We are new members and are preparing to purchase our first RV with the intention of being fulltimers. We are seeking advice from those of you that have had experience with older Monaco Signature coaches. We are looking at and considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Signature Commander 525. We have seen only photos so far but it appears to be of the quality we are looking for. It appears to be in good condition was well maintained by the grandparents (now deceased) that traveled extensively and spent winters in the south. This unit has 158K miles and the generator has 10,000 hours on it. Should those 2 facts scare us off? If anyone has owned a coach with the Cummins 525 (ISX 15 ?) we would love to hear your views about dependability, life expectancy etc. The generator is a 12.5 KW Onan, what is a reasonable life expectancy (max hours) on those?

10,000 hours on a 15 year old generator seems like a lot. That's like 13 hours per week all year. Assuming that the genny doesn't get run 2 hours a day every day of the year, that's some pretty heavy use. For comparison, I use mine lightly and in 23 years the Hobbs says 161.OTOH, 10,000 a year on the Cummins seems about right for a coach that heads south every year.

Have they done all of the scheduled maintenance on the coach and the generator and do they have documentation of the maintenance? When we needed to have things like the generator hoses replaced, it was a pretty expensive job, for example. Do they know what maintenance should be done and on what schedule?

I too would check into the genset hours. I have a 2001 Beaver and only have 1200 hours on my genset. As far as the coach I believe high quality. check out the expensive stuff like: tires, refrigerator, ac, water heater, heat, paint condition, etc. I can't comment on the engine but someone I am sure has the same and will chime in.Good Luck to you!You can find rv inspection people on google for Detroit!

Good questions! Grandparents who used it are deceased, daughter selling it says they maintained it regularly..don't know if she has records. Can anyone recommend either a qualified mechanic/inspector or reliable RV service facility that would perform a thorough inspection? Coach is located in the Detroit area.

It's high on milage and generator time, Id pass on that alone.

New member needs advice on 2003 Monaco Signature

Acampingwewillg
Explorer II
Jan 14, 2019
Have you done some comparison? RV Trader has the same unit with 62,000 miles on it for 115,000.00. I guess what I'm saying is it depends on the price. The Mileage on the CAT itself would not scare me away depending on the price. That many hours on the Generator....might be a concern. There are a lot of nice lightly used premium coaches out there...look carefully before you leap!

As far as relying on a so called "certified tech/mechanic" , I'd want to see some previous customer comments/recommendations.
daveb1256
Explorer
Jan 14, 2019
I appreciate the input. We have decided to have an inspection done by an NRVIA certified inspector. Can I count on an accurate inspection report from this resource? We live 1500 miles from the MH and don't want to make a wasted trip.
Two_Jayhawks
Explorer
Jan 14, 2019
Tom/Barb wrote:
It's high on milage and generator time, Id pass on that alone.

I agree that's more use than I would be comfortable with. Not only did they likely full time but lived off the grid too. Nothing wrong with that but a lot of wear & tear.
Tom_Barb
Explorer
Jan 14, 2019
It's high on milage and generator time, Id pass on that alone.
daveb1256
Explorer
Jan 13, 2019
Good questions! Grandparents who used it are deceased, daughter selling it says they maintained it regularly..don't know if she has records. Can anyone recommend either a qualified mechanic/inspector or reliable RV service facility that would perform a thorough inspection? Coach is located in the Detroit area.
lj2654
Explorer
Jan 13, 2019
I too would check into the genset hours. I have a 2001 Beaver and only have 1200 hours on my genset. As far as the coach I believe high quality. check out the expensive stuff like: tires, refrigerator, ac, water heater, heat, paint condition, etc. I can't comment on the engine but someone I am sure has the same and will chime in.Good Luck to you!You can find rv inspection people on google for Detroit!
ncrowley
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2019
Have they done all of the scheduled maintenance on the coach and the generator and do they have documentation of the maintenance? When we needed to have things like the generator hoses replaced, it was a pretty expensive job, for example. Do they know what maintenance should be done and on what schedule?
jplante4
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2019
10,000 hours on a 15 year old generator seems like a lot. That's like 13 hours per week all year. Assuming that the genny doesn't get run 2 hours a day every day of the year, that's some pretty heavy use. For comparison, I use mine lightly and in 23 years the Hobbs says 161.

OTOH, 10,000 a year on the Cummins seems about right for a coach that heads south every year.

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