Buying a used Lazy Daze with Roof leak

[kevinlyndsy]

Hello I went and looked and test drove a 1998 Lazy Daze 26.5 RB that I found on Craigslist. Asking price is $9500 it has new tires brakes and batteries. Overall I think it looks to be in real good shape. The big negative though is the roof leaked a couple years ago from the center vent and made the ceiling and roof soft in a 3 ft area. The owner sealed over the entire roof and it no longer has let any water in for the past year. I read alot about avoiding roof dry rot. But if leak is stopped and coach looks good I think at the low price it could be a great deal. I will just use it as is and don't plan on doing a major repair. The owner has had it for 16 years and seems to be a real nice guy. Any advice out there before I buy it this weekend. I really have always loved laze daze but their price has always been out of reach.

Thanks

kevin

[fourthclassC]

Always amazes me how different some folks are about fixing things and projects. (well described on a book I once read about Zen and Motorcycles.....) anyway. Sounds like a great deal to me for the rig. Also I believe lazy daze products come with one piece aluminum roof. The leak you have described sound like the vent seal is at fault. Not anything related to a roof defect or inherent design/materials/assembly flaw. May be easy to fix permenently if not done already. Yes some interior repair and replacement may be needed, but may be well worth it ....

[Bordercollie]

If the rig in question was not an LD, but another old rig with a history of water leak damage, would the OP still be interested in buying it?

That said, check the DOT date codes on all six tires to be sure they are correct type and "new". Make sure that everything works properly including RV generator, fridge, furnace, roof AC, dash AC, water heater, microwave and house battery/converter charger system, interior and exterior lights, engine cooling and brake system, suspension and transmission. Check awning for need of new awning fabric. You can easily spend $10K on an old rig in repairs, replacements and upgrades. Tires cost $300 apiece.

[cgmartine]

Does this mean anything to you? Run, Forrest, Run.!!!

[Shoalster]

Gene in NE wrote:
kevinlyndsy - If I were the seller of an RV, I would much rather sell to someone locally as opposed to someone flying in.

The person that is local can be checked out or located later if need be. The buyer flying in can be a very unscrupulous character. The financial transaction can be much easier between 2 local individuals.

I think you might have it reversed. I flew 1200 miles to look at LD and the seller was "unscrupulous". He lied about the condition of the rv. Most of the time "sellers" are unscrupulous, not buyers. Maybe I live on another planet...Lol!

[Shoalster]

cruising spud wrote:
Kevin,

I am going to do a bit of generalizing here:

MOST Lazy Dazers take great pride in their units and maintain them to death.

MOST also keep copious notes/records of their work.

It is not uncommon to see Lazy Dazes from the 1980's still on the road.

It is hard to find units in the east.

So,

I would suggest that you head over to the Lazy Daze Forum and post your question about the leak. The owner of the Lazy Daze might even be a member of one of the forums.

You mention that someone was going to fly out to see the unit:

We had a 23 foot Lazy Daze and wanted to buy a larger 27 foot unit. We saw a unit that interested us in California. We called and spoke to the owner. My husband flew out to California, the owner picked him up at the local airport, they went to the owner's house, my husband examined and drove the unit, and then gave me a call. He thought the rv was solid. We gave the man a down payment, my husband stayed the night at their house, and was taken to the airport by the family the next day. This was a 2002 Lazy Daze that we bought about ten years ago. We still have it and love it.

I guess you got lucky. I flew from Florida to Texas to purchase a used Lazy Daze. When I looked at the unit it had water damage in the cabover. The owner told me it didn't have any leaks. I assume that he figured if I travelled that far to look I'd buy it anyway.
At any rate, the twin/king layout is the best but if a LD isnt maintained then leaks will occur.
I had a 90 Aerocruiser, no leaks. I would have kept it but it had a throttle body/computer problem that I couldnt get fixed.

[Snowman9000]

...

[jjrbus]

If that was the type of rig I was looking for I would have bought it! Difference being I am a masochist and would rip it apart and repair it. It is all labor and a small amount of money in parts.
Jim

[ron_dittmer]

kevinlyndsy wrote:
Thanks all for the info yes I bought the Lazy Daze for $6600 it just seems to good of a coach to pass on. I understand the roof concerns but feel with the money saved on purchase price there is plenty of room to invest in repairs. Like I said earlier I ran a coachman for several years with a band aided roof and had many good times so this one I am going into with an open mind.

Great Price! Now you have some room to invest in repairing it properly.

If you decide to let-it-ride and use the rig as is, just watch your family. If anyone wakes up with a fresh cough, runny nose, itching eyes, things that appear as a new cold or an allergy, those are signs that you should not delay in taking action. Experiment one night at home. Have everyone sleep inside with the rig all closed up and evaluate them in the morning.

Better to learn overnight at home instead of on a trip where there is no escape.

On the forum here, we all are imagining the worst. Only you know exactly what you have there. Just take sensible precautions with your family's health. I know a few people who got permanently messed up from a duration of exposure to mold, which is why I am siding hard in that direction.

[kevinlyndsy]

Thanks all for the info yes I bought the Lazy Daze for $6600 it just seems to good of a coach to pass on. I understand the roof concerns but feel with the money saved on purchase price there is plenty of room to invest in repairs. Like I said earlier I ran a coachman for several years with a band aided roof and had many good times so this one I am going into with an open mind.

[Gene_in_NE]

kevinlyndsy - If I were the seller of an RV, I would much rather sell to someone locally as opposed to someone flying in.

The person that is local can be checked out or located later if need be. The buyer flying in can be a very unscrupulous character. The financial transaction can be much easier between 2 local individuals.

[ron_dittmer]

JT wrote:
Ron.dittmer, all good advice, except that the rig in question is a Lazy Daze, not a Born Free. It appears that "Kevin" already bought it, so perhaps he will keep a copy of your suggestions.

A senior moment....I am getting old.

Thanks for the correction 🙂

[JT]

Ron.dittmer, all good advice, except that the rig in question is a Lazy Daze, not a Born Free. It appears that "Kevin" already bought it, so perhaps he will keep a copy of your suggestions.

[ron_dittmer]

kevinlyndsy,

I did a quick search on older Born Free rigs and see that the ceiling is nearly flat inside. If the soft areas are not near the side walls, then I think the damage could be limited to the ceiling.

Under the assumption that the damage is limited to the ceiling, if it were me on a tight budget, I would buy that Born Free for the $8000. But I am handy with home improvements. I would not plan on just using the rig as is, primarily because of mold, but also for the sake of structural integrity.

I would cut away a clean section of ceiling material well beyond the area in question. Make the cut nice and square to make the new section easy to install and also for a clean look when done. Remove the bad material and insulation to remove the worst of the material that could be growing mold, and to access the framing. Check not only what is exposed, but also the areas beyond the opening you made. If you see any dark discoloration or patches, you have a serious mold problem. Check for rotten areas using a thin blade screw driver. If it goes into the wood with ease, the framing in those areas needs extra attention. Remove what is soft and also some solid wood with it, then twice spray everything left-over with bleach to kill seen and unseen mold spores. If enough framing material was removed making you question the strength, screw new framing along side them. Long deck screws are great for that. Once the mold is killed and frame repaired, insulate with new material and cut a new piece of ceiling material. Home improvement stores sell interesting 4x8 sheets that make good ceiling panels. A simple square is easiest. Finish off with wood trim. If you do it right, it won't be an eye sore. If the section is irregular because of wall cabinets & walls, first make the new section from cardboard, then use that as a template. Document along the way so if you resell the rig later, you can show the new buyer how well & proper you repaired the damage.

One thing I failed to mention is damage to wood roof sheathing. Damage there is going to require extra care, skill, and determination. Hopefully all damage can be repaired from inside the rig, leaving the exterior alone.

I didn't read the size of the damaged area, but if the area is small enough, the easiest repair would be to replace that ceiling vent with a huge sun roof/moon roof/skylight. Just take the rig to a shop for that if you are not confident in doing it yourself. Some of the new rigs sold today have such fancy features, and even the 1995-2005 Winnebago Rialta has one, so it's not weird to have a skylight in your rig.

If you have mold in there and ignore it, one of your family members can easily develop LIFE LONG respiratory issues. Ignoring mold potential is NOT worth the risk which is one reason why so many people here say to run away from the rig. Of coarse the other area of concern is about structural integrity. You could be on vacation driving on a very rough road, and find that your rig is coming apart. Most often it first shows up in the form of......guess what....a water leak.

[cruising_spud]

Kevin,

I am going to do a bit of generalizing here:

MOST Lazy Dazers take great pride in their units and maintain them to death.

MOST also keep copious notes/records of their work.

It is not uncommon to see Lazy Dazes from the 1980's still on the road.

It is hard to find units in the east.

So,

I would suggest that you head over to the Lazy Daze Forum and post your question about the leak. The owner of the Lazy Daze might even be a member of one of the forums.

You mention that someone was going to fly out to see the unit:

We had a 23 foot Lazy Daze and wanted to buy a larger 27 foot unit. We saw a unit that interested us in California. We called and spoke to the owner. My husband flew out to California, the owner picked him up at the local airport, they went to the owner's house, my husband examined and drove the unit, and then gave me a call. He thought the rv was solid. We gave the man a down payment, my husband stayed the night at their house, and was taken to the airport by the family the next day. This was a 2002 Lazy Daze that we bought about ten years ago. We still have it and love it.