First time used buyer, any specific advice js appreciated!

mike brez wrote:
Here is one on eBay that looks pretty clean.

No, the Detroit Diesel 4 stroke 8.2 liter V8 would not be on my short list. Poor power, poor MPG and poor longevity compared with other engines by Caterpillar and Cummins.

Here is one on eBay that looks pretty clean.

Don't forget to get up on the roof and check all seams and seals for cracks,and tears in the roof material.

garymunson wrote:
Age of tires is VERY important. MHs frequently are found with tires that obviously have little miles on them but can be 10 years old+. The seller will proudly proclaim NEW TIRES! Myself, I don't like trusting any tire over about 6 years old. Blowouts on anything heavy isn't something you want to experience.

This x25.... I found out the hard way that tire date codes are the ONLY effective way to determine the age of the tires. Don't trust the owner's recollection of how long ago they bought the tires or that there are only a few hundred miles on them. Verify it yourself.

There's a Safari Yahoo group you can get some info from. Also this forum

Click

Brett Wolfe (user name wolfe10) pops in here every once in a while and is very knowledgeable about Safaris.

MelS on iRV2.com has a 95 Sahara.

I believe the Ivory has the Blue Streak chassis, which means you have Velvet Ride (BF Goodrich Torsilastic Suspension). These are problematic as far as ride and ride height go, but there are after market fixes for the issues.

Safari is a well built coach and we searched for ours for a while. If it's in decent shape, don't let it go. The Ivory was the top of the Safari line in 1995. As far as the age goes, I will put a 20 year old pre-Monaco Safari against a 10 year old Monaco any day. We looked at both when we were shopping for bus #2.

Although CAT doesn't make over-the-road engines anymore, they still make the same engine for construction equipment, so parts aren't a problem. There are CAT shops that will work on the engine, and most Cummins shops can do the PM on CAT engines.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

Jerry

Just in case you find another in one of these years.Trailing arms

Age of tires is VERY important. MHs frequently are found with tires that obviously have little miles on them but can be 10 years old+. The seller will proudly proclaim NEW TIRES! Myself, I don't like trusting any tire over about 6 years old. Blowouts on anything heavy isn't something you want to experience.

Thank you folks, I am grateful for the wisdom from those who have already learned some expensive lessons! I look forward to any further ideas. Very Useful!

Possibly get a well recommended Mobil mechanic to check out the RV appliances, electrical, etc. Worth an hour or so of his time. Also pull up a car fax report.

Consider pressure testing the rig -- doesn't cost much and should expose actual or potential leak issues - big issue in used rigs.

In general your rig is broken down into two basic items Truck/Bus and RV stuff. Most RV outfits are capable of inspecting the RV stuff (fridge, converter/inverter/slides etc) - since your new you might consider calling around and asking how much they charge for an inspection. The Truck/Bus side of things is another matter - I personally would not trust RV guy and would prefer legitimate mechanic.