Looking at 2008 Motorhome????

[HavingProblems7]

Hi
I ran across a 2008 Fleetwood Tioga SL that appears to be in excellent condition
seller is asking 44,500
Motorhome has 3700 miles on it
Should I be concerned about low mileage????
How does low mileage & not being used very often have an effect on the unseen parts of motorhome: engine,transmission,generator,hoses,belts ,tires & etc
Looks great Body in pristine condition
Original owner
any suggestions on a positive way to verify all systems?????
I bought a Motorhome from a dealer a few years ago & was totally misled
My fault as I trusted the dealer
Don't want to get stung again
Did go to NADA & price is within their guidelines
I have Vin # but a report would only tell me about Ford Chassis not Motorhome itself
Help with your suggestions
Thanks

[jrobert01]

I have a 2008 Dutchmen 10,000 miles on it kept under cover. Just returned from Gulf coast 1200 miles. I would take it anywhere is in perfect condition very sound mechanically and very good drive no wander V-10 ford. If it is taken care of still like new or maybe better. I would rather have mine than a new one to work on and they have only gotten worse from the ones I have looked at.

[ron_dittmer]

dicknellen wrote:
NADA http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2008/Tioga

I think $44.K is high for any 2008 (10 years old) class C. I would start at low retail with no option or mileage add-ons and negotiate from there after you have it checked out. Good luck, Dick

You are surely right and I don't mean say otherwise. But for me personally, if that rig is a true cream puff, I would think $39,900 would be an appropriate offer. But being parked outside for 10 years without a cover of some kind, I doubt it is a cream puff.

We store our 11 year old rig indoors in a controlled environment. It still smells new when stepping inside. It still has the original tires. The new tire smell stopped smelling up our garage 3 to 4 years ago. Our rig has somewhere around 35,000 miles but has seen daylight less than 40 weeks. Everything inside and outside looks new-ish. Being somewhat of a unique design, I display it occasionally at auto shows. People who don't know any better, think I am a dealer showing off the latest model. Our rig is a true cream puff. Too bad that we can't get more use from it....life is so busy.

[dicknellen]

NADA http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2008/Tioga

I think $44.K is high for any 2008 (10 years old) class C. I would start at low retail with no option or mileage add-ons and negotiate from there after you have it checked out. Good luck, Dick

[j-d]

A good thing to do is replace the Differential Lube with 75W-140 FULL Synthetic. The change interval for the OEM lube (Dino Oil) is very short, and Full Syn doesn't have to be changed again unless the axle is submerged in water or it chews up a part and makes metal shavings. Doesn't have to be expensive, Walmart has SuperTech at about $11 a quart. 3 or 4 quarts, I forget. Just don't grab the wrong bottles and get the "Blend" at $6 or so. Get the FULL.

[stripit]

I picked up a 2007 Winnebago Outlook 29 ft 2 years ago with 17,000 miles and 23 hours on the generator. I checked it for everything that was supposed to work did, drove correctly and felt solid. It had new tires and insides were like new, as was the outside. Awning was in need of replacement. Since we bought it had the trans fluid flushed, brake fluid bled and replaced, oil changed. Has served us well for 6,000 miles without a hickup. Nice older rigs are out there and can be bought if you look hard. Good luck with yours.

[memtb]

The low mileage wouldn’ concern me too much. When we were shopping.....there were many “very” low mile units out there. Obviously check it out thoroughly! We bought our ‘07 Bigfoot last summer, with just under 22,000 miles. The only issue is the typical “nervous, twitchy” steering, common to the Ford E350 and E450 chassis. Getting the “caster” adjusted to +5 degrees or a little more, with an alignment.....goes a long way toward solving that problem.

[klutchdust]

Hire a mobile mechanic and have it inspected from top to bottom, best money you will ever invest.

[ron_dittmer]

Generally speaking with rigs stored outdoors for so long a time without use...Unless there is never any humidity, the disk brakes will likely be messed up from excessive surface rust build-up. So figure on investing in all new rotors and brake pads. The caliper slides should be inspected for freedom of movement. With so little use, they likely will NOT require replacement, just lubrication if at all. Also plan on flushing the brake fluid. I suggest to call your trusted brake shop and get a quote over the phone, and use that information to adjust your offer accordingly. If the tires are original, do the same for a new set of tires. One final recommendation is concerning rain water damage leaking inside the rig. Look for water stains on the ceiling and walls, and use your nose too. A strong musty odor generally indicates water is inside somewhere and mold may be growing inside the walls and/or ceiling.

If the one you are considering has this seamless cab-over design as shown, try to make it work for I feel it is a real winner.

[j-d]

MDKMDK wrote:
...Internal engine parts can dry out and corrode if left sitting too long...I have always been told that corrosion can happen inside if they aren't moved once in a while to splash the oils and fluids around.

A friend from another forum, years ago, told me of cases where RV's that had sat for years when owners became disabled, had enough rust inside the differential to cause failure once driven again.

This is why "taking care of the RV" involves DRIVING it till all the components heat up. Not just starting the engine, flooring it for 30 seconds, shutting it off and calling it Good.

Differential's an extreme case, but dis-use shows up fast in tires and hydraulic brakes.

[midnightsadie]

might be a diamond, or a stone all depends on how it was cared for. hope it was under roof most its life? if not its sun baked if its in cal.

[MDKMDK]

Ask when it was last started, and moved or driven a few miles. Internal engine parts can dry out and corrode if left sitting too long.
I have always been told that corrosion can happen inside if they aren't moved once in a while to splash the oils and fluids around.

[PSW]

DrewE mentioned the generator but I would expand that and say if it has less than 120 hours on it beware. Generators should be exercised under load at least once a month for at least an hour. And they cost a bunch to have repaired.

If the rig has been stored outdoors I would probably look carefully at the rubber around the doors to check for deterioration. If it is cracked or inflexible, you can be sure most of the hoses and rubber items are problems. I would also inspect the roof.

Of course, everything must be checked out by a pro as mentioned by others but I would get a good idea of maintenance based on the roof, rubbers and genset.

Does it have service records? If the oil wasn't changed by the calendar instead of by the mileage that can be trouble. Same with other fluids. Again, you can take a quick look at a few things and determine if you want to spend the money to have a pro rv person check it out as well as a mechanic for the chassis.

Paul

Paul

[HavingProblems7]

Thanks for all your advice
Keep them coming
Thanks Again

[DrewE]

Low mileage in itself would not concern me (nor be an especial plus), but the lack of maintenance that sometimes goes with low mileage and low usage is a problem. If it's indeed in good shape and properly maintained, with caulking and so forth that has been properly looked after, it may be a decent deal and give you many years of service. Do check as thoroughly as you can for water damage.

Do expect the chassis to need the maintenance of any ten year old chassis, rather than the maintenance of a 3700 mile chassis. Many parts (bushings and hoses and such) and fluids break down as much with time as with use.

Verifying all the systems just means seeing that everything works: the fridge cools and runs on propane and electric power, the stove burners light, the oven (if it has one) works, the microwave nukes, the air conditioner conditions air, the furnace heats it, the generator starts and makes electricity, the water heater heats water, and so on. There's no magic to checking those parts of things, just a fair little bit of legwork.