We found our RV :) (help!)

[Covfam]

OK we found our RV!... its this one! http://www.bornfreemotorcoach.com/preowned.php?id=122

Note: This post was edited by the website administrator (bfadmin) to make the above website link directly clickable.

WE have put down a refundable deposit on it and will finalize the deal 1st week of january depending on the thorough walkthru. Im having a tough time finding a good checklist. ive seen a few and they differ greatly and im a new to RVing 1st timer so i cant tell what is a good checklist.

We will be going through a walk thru/test drive at the factory what should i look for?

My wife and i have test driven both a '05 and'07 built for two and know generaly how it feels looks and room inside. and we know that the '01 actually has a little bigger bathroom than the '03 and newer. but what should we look for in the check through (i was quite thorough when looking through the rv manufacturing when i was there) but that was more about learning to trust the company with thier products. but iv no experience with knowing where major wear and tear spots are and what to look for in a used rv.

im going on a limb here but im asking For help from the best Rving community ive seen in my last 3 years of research!

[Larry Nordby]

I bought my first RV from Ed at the plant about a year ago. I found him to be honest and helpful. However, that being said, I did not properly check for leaks, and as a result, struggled to find and repair one under the sofa bed.

I would;
1. Bring a flashlight and open and inspect each outside access door. Look for discoloration of the fabric, supporting wooden members and the floor in all compartments.
2. Pay particular attention to each window, does it slide and close easily and no leaks.
3. During your test drive note squeeks and rattles. The factory is best suited to solve these issues.
4. Make sure you understand the workings of fridge, microwave, head, holding tanks etc. Kim Nelson will walk you through this process and he's teriffic! All manuals and brochures should be available.
5. Hopefully records exist on any past repairs. I brought mine to a Ford dealer in Minneapolis and discoved the front right wheel needed to be shimmed. This followed a mechanical inspection done on the coach by their designated mechanic in Humboldt and it was pronuced fit.
6. Pay particular attention to the tires. I replaced all six of mine with Michelins even though the ones on the unit appeared to be OK. I didn't want to take any chances. I also bought a Pressure Pro tire monitering system which I installed after my first trip (2000 miles) on the new tires. I discoved I had a bad valve and the front left tire was leaking. Now I don't worry about slow air loss.
7. When you walk the roof, each fitting and ss screw should be seated and sealed to prevent leaks.

I noticed you posted another question about a cover. I bought mine at Camping World [campingworld@campingworld.chtah.com] this fall and opted for the deluxe model. It included free wheel covers and seemed to be a good value.

I really like the unit you are looking at! It drives wonderfully and my wife and I, after much discussion, settled on our 26.

I'm in Minneapolis, MN and would enjoy meeting you should your travels bring you this way. Good luck with your inspection-I'm very proud of my Born Free and continue to be impressed with the staff at their plant. Contact me should you have additional questions.

Merry Christmas!

[mquade]

I would suggest the following based on our recent experience picking up a 2008 BFT: Ensure someone reviews all the features with you and that they run them. Example: run the furnace, air conditioner, water pump and faucets. Secondly, get down and crawl underneath it and just look around. If you see a cable unhooked, ask why? If something appears missing, mention it! If they do this for you, it should eliminate major snafus later. Minor ones you can probably deal with later on your own.

[Roger H]

As long as all the major systems work (fridge, plumbing, etc) the chassis has the major repair expense items. The factory is excellent in checking things over, but they obviously won't catch every issue.

I bought an '01 23RK from Ed last spring. I replaced the tires on my '01 because the sidewalls were badly checked. I had a leak on the roof that I repaired pretty easily.

As was mentioned, check for discolorations on the wall covering and upholstery which would indicated leaks. If the appliances all work (make sure you test all of them prior to taking delivery if you don't know much about them), you should be pretty much good to go. There really aren't too many things about these units that can surprise you. They're pretty straight forward.

Roger

[Covfam]

Ok my '01 im buying from the factory ed said the documentation wasnt poor but wasnt the best. but then he volunteered information that he knew this particular rv was well taken care of and in the factory often.. i then asked him why and he said because this is John Dodgens RV. it was used by him and his wife and close family & freinds. ed said the documentation issue is most likely because if john wanted something done he just brought it in and it got "fixed". now i be mistaken and ill try to get some clarifications on that in january. i do have another question, i know on my car i love my goodyear tires. but what are good heavy duty tires for RV's?

[Larry Nordby]

On my previous post, I mistakenly identified Kim Olson as Kim Nelson. Mel was kind enough to bring this to my attention in a very tactful manner. I explained to him that my age often prevents me from remembering ANYTHING.

Sorry Kim!

[Covfam]

I reread your post larry and noticed you said you are in mineapolis. we go in there from time to time we live outside Eau clair, Wisconsin about 2hours from ya. in fact when we go down to humbolt and back we will be going through there. we make frequent trips to north dakota for family, and like the Chanhassen dinner theater in the suburbs of minneapolis so we are there often

[feltonc]

I live a block from the local Ford dealer and I visited with the service manager before we purchased our used 2001 26RSB about the powertrain. They sell alot of the F250 & F350 to the farming community and his comment was the V10 had no problems except with the local fertilizer dealer which uses them like a farm tractor and over loads them. I read one of the other forums and agree that if you find the right used one in good condition, it would be cheaper to repower it with a new motor and transmission than to pay the higher cost of new.