The most common comment you'll hear about old rigs is that they will cost more than they are worth to make reliable. In my opinion, this is the wrong way to look at it.
Instead, consider this:
How much will it cost to get a reliable motorhome of about the same size that will not need ant money going into repairs for the first 5 years (this amount does NOT include normal maintenence, tires or batteries). Now subtract bow much you paid for your RV from that. This is how much you can put into your RV and still consider it reasonable.
Because, as with many things, the value of an RV isn't its "resale" value - its how much you would have to spend in order to get another that is reliable.
For me, that meant I was looking at about $40-$50K as my baseline. I have spent less than $20K on purchase and various repairs (yes, I rebuilt my engine and put in a new carburetor even). I am still out far less money for the pleasure of having a motorhome than if I had bought a "reliable" one from the outset.
