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2004 coachman concord. rv

Ricki7

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Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
7,113
Location
Angola NY
Hey RV guys , I'm looking to make this Rv for $ 30,000 it has 43000 mi . I have not inspected it yet , claims to be in excellent condition . Is 43000 mi a lot for a rv , it is the Ford e -450 , 10 , 25 ft . Other than tires , what high maint items may this have , like suspension ?
Thanks. Ricki
 
Hey RV guys , I'm looking to make this Rv for $ 30,000 it has 43000 mi . I have not inspected it yet , claims to be in excellent condition . Is 43000 mi a lot for a rv , it is the Ford e -450 , 10 , 25 ft . Other than tires , what high maint items may this have , like suspension ?
Thanks. Ricki
Yes it is high miles that engine and trans has to work extra hard every mile wind resistance check leveling jacks inspect the roof closely for water leaks test all the batteries and power inverter they can cost alot tie replace I dont work on those but just a couple things to think about seems kinda hi priced to me ask if it had a car or trailer in tow for those miles

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Hey Ricki! Finally! I might be able to offer some decent advice here! As a prolific junk driver, mechanic, chronic bullshidder wise in the ways of Men, and notorious cheapskate, heres what I do when evaluating a vehicle!

First, on the phone, I ask all sorts of pertinent questions..like a massive list so as to not waste their time and especially mine..."You got any service receipts?"...I also tell them all about myself and my hard earned vehicle evaluating skillset.... "Be Honest now, If I come all the way out there, is there ANYTHING I'm gonna see that will queer this deal?"...l want to hear a solid and immediate 'NO!' or a few minor explanations...

OK, So I get a solid "NO! This rig is entirely honest!"...So over I go with a fist full of Benjamins ready to do the deal...I tell the guy, 'Dont start it up before I get there'...IMPORTANT!

I check everything cold..tires, (huge expense) brakes, battery age punchouts, radiator fluid, oil, tranny, air filter, etc..I want to SMELL and see what is up under the caps to attempt to accurately asses the Engine and drive gear situation...then, if alls honest and good, I crawl underneath to do a visual of any leaks or structural flaws from an impact or weather...I want to use my nose to smell for any evidence of water intrusion that may be masked by Fabreeze or a pine tree freshener..(Hurricane cars)....that there is a deal killer, if you get any sense that the guy is trying to mask anything he didnt tell you about...

If all looks good to this point, I have the Owner start it up and go through the lights and signals as I walk around outside...then take ME for a drive! I want to feel for any vibrations, listen for any obtuse noises as I concentrate...Then I have him pull over into a parking lot, do another walk around, look up underneath etc. Only after this do I take the wheel!

I want to see if it 'pulls' when I hit the brakes or let go of the wheel etc, Listening Feeling Smelling intently for any unnoticed or hidden problems...I need to know if all systems are operating properly or feeling for anything strange...Head back to the guys crib, and get out looking ambivalent...

OK..so it all looks good and honest, you think its a damn good deal!..Dont let on! Its Negotiating Time! Run your finger around the inside of the tail pipe and comment on how its 'burning oil!' Ask the guy if he has anything else he can throw in to sweeten the pot...! Weber Grill? Winchester? Huffy Bicycle? Whatever! It really doesnt matter what you say! You just want to get the feel of how motivated the guy is to sell while you think about it!!

Oh, make sure you see the clear title in the sellers Name first!...or all of this is for naught...unless you want a grill or a 30-30...:laughing: Most important, if you just get the creeps, about anything, something just aint Cricket that you cant put your finger on...walk away...and get the hell out of there...theres a few folks left that are smarter and more devious than we consider ourselves to be...
 
Thanks guys that's the kinda info I 'm looking for . It' s located about 50 mi away , it's still in storage . If he does not sell it , I'll see it Sat . The NADA on it is between 23 and 27 thousand , so my best offer would be 25 . From what I learned so far is that roofs leaks kill RVs, so I hear what your saying about the sniff test . RV's with very low mileage can be a problem from sitting too long . At 43000 , ya have to see the receipts for maint . The DOT numbers can tell how old the tires are . Slide outs can be more problems . I want one to keep 3-5 yrs
With out putting tons of cash into it . 5 yrs from now this unit value would be 7-10 thousand . I can get a 2017 Thor Fourwinds 22 e for $49000 + taxes + dealer prep , have not sat down to get a firm figure . I know if they get me in the office , game over . Roughly the loss may be about the same after 5 yrs and your driving new . I have heard 2 yrs ago you had a lot to pick from ,some dealers went out of business , now there seems to be a renewed demand and prices are going up .
Thanks for the help ,,,,,HH
 
The internet is your friend for all this kind of stuff..makes, models, problems etc...what owners think, how to fix certain items and what to be especially aware of on certain model vehicles...

Google around a bit on that model/yr rig and see what the End User Feedback is...? I'm sure you know all of this....but for general Forum info I thought I'd toss it out there...I will say, I prefer the older models...just simpler for me to work on...

I got into a real mess on a 05 Dodge Magnum front end suspension a few years back and wondered who in the hell designed such a disaster? It was way expensive to replace the components and tricky to get it right...:laughing:
 
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Thanks guys that's the kinda info I 'm looking for . It' s located about 50 mi away , it's still in storage . If he does not sell it , I'll see it Sat . The NADA on it is between 23 and 27 thousand , so my best offer would be 25 . From what I learned so far is that roofs leaks kill RVs, so I hear what your saying about the sniff test . RV's with very low mileage can be a problem from sitting too long . At 43000 , ya have to see the receipts for maint . The DOT numbers can tell how old the tires are . Slide outs can be more problems . I want one to keep 3-5 yrs
With out putting tons of cash into it . 5 yrs from now this unit value would be 7-10 thousand . I can get a 2017 Thor Fourwinds 22 e for $49000 + taxes + dealer prep , have not sat down to get a firm figure . I know if they get me in the office , game over . Roughly the loss may be about the same after 5 yrs and your driving new . I have heard 2 yrs ago you had a lot to pick from ,some dealers went out of business , now there seems to be a renewed demand and prices are going up .
Thanks for the help ,,,,,HH
Ricki7 one more thing I forgot to mention is look real close for evidence of mice the little suckers cause extreme amounts of damage that is not easily seen good luck hope this helps

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I've been sniffing around for MONTHS for a decent class C...watching a LOT of youtube vids...doing my due diligence...anyway...I want to find one thats honest and cheap...Something that if I had to I could get my money back out of or at least come close...

I'm at the point where I'm not looking at rigs with any carpet in them...I am keying on the ones that have the 4 seasons Arctic package....been looking at repairable wrecks/repos too...

Its tough though, like finding a honest car on CL...about 1 out of 100 are actually honest and a decent buy...so a fellow has to keep hunting, be the first to call as soon as its posted, and the first to get over there with CASH...

...Its not an easy hunt...lots and lots to weed through...the normal crapola of misinformation and time wasting efforts...

My house hits the Market Tomorrow....so I'm getting good and ready...As far as I'm concerned, I will NEVER own or build another home again!...

Well...I might build ONE more..under an overpass along a nice little stream...out of cardboard and tarps...:laughing: Let us know what you discover there Ricki7
 
Thanks Guy's , think I avoided a money pit , The unit did not even meet half the criteria above . It is on the Buffalo craigslist , if ya care to see it . We left with the full intention of getting the new Four winds . For us It's now or never as the nursing home door gets closer . We take the Fourwinds 22 e out for a test , after a good long run , we just did not love it , my wife would be doing half the driving , 2 thumbs down . I felt it was dogie and worried about how it handle Mountians . Ok , we faced up to the fact a RV could end up being a bad dream for us . I'm not done , we love conversion vans , Very fond memories . They are so over priced ,even on a newer used one . BUffalo craigslist has a mint 93 " for $8000, MOM's old baby all new parts , kept in heated garage !!! what a nightmare that turned out to be . I'm not done chasing my tail yet. !
Honey, remember haw we liked the stow and go seats in Dodge Caravan, we could travel , lay down a memory foam mattress, stow all our gear in a tent at nite , stay at parks with showers , hotels every few nites . We rushed over to the Dodge dealers ! WOW , 2016 , 18000 mi , Loaded $ 23000 , where do I sign ! OH ! NO! , forgot we're giving up the GMC pick up lease in Jan . We were going to use the RV to tow the horse trailer ( my daughter rides ) .
Here we go , talking to the salesman with out doing the research . Move up to a Dodge Durango , 6200 towing power . We take one for a test ride , My wife LOVES IT , I LOVE IT , THIS IS IT !!! Remember a $50000 RV after 5 years will sell in the neighborhood of $30000 , A $40000 Durango after 5 years could be in the teens . New is out ! Good news ,Dealer has 3 used coming in from Canada , all about 20000, $29000 . OK ! Here's $100 down to call me first , LOVE YOU GUYS bye . What a day , now I check out the Durango forums and find out that if the SUV does not have the factory package , basicly your screwed . Checked all the local dealers online and they are rare . The chances are slim that the ones I will be looking at will have it . Now I'm PO at my self and the salesman . We discussed towing with the v6 and v8 , both have 6200 capabilities , that's if ya ordered the towing package . Why they would consider putting a class 4 hitch on with out the , Cooling ,alternator , suspension , up grades is negligent in my opinion . Not looking forward to MONDAY .
Hope ya had a better weekend . ,,,,,, HH.
 
Yes it is high miles that engine and trans has to work extra hard every mile wind resistance check leveling jacks inspect the roof closely for water leaks test all the batteries and power inverter they can cost alot tie replace I dont work on those but just a couple things to think about seems kinda hi priced to me ask if it had a car or trailer in tow for those miles

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This is only just over 3000 miles a year, they generally have a lower gear rear end, to accommodate the torque needed. I wouldn't be too concerned on the milage, but I agree with looking for water damage on the walls close to the ceiling and look on the roof for any pooling issues. I have no idea on the pricing though.

What engine is in the RV? Gas or diesel, if it was the 6.0 diesel, I'd. Be very cautious unless all the recalls and updates have been done on it..... and would still be hesitant.
 
One really great website I have found on my search is one by Bob Wells..."Cheap RV Living"...just chock full of stories and experiences by himself and others...Its a good place to start if a fellow is so inclined..even youtube vids of interviews of others...Heck, I bet I'm on the tabs and looking and reading for another 6hrs today....

I'm learning a tremendous amount by springboarding off his site to other ones...chunking all the data, getting aware of what to avoid from other peoples experiences...narrowing it down...quite a bit like sorting out a detecting rig? Same format...just dive in and read a whole lot...after a while, things start to gel...a guy can save himself all sorts of money and wasted time if he can learn from the experiences of others....cant argue with success....
 
UPDATE ! After a lot of time spent in the rain looking through dealers . We narrowed our search to a Transit 350 10 seat window van , a Dodge Caravan and The Durango . I gave up on a RV because it would be sitting most of the year , and worrying about maintenance . The Caravan looked like the winner because of the huge space the tumble seats provided , good gas mileage . The transit 350's inside walls , ceiling were finished , heat and air front and back. With less than 12000 miles on it , under coated , it had a heck of a lot more pep than the 22e Fourwinds , was so tempting . That would convert to a great camper .
After driving the Durango though the choice became clear as it met our towing needs too , and we just loved it . Finally they found one with the tow package , with the seat arrangement we wanted also they hold their resale value .
The plan was to travel , stay at camps with decent facilities and a hotel from time to time . We figure we can still do all that with the Durango , Load up the back , when we stop for the nite set up a tent , either sleep in the back or tent . With the car loaded we have to give up pulling over into Walmart for the nite so it wil take more planning , hopping from campground to campground .
Thanks for the idea's and info , hope ya get the chance to do some travel too !
Mud with your mind , I expect to see, some thing like on the movie , 20000 thousand leagues under the sea , with land capabilities ,,,,,,HH
 
Cool! Yeah, I'm getting my 'Short list' of rigs put together! Selling gear as fast as I can to finance this coccamamie adventure!! I told the Wife, "We are gonna walk out of here with just what we can carry, so get crackin' on the offload!!" "Who needs 20 Polish Pottery coffee cups?":laughing::laughing: Oh Man! All the best to you Brother!:laughing:
 
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