Jump to content

'87 Escaper


JWayne

Recommended Posts

Hello!

I originally posted this under an old existing topic, but figured I may get more responses and help if I created a new conversation. Thanks to those who already responded! 

My wife and I are interested in an '87 escaper with only 16,000 miles on it. It appears to be in good condition from the outside anyway. There is some rust underneath and it looks like the upper front window has a repaired crack. We know nothing about Rvs or this model, other than what we read here. The biggest issue seems to be the rear axle. I took a look at the rear wheel, comparing it to the photo from Iam<3myescaper, and it appears to be the right axle. It is listed for 13K OBO. This seems WAY too expensive to me. But, as I said, I don't know anything about these vehicles. 

Questions...

What would be a fair price for this RV? Just looking for an estimate. I know I'm not providing all the info you might need to make a more accurate estimate. 

Also, what questions should I ask the seller regarding the condition of the RV? Is there any important info I need to gather/check on before making a decision? 

It has already been recommended that I check to see how long it has been sitting, unused. Also, I was told to make sure the front wheel matches the rear axle (so only one spare is needed). 

Thank you in advance!! 

 

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 lug axle

Age of the tires (look for the DOT code on the side, the first two numbers are the week of mfr, the 2nd two the year - tires over about 7 years old are unsafe, period, no matter how much tread they have),  The tires on mine looked lovely, but were 17 years old.  Was nearly $1k to replace all 7, even with a friend getting them for me at cost  

Leaks and rot especially in the cab over (and even more especially near the cracked window), round the windows and AC, and in the bath.  Rotten plywood feels squishy or crunchy, and the cab over area is particularly vulnerable.

Age of belts, hoses, timing belts etc -. There's a good maintenance checklist in the engine section of this site.

Condition of roof and window seals

Do all appliances, plumbing etc work

Experts will probably add more things to check, but think of it as buying a truck plus a cabin.  I found my best guidance on what to look for on this site - just scrolling through the various sections and reading about problems and solutions.

Depending  on your location and the rig's condition $13.5 seems high, unless it is absolutely pristine with zero issues. I paid $6k for mine (two months ago in NJ) and budgeted another $5 to bring it up to snuff (tho I will prob have $ left over). But remember, your Toy is  about 30 years old, so don't blow your entire wad on the purchase.  It's not like buying a new car, it will need work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We paid $4100 for our 87 escaper year and a 1/2 ago and we are fairly well pleased. We have probably spent that much and more on repairs and improvements. $13,000 is very high even if it's been gone over with a fine toothed comb and has lots of extras (solar, new tires (7) etc., etc.). That being said, the escapers are nice for having an aluminum frame (less problems with rotten wood in the walls). With the miles that low though, you know it's been sitting around a lot the last 30 years. Have a mechanic look at the mechanicals and an rv person look at the house. My guess is that $4000 would be at the higher end for it unless there has been obvious signs of upkeep. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought my '88 Escaper with under 30,000 miles.  The seller had been asking $5000 for the RV but found that it needed some work that was expensive to have a shop complete.  It needed a new water heater, power converter, it had a dorm style refrigerator (major downer in my opinion), a loud metallic rattle under the hood, a possible fan clutch problem, and a soft spot on the floor due to the leaking water heater.  I asked her for her bottom price and she said that she wanted it gone so she set the price at $2500.

I bought a new water heater for $150 on ebay, a new progressive dynamics converter for $125 from an RV surplus center, found that the fan clutch problems was really a fan belt problem ($10 part),the metallic noise was the belt tensioner for the A/C compressor on the engine (no cost) I found a sailboat refrigerator (12 volt) that we love since we usually take road trips not destination vacations, My friend converted my cab a/c to 134a refrigerant ($50 and beer) and I repaired the soft floor by pulling the carpet back and pouring epoxy thinned with alcohol to allow it to soak into the plywood.  

We have put over 30,000 miles on since buying it and love it.  You will never get done doing little maintenance jobs on the unit.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...