True or False?

[Jackalope]

After many years of looking at RV's and wanting one, I've finally retired and we're looking for a rig. But I'm having problems and maybe you veterans can help.

I've always bought used cars and I've always gone by the rule, the year doesn't matter...look at the miles. For the most part, that works fine for cars...but for RV's?

Recently, I found what appeared to be a very nice 2005 Damon Challenger with only 19,000 miles on it. It appeared to be clean and well taken care of. Unfortunately, it's at a used car/used RV dealership. They don't have the facilities to hook up shore power or sewage lines so there really isn't any way to check those things out.

I wanted to take the unit to the closest Damon dealer to be checked out. They say they can't do that, but that I can use a mobile repair service to conduct the inspection, and I do know that there are a number of businesses that'll do that.

But in the meantime, I had to make a quick trip to Florida and went by to look at a few campgrounds near my son's home. One of them had a very nice, and it appeared to me, very knowledgable owner. He said that at the 10 year mark, almost all RV's started having major problems. Replacement of appliances, replacement of the roof, replacement of tires (because of age). And he also stated that there was no way in the world he'd buy an RV without being able to fully hook it up to see all systems function.

The last part makes a lot of sense. But what do you think about this "ten year curse"? Is that true? Do most need all those replacements at that point? If I buy this Damon, am I probably looking at spending thousands in a very short time?

[Daveinet]

This should help:

[bsinmich]

Jackalope wrote:

Daveinet wrote:

Jackalope wrote:
I'm sorry. I must've said something to give you the wrong impression. He never said I couldn't plug it into a regular outlet. What I meant was that he doesn't have a 50 amp service so I can check the operation of the inverters and all the electronics at the same time. But he hasn't refused me anything other than to take it somewhere overnight. If I gave you the impression that he'd refused anything else, the fault is mine.

OK, so now that I do understand, I'll give you an explanation of RV shore power. 50 amp service is not 50 amps on 1 circuit. It is 2 circuits consisting of 1 30amp circuit, and 1 20 amp circuit, totaling 50 amps. The single 30 amp service runs virtually everything in the RV except the rear AC unit. If you plug the 30 amp side into a standard 15 amp outlet, virtually everything in your RV will work, however you are limited to not turning on several things at the same time. So for test purposes, the 30 amp side can be plugged in, so you can test each appliance and feature. Unless someone has lost the adapter, the RV should have a short cord that you can plug the 50 amp cable into. This splits off the 30 amp circuit, so that everything will run. They should also have a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter, so you can plug the 30 amp cord into a standard 15 amp outlet. As long as you don't try to run the AC unit and plug in a hair dryer, you won't overload anything.

The reality is, most everyone here plugs there 30 amp plug into a 15 amp outlet when they power the RV at their own home, just to charge the batteries to supply voltage to the lights and other electronics.

The rear AC unit gets its power from the 20 amp side of the 50 amp plug. Probably not a real easy way to power that up.

Wow! HUGE help Dave. Thanks a ton.

This is wrong information. 50 amp service is really 2 50 amp service lines for a total of 100 amps. If you measure across the 2 hot lines you will see 220 Volts. You won't see this with a 30 amp service.

[Jackalope]

wa8yxm wrote:

Jackalope wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:


But you may need to wait six hours before doing that depending on the converter and battery state of charge (My converter is a "Big Ticket" if the batteries are dead, Tiny load if they are full up.)

Of course.. you did mention it's a motor home (Make and model) I believe.. No need to hook to shore power.. Has Onan Power.

Whoa! Whoa! Remember, you're talking to someone with limited knowledge of an RV here.

I'm gonna have to wait six hours for what?? And yeah, I'm sure it's got a generator, but does that work the same way as shore power?

This is sounding good because I'd really like to go get serious with that Damon. Thanks for the help.

Six hours for what:
If the batteries are low and it is reasonable to assume they are, and the converter is big enough (mine is 80 amp) then it can pull over 1000 watts of power for several hours charging the batteries..

So when you first plug in, using adapters, to a standard 15/20 amp wall outlet (like in your house) you can use lights, water pump, televisions and radios and such.. but the microwave, water heater or air conditioner, will trip the breaker.

After the batteries come up a bit (I said six hours but it might only be one or two) you can safely use ONE of those "Big ticket" items

It all depends on the battery state of charge. And the size of the converter. Assume the batteries are hungry Ask the sales idiot how big the converter is... An 80 amp converter can suck 10 amps off the power line easy. air conditioners running 13.5 Starting a whole lot more Microwave is in the 12-14 range as is the water heater. You have at most 20 amps so you need to wait for the batteries to charge before you test the big ticket stuff.

I appreciate this a ton too. Going to see him tomorrow to try and set up an appointment for Monday to really go over the whole unit. This is exactly what I needed. Thanks!

[Jackalope]

Daveinet wrote:

Jackalope wrote:
I'm sorry. I must've said something to give you the wrong impression. He never said I couldn't plug it into a regular outlet. What I meant was that he doesn't have a 50 amp service so I can check the operation of the inverters and all the electronics at the same time. But he hasn't refused me anything other than to take it somewhere overnight. If I gave you the impression that he'd refused anything else, the fault is mine.

OK, so now that I do understand, I'll give you an explanation of RV shore power. 50 amp service is not 50 amps on 1 circuit. It is 2 circuits consisting of 1 30amp circuit, and 1 20 amp circuit, totaling 50 amps. The single 30 amp service runs virtually everything in the RV except the rear AC unit. If you plug the 30 amp side into a standard 15 amp outlet, virtually everything in your RV will work, however you are limited to not turning on several things at the same time. So for test purposes, the 30 amp side can be plugged in, so you can test each appliance and feature. Unless someone has lost the adapter, the RV should have a short cord that you can plug the 50 amp cable into. This splits off the 30 amp circuit, so that everything will run. They should also have a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter, so you can plug the 30 amp cord into a standard 15 amp outlet. As long as you don't try to run the AC unit and plug in a hair dryer, you won't overload anything.

The reality is, most everyone here plugs there 30 amp plug into a 15 amp outlet when they power the RV at their own home, just to charge the batteries to supply voltage to the lights and other electronics.

The rear AC unit gets its power from the 20 amp side of the 50 amp plug. Probably not a real easy way to power that up.

Wow! HUGE help Dave. Thanks a ton.

[Jackalope]

Horsedoc wrote:
You live in Roswell. Take a day and drive across the state line to SC and the Anderson area. There is a guy there that buys good, nice campers and motorhomes. On the left heading north on 85. CRS has got me now and cannot recall the name, but you will see it on the left. Big lot with all sorts of RVs. Very nice folks. http://www.portersrvsales.com/ I had to google it. Inventory is on line and in pics. If I was buying another I would check these guys fist

Thanks! I'll certainly go online and see what they have!

[Jackalope]

Daboo wrote:
I would be a little skeptical of the dealers refusal to let you have it checked out...and I have not heard of the 10 yr rule...mine is 10 yrs old, but I have taken care of it since I bought it new...don't think I would trust the people who have it..seems to me he may know something he don't want you to find out about...as one person said...there are thousands of RVs out there and probably some good ones, waiting to be bought...shop around and don't jump on the first one...just my advise and I have been doing the RVing quite a few years...good luck

He didn't refuse to let me check it out. He refused to allow me to take it to a dealer. He was very cooperative as long as I got one of those mobile repair services to come there and check it out.

And let's keep in mind, the "ten year rule" was just a guideline given to me by the owner of a very nice private campground. He had zero to gain one way or the other. He was just giving me the benefit of his experience...just as you are! 🙂

[Bumpyroad]

Daveinet wrote:
OK, so now that I do understand, I'll give you an explanation of RV shore power. 50 amp service is not 50 amps on 1 circuit. It is 2 circuits consisting of 1 30amp circuit, and 1 20 amp circuit, totaling 50 amps.

50 amp service is two 50 amp circuits.
bumpy

[wa8yxm]

Jackalope wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:


But you may need to wait six hours before doing that depending on the converter and battery state of charge (My converter is a "Big Ticket" if the batteries are dead, Tiny load if they are full up.)

Of course.. you did mention it's a motor home (Make and model) I believe.. No need to hook to shore power.. Has Onan Power.

Whoa! Whoa! Remember, you're talking to someone with limited knowledge of an RV here.

I'm gonna have to wait six hours for what?? And yeah, I'm sure it's got a generator, but does that work the same way as shore power?

This is sounding good because I'd really like to go get serious with that Damon. Thanks for the help.

Six hours for what:
If the batteries are low and it is reasonable to assume they are, and the converter is big enough (mine is 80 amp) then it can pull over 1000 watts of power for several hours charging the batteries..

So when you first plug in, using adapters, to a standard 15/20 amp wall outlet (like in your house) you can use lights, water pump, televisions and radios and such.. but the microwave, water heater or air conditioner, will trip the breaker.

After the batteries come up a bit (I said six hours but it might only be one or two) you can safely use ONE of those "Big ticket" items

It all depends on the battery state of charge. And the size of the converter. Assume the batteries are hungry Ask the sales idiot how big the converter is... An 80 amp converter can suck 10 amps off the power line easy. air conditioners running 13.5 Starting a whole lot more Microwave is in the 12-14 range as is the water heater. You have at most 20 amps so you need to wait for the batteries to charge before you test the big ticket stuff.

[Horsedoc]

You live in Roswell. Take a day and drive across the state line to SC and the Anderson area. There is a guy there that buys good, nice campers and motorhomes. On the left heading north on 85. CRS has got me now and cannot recall the name, but you will see it on the left. Big lot with all sorts of RVs. Very nice folks. http://www.portersrvsales.com/ I had to google it. Inventory is on line and in pics. If I was buying another I would check these guys fist

[Daveinet]

Jackalope wrote:
I'm sorry. I must've said something to give you the wrong impression. He never said I couldn't plug it into a regular outlet. What I meant was that he doesn't have a 50 amp service so I can check the operation of the inverters and all the electronics at the same time. But he hasn't refused me anything other than to take it somewhere overnight. If I gave you the impression that he'd refused anything else, the fault is mine.

OK, so now that I do understand, I'll give you an explanation of RV shore power. 50 amp service is not 50 amps on 1 circuit. It is 2 circuits consisting of 1 30amp circuit, and 1 20 amp circuit, totaling 50 amps. The single 30 amp service runs virtually everything in the RV except the rear AC unit. If you plug the 30 amp side into a standard 15 amp outlet, virtually everything in your RV will work, however you are limited to not turning on several things at the same time. So for test purposes, the 30 amp side can be plugged in, so you can test each appliance and feature. Unless someone has lost the adapter, the RV should have a short cord that you can plug the 50 amp cable into. This splits off the 30 amp circuit, so that everything will run. They should also have a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter, so you can plug the 30 amp cord into a standard 15 amp outlet. As long as you don't try to run the AC unit and plug in a hair dryer, you won't overload anything.

The reality is, most everyone here plugs there 30 amp plug into a 15 amp outlet when they power the RV at their own home, just to charge the batteries to supply voltage to the lights and other electronics.

The rear AC unit gets its power from the 20 amp side of the 50 amp plug. Probably not a real easy way to power that up.

[Goldencrazy]

You know the answer. The dealer is not helpful. Walk away. You need to do some work before you jump in. Look around, talk to sales people and post as you have done. Drive different ones. Check out a bunch and then I think rent one for a weekend. Good luck.

[Daboo]

I would be a little skeptical of the dealers refusal to let you have it checked out...and I have not heard of the 10 yr rule...mine is 10 yrs old, but I have taken care of it since I bought it new...don't think I would trust the people who have it..seems to me he may know something he don't want you to find out about...as one person said...there are thousands of RVs out there and probably some good ones, waiting to be bought...shop around and don't jump on the first one...just my advise and I have been doing the RVing quite a few years...good luck

[Jackalope]

bsinmich wrote:
We have an '03 that we have had for 9 years. It has been stored inside when not used and still looks like new. Repairs have been minimal and not related to age at all. A Newmar has great insulation in the walls, floor, and ceiling. That makes a big difference in cold and hot weather. Full Body Paint is much easier to keep clean than gel coat. If you plan on full time, or close to it, get a top line MH. You will appreciate it.

No, this won't be a full-time rig. Usually a couple of weeks, maybe a month. And I'm REALLY concerned about storage as the only thing I can find is sitting out in the open w/o a cover, so the roof scares me.

[Jackalope]

wa8yxm wrote:


But you may need to wait six hours before doing that depending on the converter and battery state of charge (My converter is a "Big Ticket" if the batteries are dead, Tiny load if they are full up.)

Of course.. you did mention it's a motor home (Make and model) I believe.. No need to hook to shore power.. Has Onan Power.

Whoa! Whoa! Remember, you're talking to someone with limited knowledge of an RV here.

I'm gonna have to wait six hours for what?? And yeah, I'm sure it's got a generator, but does that work the same way as shore power?

This is sounding good because I'd really like to go get serious with that Damon. Thanks for the help.

[bsinmich]

We have an '03 that we have had for 9 years. It has been stored inside when not used and still looks like new. Repairs have been minimal and not related to age at all. A Newmar has great insulation in the walls, floor, and ceiling. That makes a big difference in cold and hot weather. Full Body Paint is much easier to keep clean than gel coat. If you plan on full time, or close to it, get a top line MH. You will appreciate it.