Forum Discussion

Dano51's avatar
Dano51
Explorer
Feb 28, 2015

Thinking of buying 2002 Coachmen Elite

The average retail is about 47,000, the problem is it has been sitting for 5 yrs. battery are no good the roof leaked around AC, all the cabinet door cracked in 1/2. I would like to pick it up as a fixer upper. What would you offer for it. P.S. its a diesel and has not been run in 5 yrs. Thanks for your in put.
  • I didn't mention the gen. has not been run since new. Would the seals have to be replaced.
  • Why was it left in such condition? Illness?death? Repo? If this is your first motor home you should just pass. If you are buying this to fix up and sell its gonna be risky. Good luck with whatever you decide.
  • First off, make sure it will run. The diesels are really costly to fix.
  • 5 yrs sitting could equate to rust in the cylinders. You could easily end up spending more on repairs then it's worth. Anything mechanical that has been sitting that long could have problems.
    Brian
  • I would start at the low retail pricing of $39k. I would deduct 20%, or about $8k. Then I would deduct for new tires, ceiling repair, batteries, belts, mechanics bill, so in the end you would be at about $18K to $22k offer.
    I would have a real diesel mechanic work with you on the initial start up. Lots of filters and fluids to change before you ever crank. But, it will probably start right up unless there is unknown engine damage. You didn't say how many miles, over 100k miles and I would drop the price another $5k. Just my opinion.