Problems with a Jayco Seneca that I was going to buy

I wouldn't touch that deal with a 10 foot pole.

If the inside & structure are that beat up, do you really think the drive train has been taken care of?

It sounds to me like you're best off passing on this unit unless the price is really, really good—which, despite your first sentence, doesn't seem to me to be the case if you're looking at a loan for it. I'd suggest that you have no motorhome you can use and no loan payment, rather than a motorhome that may well prove to be unusable due to needing significant repairs and a loan payment to boot.

Scratches and dings, if nothing more than that, are in themselves just cosmetic flaws. A lot of them tend to indicate that the unit has seen hard or rough usage, and so could portend other things wearing out. Separation between the floor and wall, particularly if an outside wall, suggests significant structural problems. (If it's an interior wall, the wall usually isn't part of the basic structure so it would not be quite so concerning, but it is something that needs work.) Jury-rigging can be good or not so good, depending on the jury-rigger, but probably tends towards the not so good if it stands out as such.

New tires will run you about $1000. Slide repairs can be costly, if needed, but it's impossible to know what's up without investigating what the source of the noise is. If the engine and drivetrain have received proper maintenance, they would be the least of my worries; the Ford (and Chevy) chassis are reliable and regularly go for many miles in commercial service. Other RV systems can also be costly to repair or replace...I don't know how much of everything you checked out thoroughly. EDIT: I also want to be explicit that all bets are off on the drivetrain reliability if not properly maintained.

Run don't walk away. No price is right for this beat up garage queen.

I owned a '08 Seneca for 7 years. I traded for a Dx3 with the Cummins and Allison xmission. IT was on a Freightliner chassis.

My Seneca had one ding when I traded
that I pointed out to the dealer. He looked and took pictures and sent them to his mech. and they said a coupled hour fix.

My Seneca had brand new tires, new batteries, bilstein shocks, safety steer. anti sway on the front and anti sway NIB for the rear ready to be installed. It also had helper springs on the rear installed by Henderson. I also carried a full size spare mounted on a wheel for 'just in case". that went with the rig. I had all the maintenance and service records and they went with the rig. I had no structure damage.

I got over the top blue book value on my trade.

On your Seneca check to see if you have any of the add on's like I had.

It appears ,as you described it, your potential Seneca has had a very rough life and was not taken care of.

I strongly agree with the other people who posted, don't walk. Run from this guy.
I have a '06 Seneca35GS and love it. My good friend has a '08 35GS that is for sale at a good price. If you have any interest please respond via private message and I'll elaborate on this CLEAN Seneca.

New tires for a Seneca will cost close to $3k.

I don't own a Jayco. But if the unit is dirty and beat up, you can be pretty sure the PO didn't take care of the engine or any other mechanical components.

I would keep looking.

On the Jayco Owner's Forum, most posters are very happy with their Senecas. But, I do't care what brand it is. I'd never consider buying one with that many problems, especially potential structural issues. I'd suggest that you keep looking.

Good luck.

How much are you willing to spend on a whim, fixing engine, transmission, brakes, slide, interior carpentry, 18000, 20000 or more?

In the end you still have a pile of junk that someone else trashed.

FORGET THIS ONE

navegator

What everybody else said, FORGET ABOUT THAT P.O.S.

You already know that there WILL be repairs: wall/floor; slide; cosmetic.

You already know you can't afford to fix things if you buy it.

So walk away. Don't let your wants override your common sense. Wait for the right deal to come along - otherwise, you'll be miserable.