Newbie looking for advice on vintage RV purchase.

The $2000. TT would be my choice, if your jeep will pull it. Less to replace to make it road-worthy.

Xerofall wrote:
Also... I'm not shy on maintenance. I'm not looking for a one time $2000 and that's it... I know they take constant upkeep... I do drive a Jeep after all... (Just Empty Every Pocket)

:)

Well you know what your in for then! Haha
That old Ford camper looks pretty sweet.

You might try renting a TT/RV for a weekend outing. This will let your wife actually spend a couple nights and days in one before buying. This way you can determine if all this "trying to find something so the wife will come with me" is worth it or not.

If not, then you just get what you want and not stress over stuff that won't make a difference anyway.

If so, then Westend's suggestion of an older TT and remodeling it to your specs is a good choice. You could look at various floorplans of different RV/TTs and pick and choose what you like, find the closest match to your preferences and remodel what doesn't work.

I'd suggest you get an older TT and plan out your own layout. You could put your own design stamp or hers on it, maybe some of both. That way, if the wife decides after a few camping excursions that the RV life isn't for her, you have less of an investment to worry about.

toedtoes wrote:
Does your wife want to have a dedicated bed? Or will she be OK with making the bed each night and taking it down each morning in order to have a dinette table?

My old TT was a Shasta Friendship 18-1/2. It worked well for one person because I could sleep on the convertible couch and leave the dinette up all the time. With a couple, you would have to use the dinette bed. With my clipper, we use the cabover bunk, but not everyone is happy to do the climb each night.

With the bathroom, consider the door placement. Does the door face a window? Or does the layout keep the bathroom out of sight from someone peering in a window? If the latter, then leaving the door ajar will give you a less claustrophobic feeling and a bit more maneuvering room.

She would rather have a dedicated bed. I really want an A-frame trailer that has both a bed and dinette, so no converting would be required. But the new ones are around $10,000 to $15,000.

The travel trailers I'd look at would need to have a dedicated bed, or one that converts, but still has a place to sit and eat.

As far as the bathroom, I personally do not like going to the bathroom in a small trailer, then worry about emptying a black tank, etc... I own a bucket toilet with cat litter and that's great for me. I also have a really nice propane shower that I love... but having it all in one spot INSIDE would be better for the wife... I have a feeling she's not going to like anything but staying home. So I'm thinking this big old Apollo would be too much.

I appreciate all the advice and comments...

With an older RV, it's not the upkeep that is difficult (even a new RV requires that same upkeep). It's that the prior owner most likely stopped doing that upkeep several years before and you have to repair all the damage caused by that failure. The cheaper the price, the more damage you are going to have to repair before you can actually enjoy the RV.

Make sure you have the money set aside to do those repairs this year, because if it sits in your driveway for a year without going out camping, odds are it will be for sale within 3 years because your wife is tired of looking at it.

Does your wife want to have a dedicated bed? Or will she be OK with making the bed each night and taking it down each morning in order to have a dinette table?

My old TT was a Shasta Friendship 18-1/2. It worked well for one person because I could sleep on the convertible couch and leave the dinette up all the time. With a couple, you would have to use the dinette bed. With my clipper, we use the cabover bunk, but not everyone is happy to do the climb each night.

With the bathroom, consider the door placement. Does the door face a window? Or does the layout keep the bathroom out of sight from someone peering in a window? If the latter, then leaving the door ajar will give you a less claustrophobic feeling and a bit more maneuvering room.

Also... I'm not shy on maintenance. I'm not looking for a one time $2000 and that's it... I know they take constant upkeep... I do drive a Jeep after all... (Just Empty Every Pocket)

:)

Bumpyroad wrote:

how can you lose a cover over the engine? and the stove grate, etc.? is missing?
bumpy

The cover is there, just removed for the picture. The stove grates are too... they just drove it from California to Utah, so the mechanics of the vehicle work... for now. Would need new tires.

Allworth wrote:
I'm not big on raining on other people's parades, but.......
Does the term "Money Pit" mean anything to you?
All RVs are expensive to maintain. Old RVs top the list.

Yes... and that was why I posted here... I too think it would be a money pit, and the way my wife operates, if one thing goes wrong I will not hear the end of it. You're not raining on my parade.

I liked the overall look of that Apollo, the space was nice. But the engine really bothers me.

Towing my tent trailer gives me about the same gas mileage, so I'm not too concerned about that. However my wife and I are larger people. We need space and travel trailers so far are somewhat small, especially when it comes to bathrooms, the Apollo has a pretty nice bathroom and shower stall.

I'm doing this for my wife... I can get by with anything...

Here's what I currently have... and this in NO WAY is something my wife wants to do...







So I'll keep looking... here are a few things I'm thinking about, all around $2000... this is what I'm more into, but the wife, not so much and I really don't want to go camping by myself anymore, ha.






Thanks for your help guys!!

I bought an old RV last year - a 1975 American Clipper. Before that, I had bought a cheap TT. This is what I've learned:

1. Always check the water tanks, lines, etc. BEFORE buying. If the owner won't let you hook up water, don't buy it. Doesn't matter that it's winter and they've "put hoses away due to freeze", etc., if they won't hook up the hose for you don't buy it. They may tell you everything works great, but when you turn on the water and it comes pouring out from under the seat, you know there's something wrong (and replacing hot water tanks can be expensive).

2. Always check the electrical. Turn on lights, water pump, etc. Plug it in to AC power and check the 110 outlets, fridge, air conditioning, etc.

3. Turn on the propane and make sure the stove, hot water heater and fridge work. You may have to fix some leaks, but replacing a fridge is expensive.

3. Don't believe anything the owner/dealer says. If you can't verify it yourself, don't buy it.

4. Buying a decent TT is cheaper than buying a decent RV. $2000 for a TT could get you a decent but used TT. $2000 for an RV will get you at least another $8000 in repair/replacement costs.

My Clipper cost me $4000 and these are the things I've had to do in the past year: replace all tires; replace all fuel lines and filters; replace steering gear box; replace propane tank regulator; replace coil; repair emergency brake; correct mistakes made to rear brakes from prior owner's repair job; replace engine and house batteries; repair charger and add new converter; replace thermocoupler in fridge; replace dump valves (I also had them re-positioned for ease of use). What I still have to do that I know about: rebuild fuel sending unit for front tank; replace all clearance lights; repair leak in heater joint (currently have propane shut off from the heater).

I love my clipper and have not regretted my purchase. But, I knew going in that I was going to be spending money and time every year repairing old worn out parts. Luckily, my problems have been age related and not due to a bad build. Clippers are known for being quality RVs even at 39 years old. Other brands weren't so well built. If you're looking to save money when traveling, this isn't the way to do it.

My last comment is that if you are going to buy an old RV, look for ones that have owners' clubs and a following. It is much easier to find old parts when you have a lot of contacts to help search for you. Many clubs also collect old parts to sell to their members, etc. And they are a huge help when you are trying to diagnose a problem. These clubs are also a good place to get advice before buying - they can tell you what the typical issues are for that RV so you can look for them straight off. You might also find a club owner who is looking to sell and if they are a member of the owner's club, they probably took more pride in and more care of their RV than just JoeBlow off the street.