just depends on what you want to put up with. As trackrig said, get a dorm fridge, they are about $280 at Walmart, and electric heaters will work in place of the furnace and they are on the cheap side at Walmart. The big question here is does the rig run? Just because the owner says it does is no assurance that it will.

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