My partner and I are looking to purchase an RV by the end of the year and have it renovated by next spring when we will strike out on the road and go full time. We are interested in Class A RVs due to both of us being over 6'. Currently we cannot afford (and probably won't be able to afford) a newer Class A. We've been looking at older Fleetwood models, particularly the Bounder, the Southwind, and the Pace Arrow. We are thinking early 90's due to budgetary constraints and our time frame.Obviously there will be wear and tear on such vehicles, that much is given, but my question is this. Do any of you have experience with either of those models? We're thinking 91-95 in year range. Finding one of those doesn't seem to be too much of an issue due to their widespread availability, however, neither of us has stepped foot in one, so we've no clue how roomy they are.I know they do not have slideouts so I am not worried about that.I'm curious if they're reliable machines and if they're worth looking at. Any information would be wonderful and much appreciated.

Fleetwood made some good coaches that could still be reliable and usable. But, for something that old, preventive maintenance is everything. Think of a car that is that old. Now, add a house that bounces down the road. The life expectancy of most of the components is less than 20 years, so you would have to expect that some, if not most, have been replaced at least once. The one potential problem that is very serious is a leaking roof. Avoid any rig you find with water stains anywhere around the ceiling. Engines and transmissions are somewhat common, so repair or replacement is not totally prohibitive. Expensive, but not out of the question.

I work at a roofing supply company run by extended family, most of my friends are handy with home repair and whatnot, so a leaky roof isn't the worst thing. Obviously it's not desirable in any way, but preventative maintenance is a lovely thing if you're diligent. I myself am mechanically inclined and have no fear of a bit of greasy work. I fully expect to have to get in there at some point and twist a wrench.I've been told that Fleetwood is one of the better brands out there and having seen the newer ones up close I'm pretty sure there's a reason they're still around. Quality lasts, and obviously there's a boatload of problems that can arise with a motorhome of any kind, so I'm not particularly worried about that.Is NADA guides a decent starting point to reference when you're considering price of a vehicle? Granted there are numerous things to keep in mind, so clearly any suggested price is largely subjective.We're looking at having around 10k to spend for a vehicle and I've seen the models we're interested in for less than that. Putting some extra cash into the thing will obviously happen, we just want to hear back from people who've owned one of those models on what they think of them.Thanks :)

We ended up with a '98 diesel for about twice your $10k limit, but we looked at a LOT of gas RVs in your price range.Almost none of what we saw were great. Most has worn carpet or some fabric tears, or significant fading on the outside. After a few months, we (mostly my wife) decided we would have to spend more to be pleased.My own opinion on shopping in your price range - the story is the most important. Why is it in the condition it is in? Why is it being sold? Was it loved and well-maintained? Why were faults not corrected?The chassis of gas motorhomes seem to be Ford or Chevrolet, both are generally good, and strong opinions seem to have more to do with NASCAR than objective measures of reliability. We have looked at many Bounders (there are a lot out there), and they seem just about like anything else.I would buy an RV with a bad engine or transmission if the price was right and the story fit - that is, if there was a good reason for the failure and a good reason it had not yet been addressed. If I am lied to or feel like it, I would pass on an otherwise amazing deal. I bought a 40-foot diesel that had not been moved for six years because the story was solid, the answers were truthful, and the price reflected the risk. It came out great.Engine, transmission and generator are huge bucks items. Water damage would probably be a deal breaker without knowing the extent (and I am a serious DIY person.) Most everything else is just dollars - if the fridge is bad (and the story fits), you account for it in the price, make an offer and replace it.My best price resource is the sold charts on PPL's website. They consign a lot of RVs, price them aggressively and sell a lot. Don't be afraid of insulting people with low offers - you are there to do business, not make a buddy. We actually paid asking price for our current coach - it had just been marked down by the seller 50 percent from his initial asking price, and NEEDED to sell. I caught the craigslist ad minutes after he marked it down, and was there with a cash offer in twenty minutes.Matt Bhttp://www.pplmotorhomes.com/sold/class-a-motor-homes.htm

Oh yeah... And do not spend to the limits of your budget. Keep a reserve for emergencies. A couple of weeks after we got our current coach (the '98), we had it all ready to take a trip - tanks filled, fridge on, etc. During the night, the tiny pipe that feeds the ice maker broke and pumped about 50 gallons of water into the coach. The entire front half of the coach was squishy.I have a extraction carpet cleaner, so the water was cleaned up in about half a day. The 15 years of ick in the carpet released a smell that would not go away, so I tore all of the carpet and pad out and replaced it with laminate. The pipe that caused the issue was replaced with copper for about $10. I can only imagine what the total job, plumbing, cleaning, new floor would have cost at an RV center.You will get some surprises - that is the way of motorized bouncing box houses!Matt B

Need advice on purchasing an older RV. | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

robotspaceman
Explorer
May 14, 2014
OhhWell wrote:
The bounder model I was thinking of was the 38z. This is such a great floorplan for a non-slide gasser and what I would be looking at if I was going to full time with no slide. Of course we would be 4 people and you are only 2 so something smaller might work for you. The bathroom is always a big concern for me. I am not a huge overweight guy but I like to have some room. It is a monster though.

Here are some links just to see the layout. I love the L shaped couch and extra kitchen counter behind it with the sink facing the TV. The huge picture windows along the side.. Man, it probably shows but I love this thing.

Bounder 38z

Bounder 38z

Hey, thanks for the reply! I appreciate it a lot! That looks like a cool vehicle to me!
OhhWell
Explorer
May 14, 2014
The bounder model I was thinking of was the 38z. This is such a great floorplan for a non-slide gasser and what I would be looking at if I was going to full time with no slide. Of course we would be 4 people and you are only 2 so something smaller might work for you. The bathroom is always a big concern for me. I am not a huge overweight guy but I like to have some room. It is a monster though.

Here are some links just to see the layout. I love the L shaped couch and extra kitchen counter behind it with the sink facing the TV. The huge picture windows along the side.. Man, it probably shows but I love this thing.

Bounder 38z

Bounder 38z
westend
Explorer
May 14, 2014
robotspaceman wrote:
westend wrote:
What is the "renovation" you have planned?
What's been posted is pretty much good advice but some folks have more skills than others for repair and maintenance so don't get scared off your plan.

Here's a crew that isn't scared about anything: Bumfuzzlers

Renovation wise we're looking at replacing the flooring, sinks, updating some of the plumbing, painting, you know, renovations. I'm mechanically inclined, I repair motorcycles and cars in my spare time, an old rv is not scary to me.

Some of the other posts in this thread are hilariously doom and gloom and it would seem as if people aren't willing to work to achieve their goals in a vehicular sense. There's no possible way a machine with 30-40k miles is going to explode at any minute. Sure there's going to be things to replace, but these machines aren't going to literally fall apart as you're driving them down the road.

So much doom and gloom. I'm sorry my budget doesn't fit well within your comfort zones, but then again, perhaps you missed the part where I said I was poor.

No matter, you've all been entertaining, and a few I'd you have actually been helpful and understanding. I'm very grateful for everyone who replied, but damn, you guys sure do know how to be sticks in the mud.
Yeah, we all have different levels of skill and different lifestyles, what works for some may seem terrible for others. I restored an old travel trailer and I'm real happy with the result. Can't wait to get out and exploring this summer.
Good luck on the hunt and the travels!
robotspaceman
Explorer
May 14, 2014
westend wrote:
What is the "renovation" you have planned?
What's been posted is pretty much good advice but some folks have more skills than others for repair and maintenance so don't get scared off your plan.

Here's a crew that isn't scared about anything: Bumfuzzlers

Renovation wise we're looking at replacing the flooring, sinks, updating some of the plumbing, painting, you know, renovations. I'm mechanically inclined, I repair motorcycles and cars in my spare time, an old rv is not scary to me.

Some of the other posts in this thread are hilariously doom and gloom and it would seem as if people aren't willing to work to achieve their goals in a vehicular sense. There's no possible way a machine with 30-40k miles is going to explode at any minute. Sure there's going to be things to replace, but these machines aren't going to literally fall apart as you're driving them down the road.

So much doom and gloom. I'm sorry my budget doesn't fit well within your comfort zones, but then again, perhaps you missed the part where I said I was poor.

No matter, you've all been entertaining, and a few I'd you have actually been helpful and understanding. I'm very grateful for everyone who replied, but damn, you guys sure do know how to be sticks in the mud.
westend
Explorer
May 14, 2014
What is the "renovation" you have planned?
What's been posted is pretty much good advice but some folks have more skills than others for repair and maintenance so don't get scared off your plan.

Here's a crew that isn't scared about anything: Bumfuzzlers
OhhWell
Explorer
May 14, 2014
Veebyes wrote:
The older it is the more maintenance issues there will be. Think of availability of parts also.

That 90s unit that can be picked up for next to nothing is a time bomb. You never know when something is going to go wrong & it will reach its tipping point & not be worth putting any more money into.

If it were only to be used for local weekending getting old might be OK but if the miles are going to be piled it is far better to get a lightly used but well broken in unit that is only a few years old.

Sometimes one has to make the best choice you can within one's BUDGET. I will agree however that looking for a full-time rig under 10k is brave. If you have solid mechanical skills and good tools or if your version of full time doesn't include so much driving then it could work
Veebyes
Explorer II
May 14, 2014
The older it is the more maintenance issues there will be. Think of availability of parts also.

That 90s unit that can be picked up for next to nothing is a time bomb. You never know when something is going to go wrong & it will reach its tipping point & not be worth putting any more money into.

If it were only to be used for local weekending getting old might be OK but if the miles are going to be piled it is far better to get a lightly used but well broken in unit that is only a few years old.
OhhWell
Explorer
May 13, 2014
Is your budget 10k for the coach AND some money left over for inevitable repairs?

We bought the coach in my signature for an excellent price but with the knowledge that we were going to have to sink about another $4k into in in rubber around the wheels and rubber around the engine.

Fleetwood was a middle range manufacturer and had a reputation for decent quality. I believe the Bounder line was awarded a Best Buy by some magazine near the late 90s. What you can expect in an early to mid 90s Fleetwood is first of all some crazy bold color schemes if the owner hasn't done any remodeling. Think of completely blue carpet throughout with blue fabric and blue blinds. It is very odd. They even put the same color carpeting in the bathroom around the toilet. That came right out in ours. But, having said that, even ugly carpet can be cleaned (Except around the toilet) until you can budget to replace it.

The longer Coaches of almost any manufacturer on that early / mid 90s Chassis had issues where the tail could wind up drooping down some. As far as roominess, they were about the same as any others with no slide! The bathrooms are usually tiny and like a TT unless you get to the largest sizes. There was a bounder that was massive back then and I think like 38' long that had the best floorplan I've ever seen with no slide. Thn again, it is a monster and certainly susceptible to the rear end sag.
John_Wayne
Explorer II
May 12, 2014
If you could come up a little in price and get a newer model 2000 and above I think you will have a better running gear. Wider wheel base, better engine management systems, etc.
Gjac
Explorer III
May 12, 2014
I have a 1996 Class A which I bought in 2004. Maintenance is every thing on an older MH. Delaminations caused by water leaks not only from the roof but from windows, attach seams along roof to side walls, front and back caps, lights need to be inspected. Bad adhesives and sun can also cause delaminations. Worn carpeting can be replaced with Pergo flooring and interiors can be updated . Ask to see maintenance records. How many times were the transmission, rear end, brake fluids changed? Look for mods like headers, it will eliminate exhaust manifolds cracking/leaking. Check the front end for ride height, worn ball joints etc. Do jacks, refer HWH, stove all work? I think with this vintage MH the owner and how he maintained it is more important than the MH brand.