stacylynn Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Hello! We are thinking of buying an 1982 Dolphin for $3800 and would like some help/advice. The Dolphin has the 1-ton rear axle, has a 5-speed transmission, tires in great shape, has 121,000 miles (5,000 on rebuilt engine), has a brand new 10 foot awning, and all the appliances (new fridge, stove) work. The RV doesn't have an on-board generator (something we wanted), but otherwise seems to be in great shape mechanically (current owner is a mechanic). What it lacks a bit on is cosmetics, probably due to quite a few trips down into Mexico. The roof and sides have been patched up quite a bit and it also has a leak towards the front of the cab, above the passenger - we found some mold under the cushion up there. One concern we have is that this leak will cause us many headaches as we head to rainier areas (Northern California and Oregon). Also, the current owner shared that the roof is "shifting." We took that to mean that it is caving in some areas, but when we looked up there all we saw was a lot of patching. Thoughts, anyone? Is $3800 a fair price for this RV? Thank you for any help or advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 In my humble opinion I would not pay that much. I think you will be in for headaches and a lot of out of pocket expense fixing all the problems. Leaks are very expensive to fix on any camper let alone the time. It took me months to find my Toy and I am on a very small budget. I made up my mine just how much I could go then got lucky and picked up an 89 Spirit for 2,000. Believe it or not I advertised I was looking on graigslist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I think I would back away from that one. It sounds like you could do a lot better with $3,800. If there is mold there is wet and with out pulling some panels off you can not tell how much damage has been done to the roof frame work. The Toyota's are not rare they made lots of them so just keep looking until you find a nice one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLittlePuppy Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Would urge you to pass on this one because of the mold and leak problem. If you are planning on visiting a more rainy area of the country, you will not enjoy it with a leaky motorhome. Keep on searching and you will find a better one. These Toy motorhomes are fun and there are quite a few of them, but if you end up with one that needs work to repair leaks, etc., you would not be able to use it like you want until you pump lots of time and money into it. Best wishes on finding the right one! Dianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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