Is a 10 year old Class C with only 400 miles a good idea?

[edincleveland]

Hello,

I found a 2012 Forest River Class C motorhome, Chevy build, with only 400 miles on it, at a somewhat reasonable price. (No money has been exchanged.) The seller tells me his father had it, never used it and he is now selling it. Limited pictures show plastic still on the mattress. I haven't physically seen it yet but may go this coming week. We are in Ohio and the unit has been under an awning so the roof has been covered but 3 sides have exposure to the weather.

Due to the cold weather coming to the are inspections will be tough to perform especially the water side of things. I'm figuring tires for sure will need to be replaced due to age and just sitting.

I'm worried about the things I won't be able to see especially the engine, seals, bearings, rubber components and the like.

I've looked for companies that will do inspections but haven't found any in the area. I tried the NRVIA site an none within 75 distance, but would be willing to pay if I could find one.

While I will be new to the motorhome aspect of travel and camping, we've had a travel trailer parked at a campground for many years.

Any thoughts or suggestion on buying a unit like this?

Thanks for any input you have to offer.

Ed

 

[Rich W.]

I picked up a 30’ 5th wheel in upstate NY for my son that had very little use since new. Just sitting a long time in a carport type arrangement. It looked perfect. But the brakes had failed - bad magnets for whatever reason so I replaced them.

What I didn’t know was that there was extensive rodent damage. They had tunneled into the cushions, shreaded a lot of insulation, and gotten into the heat ducts. I didn’t expect that but it make sense since it just sat for 5 or 6 years since new. Sounds like the way this Class C was stored has that same potential.

On the drive train, thats a tough call. Might be great, but you might find seals failing after a couple thousand miles as you suspect, which would be a major disappointment. Hoses and the belt are no big deal. A rear main is. And of course brakes could be a real chore if those seals are bad. Maybe talk to some seasoned Chevy mechanics on that one.

 

[edincleveland]

I picked up a 30’ 5th wheel in upstate NY for my son that had very little use since new. Just sitting a long time in a carport type arrangement. It looked perfect. But the brakes had failed - bad magnets for whatever reason so I replaced them.

What I didn’t know was that there was extensive rodent damage. They had tunneled into the cushions, shreaded a lot of insulation, and gotten into the heat ducts. I didn’t expect that but it make sense since it just sat for 5 or 6 years since new. Sounds like the way this Class C was stored has that same potential.

On the drive train, thats a tough call. Might be great, but you might find seals failing after a couple thousand miles as you suspect, which would be a major disappointment. Hoses and the belt are no big deal. A rear main is. And of course brakes could be a real chore if those seals are bad. Maybe talk to some seasoned Chevy mechanics on that one.

Thanks Rich for your insightful response to my first post in the RVForum.

I chase mice in our trailer on a regular basis, not a fun task. The point about the brakes really makes sense. It may not even be safe to drive it out of his drive. I repair brakes on my car but the motorhome brings it to another level, an expensive level. So if I figure tires, brakes, hoses, other soft parts and possible other costly repairs, this may not be the deal I think it is.

Thanks again Rich

 

[Rich W.]

Thanks Rich for your insightful response to my first post in the RVForum.

I chase mice in our trailer on a regular basis, not a fun task. The point about the brakes really makes sense. It may not even be safe to drive it out of his drive. I repair brakes on my car but the motorhome brings it to another level, an expensive level. So if I figure tires, brakes, hoses, other soft parts and possible other costly repairs, this may not be the deal I think it is.

Thanks again Rich

And thats only if all the more internal seals (engine, trans, rear end) are good. Brakes though on that chassis are no different than a pick-up, just a little bigger. The pads and rotors will be fine of course as will the bearings, although grease sitting for years without moving will tend to dry up a bit, but its the calipers that might fail on you. But they might be good as new too - thats why I’d talk to a good experienced chevy wrench if you are serious about this.

Your first post was a pleasure to respond to because it has lots of info about the issue, your situation and goals, and you own thoughts on it all. I often see a first post like “my heater wont come on” and thats it, so you either have to pry more info out of them, or ignore it and wonder if someone is freezing that you could probably help. Or if its just cheap entertainment for someone with nothing better to do.

 

[edincleveland]

Thanks again for your response Rich. If you lived in Ohio I'd invite you to take a look at this unit.

 

[TheLooks]

If the things you can see are fine, Rodents, water damage, etc. I would buy it in a heartbeat. Think about it. IF it had 30,000 miles on it you would think the seals and grease etc was fine. But that is wear and tear. I am not a proponent of such items just rotting away not moving. This might have been the case on machines from many years ago.
I would drain the oil and change the filter in the engine on the spot. Look over the rig for exterior and rodent related issues and don't worry about the drivetrain. If it has a serpentine belt I would watch it, mine is original at 119000 miles.
Biggest issue will be new batteries.
Actually, if it was parked with ethanol fuel in it, have it removed before running the engine. If he has been demoing it for people, might be to late for that but it has a filter on it.

 

[BGMAC]

Well, I’m on the Luther side of engines sitting for a long time. engines Need to go through heat cycles To keep humidity out. When sitting for a long time cylinder walls, cams, cranks will begin to rust. When you start using the engine again the rust will act like sandpaper on your rings, bearings etc. and probably cause premature failure. I’ve personally gone through this with my first aircraft where I had an engine failure for this same reason. The same goes for the transmission. Even periodic startups don’t really help. The engine and transmission need to be at operating temp for a period of time to evaporate any moisture.

 

[Scotttkd2]

Ditto on sitting can cause as much or more damage than using it. If you cant get it extensivelly inspected, I would pass. If its a steal and your up for a project go for it. Keep you credit card handy!

 

[TheLooks]

Wow, how many of you have actually bought or ran anything old? Wives tales? Just wondering because I have and know many that have as well. Funny how lore carries thru forums. I will again say that I would jump on it with both eyes wide open.

 

[BGMAC]

Wow, how many of you have actually bought or ran anything old? Wives tales? Just wondering because I have and know many that have as well. Funny how lore carries thru forums. I will again say that I would jump on it with both eyes wide open.

Buying something old and used is one thing but buying something old and hardly ever used is another. I'm not saying not to buy it, but I am saying is aware of the expenses you may accrue so it may not be as good a deal as you may think.

It's not old wife's tales as I have experienced it. I had an engine failure due to lack of use crashing in the woods of Mississippi. Granted an engine blowing up in a vehicle is not as critical but it's still costly. Below is the picture of the plane I bought with only 300 hrs on the engine in over 10 yrs. after 7 hrs. of flying, the engine blew. There was corrosion on the valve stems which caused one of the to stick open and the piston hit and shattering seizing the engine.