I bought a 1996 Monaco Dynasty three years ago and should have said no as I have been fixing it up. The first visit to a mechanic after a trip to Edmonton and then Calgary I was informed that the Rv should never have been safety. The windshield was nit even attached; it needed 4 new back tires and other mechanical work. After these fixes and being taken by 2 mechanics i then had trouble with the power steering pump which I was told it had seized but had not but the pulley had cracked and serpentine belt had broken completely. After much researching and getting the pulley fixed with a new serpentine belt. Last year a hose came of from the coolant and I fried the oil. This was on my way back from Michigan watching NASCAR so I was stuck in London Ontario waiting for parts. Really lucky that I did not burn out the engine. .....I am now having the shocks done on the front as the bushings were completely gone and the back 4 shocks will have to be done as well. I also had a new seal put onto the power steering pump as it was leaking. The mechanic sats "it is really rough under the coach" and will tell me more when I pick up the coach. Hard and frustrating to get parts and a mechanic who is good. So....after all that...do I just walk away knowing this coach has been a money pit and I know I will never get my money back and will probably cost me a loss of approx. $20K. The coach originally cost me $38K 38K years ago. I really need the seasoned RV people out there to please give me your opinions.

do you like the coach?do you own it free and clearwhat is the condition of the house part

My opinion is that owning an older RV is fine....as long as you can do the work yourself. If you cant, might as well buy a new one every few years

Did you have it inspected before purchase? It seems a lot of these could/should have been found on a pre-purchase inspection. As for if/what to do now, like the previous poster mentions, it depends on what you need it to do and where you are at with money and what not. It sounds like you've had some bad luck with mechanics so maybe do some research in your area and find a good shop that you like, and can work with. That is probably the best first step just so you can wrap your head around some numbers.

Well it is a 20 year old MH. Everything you have fixed is good for quite a few more miles. Find an independent rv mechanic and have EVERYTHING inspected. Then get an estimate on needed repairs before your next trip. Then decide.

10 years after buying my motorhome I'm still making payments on it and paying to fix little things. No where near the problems you're having, but I bet my annual costs are still more than yours. If I wasn't so set on buying my stuff new, then I think it's a much wiser decision to buy used units and use the money that you would have spent in payments to fix them up (at least to a certain point). But if you're buying a 20 year old motorhome because that's the limit of your budget and you can't afford the repair bills, then maybe a motorhome isn't for you.

When do you know to get out? | Good Sam Community

28 Replies

Deano56
Explorer II
Sep 28, 2015
mtofell1 wrote:
Did you have it inspected before purchase? It seems a lot of these could/should have been found on a pre-purchase inspection.

As for if/what to do now, like the previous poster mentions, it depends on what you need it to do and where you are at with money and what not. It sounds like you've had some bad luck with mechanics so maybe do some research in your area and find a good shop that you like, and can work with. That is probably the best first step just so you can wrap your head around some numbers.
a little late to ask about a pre buy inspection
J-Rooster
Explorer
Sep 26, 2015
I would be curious if the coach was deemed a lemon under a lemon law prior to your owning it.
jwmII
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
When you bought the Monaco 3 years ago they had not built any new 96 models for 15 years or so. There are going to be worn and deteriorated parts now 15-19 years down the road. Hang in there as long as the big ticket items like the engine, tranny, generator, etc, hold up. If you dump it now you will just have done a lot of work and spent a lot of money on behalf of the new owner. Why do that? Dump it now and I guarantee you will just be starting over with the same and possibly more headaches with a different one.
Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2015
As said, most of what you have done are normal wear and tear items on a coach that old. I would find a good mobile rv repair man and have the inspection done as said before but I would also have a diesel shop check the mechanical side of it also. Most mobile repair guys will not be as sharp for running gear.
DavidP
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
Most everything listed is a normal wear and tear/maintenance item. With something that old belts and hoses should have been changed years/miles ago as a preventive measure. Suspension, bushings and countless other things fall in that same category. Anything can fail whether new or old but with an older coach much more attention needs to be paid to wear items. The alternative is waiting on the side of the road and then soon after watching a mechanic tell you everything that needs to be done. If things were maintained and or repaired/replaced on a consistent basis you would most likely be looking at a solid coach with a different view of its reliability. Good luck with the repairs.
Bruce_Brown
Moderator
Sep 25, 2015
Our first used unit was fine. Our second one was the motorhome from hell. Had that been the first one there never would have been a second.

But...the second one also made us realize we really could swing a new one - heck we were already paying for a new MH budget wise, only we were chasing after bad money with good. In the Fall of 1999 we decided to stop giving our $$$ to the mechanics and wondering if we were going to make it home and/or what was going to break next, and we ordered our first new MH.

We've since bought 2 more new ones and new has treated us well.

Having said that, IF there is ever another I doubt it will be new - they've just gone so far off affordable spectrum, and by keeping our current one as long as we have the spread from new to our used one has grown beyond our comfort zone.

My suggestion at this time would be to take a hard look at your budget and see if a newer unit might be in the cards.
bsinmich
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
I really enjoy Peterborough. I remember my 3 ye old Class C going through a red light on Hwy 28 because I had no brakes. We sat in a Church parking lot while they cooled off. A good thing about traveling in a MH is you have clean underwear handy. I have also gone through the lift lock when I had boats. I have my own experiences with older MHs as you can see from my signature. I bought the GMC for $10K expecting to put another $10K into repairs. I am right on track as I go to pick it up today. Enjoy the good times.
Golden_HVAC
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
Think about the owners who bought this RV new in 1996 and probably had a list price above $200,000. Options like the diesel generator at $7,500 or so!

Then consider that they where probably offered $60,000 if they sold it 10 years ago, and that owner bought it for $75,000 and sold it to the place you got it from for only $25,000 or so. They both took a huge 'hit' on the value of the RV, and also probably had to buy new tires after 7 years at $400 a piece!

Now tires like the fuel they are made from are much more expensive! I have heard of 22.5" tires in the $800 range! You might be better off buying tires in Michigan sometime, rather than buying them locally. If your tires are more than 7 years old, take care of them, and replace them very soon!

Your air brake system will also require some possibly expensive looking into - especially if you have not had it looked over. While they are very reliable, they can need some maintenance. It is nearly 20 years old.

Your roof will need to be recoated. That is something you can do yourself. At least check all the seams, and make sure to have it leak tight before winter arrives in earnest.

Good luck,

Fred.
robertbenita
Explorer
Jun 28, 2015
The cost of enjoying so many memories... When you start remembering costs instead of good time...it may be time to get out. Good luck!
ricelake922
Explorer
Jun 25, 2015
Thank you everyone for your suggestions and comments. I will definitely take them into consideration. The States has so much more for RV mechanical assistance than in Canada. Very envious.

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When do you know to get out?

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