Hi, all - Newbie with a bunch of questions
Hi, everybody, I've been lurking for a couple of months and finally decided to register and post. We're tent campers who are toying with the idea of a small MH, so I'd like to tap your collectiv...
Forum Discussion
I think the Chinook is too small for the 3 of you. The LD would probably be better in that respect because of the overcab bed.
I've owned a leaker. The biggest tip off, had I understood, was the extra caulking applied in places the factory had not originally applied any. It was very hard to find evidence of the leak inside, but there was a fair amount of hidden rot to deal with. My thoughts on leak inspection:
Look for caulk or tape applied in quantity and or what looks to be out of the ordinary. If you see tape on the roof, ask about it. Like many here, I use eternabond tape as a preventative on some room seams. So it isn't necessarily bad, but it's a yellow flag.
Go on the roof. Look for any seams pulled apart, large cracks in caulking etc. If you are sure water can get in, then it probably has. If not sure, make a note to inspect the corresponding area inside.
Check the sidewalls, looking for seams, windows, etc. that don't look well sealed. Pay special attention to the corners where side meets rear or front. The seams which are the most common problems are those which have the edge of the trim facing upward, either directly or at an angle. So the trim along the edge of the roof at the sidewall; the trim at the bottom of the cabover section of a class C; trim on a corner that is angling down like the bottom leg of this "<". Those are all water catchers! So go inside and do your best to get to the interior walls in those spots. Press, poke, sniff, you'll know a problem when you see it.
Anything that is a joint or opening in a wall or roof can leak. Try to look at all of them, inside and out.
LD's have seamed aluminum roofs. At least in the years you'll be looking at. The seams eventually leak unless the owners recaulked them. Pay special attention to that. You might want to bring your own 6' or 8' stepladder from home to move around the rig's roof edges to inspect, if you don't want to or the owner won't let you climb on the roof.
Lastly, given your needs and budget, consider a used rental unit. Use the search here for the word rental, in this Class C forum. There are many satisfied owners of high mileage rentals.
I've owned a leaker. The biggest tip off, had I understood, was the extra caulking applied in places the factory had not originally applied any. It was very hard to find evidence of the leak inside, but there was a fair amount of hidden rot to deal with. My thoughts on leak inspection:
Look for caulk or tape applied in quantity and or what looks to be out of the ordinary. If you see tape on the roof, ask about it. Like many here, I use eternabond tape as a preventative on some room seams. So it isn't necessarily bad, but it's a yellow flag.
Go on the roof. Look for any seams pulled apart, large cracks in caulking etc. If you are sure water can get in, then it probably has. If not sure, make a note to inspect the corresponding area inside.
Check the sidewalls, looking for seams, windows, etc. that don't look well sealed. Pay special attention to the corners where side meets rear or front. The seams which are the most common problems are those which have the edge of the trim facing upward, either directly or at an angle. So the trim along the edge of the roof at the sidewall; the trim at the bottom of the cabover section of a class C; trim on a corner that is angling down like the bottom leg of this "<". Those are all water catchers! So go inside and do your best to get to the interior walls in those spots. Press, poke, sniff, you'll know a problem when you see it.
Anything that is a joint or opening in a wall or roof can leak. Try to look at all of them, inside and out.
LD's have seamed aluminum roofs. At least in the years you'll be looking at. The seams eventually leak unless the owners recaulked them. Pay special attention to that. You might want to bring your own 6' or 8' stepladder from home to move around the rig's roof edges to inspect, if you don't want to or the owner won't let you climb on the roof.
Lastly, given your needs and budget, consider a used rental unit. Use the search here for the word rental, in this Class C forum. There are many satisfied owners of high mileage rentals.
