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Usmcsousa's avatar
Usmcsousa
Explorer
Jul 21, 2015

99 Holiday rambler Endeavor,.. First DP?

Haven't Posted in a while, Life got flipped upside down for a short while there, but long story short, DW (USAF Capt.) got PCS orders to Aviano Italy, So my Gulfstream Reno ($3,500) had to be sold, I Posted in on craigslist for $10k and within 24 hours had asking price in hand. :)
Of course in Good Ol' Uncle Sam fashion,DW's orders were pulled 2 weeks before we were due to move. :S took us a while to get over the Butt Hurt of having to sell my pride and Joy, Luckily we made out with a serious profit thanks to my Labor.

NOW we are looking to buy a Diesel pusher. We Looked at Lots and Lots of TT's to tow with my e250 Conversion Van, But Alas , we both agree that the joy of Travel is equal to if not Greater than the joy of being at the destination. So we need a Motorhome.

I recently found a retired MSGT who wants to sell his 99 Holiday Rambler Endeavor with the 5.9l 275 hp cummins. The Coach is beautiful No Signs or wear or leaks anywhere, Has 2013 dated tires all around along with 2 full spares in storage compartment.
I plan to take her out for a spin next week when he's back in town and possibly buy it at that time. I spent about 3 hours in this rig going over all functions and appliances . I really cant find anything to complain about aside from some burnt out light bulbs( which would be getting converter to LED anyway)

The BIG issue I have is the Mileage, its sitting on 295k miles which shocked me because it looks hardly used inside and out, but clearly has been Driven! He seems pretty Firm at $25k price. I haven't asked for maintenance records, but he says every top off of air pressure has been documented.

My concern is the Mileage, Ive read that the 5.9l is more Medium duty power plant, can I expect a significant amount of life still left at 300k miles? I mean I cant really complain with the Price, It feels like fair value based on the thousands of other rigs we've looked at with higher price tags and Far more wear and tear inside and out.
what do yall' think?

Btw we do plan on towing our Nissan Versa Note on a dolly, about 3k lbs.
Class A
  • Olaf_CPA's avatar
    Olaf_CPA
    Explorer
    Aug 25, 2024

    I wonder if anyone still finds this post...well here goes my opinion", because there are still a lot of these MH on the road, and they are amazing!  We bought a 1999 HR Endeavor 37WDS4 from the original owner on July 4, 2019.  It is a 1999 model, but he purchased it in FL in Jan 2000, so it was 19 1/2 years old at the time.  Only had a little over 62,000 miles on it, and had always been garaged when not in use.  Now it is almost 25 years old!  We have been on three major trips (and numerous smaller ones) from VA to Colorado, and twice in 2023 and 2024 to New England all the way to Maine.  Now has about 76,000 miles and still going very strong. The Diesel engine HR used in this model has a bit of trouble pushing up steep hills keeping speed at 275 HP, but we did a remote tuning by Pittsburgh Power and it seems that brought up the HP to roughly 320, and it has a lot more "get up and go" and does ok on hills even when pulling our 16' Car Trailer with a roughly 2,500lbs car on it.  And it still gets better than 10 mpg going 65 on interstate etc - amazing gas mileage for this rig with trailer! On flat ground on the Interstate you don't even know the trailer is there (other than seeing it on the back up monitor).

    The build quality of this RV is beyond amazing.  We noticed on our first trip to CO when morning dew was on all the RVs in the campground how ours had a support structure with much closer beams as most newer RV's, and it still is much lighter than newer ones of similar size, partly because only one slide out, makes for lots of room even when driving with slide-out in, not the claustrophobic feeling a lot of them give off with four slides when they are all in, leaving just a narrow pathway. Almost everything on our RV is original, but we enhanced the suspension with  new Koni shocks and Comfort Ride Control valves, put new roll out cover over the slide-out, enhanced and made safe the Fridge with an ARP Fridge Defend module, installed back up sensors and a four camera system etc., and we had a couple larger repairs like the heater core, but overall mostly just maintenance once a year for engine and onan generator (oil change etc) and lubrication and so on. Of course we had to install new tires after we got it, but that is once every 10-12 years unless you drive a lot...

  • Jim's avatar
    Jim
    Explorer
    Jul 21, 2015
    Ask yourself...if the engine blew, and had to be rebuilt, and you put in $10,000 for just that job alone, would you still like the rig?

    That's all that's really important. If you'd like it as much after putting that much more money into it.

    These rigs aren't an investment. They're a lifestyle.
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Jul 21, 2015
    Like the above post... A nice coach, BUT a lot of miles. Keep looking as lots of better deals out there.
  • 2bzy2c's avatar
    2bzy2c
    Explorer II
    Jul 21, 2015
    That mileage would make me nervous. It does not take much to
    spend 5K on engine issues with a diesel, frankly with a gasser as well.

    There are tons of Endeavors out there for the same price or less with 1/5th the miles.

    HERE for example

    And HERE

    Do your homework. Don't get emotional about your decision.
  • glamisorbust's avatar
    glamisorbust
    Explorer II
    Jul 21, 2015
    That sounds like a lot of miles for that year. I have the exact model you're looking to buy and it's a gem. We really like it. The 5.9 cummins is a great engine, but there are a few things to look for on it.

    First thing is the VP44 fuel injection pump. They are known to fail when they are starved for fuel. When and if the lift pump(fuel pump) starts getting weak or fails altogether, it will take out the injection pump also. This is around $3,000 to get replaced. The lift pump is around $50 for a stock one.

    I would ask him about the injection pump to see if it has been replaced, along with the lift pump.

    Second issue is the 53 block, google it. About 50% of these cummins ISB's were made in brazil, and they were cast with a large "53" on the side of the block. These blocks are known to crack and start leaking water. If it's not leaking by now it probably never will. But you need to let the engine warm up and cool down properly to avoid a problem. Mine has the 53 block and I have not had a problem.

    The holiday rambler endeavor is an awesome coach. You'll love the large single slide, air suspension and air brakes. The build quality is far above average. For $25k you can't go wrong. Take it for a drive and see if it checks out.

    The 5.9 cummins if it's running good now should go twice as far if not more as it already has. Diesel engines last an incredibly long time. The power from that engine is pretty impressive as well.

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