Newbie buying 2002 Monaco LaPalma

[Tom_in_Tulsa]

Hi...newbie buying first MH class A. A friend is selling his 16 year old MH with 46,000 miles on it. It is loaded with everything. He says he has maintained it well, and he lives in AZ and i live in Tulsa, so it is 1100 miles from here.

From what i have read here, i need to get it inspected, test drive it, get repair estimates and reduce his asking by amount of repairs. He wants $20K.

What can any of you tell me about this model and value of a 2002 Monaco LaPalma. Your opinions are welcomed.

Go easy on me. We are retired and this is our first MH purchase. I have read lots of threads, but not much said about a 2002 Monaco.
I have seen this unit in person, have been inside many times and been given a tour of the features by knowledgeable people.

Bluegrass Boy Tom.
Loading up the RV for a Bluegrass Festival.

[ArchHoagland]

I have a 2004 Monaco La Palma 36 DBD. We bought it new in 2004 and have put 87,000 miles on it so far going all around the country. If I had it to do over again I'd buy it again.

Make sure the brake recall has been done.

If it has the Norcold 1200 4 door refrigerator make sure the safety recall has been done.

Has the Allison 1000 transmission been switched to Transynd?

Mine has been in the shop a couple times for exhaust manifolds. I suggest Thorley or Banks.

Replace the plugs and wires and also clean the MAF. MAF being clean is very important.

Actia dash LCD readout almost always go bad. I'm on my third. That's the display that tells you what gear you are in.

Put new tires on it. Had an inside dual blow on mine...$12,000 to repair. Insurance covered it.

Make sure you get windshield insurance...just got mine replaced last month, $1,395. Again AAA insurance covered it.

You will probably need shocks.

[Old_Man]

Tom n Jackie wrote:
Hi...newbie buying first MH class A. A friend is selling his 16 year old MH with 46,000 miles on it. It is loaded with everything. He says he has maintained it well, and he lives in AZ and i live in Tulsa, so it is 1100 miles from here.

From what i have read here, i need to get it inspected, test drive it, get repair estimates and reduce his asking by amount of repairs. He wants $20K.

What can any of you tell me about this model and value of a 2002 Monaco LaPalma. Your opinions are welcomed.

Bluegrass Boy Tom.
Loading up the RV for a Bluegrass Festival.

What instrument do you play? I don't play much bluegrass but I could probably get by on acoustic guitar, as long as you're not expecting Dan Tyminski.

WRT to your motor home, be sure to hire someone your friend doesn't know. Gete a thorough inspection of the entire rig. Engine compression and leak-down tests on the cylinders. Be sure oil pressure measures high on startup. The oil will thin as the engine heats, but if it shows less than great OP, you have an engine that will need bottom end work in the fairly near future. Buying from a friend can be fraught with peril, so make sure he understands, this is business, not friendship. You don't want any special deals and the guy inspecting will be someone he doesn't know.

Get his report. Read it carefully. Between the lines is good. Don't show it to your friend. Make a respectful counter offer. If he says no, walk away. It's not walking away from, the friendship, just the business part.

Rexhalls and Monacos are the top two "RVframes" (like an airframe) on my list. Metal roofs, man. Big plus. Not saying I would not buy a rubber roof, but it'd have to be pretty new for me to like it.

If you can, ask you friend if he's installed a Banks exhaust system. It is a major plus. I don't even care that much about the performance improvement (though I will like it), I like it because it's all stainless steel and is built to last.

[PursuitInsight]

Hi, I have a monaco lapalma 2003 DBD on ford chassis. Recent (5 years) items were: roof joints, oil in the jacks, spark coils and therefore spark plugs, front AC that is also a thermo pump heater
I do my maintenance, cost is low except for the AC but then again, the front is used and the back one is never used.

2 bathroom is great , 4 door fridge is also very good.

It is heavy. When I changed the tires in 2012 or so after a blow out, I upgrades the goodyear F tires for higher load H michelin, greatest peace of mind

[tropical36]

Tom n Jackie wrote:
The manual does say DBD on a Chevy Workhorse frame.

OK, so be it and next you want to find out which WH chassis and if a P32 or W.
Then if it has the infamous autopark and if you want to deal with the education and parts carry that goes with it. There are also some conversions available from Brazel's to make life better or you might choose not to deal with it at all. W24 was the best chassis and didn't involve the brake recall, which needs confirmed for being done, as well.

[Tom_in_Tulsa]

The manual does say DBD on a Chevy Workhorse frame.

[tropical36]

Tom n Jackie wrote:
It is a 36 DBD model. I cannot find the NADA value on it as that model is not shown, My insurance (progressive) says $17,900

Sure it's not a PBD? At any rate, the models don't vary much at this age. Here's the largest on a Ford chassis and sounds about right at low book, for a private sale..... Clickity

[Tom_in_Tulsa]

It is a 36 DBD model. I cannot find the NADA value on it as that model is not shown, My insurance (progressive) says $17,900

[tropical36]

Tom n Jackie wrote:
Hi...newbie buying first MH class A. A friend is selling his 16 year old MH with 46,000 miles on it. It is loaded with everything. He says he has maintained it well, and he lives in AZ and i live in Tulsa, so it is 1100 miles from here.

From what i have read here, i need to get it inspected, test drive it, get repair estimates and reduce his asking by amount of repairs. He wants $20K.

What can any of you tell me about this model and value of a 2002 Monaco LaPalma. Your opinions are welcomed.

Go easy on me. We are retired and this is our first MH purchase. I have read lots of threads, but not much said about a 2002 Monaco.
I have seen this unit in person, have been inside many times and been given a tour of the features by knowledgeable people.

Bluegrass Boy Tom.
Loading up the RV for a Bluegrass Festival.

Not sure which model you're speaking of here, but do double check the price, as it sounds a little on the high side for a private sale.
Rest assured, you'll be putting time and/or money in it, as well.

[Tom_in_Tulsa]

WOW...you guys are a wealth of information. Thanks!

[bobkatmsu]

I just sold a Monaco that I had owned for 7 years. We enjoyed coach but were starting to run into problems getting parts, because Monaco went out of business. For example, a valve needs to be replaced. Well the valve is no longer available, but you can by the whole pump. So a $200 repair becomes a $1500 repair. You are also going to find that a number of their vendors they used back then are no longer in business or have been bought out and they no longer make that part. My suggestion is that if you know how to work on them your self, it could work out great. If you have to take everything to a mechanic your $20K motor home could cost you $40K in a couple years. Also check the age of the tires. Nothing over 7 years old. Even if they are good for a year or two, plan on spending $4-5K just on new tires, in a year or two. This is not a cheap hobby or life style. $20K may not sound like to bad of an investment, but other expenses add up fast. That all being said, we love it. We will keep rving as long as our health allows. For us it's worth it. You just need to be aware.

[Scars]

We have an'03 Monaco Monarch with 50k and have been happy with it overall. You didn't say what model but you can go to RVNADA and get estimate of the value. Things to check out would be Ford or Workhorse chassis & engine, date code of the tires, list of updates and repairs. 20 grand is pretty inexpensive in the big picture of things so go for it if you feel comfortable. Good luck!

[jim1521]

Keep in mind that $20k is just the starting point. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you have a professional do a survey (well, it's called that in the boating industry) of the entire motorhome. Have a second professional do a diesel engine survey just on the motor. They both will know what you can expect. Also, by doing it this way, your friendship will remain intact.

[camp-n-family]

How well do you know this friend and how much do you value the friendship? Do you trust their word and do they have the same standards (maintenance etc) as you? Lots of friends are lost when things aren't as expected or the deal goes south.