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Minnie Winnie facts


rvplease

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I hope I can get opinions from the group, we are going to look at a 1987 Minnie Winnie, never seen one up close, and don't want to make a mistake out of ignorance.  Can anyone tell me about it?  Definitely things like how many storage tanks, what is their capacity, any quirks, special places to look for deterioration, that sort of thing.  How long is this?  From the inside (it only has the cafe table and 2 small seats, no couch) it looks smaller than 22 ft.  Any thoughts would be appeweciated, thanks!

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They are 19 feet long. Only real sleeping place is overhead bed so you have to be able to get up there. I know your wife was sick. Is she strong enough. At our age it really amounts to getting up and down several times a night. LOL

other than that I think they are really cute. Checking for damage or leaks is the same for all rvs.  Gotta take your time and look around 

Linda

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Thanks Linda, we are trying to see it tomorrow, the pictures do look cute.   it has 90,.000 some miles, 22re engine which has an exhaust leak near the manifold (being checked out), it also has no coach AC and the water heater unit is not working.  Assuming everything else is ok, any thoughts on what it might be worth?  Thanks!

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3 hours ago, rvplease said:

Thanks Linda, we are trying to see it tomorrow, the pictures do look cute.   it has 90,.000 some miles, 22re engine which has an exhaust leak near the manifold (being checked out), it also has no coach AC and the water heater unit is not working.  Assuming everything else is ok, any thoughts on what it might be worth?  Thanks!

The cast iron exhaust manifolds on both the 20R and22R are known for cracking between the #2&3 exhaust ports. This is caused by the factory heat shields installed on these engines. You may have to remove the shield to see the damage.

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Yeah it was a feeble attempt to deal with emissions. The RE's didn't seem to be prone to that problem when they went to fuel injection.

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Pay close attention to the extent of water damage by looking in all overhead cupboards, under the mattress on the over cab bed, around all of the windows, around and above the doors, and in the back cupboards under the sink. Unless previous owners were very diligent there will likely be water damage as it is so common. Think of these motorhomes as fixers regardless of how pristine they may look; you will be doing work to bring it up to speed. DIY skills go a long way as service providers charge an arm and leg for many of the repair jobs you will be facing (like your water heater).  The worth of the vehicle will be in the eye of the beholder. Prices of all motorhomes have been dramatically inflated over the past year or so; coming down a little recently and I've seen some reasonable buys. Regardless of price,  be sure you have a nice budget left over after purchase for the repairs (especially if you plan to hire for services). Find the date on the tires; if over 7-8 years old they will need to be replaced. Look through this site for common problems people work on. Many of us had to repair many vehicle systems after purchase including motor, exhaust, brakes, tires, bearings, suspension, and camper systems including electric, plumbing, propane, roofing, etc... I like for new comers to have some basic awareness of what they are getting into when considering one of these 34+ year old vehicles that was not top of the line to begin with. 

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Thanks-you guys add information and a dose of reality, I saw this today and of course it looks like a 1987 (1986) vehicle, water heater not working, the cab air conditioner doesn't blow any cool air, and there are spongy spots at the lower corners of the over cab window, and also next to the shower near the floor.  But-the underneath is rusty (northeast style) but solid, the floor and walls seem solid, the engine has no rattles when it starts, and the cab looks like almost new. One more thing, it has new tires, but they are 185/75 "lionhart" 8 ply, but not marked LT.  Have you ever heard of them?  I thought the word was 195/75 LT 8 ply.  I'd really like to know about the tires, along with the other issues the tire cost may make me walk away from this little one, thoughts?  Thanks-

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The area over the cab seems to be a very common area where they leak. It's very difficult to find a perfect one and the really nice ones are going for high dollars right now but it can be a lot of work if it needs extensive work. 

 

 Tires and A/C can likely be addressed for $800-$1500. That wouldn't stop me. The overhead is another story. Mine has had some leaks but overall the framework was pretty solid. 

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