Is this a good deal?

I just came back from looking at it. The owner couldn't make it, so I looked it over on the outside. It is parked way in the back of a small RV park. The 1st thing I looked at were the tires. All were a different make and some not so good. That pretty much convinced me right then. Upon further inspection, the roof has had many shoddy looking clear silicone/rtv patches. I didn't even bother to crawl underneath. I did look in the basement compartments, generator, etc. Not exactly what I wanted to see and not in the greatest shape. Rusty angle iron, screws, rivots, etc. Yes, pics and usually are misleading. I wouldn't buy that one for $1000, due to the fact that it needed a ALOT of love and certainly ALOT of money to get it safe and up to snuff. I think I will heed the advice here and look for at least a 2000 or newer model and smaller too. I found out that the owner only had it for 2 years and he didn't even know if it had a Ford or GM motor! Bummer.................the search continues.

Yep. If it has a rubber roof, worth a close inspection. Those are really expensive to replace. If it is an original roof, it might be time to replace it. You "could" do it yourself. I have seen blogs from people who have done it with good results, but it is really time consuming. The other issue would be the wood under the roofing material. Look closely.

I did talk with the owner briefly. He will be calling soon and I can go look. I did ask if any leaks. He did mention that it did have a prior roof leak in the back bedroom, had a new roof installed or fixed. No more leak, but that is a red flag. I am still going to check it out. Oh, he said it had 3 levelers instead of 4. It was just inspected. Stay tuned.............

After looking at the interior in the link posted by OhhWell, I think it would be a perfect floor plan for you and your Labrador. Plenty of storage, nice bedroom and bath and very comfortable kitchen and living room. Not having slides is somewhat of a benefit, don't have to worry about the slide working, less chance of leaks. All in all I think a very good buy at the asking price.

overbrook wrote:

labguy1963 wrote:
Yes, just me and my dog. Not a lap dog, but a lab. Labs need room and so do I. It wouldn't be a MH for a leisurely drive to the local state park for an overnighter. I do plan on being in one for quite a spell since I want to go to the eastern TN or NC area to seek work and a better life and this MH or similar would at least a place to hang my hat. I should have the real scoop tomm and I will see if I can shoot some video. Guys, give me some critical questions for this particular MH to ask the owner when I go there.

There are plenty of motorhomes for sale.


Examples:
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/rvs/4079365419.html
http://sarasota.craigslist.org/rvs/4073241020.html
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/rvs/4119108455.html
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/rvs/4075053003.html

Bill

I would rather purchase the one the op is going to look at than any of those you linked to. One is a class C so I'll just through that out. The two Flairs were Fleetwoods entry level gas coaches and the Pacearrow was their top of the line gasser. The 98 34ft Flair looks like there is something going on above the drivers side window and the roof looks a little funky were it meets the sidewall. Hard to tell in the pic though. Both Flairs kitchen Counters are so small you can't even put a coffee pot on it. No side awnings on one of them for the windows and main awning is not encased in metal. The pace will most likely have a 50amp service with two a/c units metal encased awning enclosures on all windows and it has a tag which none of the others have. If the inside is half as nice as the outside I would pay full asking price.

Overbrook makes a lot of good points as the asking price is on the high end of what I would want to pay for a 1995.

I will add to his handling advisory however: I know that (at least with the Ford chassis) in 1995 they had a narrower wheelbase and smaller rims. You can see from the pictures how the front tires are set in a bit from the fenders. It should track right at highway speeds and with the tag axle, the push/pull from Semi Trucks etc shouldn't be too bad but be aware there will be some wander to it even when it was brand new.

I believe that is the model M-J and just under 38' in length. It does appear to be fully loaded at least from the outside. Every awning has the metal covers, there is a backup camera and a SWEEEET mural painted on the back. I like the air horn! Like others have said, looking at the exterior and the owner's grounds my gut feeling is that it is going to be in great shape. You still have to be diligent in inspecting it of course.

I have no idea if that is the ford or Chevy chassis from the pictures. Crawl underneath and look for dripping fluids as Overbrook said. If it is Ford, specifically look just behind the transmission at the parking brake assembly. Be aware that if it is wet or dripping, it could be a sign of big trouble. It only holds a few ounces of ATF for lube and cooling. If it was run dry, the shaft overheats and deforms into the splines on the transmission output shaft.

Oh, if you want to look at the interior, here is a link to a dealer selling the same model.

http://www.reliablerv.com/inventory/398/pace-arrow-37.php

And here is a page where you can download the manual. Just scroll down for 1995.

http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/partsandservice/manualsByYear.asp

It looks like a good floor plan for not having a slide. As far as driving something that big: Just like everyone says, it's not that big of a deal. You just have to be aware of what's going on around you and how far the back hangs out behind the wheels.

labguy1963 wrote:
Yes, just me and my dog. Not a lap dog, but a lab. Labs need room and so do I. It wouldn't be a MH for a leisurely drive to the local state park for an overnighter. I do plan on being in one for quite a spell since I want to go to the eastern TN or NC area to seek work and a better life and this MH or similar would at least a place to hang my hat. I should have the real scoop tomm and I will see if I can shoot some video. Guys, give me some critical questions for this particular MH to ask the owner when I go there.

Here are the most likely problem areas to check:

Tires are more than six years old or are cracked
batteries won't hold a charge
generator won't start
fridge/freezer won't cool properly
brakes and brake lines need replacing (due to corrosive nature of brake fluid_
fuel tank and fuel pump (that motorhome was built before ethanol)
shocks - due to age
handling on the highway


Make sure the generator starts right up. Once you get it started, check to make sure the roof air works.

Check the condition of the coach batteries.

Look for signs of water leaks inside and out.

Take a flashlight with you and check the chassis for rust. Check under the motor and look for any fluid leaks.

Check the plumbing in the motorhome. Make sure the water pump works, and there are no leaks. Check the hot water heater to make sure it works.

If you don't find a major problem, take it for a test drive.

Take it out on the highway and get it up to sixty and see how it handles. The steering should be tight, it shouldn't porpoise over dips, and shouldn't wiggle/waggle when trucks pass.

If you find problems or any signs of water intrusion, walk away.

Don't let the desire to own a motorhome override the logic of finding just the right one.

There are plenty of motorhomes for sale.

Examples:
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/rvs/4079365419.html
http://sarasota.craigslist.org/rvs/4073241020.html
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/rvs/4119108455.html
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/rvs/4075053003.html

Bill

prism wrote:
quote:RE: Tires Anything over 6 years old are due to be replaced.
Really? what if there in perfect condition and only have say 12K on them?
In my world those tires would be just fine

That's up to you. RV's generally sit and the tires rot. Blow outs in an RV are no fun...and expensive.

labguy1963 wrote:
Hi to all! This is my 1st post here and trying to learn as much as I can. I am on the fence if I want a class A or C. This class A is listed near me(see below). It would be just me and my Labrador. The owner is an airline pilot, so I could assume it was well taken care of.

Class A on Craigs List

Looks super clean.No delame on that baby for sure.If looks were all that counted it would be a winner,Take a good look inside and out look at the tires for cracking sidewalls, asks him for service records, ask him how old the batterys are ec.I bet based on the pictures,the person(owner) and the way the guys house and yard look this unit is a creampuff

quote:RE: Tires Anything over 6 years old are due to be replaced.
Really? what if there in perfect condition and only have say 12K on them?
In my world those tires would be just fine