1995 Tioga Montara

[bwalton]

I am looking at a 1995 Tioga Montara its the 29/30 footer, it looks good inside and out however I know its 20 years old and I guess any of the systems could break at any moment (stove, fridge, Ac etc) and I am ok with doing replacements as they become necessary, they likely wouldn't all break at once. My concern is more on the engine side it has the Ford 460 with about 130 thousand miles on it...... I think a lot of the miles were highway (going back & forth to Florida) but also those miles would have been towing a car. Replacing a fridge or water heater is not the same as having to replace an engine or transmission or both what is the "service life" on this engine like ? I know that some could have one of these and go 1/2 a million miles but in general am I looking at a load of junk......

This may not be a question that can be answered and may require a leap of faith on my part but trying to cross the T's and dot the i's.

Thanks
Bill

[Bordercollie]

Other uses for RV's: Ours came in very handy as a place to live during a large part of our home renovation/remodel. We have also used our rig for day trips with the dogs to local parks. They can also be used to support family picnics and hobby/sport activity with their restrooms, microwaves, and carrying capacities. They also provide a small apartment with restroom, etc., for visitors to sleep in. They also have limited use as an extra vehicle. A lot depends on whether you have to store your RV in a lot vs on your property.

[Bordercollie]

Owning a motorhome that is in perfect working condition, but not having the time to use it, may not make sense from an economic standpoint. Renting a rig for a week or two is expensive but maybe a lot less expensive than buying a newish or new rig including initial taxes and recurring DMV, insurance, emergency road service, and RV storage cost if needed. Similar to owning an airplane or cabin cruiser on a tight budget. Buying a rig and going camping or touring is exciting at first but excitement may diminish depending on you and your family's changing enthusiasm. "Just sayin"

[bwalton]

rjf7g wrote:
My 1992 Tioga had a lot of leaks - the whole back wall was basically rotted out and there were issues in the bunk area as well.

This is one of my biggest fears, a lot of water damage unless your looking for a project piece (I'm not) its a send to the crusher.

In my situation I have to balance cost against use, the problem is I am not retired if I was it would be different but with me still working I would get to use it a couple of days here, a couple of days there, maybe a week in the spring, a couple in the summer and a week in the fall to much to rely on rentals but not enough to justify $50 thousand plus for something that's going to spend 80 or 90 percent of its time setting in the driveway......

Most RV's and Class C's are no different are a one-trick-pony, great for camping but not much practical use for anything else. That's why I am also considering a truck camper, at least with it you can pull it off the truck and still have a truck to use when your not camping, although they have their own set of cons.

Thanks
Bill

[bwalton]

j-d wrote:
Pressure testing for leaks in an RV is done professionally with a SealTech machine like this The section between the two silver bands is a collapsible tube and the square top clamps to a roof vent.
It takes a high volume low pressure air source. You don't want to blow the RV apart at the seams, but it also leaks lots of air out of places that aren't water intrusion sites. RV is pressurized then the person doing the test sprays soapy water on all the RV's seams, penetrations, etc. Bubbles are a leak source.
DIY approaches use leaf blowers, job site ventilators, furnace blowers, etc. Design should include a manometer to verify pressure is adequate but not excessive. I want to build my own tester.
FYI - Residential Heat/Vent/Aircon (HVAC) shops have a "Blower Door" that contains a fan and expands to fit, well, a residential door, and do a pressure test on a house. It can be used in an RV if adapted to the curved door frame of most RV's so if you know somebody in that business they might be able to help you.

Thank you, this is good to know

Bill

[bwalton]

Bordercollie wrote:
You might consider buying a used "portable" generator but it will need to have 4000 watt capacity to run your roof AC unit and microwave oven at the same time. It could be mounted on the rear bumper on some kind of a sliding mount so you would have access to the rear cargo bay door. My advice, save your money and buy a newer rig with standard RV generator that starts easily and works properly to run the roof AC, etc. BTW, people who camp "off the grid" often go with expensive solar power and large banks of batteries and high capacity inverters. Running an RV generator a lot is an irritant problem when camped near other campers.

That's an option but not the best one, built in is so much more seamless..... there is no question that a large solar panel with a pure sine wave inverter is the way to go but I think you would still need a generator.

In my situation I have to balance cost against use, the problem is I am not retired if I was it would be different but with me still working I would get to use it a couple of days here, a couple of days there, maybe a week in the spring, a couple in the summer and a week in the fall to much to rely on rentals but not enough to justify $50 thousand plus for something that's going to spend 80 or 90 percent of its time setting in the driveway......

Thanks
Bill

[Bordercollie]

You might consider buying a used "portable" generator but it will need to have 4000 watt capacity to run your roof AC unit and microwave oven at the same time. It could be mounted on the rear bumper on some kind of a sliding mount so you would have access to the rear cargo bay door. My advice, save your money and buy a newer rig with standard RV generator that starts easily and works properly to run the roof AC, etc. BTW, people who camp "off the grid" often go with expensive solar power and large banks of batteries and high capacity inverters. Running an RV generator a lot is an irritant problem when camped near other campers.

[j-d]

Pressure testing for leaks in an RV is done professionally with a SealTech machine like this The section between the two silver bands is a collapsible tube and the square top clamps to a roof vent.
It takes a high volume low pressure air source. You don't want to blow the RV apart at the seams, but it also leaks lots of air out of places that aren't water intrusion sites. RV is pressurized then the person doing the test sprays soapy water on all the RV's seams, penetrations, etc. Bubbles are a leak source.
DIY approaches use leaf blowers, job site ventilators, furnace blowers, etc. Design should include a manometer to verify pressure is adequate but not excessive. I want to build my own tester.
FYI - Residential Heat/Vent/Aircon (HVAC) shops have a "Blower Door" that contains a fan and expands to fit, well, a residential door, and do a pressure test on a house. It can be used in an RV if adapted to the curved door frame of most RV's so if you know somebody in that business they might be able to help you.

[bwalton]

Bordercollie wrote:
You seem to have realistic expectations. Have the engine cooling system, brakes, including front flex lines and fluid change , compression, transmission and steering/suspension checked and get estimates on replacements/repairs needed to make a decision to buy or not. Make sure that RV generator and converter charger, fridge and dash and roof AC are working properly and no water leak damage. Check awning fabric. If tires are over 4 years old by imprinted date codes, they'll need to be replaced for the safety of your rig and your safety.
An old rig can cost $10K+ in repairs the first year to get it fully usable for touring and camping not to mention delays/problems on the road.

The safety gear should be good it has a new safety sticker on it so brakes, suspension, steering, exhaust etc should all be ok, says it has all new tires on it so they should be good.

One of the things holding me back is it does not have a generator and does not appear to be pre-wired for one. which if my understanding is correct if its not setup for one its not worth the cost or work to add one. This is a real negative for me as most of its use will not be in parks with hookups.

Thanks
Bill

[bwalton]

ksg5000 wrote:
You can always have a mechanic look at the rig. Are you sure about the towing as I doubt an older 30 ft Class C would have much towing capacity - they come out of the RV factory pretty much maxed out on weight (at least mine did). If you do go forward spend an addition $100 or so and get the rig pressure tested - should identify potential roof/window leaks - something you should consider on any used rig.

I know about compression testing the cylinders but who would pressure test the rig for leaks, I never heard of pressure testing for leaks on an RV who would/could do that ?

As far as the car towing, I don't know for sure its a guess based on the 1st owner using it to travel to Florida every year about 1800 miles each way for several months and the fact it has a Blue Ox Tow Package on it.

Thanks
Bill

[rjf7g]

My 1992 Tioga had a lot of leaks - the whole back wall was basically rotted out and there were issues in the bunk area as well.

[Bordercollie]

You seem to have realistic expectations. Have the engine cooling system, brakes, including front flex lines and fluid change , compression, transmission and steering/suspension checked and get estimates on replacements/repairs needed to make a decision to buy or not. Make sure that RV generator and converter charger, fridge and dash and roof AC are working properly and no water leak damage. Check awning fabric. If tires are over 4 years old by imprinted date codes, they'll need to be replaced for the safety of your rig and your safety.
An old rig can cost $10K+ in repairs the first year to get it fully usable for touring and camping not to mention delays/problems on the road.

[j-d]

There are more disqualifying factors than a well maintained 460 engine and E4OD transmission. They should be serviceable well beyond that 130,000. Kevin ID's the deal breaker: Leaks!
We had a much older E350/460 coach and the engine was solid at a little over 100,000 when we sold it for other reasons. Specifically we didn't want to continue climbing into the cabover bunk.
Also, a number of OP's here have ex-rentals they bought with high miles and are getting good service out of them.
I'd rather have 100,000 miles of careful use and maintenance on a "Love Coach" than 10,000 miles of abuse and neglect on "Priced to Sell."
Love Coach? You'll recognize one. Clean, owner manuals filed, maintenance receipts, little upgrades here and there, tires in date, maybe selling because they traded to new or maybe can't use it any more.

[ksg5000]

You can always have a mechanic look at the rig. Are you sure about the towing as I doubt an older 30 ft Class C would have much towing capacity - they come out of the RV factory pretty much maxed out on weight (at least mine did). If you do go forward spend an addition $100 or so and get the rig pressure tested - should identify potential roof/window leaks - something you should consider on any used rig.