mockturtle
Northwest
Senior Member
Joined: 05/31/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
Our first RV was a 1986 HR Imperial, Class C, diesel. It was a beautiful coach and we loved it. They were made far better than most in that decade and hold up well. But, in my humble opinion, the asking price is about twice what would be reasonable.
2000 Born Free 24RB Class C
2002 Honda CR-V toad
Roadmaster Sterling A/T towbar
VIP braking system
Eddyline Merlin kayak
|
dieharder
Ottawa, ON
Full Member
Joined: 09/10/2009
View Profile
 Offline
|
melvonnar wrote:Wade LeClair wrote:hram wrote:Sounds good for his purposes. Just completed 4000 mile trip with my 89 HR Imperial 35 footer with P30 chassis. Quality built, and the tag axle allows much greater load weights. Supply and demand dictates that you should be able to buy at very reasonable price as well.
They are asking 12,000 as is, seems a little high but the condition is great.
they are asking about $8000 to much; for $12000 I wouldn;t even consider it.
A 1985, no matter how good it looks will require lot of work; when things arn;t used, they just die of old age.
I just sold an 1988 34 foot southwind motorhome, even though I gave it maticulas maintance; it was a money pit, never went anywhere that something didn;t brake. I sold it for $5000
The pricing up here is a lot different than in the US. If you pay only $5000 up here, you pretty much know you're buying crap.
|
Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
Senior Member
Joined: 07/22/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Keep shopping. Deals are out there but you have to be in the "hunt" mode and willing to WAIT a while sometimes.
Budgets can be limiting BUT try to not go over 10 years old (15 years should be max in my experience). A new transmission is about $3K where it is 10 or 25 year old MH. The newer the better chance of driving it longer with the new transmission. 
At this point my focus would be roof, engine and transmission and in that order. Remember a newer MH with no slides, etc like an 1985 can be bought right today.
|
stevelv
Living on the island
Senior Member
Joined: 05/24/2006
View Profile
|
Gale Hawkins wrote:Keep shopping. Deals are out there but you have to be in the "hunt" mode and willing to WAIT a while sometimes.
Budgets can be limiting BUT try to not go over 10 years old (15 years should be max in my experience). A new transmission is about $3K where it is 10 or 25 year old MH. The newer the better chance of driving it longer with the new transmission.
At this point my focus would be roof, engine and transmission and in that order. Remember a newer MH with no slides, etc like an 1985 can be bought right today.
I'm not sure I'd agree with you because by the time stuff is 10-15 years old it's pretty much had most of it's useful life and the extra 10 years won't have deteriorated it much further beyond it's life - if it was worn out at 15 years it will be just as worn out at 25 if you see what I'm getting at.
Plus, you stand a better chance of stuff having been replaced if it has survived for 25 years.
I found out yesterday that I have a newer refer in my 1984 Monaco - bit of good news - it was replaced in 2001 - so had a bought the RV at 15 years old I would have had to replace the refer whereas at 25 years old a previous owner had done it for me.
So I still think that it's all about the condition and the amount of proper maintenance that has been done on it rather than the year of manufacture (beyond a certain point of course).
RV Park Finder
Ex Fulltimers
Repairing/Restoring 1984 Monaco Regent 36' Gas to restart RVing
DH,DW,Jake and Indie
|
vet
RAZORBACK COUNTRY
Full Member
Joined: 06/15/2004
View Profile
|
Have a 82 HR bought six years ago for 6000 40000 miles and it was sheded and is so well kept and have had noooooo problembs and we do travel alot all the way to alaska and grand canyon first mo we had it. So you never know.
|
|
|
Wade LeClair
Ontario
Full Member
Joined: 06/13/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
Both sides of this coin make a lot of sense. We are going to take a look soon. I will let you know what he does.
Wade
1996 Newmar Mountain Aire
Ford 460
Banks System
Roadmaster Tow Bar
Saturn SL2 Toad
|
bill h
coastal reconquista
Senior Member
Joined: 08/02/2001
View Profile
|
If you are looking at gassers of that era, the HR is a good one.
A well-built coach that old can be good if you do your own maintenance, but expensive if not.
84 Barth 30 tag powered by ht502/Thorley, Gear Vendors OD
Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes
4WD Toyota toad
|
olds468
WV
New Member
Joined: 03/24/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
I got a 85 Alumalite XL that was very well maintained this year for $6K. I felt it was a good deal everything works well new tires, no leaks. My real preference would have been a Diesel motor but I would have to added $10K to the purchase price and that I did not have. $12K seems very high to me, you can get a mid to late 90's for that. The bad thing with the mid 80's was the 3speed transmission, the turbo 400 is an excellent transmission but it still is only a 3 speed, so 55mph and 8mpg will probably the best you can get. If you drive it 65 or higher you will be lucky to get 4-5mpg.
|
wildmanbaker
Kennewick, Washington
Full Member
Joined: 02/24/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
Unless the ref., furnas, and water heater are 4 years old or newer, you will probably need to replace them soon. No matter how good it looks, time takes a toll on everything. wood fabric vinyl ect. You could easly put half the price into it to be able to use it standing still. Take it for several rides, and check that everything still works after the rides, espically the ref. Leakly tanks, plumbing, ect. Buyer beware. Just like a used car, only a really bigger money pit!
Wildman
|
Wade LeClair
Ontario
Full Member
Joined: 06/13/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
Well I said I would update you all on my dad's decision on the Rambler. He bought it! He ended getting it for $8000.00, much better than the $12000 asking price. Seems to run good, as I mentioned before it is in better condition than MH many years newer.
I am sure it will give him lots of pleasure and pain! I am also sure I will be back here asking advice again!
Regards, Wade
|
|
|
