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Upgrade to a DP?

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
We bought a low mileage 29 foot '88 Coachmen Classic Class A gasser in 2004 that has served us well but the time has come to think about getting another coach. We don't want to spend more than 25k and don't want anything bigger than 32', 30' would be preferable even. I know there isn't much in the way of DPs that fit these criteria but I did see a '97 30' Safari in the local classifieds, since sold, for 24k that looked nice and pretty much what I was hoping to find.

I'm looking for any advice here...brands or models to look for or avoid, or if it's not a practical endeavor at all. We are ready for a better, quieter ride and the gassers I've driven seem to have even less pep than our old Coachmen and are just as loud in the cockpit. I don't want get into a DP only to get killed by unanticipated repair costs either. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
34 REPLIES 34

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
tropical36 wrote:
Teleman wrote:
rgatijnet1 wrote:
Some of the 1996 Treks had the GM diesel and a generator that runs on LP. You could also get the gas engine during that same time frame. You just have to search until you find what suits your needs. You might try this website to ask questions about Treks:
http://www.nwtfc.com/forum/default.asp


Yes. We traveled to SoCal in our MH over the holidays and went a bit out of our way to look at this Trek. Seemed perfect. Sold just before we got there!

http://www.rvt.com/Safari-Trek-PATHFINDER-1997-Ontario-CA-ID7084901-UX163098

Wouldn't 16K miles over 20 years, spell lot rot?
Not that you couldn't fix whatever and if you could have gotten it right, since it's always about the price, anyway.


It's surely possible. It would have needed a thorough inspection but it's a moot point now.

tropical36
Explorer
Explorer
Teleman wrote:
rgatijnet1 wrote:
Some of the 1996 Treks had the GM diesel and a generator that runs on LP. You could also get the gas engine during that same time frame. You just have to search until you find what suits your needs. You might try this website to ask questions about Treks:
http://www.nwtfc.com/forum/default.asp


Yes. We traveled to SoCal in our MH over the holidays and went a bit out of our way to look at this Trek. Seemed perfect. Sold just before we got there!

http://www.rvt.com/Safari-Trek-PATHFINDER-1997-Ontario-CA-ID7084901-UX163098

Wouldn't 16K miles over 20 years, spell lot rot?
Not that you couldn't fix whatever and if you could have gotten it right, since it's always about the price, anyway.
"We are often so caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey."

07 Revolution LE 40E_Spartan MM_06 400HP C9 CAT_Allison 3000.

Dinghy_2010 Jeep Wrangler JKU ISLANDER.

1998 36ft. National Tropi-Cal Chevy Model 6350 (Sold)

tropical36
Explorer
Explorer
Teleman wrote:
We bought a low mileage 29 foot '88 Coachmen Classic Class A gasser in 2004 that has served us well but the time has come to think about getting another coach. We don't want to spend more than 25k and don't want anything bigger than 32', 30' would be preferable even. I know there isn't much in the way of DPs that fit these criteria but I did see a '97 30' Safari in the local classifieds, since sold, for 24k that looked nice and pretty much what I was hoping to find.

I'm looking for any advice here...brands or models to look for or avoid, or if it's not a practical endeavor at all. We are ready for a better, quieter ride and the gassers I've driven seem to have even less pep than our old Coachmen and are just as loud in the cockpit. I don't want get into a DP only to get killed by unanticipated repair costs either. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

First order of business will be to find a gear head for a private seller, when purchasing that old and being so fearful of immediate and surprising undo repairs. These units are usually kept up with and if he's personally done some mods, so much the better, as it shows his interest in the rig, other than just for using it. You'll need to evaluate the truth of this seller's motive for selling as well, which will tell you a lot about the coach in question.
Lastly, you might want an independent PDI, once the deal is made and being contingent on this inspection. Either that or buy it for a song and way under low retail, so that you'll have some room leftover for the unexpected and eventual repairs.
"We are often so caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey."

07 Revolution LE 40E_Spartan MM_06 400HP C9 CAT_Allison 3000.

Dinghy_2010 Jeep Wrangler JKU ISLANDER.

1998 36ft. National Tropi-Cal Chevy Model 6350 (Sold)

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
Mile High wrote:
Wow, that was in nice shape!
Yeah...:(

Mile_High
Explorer
Explorer
Wow, that was in nice shape!
2013 Winnebago Itasca Meridian 42E
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Towed

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
rgatijnet1 wrote:
Some of the 1996 Treks had the GM diesel and a generator that runs on LP. You could also get the gas engine during that same time frame. You just have to search until you find what suits your needs. You might try this website to ask questions about Treks:
http://www.nwtfc.com/forum/default.asp


Yes. We traveled to SoCal in our MH over the holidays and went a bit out of our way to look at this Trek. Seemed perfect. Sold just before we got there!

http://www.rvt.com/Safari-Trek-PATHFINDER-1997-Ontario-CA-ID7084901-UX163098

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
Mile High wrote:
I'm surprised the diesels you looked at have an LP generator. You are right, we run ours down the road almost all the time to keep the ACs running if we bring our daughter.


Even the shorter DPs I've looked at all have LP gens. I guess the diesel gens are more expensive and come on higher end coaches?

rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Explorer III
Some of the 1996 Treks had the GM diesel and a generator that runs on LP. You could also get the gas engine during that same time frame. You just have to search until you find what suits your needs. You might try this website to ask questions about Treks:
http://www.nwtfc.com/forum/default.asp

Mile_High
Explorer
Explorer
I'm surprised the diesels you looked at have an LP generator. You are right, we run ours down the road almost all the time to keep the ACs running if we bring our daughter.
2013 Winnebago Itasca Meridian 42E
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Towed

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
hussbuss wrote:
Teleman. There is a nice Safari Tech in the Appleton Craigs list RV. Posting number is 5887586776. Has small slide and is 31ft long. Has big block GM motor. Has been for sale 4 2 years. Price has been coming down. Has pictures. Check it out. hussbuss.


Very nice! Unfortunately it's more than I can really afford to spend. I'm also hoping to get something a bit smaller. But that does look like a great coach at the price.

hussbuss
Explorer
Explorer
Teleman. There is a nice Safari Tech in the Appleton Craigs list RV. Posting number is 5887586776. Has small slide and is 31ft long. Has big block GM motor. Has been for sale 4 2 years. Price has been coming down. Has pictures. Check it out. hussbuss.

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
I've decided that diesel is problematic as I run my genny constantly when traveling in the summer plus I dry camp pretty much exclusively so LP just won't work as a fuel source. None of the smaller, older DPs in my limited price range have diesel generators so I'm looking at gassers again.

The Safari Trek is now of the most interest to me. It's just me and my wife and we pretty much always retire and wake up together so the lack of a separate bedroom is not an issue and the big kitchen and bathroom really appeal to us. There's one for sale locally, '96 in really good condition that I'm going to look at. Unfortunately it's a diesel so I won't be buying it but at least I can see what the coach looks like, features, build quality, etc. Anyone have experience with Treks? Advice, things to look for?

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
Trying to find a DP shorter than 32 ft is very difficult. I am down in Fla now and spent some time at Lazy Daze RV in Tampa and was very disappointed in the used inventory even in gas MH's between 30-34 ft. I did not want to go over 34 ft. I have seen and test driven the Journey 32T with 275 HP, a 34 ft Bounder DP with the 5.9 eng these were nice but were under powered compared to my old gas MH. Beaver made a short DP and CC made the Allure and Intrigue. I have not test drove either of these but they seem to be really nice MH's if you can find them. One thing to keep in mind is that gas MH's have the same HP Engs whether they are in a 30 ft MH or 38 ft MH, DP's have lower HP engs the shorter they get. That means a 30 ft gas MH with a 362 HP eng will have a lot better performance that a 32 ft DP with 275 HP. Good luck in your search, let us know what you find.

Teleman
Explorer
Explorer
After doing a bit more research I'm finding that the DPs that are in my size and price range all have LP generators. This seems problematic as in warm weather I'm running my gen and AC constantly and I understand these use LP pretty quickly. I dry camp, never connect to shore power, and move around a lot seldom camping in the same place for more than one or two nights. This has given me pause and caused me to reconsider a gasser like the Trek. I imagine changing an LP genset out for a diesel would be very expensive. Any thoughts?