Early 90's Class A --which brand best to buy?

[Mrsmoos]

We are looking for a decent motorhome to take a few 3-4 hour (one way) trips a few times a year in. We have been looking at early 90's class A which is about in our price range (under $9,000). We have seen advertised a lot of brands--Winnebago, Southwind, Pace Arrow, Bounder, Suncrest etc. I understand Suncrest's maker is out of business. So that made me think is there a better brand/model to buy where parts will be available? And someone said Bounder is the "upper end" of Fleetwood. So does anyone have info and advice for us?

[kenvb]

 we had a 34 ft  Itasca Suncruiser on Osh Kosh Chassis.. ( Frieghtliner took them over)   with a 12 Valve Cummins diesal 4 Spd Auto. got 12 mpg at speed limit, no power in mountains,but always made it. had water pump go in northern BC,.thats all trouble we had,,was real hard to push the  brake pedal with elec asist hydrailic brakes   that was only issue. i called Winnebego direct for windshields and a different corner mouldings previous owner brushed on trees. we sold it and now looking for smaller one with basement storage like that had. wow.did we have a lot in it..i had to buy a 16 ft travel trailer to store all the gear . 

[Patrol_65]

Mrsmoos wrote:
So is there a "ranking" of Fleetwood" motorhomes? like bounder are the best, then Pace Arrow is a step down? We are no seeing any of the above named Rvs in our price range BTW. We may go look at a 92 Pace Arrow that has been kept inside when not being used. It's main problem? The speedometer doesn't work and the dash air needs to be recharged. it has 70k miles, new tires, brakes and supposedly the tires are upgraded to wider tires for more stability. The generator runs off gasoline. we were hoping for a propane one.

I wouldn't worry too much about the speedometer not working. You can always use a portable gps for a speedometer and most front air conditioners are useless in cooling the coach. I use my generator and house air conditioner when travelling.

[bsinmich]

In the older Fleetwood the top was Pace Arrow Vision, Pace Arrow, Southwind, Bounder, Flair. Bounder was the first to have basement storage. The major difference was always interior trim. They all had similar chassis. The one that doesn't have any leaks is usually the best one. Whatever you look at check tire age. A set of tires could run $2000. depending on size. most likely 225 or 245 70 R19.5. RV tires age out after 5-8 years depending on how they are stored. Very few ever wear out the tread.

[dirtyharryo]

The pace arrow was the top of the line fleetwood, they used all plywood in them.I have had quite a few different models over the years and most of them used particle board in there construction. The cost of a pace gasser was close to or more than the cost of some other brands low end Diesel pushers at the time, that is the reason they quit making them. They brought them back in diesel cost $228.000. I have a 1992 pace now, before this one I had a 1988 pace that the passenger side was all delamanated, I put a new side on it,that is a lot of work but it can be done. Take a close look at the 92 pace they are well built.

[Pass42]

We had a 1988 XPLORER 36' DP.. Spartan chassis, Cummins turbo diesel, Allison Ttranny... amazing bells & Whistles... would still have it if it had a slideout.

[John_Joey]

mpierce wrote:
Bluebird

Why? You got one to sell :R

[jonbushsr]

We watched for a couple of years until we found a 92 diesel motorhome including the propane generator. Beacause of the age, have performed a tremendous amount of 'bling' maintenance to the exterior and some customizing of the interior. After 7 years of ownership, other than normal maintenance, the only thing done to the chassis was replcement of the cruise control and the exhaust manifold.

Plan to keep the rig much longer due to the quality of contruction as compared to newer rigs. See rig uder my profile.

Mrsmoos wrote:
So is there a "ranking" of Fleetwood" motorhomes? like bounder are the best, then Pace Arrow is a step down? We are no seeing any of the above named Rvs in our price range BTW. We may go look at a 92 Pace Arrow that has been kept inside when not being used. It's main problem? The speedometer doesn't work and the dash air needs to be recharged. it has 70k miles, new tires, brakes and supposedly the tires are upgraded to wider tires for more stability. The generator runs off gasoline. we were hoping for a propane one.

[Dale_Traveling]

Who made the coach or chassis takes a very distant backseat to owner maintenance in the age range the OP is looking at. Second, as far as I'm concerned, is how much custom work past owners did. It can be a real pain in the but to figure out how someone rewired a rear turn signal circuit after mice ate most of the wiring or how big are the globes of sealant on the roof seams. Delamination must be a show stopper for any coach being considered. A quick walk around inspection will tell many stories.

[darsben]

n7bsn wrote:
At that age, who made it is less important then who maintained it and how well.

I have seen a one year old $250,000 rig that that had been trashed and was maybe worth $10,000

I have also seen a Fleetwood that was 20 years old and looked like it had just left the factory.

Amen.
Tire age (not how much tread)anything over 7 years is very suspect and will be a big factor in an purchase of a rig that old. New tires can add up to $1200 to over $3000
No leaks, no delamination and appearance are the most important things. INterior appliances are pretty standard and the chassis is well the chassis.
Manufacturers put very little of their own in a Motorhome

[blazenpm]

I have more or less restored my inherited 1989 Fleetwood Bounder. I am the 3rd owner. It has had good care given to it. It is a 454 cu.in Chev. on a P-30 chassis. I have had zero problem getting any parts for replacement or repair. I do agree with one replyer that it is not fair to recommend any brand or manufactured RV. All I can say is my own personal experience. My only problem is the tow vehicle plug is a 4 prong when it is preferred to have a 6 prong. That way you have the ability to charge your tow vehicle. I am having a switch installed to cut power to my Navigation system in my tow vehicle which would otherwise be powered up when in tow and thereby run down my battery. I have eliminated that problem. Good luck in your hunting and selection.

[tommy_g]

mpierce wrote:
Bluebird

Which is out of OP's price range.

[mpierce]

Bluebird

[Gjac]

As others have said at that age look at the condition rather than brand. Look at the maintenance records, have the fluids been changed regularly? what improvements have been made? I would want headers on either the 460 or 454 at that age due to cracked exhaust manifolds or leaking gaskets. Is the radiator original? Have any of the basic components been replaced refer, WH, MW,etc. Do they all work? Any delaminations or leaks? When you test drive it does it handle OK? Does it overheat at idle or climbing a hill? Look behind things any rodent nests? A well maintained 20 year MH could be a good find. One that has not been maintained can be a money pit.

[turbojimmy]

J-Rooster wrote:
I think it's a real disservice to recommend a certain brand. What I would look for is a coach with the best floor plan that suits your needs regardless of brand! Good Luck in your search!

Excellent advice - you will wind up hating it if you don't like the floor plan. My '84 Allegro was more of an impulse buy (it was abandoned, had no engine and was therefore basically free). If I were actually shopping for a motorhome I'd have chosen a bit different layout. I don't hate it but I do wish it had a rear queen rather than twins. If you do happen upon a Tiffin product you'll find they're pretty well constructed. The materials are high quality and the craftsmanship is good.

I would also consider the chassis manufacturer if you have a preference there. I grew up in a GM family and am most familiar with them, so I was pleased when I found an Allegro on a P-30 chassis.