'94 Elkhorn 9T

[snowninja]

I am pretty close to picking up a '94 Elkhorn 9T and am excited, the owner has taken really good care of it and made some upgrades and mods and offered a good price. couple minor things that I think we can live with, it's not an extended cabover so the bed sleeps side to side vs front to back and it's a bit older than I wanted but as mentioned well taken care of and leakfree. One other thing it only has a 2 way fridge maybe not a big deal if I can run it on propane while driving. Is this possible or safe? also has brand new jacks and air conditioning! hopefully we can make good use of it the rest of the summer and even do some winter camping at our favorite ski resort.

couple things on the list, maybe put a new bed in it, I didn't even check to see the comfort level but it looks like a standard camper bed and probably a bit too soft for me. also want to install a front receiver hitch and platform/box to hold my Honda 2k generator.

anyone have any comments or suggestions otherwise?

thanks!

[snowninja]

DaButcher wrote:
Good pics! Yep, almost exactly like mine. Yours appears to have fewer whiskey dents on the outside than mine. Keep us updated on whatever mods or repair you do.

Does the stinky slinky holder go all the way across?

yeah it does, that was another mod he did. it sits right over the truck bumper. I originally thought it was for fishing rods since he is a fisherman (would have been bonus for me), but he added it to allow for easier offload. the original slinky is still in the cubby on the rear of the camper.

my first task will be to reseal the trim on the rails then at some point i'll fix the roof, it doesn't not leak currently but it could be dry rotting up there and want to take care of it. I am almost afraid to look at it though. I spent a lot of time this weekend youtubing roof replacement videos it looks labor intense but not particularly difficult. I might get away with just doing the one corner by peeling back the old rubber but at some point may need to go back to do the rest.

one question for the group - is it possible to put eternabond directly onto the rubber roof without removing the sealant? I ask because the one area that the woodpecker affected still shows a dimple about the size of a nickel and i'd hate for water to puddle there and have the sealant crack and allow water in.

[DaButcher]

Good pics! Yep, almost exactly like mine. Yours appears to have fewer whiskey dents on the outside than mine. Keep us updated on whatever mods or repair you do.

Does the stinky slinky holder go all the way across?

[snowninja]

here is a picture of the table modification. i actually removed it and replaced the original, i might go back to it but you can only seat 2 at the table with the mod.


apparently the stereo was mounted above the fridge so the PO moved it to this spot above the pantry. i will likely upgrade the speakers and put in a BT capable unit so i can stream music from my phone.


microwave additon over hood, i plan to replace the faucet and get rid of the 20yo foam matress and replace with an airbed.


PO resealed the roof with self leveling stuff


drivers side view


passenger side view



bathrom

[DaButcher]

I assume this is the same camper you mentioned in other post that you did purchase. Would like to see pics, especially of the mods previous owner had done and any you may have done. My TC appears to be almost identical.

[snowninja]

thanks for the feedback Wayne. my original post made it sound like both the A/C and the jacks were new but in fact it's just the jacks. the A/C appears to be original or at least not brand new. I am not sure of the unit brand or BTU but will find out more info soon and give it a test run tomorrow when I pick it up.

it turns out there had been a leak on the roof where a woodpecker apparently pecked through the rubber. there is a about a 12"x12" section on the ceiling in the corner towards the front of the cabover bed that is a little wrinkled and what I would call spongy. it did not seem to extend down the side of the wall at least that I could tell. the seller said it has not leaked on him since buying 3 years ago. he did a full reseal on the roof this spring but after getting up on the roof and looking I could still see where the pecker made the hole as it was a little recessed compared to the rest of the roof. I might cover this area with eternabond even though its been sealed up since the spring and then look to see what would be required to pull the ceiling panel out and have a look inside to the frame/insulation.

like I said it doesn't seem too bad but I don't want this extending any further than it has in case there is dry rot but having no knowledge how this looked 3/6/9/12 months it might be good to have a look under the covers.

what do you guys think? some people say its a really big job to open it up but it seems fairly straight forward to me..

[Reddog1]

snowninja wrote:
I am pretty close to picking up a '94 Elkhorn 9T and am excited, the owner has taken really good care of it and made some upgrades and mods and offered a good price.

I too bought a used TC, in 2004. It was a 1988 Bigfoot, with no upgrades. The price was right, allowing me to make the upgrades I wanted.

snowninja wrote:
couple minor things that I think we can live with, it's not an extended cabover so the bed sleeps side to side vs front to back and it's a bit older than I wanted but as mentioned well taken care of and leakfree.

My TC also sleeps side to side. I see advantages to side to side and front to back. but can't see that either is a big deal.n It is an individual thing in my opinion. Typically, the front to back is a taller cabover (about 12" plus). I prefer the lower TC.

For me, age was not as important to me as condition, upgrades, and price. My choice was a $1000 older TC, not $25000 plus new TC. I have since made about $8000 in upgrades and appliance repairs, including Honda 2000, over a five year period. No interest, insurance, and pay as I upgraded, not monthly.

snowninja wrote:
One other thing it only has a 2 way fridge maybe not a big deal if I can run it on propane while driving. Is this possible or safe?

My guess is you have a propane/120-volt fridge. I have a 3-way. In my opinion, the 12-volt mode is useless and can be disastrous. It can kill a battery very quickly. I think this is true even while driving, if your truck is not setup properly.

I am still here with no past negative experiences of running my fridge on propane while driving for over forty years. The only time I use 120-volt is when my TC is in storage in front of my garage.

snowninja wrote:
also has brand new jacks and air conditioning! hopefully we can make good use of it the rest of the summer and even do some winter camping at our favorite ski resort.

Hopefully, they installed a 9000 series, or equal, Polar Cub A/C. If so, it will allow you to use the Honda 2000.

snowninja wrote:
couple things on the list, maybe put a new bed in it, I didn't even check to see the comfort level but it looks like a standard camper bed and probably a bit too soft for me.

Pretty inexpensive fix.

snowninja wrote:
also want to install a front receiver hitch and platform/box to hold my Honda 2k generator.

I prefer my Honda to be mounted higher, out of harms way. You may have to add a second Honda, or replace your new A/C. Personally, I would replace the A/C, cheaper than a new generator. The smaller A/C can be moved to your next TC.

snowninja wrote:
anyone have any comments or suggestions otherwise?

It is great that you found a TC that meets your needs.

Wayne

[snowninja]

Thanks guys. I hadn't considered that aspect. I'll bring some extra boards with me. There is a lot of headroom in my '02 f350 so the cper migmight need a little lift.

I thought I could use my honda 2000 generator to run the ac but it might be too much for it.. that's a bummer. The ac unit seems to replace a fantastic fan which was pretty powerful to pull air in or push it out. I don't know off hand how many btu the ac unit is. I guess ill have to try it and see..

[DaButcher]

If you decide to get it, listen to Sparky. When bringing my '93 9VS Elkhorn home a few weeks ago with a couple 1x6's under it, the camper did rub the roof of my 2011 F250.

Haven't used mine yet, but it seems to be OK for occasional use after a little TLC.

[Sparky87k5]

I run my refrigerator on propane when I'm traveling. Running on 12 volts draws too much current that is better utilized charging the batteries. Use 120 volts when plugged into power at a campground to conserve propane. Make sure it clears your truck roof before dropping the camper onto your truck bed. My 92 Lance wouldn't clear the truck roof without 2" of wood under the camper floor.