Dan NW Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Hi to all have a chance to buy 89 dolphin 21FT 89000 miles seems in great shape ladie says it runs good except for aut trans shifts out of overdrive she thinks this is a vacum line any thing to keep in mind that would be a deal buster going to test drive this weekend you guys on here seem to be good folk thanks in advance I'm new to motor homes Dan NW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iadoptedatoy Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Hi to all have a chance to buy 89 dolphin 21FT 89000 miles seems in great shape ladie says it runs good except for aut trans shifts out of overdrive she thinks this is a vacum line any thing to keep in mind that would be a deal buster going to test drive this weekend you guys on here seem to be good folk thanks in advance I'm new to motor homes Dan NW Hi Dan I'm a new owner of a toy. After looking at toys for 2 months my advice to you would be ask yourself why she only wants 3500. That seems like the price range of troubled toys. Leaks ( around bed above cab mostly ), very high milage, soft floor. just to name a few. Just do your homework and check out everything and don't just ask things make them show you that things work. Nit pic...you'll be glad you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 No vacuum lines on that trans. Could be as simple as wiring or as bad as trans over haul. $3500 is a very good deal iadoptedatoy is right look it over carefully. Pull the upper bed out and feel for wetness. Look over the overhead for stains make sure the fridge works (quite expencive to replace) heat and A/C (if installed) It probably is a V6 ask about head gaskets and figure on timing belt replacement soon. There are a few threads on this site about what to check on a used MH. I hope it's in really good shape and you get a nice deal they are a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan NW Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 Thanks guys I 've known the owner for a while shes moving to a retirement home and wanted to give me first chance I hav'nt been in it yet but will check all the things you guys suggest the thing that worrys me is the auto trans not staying in overdrive is overdrive something the 4cyl22re uses alot on the road and would anybody know where to check the wiring for the tranny overdrive shes owned it for about 4 years and has taken on a couple of 600 mile trips I,ve crawled under it and there does not seem to be any oil or other fluid leaks I'll keep you posted when I get inside and chance to road test thanks again guys one good thing If I do get it there seems to be a good support team here. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Regarding the comment about shifting out of overdrive, there might not be any problem, it all depends when it shifting out of overdrive and in many cases if the cruise control is on. If it is slipping out of overdrive while doing 55mph on a flat road, you may have a problem. If it is slipping out of overdrive while cruising at any highway speed and a small to medium hill is hit, and the cruise control is on, it probably should shift out of overdrive. I have a 1990 21 footer with a V6 and the overdrive works great on flat roads, but if I hit just about any hill, from 20 to 40 seconds my trans will downshift, and if I have the cruise control on, as soon as I slow down by a few mph, my trans will downshift to keep the speed up. I am guessing that the 1989 you are looking at will even be more touchy than mine, since I have a 6 cylinder and the 1989 you are looking at has a 4 cylinder. Take the motorhome for a test drive and check for yourself, especially with the cruise control turned off. Good luck and keep us updated. Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan NW Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) Thanks Dennis Yea she said it was when cruise control was in operation if I remember correct -----is my memory right I thought you can manually put it into overdrive if it stays in over drive on a fairly level road without cruise control am I in good shape tranny wise. How fast should I be able climb not too steep inclines. I 'm kind of running all this through my mind I have heard that older 6 cyl ford vans got around 15-17 mpg one could pull a small utility trailer with cargo in it and fix the van up for sleeping quarters I know you would'nt have the luxury of a toy but you may not lose too much if something breaks too I'm pretty good at auto stuff I think I could fix most of what may go wrong with a toy but recently I had to find a rebuilt carb for my old 65 ford pu 352 napa autozone shucks all said their suppliers stopped rebuilding them I found one left at a small auto store after calling all over town all the salvage yards were out too some did'nt carry them I tried rebuilding it but no good well did'nt mean to take up too much time thanks again guys I'll keep you posted Also has anybody ever towed their toy with a 3/4 ton fullsize pickup just wondering if one was out on the middle of no where stranded and had a heavy duty towbar on the front could it be done or are they just too heavy Dan Edited September 19, 2008 by Dan NW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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