Older DP issues and questions

Country Coach built quality units but can have problems like any other mechanical and man made rig.

We are on the 13th year owning a now 20 year old rig.

It has never been to the selling dealer or the factory for service in our ownership period.

Each rig is unique, but our experience with CC has been great.

drwwicks wrote:
Me, I'm not knowledgeable enough in these systems to properly inspect but handy enough to maintain and make some repairs/alterations.

this is where we were when we bought our coach, we knew campers but not coaches. we learned as we went.

Thanks for all the great replies. The CC is an Magna 02. Inside condition shows very little wear. Carpet areas very good shape, counters not scratched/damaged, plumbing pieces very nice (such as very little water spotting in the shower), extremely clean, no odors, etc. Looks like it was stored in a garage, paint very good.
Today I'm going to crawl under and check the DOT date on some tires, review service records, and try to get the previous owner's number to call them. I would like to know where and how is was used and how much the last 3-4 years. Coach is a consignment at a Camping World so not sure if one of their techs is unbiased enough to give a condition report. Me, I'm not knowledgeable enough in these systems to properly inspect but handy enough to maintain and make some repairs/alterations.

The big problem with jumping into a potential money pit is if you do not have enough money left in the kitty to address any issues that come up.
This does not mean that you will have any problems but if you stretch your budget with the purchase price, any problem may mean the coach will just be sitting unused and nobody will be happy.
For me I would definitely be looking at replacing the mattress and maybe all of the furniture. If there are any lingering odors, maybe replacing the carpet also. Then you are looking at the possibility of rubber items in the suspension and drive train deterioration. Now, besides the updating of the electronics, what about the batteries? Of course the roof AC units may be on their last legs.
Mileage is only an indication of how much time the coach spent on the road. It is NOT an indicator of how much time the coach was used while sitting in an RV park. ALL of the systems could be well used/abused even if the mileage is low.
Basically if you have enough extra money sitting in the bank, an older RV may be a great buy, especially if you are able to do most of the work/upgrades yourself. To max out your budget on an older RV is a foolish move and may lead to a huge disappointment if you now own an expensive vehicle that is continuously in need of expensive repairs.

32' to 42' in one day... that may be a record and congrats on figuring it out that you need a real MH.:B I made the mistake of starting at 36' because of posts on here that was the max for NP, SP, USFS,.... CGs. Learned that was not true so went 40 single slide and then when we could use over 100 days/year went to 42 and four slides.
Mine's 11 years old and I see no reason why it will not go another 10-15. I'll probably age out before it does. It would help if you posted the year but it sounds like a 2003-4. The old TV's are a blessing as now you can go with LED's which are very energy efficient and very thin so you can mount of the face of the cabinets.
I would not worry about the air systems other than changing the air dryer filter... the main reason the air systems do not give problems. I'll get a spare air bag this year as I have eight smaller than normal ones. I would agree that the Cat engine is good, but only if it's a 03 or OLDER... a 04 could have a 03 engine. If it's newer then do a google search on 'Cat acert engine lawsuits'. IF Acert is on the valve cover... run as they are dogs that only get 4-5 MPG at 65 MPH and give problems.
As for a money pit... Try $250K for a slightly used 04 that's now worth $100K and in another 10 years will probably be worth $40K. Has the $15K/year depreciation hit been worth it... HECK YES, and $6K/year for the next ten will be even nicer as half timers. :B
Ten years ago I was not educated enough to know you want Aqua Hot, Girrard awnings and a home refrigerator. In the last two day we've had two NoCold 1200 fires (running on electric) here in WPB. One burned through the roof before it could be put out and the latest only smoked the unit and blistered the gel coat at 11PM only because a neighbor saw it start. Even though I have a Amish cooling unit in mine I'm going to replace before going West this summer. Instead of taking the windshield out, I'll take a side window out.
Good Luck and it's a buyer's market so take your time... especially going for 32' to 42' in one day but your are on the right track. I'm biased towards the big Monaco's as I've had good luck with mine. I like their handling and if needed their customer service is very good.

Is it an 05? I know of two friends that have 05 CC that have major paint issues that looks like it's melting and fiberglass roof and slide cracking that year, bad enough to scare me from that brand. As with any RV look at it real good, with no emotion if possible. lol

ps.. Butch Williams is at Fountain RV in Lakeland, FL.
We also use Alliance Coach in Wildwood FL.
No need to go to the factory as most things that go wrong are after market or can be repaired locally.
We use Fountain RV or Alliance Coach for most things not engine or chassis related. For engine stuff we use Cummins. For transmission we either use Cummins or Allison. Caterpillar has a service center in Spartanburg SC. For chassis work (shocks, air bags, suspension, brakes, alignment) we use Tampa Spring in Tampa or Ocala FL. For tires we use Olin Mott in Tampa or Pro Tire in Denton TX. We went to HWH (leveling issues) in Moscow IA and they have a service center. Great service. Another great source for parts is Kevin Waite in Oregon. He is a former CC employee. He will locate and ship parts. His contact information you can find on the CC Yahoo Group site.

I would also post your questions on the Country Coach Yahoo owners group. We own a 2004 33' Allure. Here is the link for the group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJlMm5tODh0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI4MDExMzIEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTI2MTg1BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTQxNzkxMjA4OQ--

drwwicks wrote:
I have posted some recent questions pertaining to smaller A's and such. I have come across an older DP, Country Coach 42' low miles. It's in great visual condition in and out and the systems work as much as we can see and they activated.

Concerns I have are about the life expectancy of the systems. It's got Cat diesel which is bullet proof, air suspension, etc. etc. I know I need to check tire dates, (tread good), service records, and make sure all the systems work.

Country Coach quit making MH in 2010, reorganized as a service and maintenance company. The company web site says they are dedicated to maintaining the CC line with parts and service.

So what critical items should I check out? What can I expect to fail first? What is the longevity of the air suspension, bags, pumps, lines, etc?

This could be a coach to service us for many years, or a disastrous money pit. Thinking I can get into it for 90-100K. In line with NADA figures. List new was $419K. It has a lot of whistles and bells but some bells are old. TV's are CRT not LCD. Frills but sort of easy fix. This coach has things I never dreamed of, but will get to/have to use.

So I seek advice and comments. This MH can strap a motorcycle on the back and tow a decent toad. I see us with 15+- years to travel and this might be it. Please be kind to the potential MH newby when replying.

DRW

Things I would check/inspect/replace right away.
zinks in the water heater, lube oil change, fuel filters, tankage for leaks, water filters, plastic parts for cracking, screens for deterioration, buy new sewer hose, sanitize fresh water tank. any rubber parts like wiper blades, up grade the TVs,
there's more you'll catch on, like we all did.

What year, and a Magna or Affinity? All rubber should be inspected, particular the hydraulic hose, which powers the steering and engine cooling fans. Ours burst--no fun! We have an older coach than the one you are looking at, and we replaced all coolant lines two years ago as preventive maintenance. You should run all coach systems to see is they work properly--heaters, ACs etc. We have replaced all three roof ACs, and may have to replace one of them again. I know the factory is a long ways off for you, but they can do a full check-up. Butch Williams is an ex-Country Coach employee who works at a dealership in Florida. I am told he is very knowledgeable about Country Coaches, and he can do a complete coach check-out.
Some more info on your coach would be good!