Should I Purchase An Older Moterhome?
Hello. My husband and I are thinking of traveling around the US for a year and are looking at several RVs with a budget of $25k. We found a 1994 Kountry Star that looks in good shape in the photos but...
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There could be potentially many costly and dangerous concerns....AND......both coaches could be diamonds just waiting to be shined! We stepped out and bought a 1999 model about 4 years ago. It was very affordable to us, but most of all, we knew the people we bought it from and they had maintenance records to prove it was well taken care of beyond the cosmetic. Even so, we've put probably $8-10K in repairs and upgrades over the past 4 years since we bought it. Replaced brake calipers/hydraulic lines, front leaf springs, interior carpet due to roof leaks which took FOREVER to find, plumbing components that had cracked from age and were leaking. Slideout adjustments, electrical switches replaced. It's truly a shade-tree-mechanic's and a tinkerer's dream! And oh yes...tires!...first trip out we blew 2 rear tires due to their age....my mistake for not checking that.
Not trying to scare you off from the purchase, but I DO say these things to help you make your decision INFORMED. An older coach is just that.....older. Just like us, things have a useful life expectancy and they wear out and will need replacing. As long as you are willing to accept that fact, you will be just fine. The fit and finish in motorhomes from some manufacturers should scare you off right away. They will just "FEEL" cheap. In others, the fit and finish will be great, but there may be underlying problems with places you can't readily see. These things are houses built on a truck chassis that rolls down the road over potholes and curves and all kinds of road hazards. They are going to break somehow, someway....in the case of buying a used motorhome, especially an older one, you WILL find problems. It's just a matter of how bad they are and how involved they will be to fix them. Check the records for frequency of oil changes, chassis lube, engine tune-ups, etc. Hoses, coolant, brakes. The usual for engine and chassis maintenance. It's not a lot different from maintaining a car....just bigger! Check the tire date codes. Tires on an RV tend to age out well before they wear out. 6-7 years old and you should be considering replacing them....especially if the unit has been stored outdoors and the tires were not covered. They might look in pristine shape as far as tread and appearance...but inside they may well have deteriorated from sitting in the sun and not being used. If the tires are old, you'll be looking at a couple grand investment or better right off the bat.
Take your time, go over it from top to bottom, front to rear, side to side and any other way you can think of to look at it. Put it through tests yourself, don't just take the seller's word for it that it works.
Good luck to you in this venture!!!
Not trying to scare you off from the purchase, but I DO say these things to help you make your decision INFORMED. An older coach is just that.....older. Just like us, things have a useful life expectancy and they wear out and will need replacing. As long as you are willing to accept that fact, you will be just fine. The fit and finish in motorhomes from some manufacturers should scare you off right away. They will just "FEEL" cheap. In others, the fit and finish will be great, but there may be underlying problems with places you can't readily see. These things are houses built on a truck chassis that rolls down the road over potholes and curves and all kinds of road hazards. They are going to break somehow, someway....in the case of buying a used motorhome, especially an older one, you WILL find problems. It's just a matter of how bad they are and how involved they will be to fix them. Check the records for frequency of oil changes, chassis lube, engine tune-ups, etc. Hoses, coolant, brakes. The usual for engine and chassis maintenance. It's not a lot different from maintaining a car....just bigger! Check the tire date codes. Tires on an RV tend to age out well before they wear out. 6-7 years old and you should be considering replacing them....especially if the unit has been stored outdoors and the tires were not covered. They might look in pristine shape as far as tread and appearance...but inside they may well have deteriorated from sitting in the sun and not being used. If the tires are old, you'll be looking at a couple grand investment or better right off the bat.
Take your time, go over it from top to bottom, front to rear, side to side and any other way you can think of to look at it. Put it through tests yourself, don't just take the seller's word for it that it works.
Good luck to you in this venture!!!
