Life on the road in DP

[jpsage]

So we have been on the road for two months in our 18 yo class C with no slides and have decided that we need to move up to a DP. We are having the classic discussion over a 10 yo quality versus a newer entry DP.

For background I will briefly review our trip: Power Steering leak (easy fix but scary noise in boondocks), CEL (still working but drive-able), Flat tires (stupid rubber valve stems--told the tire seller to put on steel but NO THESE ARE BETTER...), Grey water valve replacement (easy fix), propane detector fail (cci out of business so had to order new sensor from amazon and remove solenoid).

I am sure that I have forgotten a couple of adventures. But you get the idea. MH sitting for 10 years needs a lot of attention.

So if we head out on the road for a 6-month trip in a new or 10-yo DP will it be one thing after another or will it settle down and be fun? I have read posts where people have to live at the factory for months waiting for repairs on their new MH but also have read horror stories of $20K engine problems on mature MHs.

Second question: whats the skinny on "extended warranty" for mature MH (I haven't searched for this yet but I did contact Good Sam and they haven't gotten back to me)


Thank you for your incites.

[deandec]

I ran a set of 22.5 Bridgestone for 8 years.

Great tires. Replaced them with Toyo which I have also had great service from two sets of tires.

[jpsage]

As soon as I figure out what to do I will get the tires. The previous owner put two Bridgestones on the front and I am trying to decide on what to do about the other 4. Since my two blowouts on firestones 16"rs in 2000 I have been all Michelin. The one BIG truck tire guy I talked to said to get the other 4 and just keep the Bridgestones in pairs (front, rt dual, left dual) and everything will be fine. Right now I am leaning towards getting four more Bridgestones but that sounds a lot like firestone and I don't like that at all. 80lbs did a lot of cosmetic damage on my class C I can only imagine what 100+ will do to this pretty coach.

[JFNM]

Congrats on your new coach John!!! I'm with Bill on the tires - get those things replaced before getting on the Interstate please! 🙂

[Bill_Satellite]

jpsage wrote:
......Rear tires are 11 years old and will need to be replaced but we negotiated that in the price so I won't gripe about that until I have to write the check 😄

Thanks for the help in getting here.

John, Donna & Ginger (Ginger not sure about the new digs, strange new noises)

Please write that check soon! Tire life is generally considered to be around 7 years but I had a couple I kept for 10. I just had to replaced the steer axle Michelins which were 6 1/2 years old and cracking badly. I will keep the drives on until I can save up a few more bucks but they need to go as soon as possible as well.

[cvbdsl]

Congrats on you purchase and have fun with it.

I bought a 10 yr old MH over 3 years ago (no service records and it was a bank repo) and have had no issues until this year
-replaced the lift pump - but this was a known issue in using the "new" diesel which deteriorated some of the seals - replacement doesn't have the same seals -
- had the A/C repaired).
- replaced worn belts on the generator

I have done a cooling flush, oil/filter changes etc on a regular basis.


My total cost over 3 years is about $4K with more than half this year.
Tires were new (part of the deal) so I've got 3-4 years to save up for the next set.



Chris

[2gypsies1]

jpsage wrote:
Well we did it. 2006 HR Neptune. Let the fixin' begin. Since we have to get her home (WA from WI) we are getting her serviced at Coach Care in Milwaukee before heading west. Found a few minor things that need fixing but DW loves the interior. Living quarters and exterior very well kept up. Fingers crossed that the mechanicals are in as good a shape. Rear tires are 11 years old and will need to be replaced but we negotiated that in the price so I won't gripe about that until I have to write the check 😄

Thanks for the help in getting here.

John, Donna & Ginger (Ginger not sure about the new digs, strange new noises)

Congratulations on your motorhome purchase. I don't think I'd drive it from WI to WA with 11-year-old tires though. Get them replaced before your journey. Enjoy!!

[tropical36]

I vote for an older quality coach vs a newer one of lesser quality, given the same budget money. We also wanted a pre-emission engine that requires no DEF and extra system problems to contend with.
Yes, we've had some issues, but so far, nothing expensive and I do most everything this old man can.
Actually like having the money in the bank to begin with, than having a new warranty and waiting for an appointment or with service and repairs for weeks on end.
Most of the depreciation has taken place and we did get it for a decent price.
Probably will never sell it, as it will most likely get passed on to our heirs for them to deal with.
As for how much quality, we always like American Coach, so hopefully we made the right choice. As, for older Prevosts, Blue Birds and the like, we like them as well, but slides and more than one bath floor plans are hard to find, given the same budget.

[JFNM]

2gypsies wrote:
It definitely doesn't have to be an expensive lifestyle. You can do it as reasonably as you want or as expensive as you want.

2gypsies is exactly right!

Here are my expenses for 2015, 2016 is even better (less).

I bought my coach used and I selected VERY carefully. I have completed lots of small repairs/enhancements/modifications but nothing major. I enjoy maintaining it and have never had anyone work on it other than me. I believe the owners ability to perform basic/simple maintenance is key to keeping costs down. A 10 year old coach that was a high-end/quality unit to start and has been taken care of, will still be a very good coach with lots of life left in it.

A DP is about the ability to haul LOTS of weight safely. If you do not need that capability, you may want to consider gassers.

I've never had an extended warranty but do not think they are a bad thing as long as you completely understand what it does and does not cover. The one time I looked into it, I decided that the cost was not worth it for the coverage but that is just me. It is a gamble.

[wolfe10]

Congratulations.

Have you verified that the rear trailing arms have been replaced with the much stronger ones:

http://community.fmca.com/topic/569-important-safety-issue-monaco-hr-safari-chassis/

[jpsage]

Well we did it. 2006 HR Neptune. Let the fixin' begin. Since we have to get her home (WA from WI) we are getting her serviced at Coach Care in Milwaukee before heading west. Found a few minor things that need fixing but DW loves the interior. Living quarters and exterior very well kept up. Fingers crossed that the mechanicals are in as good a shape. Rear tires are 11 years old and will need to be replaced but we negotiated that in the price so I won't gripe about that until I have to write the check 😄

Thanks for the help in getting here.

John, Donna & Ginger (Ginger not sure about the new digs, strange new noises)

[2gypsies1]

jpsage wrote:

The final thing involves the "fear of the unknown". Several of you stated that it is an expensive life style and if I can't afford it I should stay home (again paraphrased). That made me be thankful for being able to afford this life style. And if I buy a quality motorhome at a bargain price then I should be able to deal with the risk of having to spend money to fix stuff.

It definitely doesn't have to be an expensive lifestyle. You can do it as reasonably as you want or as expensive as you want. You're in charge. Some do it on $20,000-$30,000/year. Some need to spend $75,000+/year.

You can cut back on travel meaning less fuel and perhaps a monthly rate rather than a daily. There are a wide range of campsite choices - mix it up to save some dollars. We've found some awesome boondocking spots overlooking a river or lake. We love public campgrounds for the larger, more private sites within nature. National forest campgrounds are great and many out West have been updated with paved site and electric. If you're 62+ you can use public campgrounds for 1/2 price - we've paid as low as $6/night. Check out county and city parks. Many are gorgeous.

If you have a moderate budget now in a stick house there's no reason to change. Cut back on restaurants and entrance fees on attractions, if needed at times.

Also, we enjoyed volunteering in national and state parks. It gave us purpose knowing we were helping out in places we like to stay. Parks treat volunteers very well as opposed to paid workers. 🙂 We usually did it a season a year in places we wanted to explore more in depth. Many times we got private tours 'behind the scenes' to places the public doesn't get to see. You will also get a free campsite but that's not the main reason we did it.

Many bloggers give samples of their budgets. Check them out.

[smlranger]

jpsage wrote:
Well after a night of thinking of about all the posts a few things continue to rattle my brain.

I think the number one thing is the comment about it being the same as our home (forgive me for rephrasing)--if I don't want to fix things in my house I should go rent an apartment so it would be someone else's problem. I guess it would be the same on the road, if I don't want to fix stuff then I should drive to motel. Me, DW and Dog do not want to stay in motel.

The second thought that hit me as I was falling asleep was that I am very vain about being able to fix my stuff. If I feel proud of myself for being able to fix stuff then I don't have leg to stand on for having to fix stuff. Thank you for setting me straight.

The final thing involves the "fear of the unknown". Several of you stated that it is an expensive life style and if I can't afford it I should stay home (again paraphrased). That made me be thankful for being able to afford this life style. And if I buy a quality motorhome at a bargain price then I should be able to deal with the risk of having to spend money to fix stuff.

So now its time to find the DP of my dreams or at least with more room and better drive-ability than my V10 rattle box. Tonight after miles on the road I will dream of air-ride and quiet rear diesel.

Thanks again folks.

You hit on the primary reason we got into the RV lifestyle many years ago...our dogs. We have had 2 dogs at a time for most of the past 45 years. Having the RV makes it so much easier to travel with them. On our last long trip, we did a problem with the engine that required us to stay in a pet-friendly motel for 3 nights. The dogs did fine but when we did get back to our motorhome, they were as happy as the wife being back in their rolling doghouse.

Good luck with your search for your dream rig.

[jplante4]

We bought what was a mid-high end coach when it was built (in 1996) and took a year to whip it into shape. We set out on a 6 month, 16 state and 6000 mile trip last winter and we had zero mechanicals. I had some roof work to do, and I replaced most of the working parts in the toilet, but everything else continued to work throughout the trip.

OTOH, I ran into a guy in Shreveport that was trying to get his brand new Tiffin back to California. He had already driven back once to Red Bay from Arkansas and was on his way back again, this yime from Oklahoma. He'd take it back to the factory and fly home, then fly back to pick it up.

Here's the deal. If you're in the least bit mechanical, you can fix mot stuff that will break in an older rig once you understand how stuff works. Doing so on the road in a new bus will likely void the warrantee.

[Mile_High]

On a 10 year old unit, its a **** shoot, as they may have traded it because they finished their journey, or the coach was starting to break down a lot and the last problem that broke the camels back stayed with it when they traded it.

Used and well used can work - just check it out thoroughly.