Good deal or not? 1991 WINNEBAGO CLASS A for 10,000 dollars.

[Wildbob52]

1991 WINNEBAGO CLASS A

VIN: 1GBKP37NXL3323809
fuel: other
odometer: 74983
title status: clean
transmission: automatic

http://images.craigslist.org/00Z0Z_k...Un_600x450.jpg

A RV dealer is selling this motorhome.

NICE 91 WINNIE JUST TRADED IN. DOUBLE AC UNITS BRAND NEW CARPET ENGINE JUST TUNED UP AND SERVICED NEW EXHAUST MANIFOLDS TIRES ARE VERY NICE DASH AC GOOD AND COLD LARGE REAR BEDROOM READY TO GO CAMPING

NICE 91 WINNIE JUST TRADED IN.

DOUBLE AC UNITS
BRAND NEW CARPET
ENGINE JUST TUNED UP AND SERVICED
NEW EXHAUST MANIFOLDS
TIRES ARE VERY NICE
DASH AC GOOD AND COLD
LARGE REAR BEDROOM

Thanks for the help.

[530ktm]

I do not think this is anything special. I just sold my 97 Adventurer for $10,000 with the same mileage and it was clean and working. You do not mention what model, size or anything else so it is not an easy call. Looks like a Chieftan around 33 feet and I sold my dads which was an 89 around 7 years ago for $10,000.

[mbridinger]

No. Stay away from dealers.

[motohomo]

Its not an awesome deal. If you like it, offer $6000 and work from there

[the_vfox]

No slides on it, and lots of details missing. What service does it have 30 or 50 amps? It mentioned new manifolds which means it probably does not have the banks system on it, probably under powered if you were thinking of towing. I would get a third party to inspect it professionally and go from there. I would start at 5K if it passes inspection.

[steamyb]

It's also 15 years old ,so forget GoodSam roadside assistance. It's too old for them. I found that out after I bought an '89 Fleetwood Flair and joined GoodSam. Helluva surprise when you think you cab get a cheap tow and an assist and find you are on your own and broke down. Walk away on this one. I wish I had.

[John Hilley]

It looks like a reasonable buy. It is actually 24 years old, but in good condition for that age. Inexpensive way to get into RVing. Check to make sure all the systems work - refrigerator, water heater, furnace, water pump, toilet, air conditioners, microwave, oven, stove top, converter, inverter if it has one, TVs, radios. Chassis - springs, shock absorbers, brakes, radiator, power steering, cab heater, cab AC, speedometer, odometer, steering components. If all checks out $10,000 is probably fair. If something doesn't work, get it replaced or discounted from sales price. Check all windows and vents for any sign of water intrusion. Also check propane system for leaks and propane and CO detector to see if still certified (there should be a date on device).

[NeilV]

I would not pay that much for a 24 year old Chevy P30 based motor home. There is a reason the exhaust manifolds were replaced on that one and its due to the fact that on that chassis they were very much prone to cracking.

Watch out for the automatic parking brake, weaknesses in the front suspension and troublesome factory front air bags mounted inside the front springs.

That one appears to have been well maintained as far as the appearance items go however it still is a P30 bakery truck based motor home which is pushing the limits of that chassis to an extreme.

$5,000 or $6,000 tops. For $10,000 it would have to be perfect and carry a warranty of at least 90 days but should be for a year. I would not offer more than $4,000 initial because of what I know about the potential issues with the P30 front suspension and AutoPark brake along with the high potential for the exhaust manifolds to fail again which can all together get very expensive to deal with.

Note that tires are not new so you would need to verify their date codes and toss them if over 5 years old. You are still taking a chance on them since you won't know for sure if they were run with low pressures and such. If they are just under 5 years old consider that in a few months you will need for safeties sake to spend around a few thousand dollars to replace them.

[steamyb]

Sorry about my math, but that just makes me argument stronger. For a first time RVer to be able to go through this very old RV and check systems he has never dealt with is asking a lot.
I installed an Electrical Management System ($185). Easy right? 3 wires in and 3 wires out. 6 hours later my daughter finished for me (she is left handed and I couldn't stand on my head that long) and I still have to run the monitor wire (in loom- not supplied) up into the mid-section (kitchen probably).
My wife wanted Hot Water On-Demand ($600). 6 gallons won't work for her,so...Easy right? Hot out, Cold in, a LP line and some low voltage wiring for the igniter. Yesterday, I pulled all the inside panels off on that side of the RV (I still have to run the monitor wire), and I wanted to see the back side of the water heater. All the plumbing is plex, so I will need to buy tools and tubing for this job.
The last (?) upgrade to my '89 Flair will be a Wi-Fi Antenna, Boaster and Router. It will go on the roof ladder, has to be removable and the 10' cable will put the router in the bedroom- probably up through the floor, inside the night stand and I will run 12 VDC to it. The ladder with Antenna will also need grounding.
I know mechanical work. I retired in '11 from Roadway (Yellow) after 32 years as a mechanic. This is not retirement. Thank goodness I'm not punching a clock and can wait out the heat of the day.
The inside of my Flair looks like a brand new one, 57K miles on a 454 Chevy engine and it drives like a dream. My wife loved the bigger bathroom in a Class A and plenty of storage, top and bottom. With the Master Tow ($900), we can pull the Honda.
So far, I have driven it to have tires ($300 deal from my son, a tire recapper) mounted on the drive axle (another $200). The steering tires are new- the others are new recaps.
Also- some RV parks will not let you in if your RV is over 15 years old. My wife and I visited some parks in this area (NC), and were told this by the staff. They said it had to 'look' new. Do pealing decals 'look' new? What's a paint job run?

[ahicks]

Looks like a nice coach to me. These were really nice when they were built. My concerns (other than price) would be 2.

First, is a coach like this can completely bury somebody not expecting, willing, and able to do all or at least most of the maintenance work that will be required. If you can afford to have a dealer do the work, you'd likely be able to afford a newer coach as well. This coach (and others like it) will need SOMETHING done when you return from nearly every trip. Just plan on it. They are best approached as a new hobby. In return, they can represent a ton of value. Without required maintenance, they can they turn into a ball of moldy rust and wood incredibly fast.

Second, price is about condition, and the single biggest factor regarding condition is water damage. You'll need to learn what it looks like in all it's various forms, or hire somebody that knows. Do not trust a dealer that's selling you the coach, even if it's not his, seriously! This really is a big deal. Water damage is the single biggest reason most coaches are scrapped, and trust me, if it has damage, it's not economically repairable. If you see damage "that's been repaired/no longer leaking" - you have good reason to be very hesitant to accept that as being true. Myself, if a coach has water damage, I pass on them. This means I'm going to pass on 50-75% of the coaches I go see that are 10 years old or older.

New manifolds is a good thing. The original design did not allow for enough expansion and contraction and nearly every one of them cracked or broke. Fords (and Dodges when they were around) had/have the same issue.

The parking brake system and power steering can both be issues that might require professional repair. Brakes are marginal when fully loaded. Going down a hill takes some getting used to when you get to the big ones.

Last, the springs on these coaches were marginal when they were new. The coach manf's knew it, and so did GM. The front air bags were the result, and as far as I'm concerned, they're a patch at best. It's still a low rider even with new bags that are fully inflated.

Good Hunting!

[Wildbob52]

I'm still waiting to see this motorhome. The dealer told me it is being worked on in the shop. This dealer is hard to deal with when comes to dealing with price. They want their 10,000 dollars without question.

Thank you all for the help.


1991 WINNEBAGO CHIEFTAIN CLASS A

http://www.cookevillerv.com/default....OwnedInventory

[niceguy9605]

Stick with the 97 HR Vacationer.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by Wildbob52

I'm still waiting to see this motorhome. The dealer told me it is being worked on in the shop. This dealer is hard to deal with when comes to dealing with price. They want their 10,000 dollars without question.

Thank you all for the help.


1991 WINNEBAGO CHIEFTAIN CLASS A

http://www.cookevillerv.com/default....OwnedInventory

Looks like they have reconsidered the $10,000 and have stepped it down to $9,500. In time they will probably step it down again until they get closer to reality especially if it continues to eat up time in their shop as things continue to break while being shown.

[TeJay]

It may or may not be a decent deal. Dealers are now doing things like Craig's List to increase their exposure to customers. I guess that's OK. We've heard people say, "I found a good deal on a &*@#$% something and it was from a private owner." Saying "Private Owner" like that meant an honest person. So what do dealers do?? You see a vehicle at a mall parking lot with a FS sign on it. After doing some searching you discover it's from some car dealer using their sales person to represent him/her self as a PO.

There are a lot of used MH's out there. We traded our 1999 Newmar 34' DS (33,000 miles) for 25-K. They first offered 19-K. It was in excellent shape mechanically, inside and out with one large slide.

TeJay

[Hikerdogs]

You'd better be sure it's in good shape before shelling out any cash. Get an independent inspector to look over it with a fine toothed comb. A friend of ours bought a 1996 Vectra with 65,000 miles on the odometer a few years ago. All the dealer assurances in the world were useless once she left the lot.


She ended up paying more for repairs in the following 3 months than she originally paid for the motorhome. Things like a complete exhaust system, a new differential and transmission, and brakes all around were the major expenses.


Unbeknownst to her it had a bad rear wheel bearing. When the bearing finally seized it tore up the differential and rear axle housing. The drive shaft snapped off and took out the tail housing and part of the main case of the transmission with it.


Needless to say the deal she thought was a bargain turned out to be a nightmare. You may have better luck, but I wouldn't trust the dealer when they say "everything's fine". Also be very afraid if they're selling it "as is". Essentially that means they know it has problems, and the problems are so expensive to fix that they wouldn't make any money on the sale if they fixed them.

[Wildbob52]

I like to buy mainly from private owners but there hard to find these days.

Thanks again for all the help.

PS, I was going to travel over 700 miles to Michigan so I for sure don't want no problems to deal with. I wonder how much would a tow truck cost to tow this motorhome?

[ahicks]

I wouldn't spend that kind of money if I didn't think it would make it home for me.

From that perspective, you might consider asking to have a Mi. DOT inspection done on it by an independent. This would be at your expense, but not until after you're satisfied the coach is worth your time and money to do it. Make the deal contingent on it passing. These tests are inexpensive (200 or so?), and the right outfit should be willing to work with somebody buying a coach for a few extra bucks. Make sure they understand you're asking for a chassis inspection only. They will likely hesitate when it comes to checking the coaches appliances, etc. Make sure the date codes on the tires are known before you leave.

In other words, have an understanding this DOT inspection will be done after you've had a chance to look the coach over closely yourself - in person. If this is too much trouble for them, you can save yourself that 700 mile trip. They've likely got a few surprises for you when you get here they haven't brought up yet...

There are RV pre-purchase checklists available on line. You might want to familiarize yourself with those regarding a thorough inspection of the coach itself (gen, cab and roof A/C's, refer, plumbing/holding tanks, WATER DAMAGE, etc) . There are so many "gotcha's" lurking, it's very possible somebody making their first purchase like this will be completely overwhelmed - or worse yet, believe the dealer when they say "it's already been checked out by our staff". -Al

[Wildbob52]

This 1991 Motorhome has been sold by dealer to someone but not me.