Fleetwood Storm Motor Home

[Bigfootchevy]

We are seriously thinking of buying our first Class A Motor Home. Up until now we have only owned Truck Campers.

We found a 2011 Fleetwood Storm Motor Home that has 8000 miles on it. Its 31 feet long and the model is 30SA. Its in excellent condition and the reason its being sold is because the guys wife died. Looks in excellent shape. I believe its the Ford V10 gas motor.

Is there anything (concerns or issues) that I should know about before I purchase this RV.

Paul

[mtrumpet]

Bigfootchevy wrote:
To my knowledge the TPO roof is fine. We sat in the RV tonight for an hour and believe the layout is what we want and will work for us. We also looked at several other C's and A's today that we didn't think where all that great.

Negotiated the final price tonight but I still have until tomorrow to pull the trigger or not.

What kind of mileage can I expect to get out of the V10?

Paul

Nothing wrong at all with the TPO roof material. After all, there certainley are a lot of motorhomes out there with TPO roofs. Nowadays, it seems to be the material of choice over EPDM for most manufacturers who use a "rubber" type of roof. It's a lot more durable then EPDM. Like anything else though, a lot depends on how well it's taken care of and maintained. I had an EPDM roof on my gasser with no problems, and have a TPO roof on my Dutch Star. I prefer the TPO roof much better. I find the TPO roof seems to be much easier to keep clean. Also, when I was installing my new satellite dome, I noticed that the TPO material seemed to be much thicker and stronger than when I was working with the EPDM on my gasser.

Just my own opinion based upon my own experience. I can't comment on Fiberglass or Aluminium roofs as I have no experience with owning either.

[Effy]

Our ACE - which is similar in size and weight gets about 8-9 mpg. 7 on a bad day and 10 in optimum conditions. Don't drive yourself nuts about MPG. I gave up on that 6 months after ownership and frankly I have no clue what I am getting now. And I don't want to know.

[SRT]

I sure love my aluminum roof and sidewalls.......:B

[OhhWell]

Bigfootchevy wrote:
To my knowledge the TPO roof is fine. We sat in the RV tonight for an hour and believe the layout is what we want and will work for us. We also looked at several other C's and A's today that we didn't think where all that great.

Negotiated the final price tonight but I still have until tomorrow to pull the trigger or not.

What kind of mileage can I expect to get out of the V10?

Paul

If you take good care of it, at least 200,000.

Oops, I just realized you might mean MPG. In that case, 6.5 to 7.5 usually.

[Bigfootchevy]

To my knowledge the TPO roof is fine. We sat in the RV tonight for an hour and believe the layout is what we want and will work for us. We also looked at several other C's and A's today that we didn't think where all that great.

Negotiated the final price tonight but I still have until tomorrow to pull the trigger or not.

What kind of mileage can I expect to get out of the V10?

Paul

[mena661]

To the OP, the roof is an insignificant part of the purchase. Unless the rig is leaking or has gaping holes in the roof, concentrate on the stuff that matters, the layout.

[mtrumpet]

The roof on a 2011 Fleetwod Storm is in fact a TPO roof. I located the Owners Manual on Fleetwood's website. It specifically indicates a TPO roof. Here's the link to the Owners Manual....2011 FLEETWOOD STORM OWNERS MANUAL

See PAGE 11-2

[CG_Dawson]

X3

[Chopperbob]

X2

[Effy]

Countless RV's today on the road with non fiberglass roofs. The majority actually. And newer TPO roofs will last over a decade and MUCH cheaper to repair or replace than a fiberglass one. To me, it's less about the roof and more about the seams. Fiberglass roofs have just as many holes in them and many companies use an up and over lap on fiberglass which to me invites more issues. Again, it's the seams not the roof. TPO would be fine and this coach sounds like a good find.

[Bumpyroad]

if you want a substandard RV, buy one with a rubber roof. if you want a decent one, dont.
JMHO
buyer beware
oh, I don't think it is over half of my posts. 🙂
and a rubber roof was a deal breaker on my last purchase.
but I do want to caution/alert potential buyers about this issue. as is evident the OP didn't know what kind of a roof was put on that unit. At least he can now decide, don't care which way he goes.

P.S. I would point out that I made no comment positive or negative about rubber roofs until this point. sounds to me that the one the OP is looking at is TPO, which isn't junk like EPDM is.
bumpy

[Chopperbob]

Rubber roofs are not a deal breaker. In the last few
Years lots of roof sealers have come out.
Ive done two and they save your roof.
Dont listen to Bumpy. He's part of this experience.
Sun was getting to my awning so I coated
That too. Dont have to replace it now.
Bob

[OhhWell]

Blackdiamond wrote:
Don't worry about the roof, 90% of bumpy's posts are about roofs, I think he works in a fiberglass factory.

Man, that is funny. I did a search for all posts by author bumpyroad and with the term "fiberglass" and it came up with 102 and it only goes back a year.

Most were similar to this gem:

"the winnie will have a fiberglass roof. the forest river probably will not. nuff said. bumpy "

It does appear someone had a serious rubber roof problem at one point in their RVing career or owns a fiberglass factory indeed.

Fiberglass certainly is a superior roof than the old rubber variant but it is just one factor of many and certainly not a "nuff said" ultimate decision factor.

If cared for, a rubber roof can last 15 years. I know that because mine is 16 years old and it is on its last leg but still does the job.

[JimM68]

mtrumpet wrote:

Blackdiamond wrote:
Don't worry about the roof, 90% of bumpy's posts are about roofs, I think he works in a fiberglass factory.

:B:B:B:B..Sorry Bumpy, but that ISIS funny!

Ya, I'll drink to that.
at least half or more of class a motorhome have rubber roofs. They last a decade or more, mostly with no care at all. Fiberglass is certainly better, but not that much better and much more costly.
I think at one point or another Bumpy might have snagged a rubber roof in a tree branch and tore it.