I am a fairly new owner who bought an older 1983 Jamboree, but I will relay what I learned when I was researching a purchase and also the painful realities of older RV ownership.:h
Just about any mechanic can confirm the running gear is solid on the Ford and Chevy platform RV's. The VW and Sprinter M-B chassis need to go to specialized shops and as pointed out earlier are more expensive. For those reasons, I chose to stick with Ford/Chevy based class C rigs. Appliances for RV's are EXPENSIVE!!! :E Test everything and if it doesn't work, assume replacement costs come into play when negotiating the purchase. If you buy newer than 2000 model year, I would expect the appliances will not be an issue. You should also learn to read the date codes on tires. True MH tires have 7 year life spans, L/T tires have 5 year life spans. If the tires are older than recommended, assume replacement cost and factor into purchase. You don't want an old tire to blow out on you. That often causes damage that must be repaired, along with the expense of the new tire.
My experience is that every repair is very doable for a competent mechanic and DIY'er. I have rewired and rebuilt my charging system, replaced manifold gaskets and rebuilt the carb., replaced the toilet, replaced the fridge and installed new faucets. However, the pass through cab is a pain in the neck when it comes to working on the engine .... and did I mention that RV appliances are EXPENSIVE!!!! :E
Shop time is high cost at an RV specialist. While I did a bunch of engine clean up and gasket refresh, I had a local auto shop do the final tune and smog. They charged for work like a van and labor cost was very reasonable. A good local auto shop to back you up is a big plus.
The one thing that is a GIANT pain is water leakage. That is a HUGE issue for class C's, particularly as they age. If you are looking at ANY class C (even something only 5 years old), you need to go through the cabover with a fine toothed comb. If there is ANY water leakage, you MUST repair immediately. If there is ANY rot, assume you will tear out panels and deal with it or walk away. I am going to have to do some major repair work on the cabover of ours. I bought very cheap and this is our "learning" RV, so I understood there was potential for big "gotcha's", but wood rot is very bad as it means a problem was ignored for years.
If you are looking for something truly nice and ready to use, then spend the money for a PPI and have a really trustworthy local shop give their seal of approval before you buy. I highly recommend the pressurized leak tests others have already mentioned. You must find your leaks ASAP and check yearly. Repair cost will FAR outweigh yearly inspection and upkeep costs, so do things "right" from the start or prepare to suffah, suffah, suffah the consequences. :S
I don't regret the purchase of our used (older) class C, but it has definitely been a learning experience.
Jose
