Would you buy a Class B that has sat for a while?

[jls]

I am wondering what the pitfalls of buying a used RV that is 4-6 years old, has few miles and hasn't really been used much or maintained regularly, but has been in a warm climate (no freezing temperatures) and everything generally looks new.

For example, I'm guessing the generator might need an overhaul? A/C and fridge fluids too? Lithium battery issues? Other vehicle chassis issues?

There are so many "systems" in these vehicles and I'm not sure which ones would have the "pain points"...and yes, i would have it inspected by someone that does. Just wondering if it's something to be avoided altogether if i don't like surprises, or if i'm being overly concerned?

[Want a B]

No water intrusion, the price is reasonable and my Mechnic gave three thumbs up.

[hbn7hj]

I would want confirmation that the engine is good. Beyond that the question is water leaks into wood. Yes, I would take it without checking the other systems as I can fix anything else. If you must hire all repair work I’d be hesitant.

[mkguitar]

if gas was left in the carb float bowl the genny will need a service

separate out the "vehicle" part from the "RV part"
water intrusion
check it's not a "flood vehicle" moved to another locale
any tech who works on the "van" component of the RV can assess it's health
all the RV systems need to be checked

guess $600~$1000 for genny service ( or a few hours time if you are handy and able to clean out the carb with in situ- some of us have)- some suggest that a "small motor" servicer will be less expensive than an RV dealer service
new tires- $800~$1000
all oils and fluids and etc- $60 in the driveway or more elsewhere
and new batteries vehicle and RV- lithium rv batteries can be over $800 each

There is no reason I wouldn;t look at this vehicle if if fit my requirements


post the model, there may be some who have knowledge of good or bad aspects to that model. some brands have better reps than others



Mike

[rjf7g]

I bought a 15 year old American Cruiser that had been sitting for 3-5 years and had mushrooms growing in it. I put about $4500 (did very little of the work myself) in it and got everything in great shape except for the generator.

[jls]

thanks for your thoughts.

i'm curious about hbn7hj 's suggestion to make sure the engine is good... what issues are there with a diesel engine driven <2K miles in a handfull of years? and how does one test for that?

[GallenH]

I bought my 1997 PW RV from my FIL when he decided at age 99 that he wouldn't be using it (!). In fact, he hadn't used it for about 15 years. He was in upper Wisconsin; I in Phoenix. It had hornet's nests in the fridge area and in the door jams. It had suffered some mice infestation. But his price was right....$1. It had 45k on it.

So I took it to a family mechanic and told him "imagine that this is your RV and you're going to drive it from Wisconsin to Arizona. What would you fix." He tuned the engine, put on a new serpentine belt, drained the tranny and put in a new filter, drained the rear end, put new front brake pads, new front shocks and repacked the wheel bearings. In addition, I had 5 new tires installed, a new house battery and a new circuit board for the furnace.

That was back in 2016. We've always passed emissions and the engine has worked like a charm. Gauging by posts on this forum, the things that I've had to do, others have done as well........on RVs that haven't sit idle for 12-15 years.

BTW: My FIL did "exercise" the RV and replaced the battery several times during it's idle period.

I've restored cars that have sat idle and in my experience the RV has been just fine. BTW: it doesn't have a genny which I believe could be a complicating factor.

[Lennie]

I bought a RV that sat for 5 years. The diesel engine hasn't been an issue, outside of normal wear of parts in a 15 year old vehicle.

The roof seams had failed and one of the roof vents had been damaged so I did have leaks, it took me a while to find them all. The paint was neglected which is my other issue but T1N white Sprinters are known to have terrible paint. I don't regret buying it as it was considerably cheaper than a newer model. i have learned to do a lot of repairs myself.

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by jls

thanks for your thoughts.

i'm curious about hbn7hj 's suggestion to make sure the engine is good... what issues are there with a diesel engine driven <2K miles in a handfull of years? and how does one test for that?

Treating the fuel with an algaecide before starting would be prudent.

[yvairguy]

You left out the most important part of the equation, the purchase price. You also need to factor in if you are capable of doing your own maintenance and repairs should they be needed before it can be used.

If you buy at top dollar I would want EVERYTHING working. In my case I got a screaming deal. I probably could have cleaned it up and flipped it for 4 times what I paid for it, maybe a bit more. For what I paid. I can replace almost everything and still break even, or better, should I decide to sell it.

[yvairguy]

Originally Posted by jls

thanks for your thoughts.

i'm curious about hbn7hj 's suggestion to make sure the engine is good... what issues are there with a diesel engine driven <2K miles in a handfull of years? and how does one test for that?

I have a 1991 E350 Diesel that I used to run for my business. It sat for about 17 years. It has an upgraded electric fuel pump. I threw in 2 new batteries, let the pump run while the glow plugs cycled and it fired right up with the 17 year old fuel. The tanks were low so I ran it to the station and filled the one take full with new fuel. It never missed a beat but you also have to keep in mind this is a old 7.3 IDI.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by yvairguy

I have a 1991 E350 Diesel that I used to run for my business. It sat for about 17 years. It has an upgraded electric fuel pump. I threw in 2 new batteries, let the pump run while the glow plugs cycled and it fired right up with the 17 year old fuel. The tanks were low so I ran it to the station and filled the one take full with new fuel. It never missed a beat but you also have to keep in mind this is a old 7.3 IDI.

Great story.
People's worries about "stale fuel" tend to be significantly exaggerated, especially with petrol. Many of the problems have to do with varnish left in carburetors or other tight places when fuel evaporates.

17 years is pretty impressive, though.

Not sure I would try it with a modern fuel-injected engine, though.

[magicbus]

Except we are talking diesel in which things that clog filters like to grow. If there was significant fuel in the tank for 5 years I would drive it around locally for a while then check the filter before I headed out on a major trip.

[yvairguy]

Originally Posted by magicbus

Except we are talking diesel in which things that clog filters like to grow. If there was significant fuel in the tank for 5 years I would drive it around locally for a while then check the filter before I headed out on a major trip.

That's true. In my case I live in the desert so very little worry about moisture. I also changed the fuel filter after about 200 miles. I was really more worried that the seal would leak seeing as it had sat for so long.

[Nick&Linda]

My wife and I bought a 2000 Pleasure Way van. We looked at used vans and just couldn't see paying $50 to 75 thousand at this time. So we bought this Pleasure Way for $10,000, and put $5,000 into it for repairs. In many cases, we were told that this van, other than changing oil, was totally original. The van now is almost new. It looks new. We are happy to have such a nice van for a great price. This coming weekend will be our first "real" camping experience it it. So yes, I recommend buying used and old, if the price is right; if you take into consideration what the repairs may cost.

[Storysrvwego]

Open all of the cabinets you can and with a flashlight, look for evidence of moisture issues.

The generator will very likely not want to start because sediment and "shellac" will be in at least the fuel bowl. Any length of time will mean the carb, filter and perhaps the fuel lines will need replacing. Drain the oil and replace with fresh before trying to start it. In case the oil got flooded with some gas, that doesn't help the piston, cylinders and bearings if the oil has evidence of gasoline in it. Air moisture may also be in the crankcase too. Just drain and replace the oil to establish a new baseline. Its cheap to do. Most genny's use a splash system of oiling and do not have oil filters but look and/or read manual for the generator if you have one.

Fresh water tank may need a lot of flushing. I certainly would not drink from it.

Waste system - Most will have Grey water and Black water tanks. I don't know your model. If it has a Black waste tank, unless the prior owner took proper care of it before its last use, this tank may have stuff on it's interior side walls and bottom. It needs a thorough cleaning to be sure. Your valve gate seals may have deteriorated. Or have been compressed in the closed position for so long that they might work initially but may fail very soon. I would have the gate valves serviced which usually means remove and replace them because they are inexpensive. Better to consider what to do now then try to take the RV on a trip and run into issues, especially with your plumbing.

Batteries more than 5 years old? I'd replace them even if they seem to be working at this time.

Propane used any of the stove top, water heater and furnace appliances? Stove top may work easily but really check the working of the water heater and furnace. More than one time I recommend. Depending on the type and age of the ignition system, these can be a ahh, well, headache. Unless it's a newer RV with a TRUMA Combi or similar system, all others that I have tinkered with can make you curse at oh-dark thirty and you have no hot water. Or no furnace. And you go outside to putz with the ignitor in of course, the coldest night/morning you can remember. Murphy's law... Grrrr.

Tires? Lots of people ignore aging of tires. Your dragging around something like 8,000-ish pounds or roughly 2,000 pounds on each of four tires (unless this one has rear duals). Besides the fact that the tires should be Load Range E or don't drive on them, if they are also 5+ years old, get rid of them! You don't know how these have aged as in parked for years in one position or used occasionally but simple aging of tire materials means its time to replace them. RVs need more care and maintenance than cars because of all of the appliances, propane system, water and waste system plumbing, batteries, shore/gen/battery switching systems and just plain jiggling around down the road can shake things not found in cars.

Sounds like a lot of bummers I know. Be of good cheer when buying a used RV. You might have a gem if it has not been sitting a long time and has had at least some of its systems maintained from time to time. Wipe the black cloud from your thoughts after reading the above and think of this more as a checklist to make sure your first and subsequent travels are focused on having fun, not fixing things on the trip. Go through these things before you take that first trip. Then maybe make your first trip an overnight in your driveway. And the following morning, take the RV to your closest waste dump station after you already determined the gates and tanks seem to be flowing ok.

Dealers charge a LOT for labor and parts. Just figure $100 an hour for labor so you won't be shocked if you need work, depending on where your at. They never give away parts even if your Uncle owns the dealership. Generally speaking the parts will be msrp OR higher. Grin and bear it while you try to get your AAA membership card or GEMCO store card or (cough) CAMPING WORLD membership, old age, etc. discount to help a tiny bit. Then...

You are lucky if you can get them to do any repair work in less than 4 weeks during peak times because they have to order parts which does not occur until they personally diagnose the issue(s), one RV after another that are in line for work. Everybody else wants their RV back right away so pleading any sort of gotta have it now won't get you ahead of the others. Keep some money squirreled away for motel stay or flight home and back if the RV is broken down. Of course if its just that you have cold showers or waste system is not working at all, you can continue the fun trip, minus uhh, those reasons you have the RV in the first place.

It helps if your self-sufficient in working on all systems in an RV but of course not all of us are than handy or want to be. Besides... we got the darned things to enjoy, not work on them ourselves. But it is good to carry at least some basic tools and be versed in a few of the simpler things to repair. Keep a spare fan belt for the motor. Fuses. gloves, And pliers, sockets, wrenches, torx and allen head tools, assorted straps, rope, zip ties, band aids, bear repellant, canteen of water for the hike back to gas station, phone charger(s) and the list goes on. While also trying to travel light in the first place. It gets a lot easier after your first trip, if this is your first RV. Planning for some things. Go with the wind for other things for optimal fun and daring. But please please please for the sake of everyone in the RV and vehicles all around you on the road, have GREAT, not just good tires and brakes under you.

StorysRVwego

[bblakersfield]

I typically buy things that have been sitting. I can do almost all repairs myself. The one thing I would add to the conversation Is:
Has anyone messed with anything?
Does everything look as though the manufacturer intended?
Has anyone tinkered, monkeyed, adjusted, wired, removed, pulled, pushed, added, and/or tried to fix it?
Once someone else has fiddled with it there is no way to know what they have done. Talented mechanics and repair persons are rare. Everyone thinks they are talented. Be especially cautious of friends and family who are trying be helpful but have little liability for the outcome.
I prefer bone stock and no one has tried to “get it going again”.

[yvairguy]

Yes that's a pretty good one. I don't really have a history on my rig. It was 21 years old when I got it. I did clean and flush the fresh water tank several times. I had a need to pull the tank later to do some repairs in that area. I was surprised to find a lot of sediment and build up in the bottom of the tank. You could see it through the fill hole when it was out of the van in the sun. This was also after a clean and fill after the first 1000 or so mile trip when I was determined to use the tank for drinking water run through a counter top filter instead of using bottled water to save on space in the van.

When the tank was pulled I put in a couple rags and sloshed them around with a little bit of water. I did this several time until the water coming out was clear.

[Nick&Linda]

Thanks for all the advice and info. I will admit most everything mentioned, I took into consideration.

I am not an expert, but am a seasoned RVer. We were full timers for 6 years in a number of different RVs. Latest being a 36 foot Diesel Pusher. We have owned Pop-ups, 5th wheels, class As and class Cs. Never a travel trailer.

We currently own a 2011 Jayco Melbourne model 26A, and now this 2000 Pleasure Way Lexor van.

About the only thing we use on board water is to shower. We prefer bottled water to drink and to cook with.

I do intend to flush the fresh water tank. And the owner supplied me with 2 new gate valves. So I will change them soon.

The van I bought was in use, but limited use in the past 2 years. However, I was told that the owner drove it most ever month just to exercise it.

But as also mentioned, it is a 20 year old van, so I do expect that I might have missed something, or something is about to go.

--------------------------
2011 Jayco Melbourne model 26A
2000 Pleasure Way van, model Lexor

[Brad1998RD]

The big thing would be what is it? A true class B van body motorhome or a small cab chassis Class C that sales people try to pass off as a B or B+.
Was it parked on grass or solid surface? Any rust issues or interior leak damage? Does everything work in it.