Buying our first RV

winnietrey wrote:
Heather you may well be OK,

As for the three dogs, I am unaware of any state parks of national forest campgrounds that have a dog # restriction. They could but I at least am not aware of any.

As for the salvage title, It could be a great deal, IF YOU GET IT CHEAP ENOUGH TO REFLECT THAT.

At 6100 you are not exactly betting the family farm. The question is why was it considered a total loss?

Remember an INS co will total at about 60% or so of value depending on the company. Then the owner can buy it back.

So the question is what caused the INS co to total it?

It could be pretty minor (body work racks up pretty fast) Up to a huge accident and or roof leak.

If you buy it cheap, you can sell it cheap, and perhaps get many years of use out of it.

But I do not agree with other posters that say you should always run from a salvage title. I would say it depends, they can be a very good deal

I say NEW Tires before traveling.THE TIRES IF OLD ARE NO GOOD no matter how much tread is still on the tire. Minimum $1500.00 to replace 6 tires or take a chance having a blowout at 55 mph and have the potential of $1000.00 damage. $1000.00 is easy to do IF you take out a water tank or electrical components or your bath.
There are restrictions on dogs at most National parks not on the number but a lot of national parks limit where the dogs can be http://www.petvr.com/index.php/pages/Nationalparks.html. New Jersey and conneticut only allows dogs in certain campgrounds and then only on certain sites and charge $5.00 extra with a limit of 2 dogs. SO now you know and I bet there are other states as well but I have not checked in addition private CG may have restrictions and the PIT BULL MIX and 3 dogs will preclude the OP from using them. Some CG have a breed restriction and PIT BULL is at the top of the list of not allowed breeds . Some have a 2 dog limit. Some have both

If there is frame damage which is not easy to spot even with a trained eye then no deal is a good deal.

Have you ever bought a salvage title vehicle in one state and tried to register it in another state? The OP will not know if it is possible until AFTER she has paid because when it gets to Pennsylvania it has to have an inspection to determine whether a new title for Pennsylvania will be issued. What does the OP do then? http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/Reconstructed_Vehicles.pdf
As I said previously some insurance companies may not touch the rig so op may be forced into higher insurance price in order to drive the thing. For price point I bought my 1990 Southwind 27 for $4000.00 last year AFTER THE RIG passed inspection at a independent truck repair.I do not consider $6100,00 a really great price for a questionable unit.

delete

Heather you may well be OK,

As for the three dogs, I am unaware of any state parks of national forest campgrounds that have a dog # restriction. They could but I at least am not aware of any.

As for the salvage title, It could be a great deal, IF YOU GET IT CHEAP ENOUGH TO REFLECT THAT.

At 6100 you are not exactly betting the family farm. The question is why was it considered a total loss?

Remember an INS co will total at about 60% or so of value depending on the company. Then the owner can buy it back.

So the question is what caused the INS co to total it?

It could be pretty minor (body work racks up pretty fast) Up to a huge accident and or roof leak.

If you buy it cheap, you can sell it cheap, and perhaps get many years of use out of it.

But I do not agree with other posters that say you should always run from a salvage title. I would say it depends, they can be a very good deal

hterrill wrote:
... We are supposed to pick it up in Illinois and drive it home to PA. I bought it for $6100.00.

you bought and paid for it already?

On another note, there is actually places that wont let you on their campground if you have dogs? I have a Maltese I just rescued who is 12. Spent all her life in a puppy mill. A Yorkie that wasn't wanted who is only 7 months old and weighs 1 lb and a Golden - Pit mix

Gee, I sure wish I had some good news for you! :W

Most CG's have a 2 dog limit, and under 25 lbs.

There are also breed restrictions. Sadly your Pit mix will keep you from staying at almost all CG's that have dog rules.

Yes someone will chime in that there are exceptions and sometimes you will find one but having more than 2 dogs and a breed restricted dog will make RV'ing not as much fun as you frustratingly try to find a CG every night that will accept your dogs.

I travel with 4 small dogs all under 14 lbs and it is not easy.

There is a lot here.

First, get confirmation of the VIN. In my years of dealing with strange vehicles, many have turn up to be reported stolen or totaled. But, many were and the state's records were never properly resolved. (This can also be a great hammer to get the price down if you are sure that the vehicle is not "hot" and is registerable.)

Second, most non-dog campgrounds will say so in their website. There is a problem though, many have a two dog maximum or a total dog weight limit. While this is rare, a call will make it clear.

Lastly, If it is a Motorhome (you do not say), be aware that at 22years, all the rubber parts are aged out. Check the DOT-Date codes of all the tires. Seven years is not good and ten is asking for trouble. If they are 19.5 or larger, they are not cheap to replace. Not just the tires, but the hoses and belts as well. And, the coolant and brake fluid are also over age.

There is no reason that an older coach can't be reliable. Ours just finished a 4376 mile excursion and we broke a drawer slide.

Matt

I will. Going anywhere without my dogs is not an option. I will make sure to do all my homework before venturing out :) Thank you!!!

Yes there re absolutely many places that you cannot camp with dogs.

Many,many ,if not the majority of campgrounds do allow pets. All have rules of conduct and some charge a pet fee. The onus is on you to educate yourself on the campgrounds rule when you make your reservation. Rules are normaly clearly spelled out on their website.

Thank you all for the great responses. I would rather informed then left in regret. I am going to get all the details on this title as well as obtain a copy of the current title. We are supposed to pick it up in Illinois and drive it home to PA. I bought it for $6100.00. I am not willing to throw that kind of money out the window for something I cannot enjoy and in the future cannot trade in.

On another note, there is actually places that wont let you on their campground if you have dogs? I have a Maltese I just rescued who is 12. Spent all her life in a puppy mill. A Yorkie that wasn't wanted who is only 7 months old and weighs 1 lb and a Golden - Pit mix that was given away because the guys wolf-hybrid didn't like him. All my dogs are well mannered and quiet. Note to self - look before I leap.

I will do more research on the Rig and let you all know what I find. Thanks again, I really do appreciate the advice from experienced RVers :) Heather

A 1990 with a title with no problems in that length range would only go for about $10,000 or less.
Think what you are paying.
Is the frame bent? We do not know. So you could be buying tires frequently or fighting the steering wheel every mile you travel.
You say the rig runs good? How do you know?
You will have a hard time insuring the vehicle as some companies will not touch the risk. SO you may end up paying a premium for the rigs insurance even if only liability.

A telling item to me would be how long the current owner has had the rig. Did he get taken and is unloading it on you?

You should be looking a new tires before traveling with the rig. Tires over 5 years old should be treated with great suspicion regardless af how good the tire looks. RV tires are NOT REPEAT NOT the same as car tires RV tires sit in the sun for long periods just baking away. This and the non use for long periods dry out the tire and MAKE IT FAIL AT SPEED. Lots of damage can ensue. Any tire over 7 - 8 year old should be changed!!!

Now as for other factors with a rig that old you will be excluded from some RV parks. With 3 dogs you will be excluded from other places.
This is a bad buy which might leave a horrid taste in your craw souring you on a great lifestyle.

salvage vehicles don't have any real value for resale soooooo, unless you are going to keep this forever and then give it away, good luck.

this vehicle was considered totaled at some point by the insurance company. and like mentioned above, why was it totaled?

I purchased a salvaged car one time and it was fine, the only trouble was that it didn't have any trade in value and I just gave it away to a few a few years later.