Dale.Traveling wrote:
Go look at the coach before making a decision. The discussion with the former owner was good but the maintenance records are a make or break item. You should see oil changes, antifreeze testing, transmission service and such. Same with the generator. The roof repairs should be there also along with the generator repair. If the records are truly detailed every refueling should also be logged.
New tires are a state of mind, check the date codes. Tell them to keep their new tires for the front and give you cash and you'll buy your own. No telling what you might end up with. Think no name Asian imports or worse.
Since the price is non-negotiable start asking for other stuff. Full fuel and propane tanks, a year or two of emergency road service, new batteries, front end alignment,,. As this will be your first coach going after a 40’ 13 year old DP is a pretty big leap. Tiffin has a pretty strong following and from what I understand factory support is very good. The Bus series is Tiffin’s premier coach line. 13 years ago the MSRP for the coach was more than the 2400 sqft house I bought a few years later.
Give it a test drive and a chassis inspection then sleep on it. If something doesn’t feel right, walk away.
Actually, the Zephyr is the Tiffin top of the line coach. The Allegro Bus is second in line and a very nice coach for sure. We owned our Bus, which we bought new in 2005, for 7 years and really enjoyed the coach. I would not be afraid to negotiate new tires as long as you agree with the make and model of the tire to be installed. After we had a blowout on our 6 year old Goodyears that looked like new (24,000 miles), I can't stress how much my new tires gave me peace of mind while cruising down the road at 65mph. Sounds like you're getting close although I'd be a bit more comfortable if you actually had the maintenance records, in writing, in your hands. Having a friend of a friend do what's necessary, even if he's a diesel mechanic, does not provide any proof when, where, and if, the event actually took place. And was "necessary" the mechanic's opinion or the requirements set out by the owners manual?
When we sold our Bus, I had a complete typed list of all the series of maintenance events with milage and dates. I ALSO had all the maintenance forms reflecting that the work was done by each of the companies that performed the task. I'm a big anal on this stuff, however, I do believe it's the reason my buyer after looking for two years for a Allegro Bus, purchased mine!
