Should I buy it?

[Mailmom]

My kids know I have been wanting to buy a MH or 5th wheel sometime before I retire in 18 months. My son called and said his inlaws want to sell their MH. It is a 1994 Winnebago Brave 33RQ, 38000 mi. Looks good to me and the price seems good.
Any advice - pro or con?

[WA7NDD]

jhilley wrote:

WA7NDD wrote:
Purchased a 15 year old MH in excellent shape with 36k miles on it. BUT it is 15 years old and in the shop right now for preventive maintenance. I will do a full post on the Class C blog next week when I get it back. I am at $2500 dollars right now. I knew going in it would be $1400 for what I asked to be done. They added tie rod ends, differential seal, and new rear end oil. Remember I said it was in good shape. It is a 23 foot Class C with a V10. One thing I have learned about MH's is everything gets way more expensive the bigger and older they are. Read all the blogs on here before you buy great lessons.

I don't know why tie rod ends, differential seal and oil would add $1,100. Seems like they are over charging. What is being done for $1,400. Wouldn't think it would need tie rod ends at 36,000 mi. That additional work shouldn't cost more than $500.

Ford Super Duty Tie Rod Ends & Associated Parts

Tie rod ends life time parts, installation $700 install, pinion seal and new rear end oil $268, trust in EMPEY's truck repair, priceless. Also, replacing shocks with HD Bilstein's, serpentine belt, flush engine and radiator, clean mass airflow sensor, install Ingalls Engineering caster/camber kit, all new cooling hoses including heater hoses, and alignment adds up to another $1400. The price of a new MH is about 45 grand more.

[John_Joey]

What I always find funny is no-one ever asks what you are planning on doing with it. Is this RV going to be lived in full time, part time, winter home down south, weekends with family, NASCAR carriage, or to go to the grandkids baseball games in the next town?

Really need to know what you expect to do with this rig to determine if it's a good fit for your plans.

[tropical36]

Mailmom wrote:
Sorry - forgot to ask - is this too big of a rig to be comfortable traveling urban?

You didn't say what a good price was and how much monetary room you might have left for fixing. It's definitely not too large for anything or anywhere. Might even be considered on the small side, if it's without slides.

[elle8]

if its a steal ,,,why not ,,,,you only live once . consider how long youll be living in it . im new to this but have the attitude ,,,,go for it ,,,so that said ,,,, if you arent going to rv very long ,,,,maybe its worth the chance ,,,,it even might be worth something when your done

[Gjac]

You got a lot of good advice so far. I could not tell from your post if it had a slide or not, but that would be something to consider. If it is well maintained and everything works that would be a plus. Also check for known problems of that chassis, leaking or cracked exhaust manifolds, front end parts worn, ride height front and rear for springs/airbags. Any mods to fix these known problem areas headers,HD springs Henderson replacement front end parts. Does eng run hot? is clutch fan working? There is a lot of information here about this chassis and how to fix or mod to have it run well. Expect to spend another $3000-$5000 to get this running to your satisfaction. Good luck on your search.

[Mailmom]

I cannot believe the great information y'all have shared with me! So many things I did not even think about...
We are going to go check out the MH this next week. The 20 yrs old makes my husband nervous - so we will see.
WOW! This site is truly a gold mine. I am looking forward to reading of the many adventures and experience shared here.
Thanks so much, all!!

[jhilley]

WA7NDD wrote:
Purchased a 15 year old MH in excellent shape with 36k miles on it. BUT it is 15 years old and in the shop right now for preventive maintenance. I will do a full post on the Class C blog next week when I get it back. I am at $2500 dollars right now. I knew going in it would be $1400 for what I asked to be done. They added tie rod ends, differential seal, and new rear end oil. Remember I said it was in good shape. It is a 23 foot Class C with a V10. One thing I have learned about MH's is everything gets way more expensive the bigger and older they are. Read all the blogs on here before you buy great lessons.

I don't know why tie rod ends, differential seal and oil would add $1,100. Seems like they are over charging. What is being done for $1,400. Wouldn't think it would need tie rod ends at 36,000 mi. That additional work shouldn't cost more than $500.

Ford Super Duty Tie Rod Ends & Associated Parts

[Dachristianman]

I have a '92 Brave that I bought about 4 years ago. Similar mileage, and it had been taken care of. It's not been the money pit that others on here are saying. Look at tires and look inside the tailpipe. If the tires are old, you're looking at some cash. If the tailpipe is not clean, then the engine is not burning clean. I can't scrape anything out of the tailpipe on my 92 and the tires were only a year old when I bought it. It's been a great rig. I drove it from Alaska to Virginia a year after I bought it with no problems. That 454 is a beast, and not too bad on fuel (10 mpg for me). It all comes down to the price and your mechanical/electrical ability. If you have some good DIY skills, these things aren't too hard to work on, and actually enjoyable sometimes. You didn't state the price, but I think $8-$9K would be a high mark for one that needs nothing.

Tom

[1BryNelson]

As has been said. Have an independant moho mechanic go over it and give an estmated repair bill.

[rskrbina]

Good luck with whatever you choose and enjoy.

[Lantley]

Is it what you want? Or are you interested because it's what is available?
If you were interested in this model prior to it being available buy it. If this model was not on your radar but you are interested because it is a bargain stay away.
Don't get me wrong a 15 year old RV can be a decent unit. However you have to have the mentality and be up for the challenges of a 15 year old rig.

[mike_brez]

I'm looking at a 15 year old Country Coach and that doesn't scare me one bit. My current one is 20 years old and would take it anywhere. Mine has never been in a shop and hardley needed anything except for routine maintenance. Mine is also very low mileage about 35k.

[Bob___Ann]

As others have said buying something this old will result in a poor relationship with your future in-laws. It sounds like a great deal now but the cost of purchasing new tires, refrigerator, rot repair, lamination problems, engine problems will definitely be huge. By the time you add up what you will pay plus the cost of repairs you will realize that you could have purchased something a lot newer. Even if you spend the money to fix it up like new it will not be worth any more then it is now.

[hermandutchman]

it sure would be nice if a couple people would read the op and learn the SON was the person that called.