fixer....walk away or give it a try..1992 kountry aire

hi to everyone, new to the forum today. topic of discussion...1992 newmar kountry aire. my husband says no project trailer for him...i am still open to bringing her home if she isnt too far gone. we have had one bumper pull that we just sold, 1988 amish built that we ended up having to rebuild the front end due to water damage. sold it and now looking for a 5th wheel for weekend camping, not much pulling it at all. i am not a fan of cheaper built units, so this lady caught my eye and went to view it. since most of the fixing will have to be me, and yes, i am a lady...lol i need some opinions. most of you are dealing with much higher budgets then we are, but we are looking to spend 6000 max, so have been looking at models built in the 90's. so here is what i saw looking her over.
exterior- no waves in sides, one utility cover gone or in the storage underneath, a few rusted exterior utility covers, roof seemed to be ok, ladder was sturdy climbing up, one window was removed and taped up (window was found inside), she had been using an additional window unit, neither slide runs( she says it needs a switch??)bedroom slide not completely tucked in at top, sticks out 1-2 inches. she has siliconed every inch of molding and windows..this is one of my biggest issues..how hard is it to remove lots and lots of silicone and seal everything properly..this is windows and trim pieces.
interior- ugh...first off, cabinetry is nice quality bleached oak, counter tops are good, stool is porcelain, shower is nice, w/d which we would remove. the bones are all good inside. no water damage noticed from top to bottom on any walls, ceilings, cabinets and all window jams. flooring i would remove it all and put in something different, it is nasty. the sliding closet door in bedroom, had one frame that needed mirror replaced, sliding doors in bathroom needed adjusted. mostly cosmetic inside. my biggest reservations are...tubes and tubes of silicone that need to be removed from exterior, i would remove each window and tape them properly. non working slides. switch, maybe..but possibly motors???? ok, here is the finale...i may be able to purchase her for between 3500-4000. whats your thoughts folks??? thanks!!!!!

jo1991
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
thanks everyone for your input, i really appreciate it. I did fail to mention something that you all might find interesting....this camper is listed for sale at $7000 lol. The non wprking slides are the biggest issue right off. As I stated earlier, checked all walls from top to bottom and no visable signs of water damage. This unit i believe does not have wood frame or roof. the only place i could not look at was under the slides themselves. It is all a moot point, as I put in a offer of $2500 for the unit, and I believe I really really offended them. Thanks again for your input, it was enjoyable to read everyones different thoughts!! I am certain i will have more questions for all of you experts!!!
valhalla360
Navigator
Mar 31, 2014
We bought the unit in our signature about 3yrs ago for $4k and it was in immaculate condition.

I realize this one has the fancy name and may be a bit bigger but no way does the price make sense.

As others have suggested...if you are just looking for a project and they give it to you, you might consider it.
sue_t
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
We looked at many used fifth wheels before purchasing the one we have. Most significant issue in the used units we checked was water damage. The damage wasn't visible but only apparent with some prodding and poking into walls and floors.

With one of the units, the dealer said a "soft spot" under dinette seat. That "spot" turned out to be from a pinpoint of a hole where the rubber roof met the back wall. Half the back wall was rotten, then the water pooled at the floor and rotted out 6' of floor on the one side. My thumb pressed through the interior back wall it was so soft. The floor damage was under cabinets and the fridge, but by pulling out the drawer under the fridge I saw the wet. And then I poked into the outside hatches and saw more water damage under this area. The dealer offered to fix it all before we bought but I wasn't interested at any price. Way too much wrong.

We had rebuilt the upper bunk of a motorhome for the inlaws when a window had a small leak over years and years. The water pooled under the bunk and then rotted the wall areas. Wood rot isn't fun to deal with, and often hard to detect until you open the wall.
pressure_welder
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
i went through 2 used fivers that were relatively new (2003-2006) and long story short i will NEVER buy another used camper as long as i live. It turned into a full time job of fixing/repairing gel coat, awnings, roofs, water damage, wiring. I did that for a little while and gave my head a shake.... the camper season for us in canada is short enough and when i am on holidays i want a turn key camper so i can relax and focus on fishing !! campers are so affordable now a days it just makes sense
Dtaylor
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
I think you would be better served by taking your $6000 and finding a better/newer unit. There is no way you could ever recoup your money/time on a unit that old. If you are patient you can find something newer and in better condition
Roundtwo-40
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
22 years old/no working slides? $1000 MAX, even then your doing them a favor, quite honestly I wouldn't touch it, ESPECIALLY if you both aren't committed to it, sounds like a BIG reason to have loving conversations about the cost and time involved. I cannot believe you would not be opening up a can of worms that will go FAR beyond what you have budgeted and willing to fix. Of course this is just my opinion but I have been burnt before "fixing up" trucks and they have ALOT fewer systems to go bad.. In particular does the toilet flush, are the holding tanks plugged, have the water lines been frozen/cracked, does the water pump work,does the inverter work,does the A/C-heater work, ect.. any one of/combination of these systems can burn your budget. Just something to keep in mind, Good luck in whatever choice you make and keep us updated, love to have friends on the forum.
B_O__Plenty
Explorer II
Mar 31, 2014
And when you're all done....you'll have an old trailer that will be hard to sell for $3,500.00.....
cdlaine
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
Is the price what they're asking or what you're paying ?

I say do another walk thru and closer inspection of the roof. For
your needs it sounds like a good match. Put me in the camp of "go
for it".

Charles
mobilefleet
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
I might bite if truly no water damage and price was about a grand lower. Caulk removal is easy with a multi tool from harbor freight. No way i'd do it manually by hand scraping.
rtazz17
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
Im with everyone else here.This may turn into a huge huge mistake.Once you get into it who knows what you will find.Hidden water damage ect.DONT DO IT.