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kyalliekat's avatar
kyalliekat
Explorer
Feb 25, 2015

Bad idea?? Craigslist 1984 GMC LINDY $4500

I want an RV and completely clueless. The price looks good and so did the size. It is located in Kentucky, so important things might rust that I wont know until the wheels fall off on the expressway. Well, this is what the owner said about it:

1984 GMC LINDY, 63,600 MILES, 26FT, 350 ENGINE, 6.5 HP GAS GENERATOR, HEAT AND COOKING W/ NAUTRAL GAS. DUAL REAR TIRES. SLEEPS 5. GREAT CONDITION, MOTIVATED SELLER. $4,500 OR BEST OFFER.

It sounds like it really has 63k miles, not 163k. Heat mentioned, not AC makes me think dated. A bathroom was pictured. I like this old RV. One reason, it had plenty of pictures and it is clean. The type of clean that you can't get by cleaning up to sell. That kind of clean is clear it out, scrub it up, then put fake flowers in a vase thinking no one will notice. These cabinets had a sheen from furniture polish. Everything in its place and put away. It looked too well cared for to ignore a leak in the roof.

Please tell me what I am missing. If an 80's RV is not a very good idea to cross the Mississippi with, is it someplace to put my daughter for a few weeks, or months, close enough to one of the state universities to get bored and curious?

11 Replies

  • 63600 miles is not bad by any means, but there are others that age with less miles. For example, we bought a 30 foot 1987 Southwind on a Chevy P30 chassis with less than 35000 miles on it for $2900. The only way to know what is really going on with it is to take it to an independent RV repair shop and then to an independent chassis repair shop. Unlike dealerships, they are better facilities who rely on repeat business to stay in business.

    Another thing that disturbs me is that the ad says natural gas. All RVs use propane. If it is setup for natural gas, you are going to have one heck of a time getting it connected to natural gas. Maybe the owner got confused and used the wrong terminology, but check that our very carefully.

    Plan on buying 6 new tires for it as whats on there are probably old and cracked, having the brake system rebuilt, and if it has been setting for 2 years or more having the fuel system cleaned and possibly having the need to drop the tank and have it boiled out and re-coated. If there is no AC, plan on buying that also, as any kind of heat makes a RV hot in no time.

    Lastly, I would not pay over $3000, there are other MHs out there for less money and that are in good condition both coach and chassis wise. Unless this class C is in exceptional shape, I would not pay that price. When looking this outfit over yourself, remember you are not looking to see what is wrong, but think of it as a pile of junk and you are trying to find anything right with it.

    Best of luck on your hunt.