Buying a used Roadtrek 190 in 2016

[keepitclassb]

Hello, I'm new to this forum. Just wanted to get more recent opinions and advice on buying a used Roadtrek.

Just based off of a standard search, I'm seeing a lot of 170/190 Popular/Versatiles.

Comparing prices and years I see that a 1999 Roadtrek with 77k miles can go for around $25k similar to a 2004 Roadtrek with 180k miles.

Assuming these vehicles have been well taken care of at what point is a vehicle too old in relation to its mileage. I'm also seeing Roadtreks with around 50k miles but nearing the $30k price mark and almost 16 years old.

I do plan to use this lightly every weekend, 7 months out of the year for work. With out about 100 miles of driving each weekend. I coordinate large soccer tournaments and do part time sports photography. It would help a lot to cut down on driving back and forth and/or staying at a nearby hotel. I do a lot of climbing, snowboard and paddle boarding also on weekends, but all local. And maybe 1 or 2 long road trips out of the year.

Any advice as far as reliability goes? Is anyone actively driving their 1999-2005 Roadtrek right now. What's your current mileage and common mechanical problems (small or large) you are experiencing or do you see happening in the future?

My price range is under $30k. Is it worth it?

Thank you for your input!

[Bruceper]

I own a 93 Pleasure-Way, it will last for many years to come. When I bought it I put a few thousand dollars into it, but everything in the undercarriage is brand new. Exhaust, all steering components, all brake components, suspension, tires etc. It's like new now. I paid $2000 for the unit (a heck of a price) and put a total of $3800 into it.

Vehicles are strange, you can have a car that is worn out at 120K and another of the same make and model goes 300k. It really does depend on how well you take care of them and maintain them.

I don't see any issues going up to 120k with just regular maintenance. Beyond that you're looking at breakdowns of parts that just weren't designed to last that long. One example is the fuel pump. They can cost a pretty penny to replace ($500 ish) but will again last another 100k-120k.

Repairs will happen, balance the cost of repairs with the cost of the vehicle. If you're seeing a model for $25k with high mileage and the same model at $60k for low mileage, you realistically saved $35k and can do a LOT of repairs over the years with that money.

Is it worth it? In my opinion yes. You have to decide what you're willing to put up with.

[jrobe]

What is a better judge of future reliability - a vehicle's age or its mileage. I have always debated this in my mind. There is probably no right or wrong answer. Living in the midwest with liberal salt use in the winter, I have often found that age may be more important. I never seem to reach my mileage goals before I start getting hammered with repair bills that are far more related to age than mileage like the undercarriage comments above.

You probably need to judge each vehicle on its own merits. How well was it maintained, where was it driven, etc.. I would never buy any older vehicle without a careful inspection by an expert.

[mkguitar]

don;t know how deep you are- the 170/190 numbers relate to length

pops have 3 seats and sleep fore/aft, vers have 4 seats and sleep sideways

how tall are you?

200/210 are widebodies

class B chassis may be dodge ford or chev for older models

if looking at a chev get a vortec motor ( 2000+?)

you have to think about chassis- any mechanic can assess a used "van"

and coach conversion- figure out which features you need, which you don't

RT makes legacy brochures available on their website.

youtube has dealer videos which can be handy to see how the space is used in various models.

I ended up buying a 2006 pleasure-way lexor TD, combinations of features, lay out and condition which suited us. the chassis is a chev 3500- and I have other chevs, so lay out is familiar.
chev parts and service anywhere cheap

mike

[cruisefx]

We purchased our 2004 RT Versatile in the spring of 2014. It had ~90k km/55k miles on it. We are in Canada so we did check out the underneath to guessimate how much winter driving it had endured but it was in great shape. The only thing we have done is get new tires. It runs great. With regards to the interior, the only thing worn were the original curtains. When required, it is used as our second vehicle but we do avoid driving it when the roads are slushy with salt/sand etc in the winter.

[96coachmen]

Being a vintage car fan and having bought, sold, and repaired a number of vintage cars, I think this summary is quite accurate: the older you go, the more you want a southern vehicle, or garage kept. OR, look for a very good price to make up for it. The two you mention at $25k seem to be full retail value. Dedicate yourself to a search of several months to a year, and you greatly increase the chance of learning the market reasonably well, and finding a good deal at a more wholesale or discounted price. If you pay closer to retail or market price, be sure you are getting a very good condition vehicle that will not need any work for several years.

[Ridenfun]

I agree with all stated above. In addition to basic mileage however, some other issues to consider are has it towed (and what) as well as how has it been used, ie as a "second" vehicle, or just as a travelling/camper unit, as city driving, short trips will have higher impact than all highway miles. Recently bought a 2000 Dodge 3500 based unit with over 180,000 km 9108K mi) that was literally owned by an older lady for 13 of its 15 years. First two years were as a rental and it did about 58k km, then she travelled for 13 years, literally making an X across North America from Artic Ocean in both AK, and Canada to the Florida keys, and Newfoundland to the bottom of the Baja. She had never towed with it. She owned two other cars, a daily driver and an older semi classic type, so it was only used to travel. She had full service records for 13 years of even oil changes, and I could literally see where it was and when. While I'd started out being leery of the high mileage, in the end with all the data I was very comfortable. I bought it on the spot as another couple showed up 1/2 hour from when I got there. Later had it checked out by my mechanic, after a 200 mile drive home, and all looks very good, except it needs new tires, which I knew going in. This all resulted from looking for over 8 months last year, so I agree with the comment to take your time.
I could have bought newer and much more expensive but for how I intend to use it, it will serve the purpose very well AND I was hooked on a specific model for its high headroom and larger than average sleeping areas.
Good luck in your search. They ARE out there, in some cases being sold due to a person's age (my case), health or changes to the type of travel the PO wants to do (also my case)