Should I buy??

[Sborish]

Hello RV Enthusiats,

My wife and I have been contemplating buying a rv for a couple of years now. We’ve been renting about twice a year costing upwards of $1500 each time.

Low and behold someone in our neighborhood is selling theirs! It is a 1984 Itasca Sunflyer 22’. Perfect size for us. I think they will sell it to us for $6500?

I know the underlying concerns are many. This family has a very nice house, they take great care of their cars and the RV is immaculate with only 33,000 miles. The husband is a former mechanic and holds an important job with a public school district. Of course we do not want to spend a bunch of money on an rv and the styling and condition of this rv really appeals to us.

Curious is anyone has experience with this rv and may have any info on red flags before we make the purchase.



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[Ralph_Cramden]

fyrflie wrote:

Walaby wrote:

fyrflie wrote:
Nadaguides shows a low retail price of $8500 without any options using a California zip code.

Maybe because it's California. I personally can't see spending that kind of money on a 30+ year old RV.

I put in a random Georgia zip code, near Atlanta, and Nada returned the same pricing.

That is because the free online version is generalized. Its not the same as the paid subscrition.

When you put in the zip code it goes into a database along with the particular brand/model and that's then analyzed and used to analyze demand, along with lots of other data they collect, that ends up in the regional subscription versions such as estimated market values in geographical regions.

It works well with cars and other motor vehicles, not so much with the limited RV market and its constantly changing brands and models made in limited quantities.

[CharlesinGA]

It won't have fuel injection, and I would not touch a carburetor. Carbs have to be used regular and frequently or you will have lots of trouble with them. I mean like driving it every week, even if its only to Wal-Mart and to the grocery and back. Fuel injection doesn't seem to care how long it sits, I don't understand why, but that is the way it is.

Charles

[fyrflie]

Walaby wrote:

fyrflie wrote:
Nadaguides shows a low retail price of $8500 without any options using a California zip code.

Maybe because it's California. I personally can't see spending that kind of money on a 30+ year old RV.

I put in a random Georgia zip code, near Atlanta, and Nada returned the same pricing.

[2gypsies1]

It appears you know the family and you know their background and how their home and yard is kept up. I think you could get some good RVing out of it IF they've been using it regularly and it hasn't just be stored without use. That's not a lot of money lost if you have to have a major repair. Sell it for parts.

[Fizz]

Put it all in perspective...
An overseas vacation for two weeks will cost you more.
If you get five years out of it then sell it for half what it cost you, did you lose money?

[DrewE]

Walaby wrote:

fyrflie wrote:
Nadaguides shows a low retail price of $8500 without any options using a California zip code.

Maybe because it's California. I personally can't see spending that kind of money on a 30+ year old RV.

Mike

I'd much rather spend that kind of money for a 30 year old RV that's in good shape and has been well maintained than on a 10 year old RV that has not been properly maintained!

[free_radical]

Sborish wrote:
Hello RV Enthusiats,

My wife and I have been contemplating buying a rv for a couple of years now. We’ve been renting about twice a year costing upwards of $1500 each time.

Low and behold someone in our neighborhood is selling theirs! It is a 1984 Itasca Sunflyer 22’. Perfect size for us. I think they will sell it to us for $6500?

I know the underlying concerns are many. This family has a very nice house, they take great care of their cars and the RV is immaculate with only 33,000 miles. The husband is a former mechanic and holds an important job with a public school district. Of course we do not want to spend a bunch of money on an rv and the styling and condition of this rv really appeals to us.

Curious is anyone has experience with this rv and may have any info on red flags before we make the

Seems like very low milage for such old rig,,could be that someone turned the odometer back!?

[Walaby]

fyrflie wrote:
Nadaguides shows a low retail price of $8500 without any options using a California zip code.

Maybe because it's California. I personally can't see spending that kind of money on a 30+ year old RV.

Mike

[fyrflie]

Nadaguides shows a low retail price of $8500 without any options using a California zip code.

Don’t know where everyone else gets their information.

However, make sure you do a good inspection of major ticket items. I.e. tires, roof, fridge, etc.

[Lynnmor]

I would only consider buying an RV that old if it was garage kept. The sun and weather should have taken a serious toll by now if it sat outside.

[LazzzyCat]

Why do they justify such a high price?

[Boon_Docker]

Offer them $4000 and stop the negotiating at $4500.

[timmac]

Well if its low mileage and well cared for as you stated than its worth more than $2000 as some have said, $4500 to $5500 would be a good price if its in the condition you stated..

[Grit_dog]

Walaby wrote:


Not sure that him holding an 'important job' in the school district is a criteria for why buy the RV.. maybe as opposed to an unimportant job?

Bottom line - 34 year old RV wouldn't be worth $6500 regardless of condition.

Mike

Agree that sounds like too much money regardless of the condition.

However, Walaby, you'd do good to take note of how the OP is analyzing the character of the sellers when considering a used purchase rather than responding in the most literal sense.
To the OP's, I would only buy something that old if A. my budget didn't allow for newer (not because of the cousin Eddy looking camper, but because components that old are more prone to failure regardless of use than newer ones, in general. And because fuel injection and more modern electronics are for the most part more preferable, especially when the old style stuff is also really old).
Or B. if I was handy with all the systems and ready or willing to put some time/$/work into it as needed. You could easily spend 2-3x the purchase price (assuming 2-3 grand purchase, not 6) keeping it on the road. Need to be pretty saavy IMO to buy a potential project, or be ready to spend, in which case, buy newer IMO.