New RVer

[saratogagirl]

We looked at an RV last night and thinking about buying it. We are a little skittish. Have always wanted to do this. It's a great price and appears to be in great condition. It's a 2001 Ford F-53 Coachman. (Aurora) with only 21,000 miles on it. (6.8 L V10 EFI) Who on here has a model like this one? Any specifics to look for? I know we will need to replace tires. They are a bit cracked from drying out and not being used. It has two bump outs that work, but the canvas may need a little attention. Everything seems to work well. Not sure what to look for HELP

 

[calvin99]

If you’re not a DIY fixer, I’d recommend not buying anything that old. RVs always need regular maintenance and fixes. Based on the very low mileage I’m guessing it’s barely been used or moved. Things will rot from underuse. Rodents may have chewed through wires. The house battery is certainly dead unless they’ve replaced it. Has the generator been maintained? Have you tested the holding tanks? Have you inspected the roof for leaks (20 years of sun can do alot of damage). Have you tested the water heater, furnace, air conditioner? Depending on location, rust could be an issue. If you watch TV, it may not be able to receive over the air digital signals without a converter box.. Over the air analog has been discontinued for some time now

In 2017 I purchased a 2008 motorhome (about 9 years old) and it was a never ending nightmare and I was able to do much of the work myself. I had to have a new roof installed for about $16k and it took 3 months. I spent more time working on it than using it. Many lessons learned which was helpful when looking for its replacement.

Many campgrounds don’t allow RVs older than 10 years, especially if they haven’t been kept up well (paint, decals, etc)

I don’t think this is a good first timers rv. If you have a lot of experience and know what to look for, maybe it’s ok. Otherwise you’d be well served to look for something under 5 years old

 

[calvin99]

Oh….the refrigerator. The absorption refrigerators don’t last forever. They’re very expensive to replace and it might be impossible to find one that fits in the existing place

 

[BGMAC]

The 2001 V10 I believe is the one where you would have problems if you were to try and change the spark plugs. The would strip out the threads in the head. Later on they fixed them and now there not a problem. I would google to verify.

 

[TheLooks]

Pay a professional to assess it for you. It might be a sweet deal, but if you don't know the things to look for it can be a money pit.

 

[saratogagirl]

If you’re not a DIY fixer, I’d recommend not buying anything that old. RVs always need regular maintenance and fixes. Based on the very low mileage I’m guessing it’s barely been used or moved. Things will rot from underuse. Rodents may have chewed through wires. The house battery is certainly dead unless they’ve replaced it. Has the generator been maintained? Have you tested the holding tanks? Have you inspected the roof for leaks (20 years of sun can do alot of damage). Have you tested the water heater, furnace, air conditioner? Depending on location, rust could be an issue. If you watch TV, it may not be able to receive over the air digital signals without a converter box.. Over the air analog has been discontinued for some time now

In 2017 I purchased a 2008 motorhome (about 9 years old) and it was a never ending nightmare and I was able to do much of the work myself. I had to have a new roof installed for about $16k and it took 3 months. I spent more time working on it than using it. Many lessons learned which was helpful when looking for its replacement.

Many campgrounds don’t allow RVs older than 10 years, especially if they haven’t been kept up well (paint, decals, etc)

I don’t think this is a good first timers rv. If you have a lot of experience and know what to look for, maybe it’s ok. Otherwise you’d be well served to look for something under 5 years old

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Your suggestions are quite helpful. New battery, roof looks good. A/C works and generator turned right on. I know it doesn't mean it's in perfect condition, but exterior is perfect except maybe a little new caulking here and there. We are new to this for sure. Don't want to buy new because not sure how much we will use. They are expensive. My husband can fix anything, however, I don't want it to be his new job! Thanks again. I will share with my husband.

 

[AbdRahim]

Pay a professional to assess it for you. It might be a sweet deal, but if you don't know the things to look for it can be a money pit.

That goes for any used RV!