coach house 192 TB

[marlenep]

I am thinking about buying a 1997 coach house camper van. My husband and I have a several RV's. He died a year ago, and I still would like to enjoy the rv life. I am OLD, but still a very good driver, and am fit. This coach has 30000 miles on it, and looks good in the pictures.
I am going to have to drive 300 miles to see it, so wanted your opinion of this coach. It is 19 ft. long, and totally self contained.
They are asking 18,500 for it. Would I be foolish to buy something that old? The mechanic that he took it to, I called. He said it was in excellent condition and could not see anything wrong. I have compared this to other like vans, and it seems to be priced well.
Please help me. THank you, Marlene

[stan909]

I think buying used for a good price and having everything go ver and fixed is way , way cheaper than buying new. The difference between $18,500 and $70,000 can fix a lot of problems. Promaster's have their own set of problems and undoubtedly the Travato itself will as well. If you tell us where the van is located , maybe a member can look it over for you. I know I would if it's in SoCal.

[marlenep]

I am so glad I found this site. I am really on the fence when it comes to this camper van. You were right, it is a Ford.

[NCWriter]

Welcome to the forum, Marlene. I think you'd enjoy a class B van since you already know you enjoy RVing. Bs are great for one or two people, and we often meet solo women travelers in B vans.

Coach House has a good reputation for quality. Without a lot of mechanical savvy, I'd hesitate to buy a 17 year old RV, though. Rather than put $18.5 thousand into an older van plus updates to various systems, I might be inclined to look at something new and under warranty like a Travato.

You already know that no RV is trouble free. But a newer one might give you a little more peace of mind if you plan to eventually hit the highway for long trips.

[Arizona_Kid]

Some Fords had handling issues also, so just make sure you do a good test drive.

[Islandman]

I believe that the unit the OP is looking at is on a Ford chassis, so there shouldn't be any handling problems like there was on some Dodge based Class
B's of that era

[Arizona_Kid]

I think you might be over your head with the multimeter. Just make sure everything works. I can usually get a sense from a seller if he's being honest or not, and sometimes you just have to take a chance. I would ask why such low mileage because as I mentioned, some of the Dodge's handling issues kept owners from using them a lot.
Driving it is very important, and at highway speeds.
It might be worth paying to have an RV mechanic check it out. I think this might depend on how you feel about the seller.

Ask more questions here if you feel the need. Don't forget to read the "FAQ's" Sticky at the top of the first page. Lots of good buying advice there.
Good luck.

[marlenep]

MickD
Thank you for the info. I am so ignorant when it comes to mechanical things.
What is a multimeter, and where would I get one? How do I check the voltage to battery? I would guess that is what the multimeter does. What should it read?
We have always had an RV, but my husband always took care of all those things.
Thank you so much. Marlene

[MickD]

I have a 1997 coach house 192TB wide body and have enjoyed it a lot. As everyone has stated make sure everything works. Make sure shore power is not plugged in and start generator when warmed up a bit try air conditioner. If it kills gen you may a have a problem. See if the heater works from thermostat. Make sure the heater heats not just blows air. Take a multimeter with you and with generator running check voltage to battery. Also plug in to shore power and check voltage to battery and all outlets.

Good Luck.

[stan909]

Make sure they have the fridge running and cold on propane. Generator ,fridge and roof air are the costliest coach necessities. They may promise you these things work but if they don't work when you're there then deep discounts should apply. I traveled 40 miles to look at a van recently only to find nothing working. They weren't the least bit ashamed but willing to come down $400 off the price. Good luck. Your husband will be glad you are getting back on the road.

[Arizona_Kid]

Make sure you read this forums FAQ's.
Make sure you take it for a good test drive where trucks will pass you. Some older low mileage Dodge's had handling problems that could never be fixed correctly.

[Islandman]

Coach House made excellent Class B RV's; they moved to manufacturing Class C's around 2001, but their B's were always sought after. The price seems reasonable for the mileage, make sure the generator is in good shape and you should probably budget for new tires if they are six years old or more. If I remember correctly their B's were on the Dodge chassis, some people had issues with Dodge based RV's in handling. But we used to have a Pleasure Way Excel on the Dodge chassis and never had any problems with handling or anything else, the unit sounds good, maybe they will take a little less for a new tire allowance. You may also want to check Craigslist or other sources for other Coach House RV's of that vintage for price comparison. I sent you a PM on this unit.