New here. Looking at a 1996 Safari?

All the appliances are standard in motor homes so getting parts for the water, refrigerator, propane, stove, furnace etc should be fine. CAT IS still around as is allison so the short answer is
Do not worry about parts

Make sure you check the DOT code (date of manufacture) on the tires. Yes even though they look new if they are over 7 years old they should be changed. RV tires dry out from sitting and the damage is not visible. A blowout can cost thousands of dollars of damage to your rig. Tires can last more than 7 years if cared for properly BUT you do not know if the were covered if sitting for long periods, pinched on curbs and a bunch of other things. SO crawl under and write down the 4 number code.
First two number week of the year last 2 numbers year. SO a tire with the code 2515 would have been manufactured the 25th week of 2015.
Tires are fairy expensive but blowouts can be more expensive

We have a 2001 Beaver 40' and have not had issues with most parts. Every once in a while it takes a bit of searching for a part, but they usually can be found. I would not be too worried as far as the parts. Just be sure you check it good for leaks that haven't been addressed before. The Beaver we bought we thought we had checked it out real well, and after buying it I found the passenger side wall had leaked and wasn't repaired and rotted some of the floor that I had to replace.

Chassis suspension parts will be your problem but with only 55K miles, you have a lot of mileage left before you have to worry. Find a Safari forum and ask a bunch of questions.

"Safari Owners Group" on yahoo groups

information is priceless

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We have a 96 Sahara and we love the coach. We were looking for either a Sahara or a Beaver and it took six months to find one locally. Most are on the west coast.

As mentioned, most appliances are still being made and parts are available. Safaris had a custom chassis (Magnum) but suspension parts are available. The only issue with the chassis is the Velvet Ride suspension, which is rubber torsion bars and is generally disliked. Google Velvet Ride to see all the issues.

Safari built a solid coach and it was high end when new.

I did a lot of research before buying the Sahara. PM me if you have any questions.

Monaco bought Safari in either 01 or 02 and changed the suspension to Monaco's design. The pre-Monaco Safaris had suspension problems and ride problems. I have a 2003 Safari Cheetah with the Monaco suspension and have been very happy with it. You should contact Safari owners club members and seek answers. Safari always built quality rigs except for the suspension/ride issues.

gswcgi wrote:
Safari always built quality rigs except for the suspension/ride issues.

It was really only the Magnum chassis with the Velvet Ride that had issues, and most of the issues were ride height. There are several after market fixes including air suspension upgrades that resolve the Velvet Ride issues. I have Ellipti-Ride (leaf springs) with Bilstein shocks and the ride is good for a non-air suspension.

Thanks so much for everyone that has taken time to reply. The Wife and I are going for a Test ride on Sunday. Feel free to chime in about anything that We should be looking for during the Ride! Thanks again!

Assuming an empty coach test ride
Minimal fuel, water, LP, no cargo empty storage

The ride will be even softer after you load it up