dayoff53 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Hi! My wife and I have owned several small trailers (2 5th wheels, 4 standard trailers) and 4 tow rigs - none large - over a 15 year period, but have not had an RV for the last 4 1/2 years. My brother and his wife recently bought a 1990 21' SeaBreeze in fixer-upper condition and are turning it into a technological marvel. We got jealous and started checking craigslist - yesterday morning. The first rig that caught our attention was a 1992 Winnebago Warrior and we drove 30 miles to see it yesterday... ...today, we "bought" it for $12,000. The quotes are because it was a telephone call deal and no money has changed hands yet - we'll get to our credit union Monday or Tuesday. I suppose it could still fall apart, but I think we have made a purchase. This motorhome is in beautiful shape for it's age. It has only 28,500 original miles and has been taken care of immaculately. No leaks, dents, cracks or dings. New tires last year with virtually no use. 4.5 hours on the Kohler generator. The stove is so shiny I thought it was new - but it is original. Took it for a drive and it was smooth and quiet. No air leaks, no rattles. It looks like it has been mostly stored indoors, as there is very little fading of the finish. The only things I can pick at are that it has 4 little windshield chips and there are 2 or 3 small places - very small - where the wall covering has wrinkled/delaminated on the corner of a sheet of material. The upholstery is very nice and even the carpet shows a little dirt but very little wear. The seller has had it for 8 years and bought it from the original owners - at that time, it had clear plastic on the carpet and the carpet had never been walked on! It has a large awning on the door side. I don't know if it has had the head gasket warranty work done - we will check with our Toyota dealer and see if they can find out - we have bought 3 cars from the dealer in recent years and get all our service done there, so I think they will be honest with me. So, for those of you more familiar with these Toys, how did we do? Was the price good? What problems should we have asked about (now that it is too late)? What things should we check out before our shake-down cruise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel_Aggie Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Welcome to the forums. The price is right in line with other 92-93 Warriors in excellent condition that I've seen over the last three years. I think they are about the nicest and highest quality of all the Toyota RVs. You got the true 6-lug dual axle from the factory. Other than a 4x4 Sunrader these seem to have one of the highest resales of all the Toyotahomes. You're an experienced RV owner so I imagine you know to check all the seals and reseal them every 1-2 years to prevent water leaks. You should be familiar with how all the appliances work and how to thoroughly test them. Check the propane tanks to make sure they are still within 12 years from new or have been reinspected. On the mechanicals of the chassis I'd inspect all fluids and replace as necesary. Most industry guidelines say flush the brake fluid every two years, flush traditional green coolant every two years (orange Toyota coolant may be good for longer.....), strongly consider replacing tires if over 5-6 years old to avoid trip interrupting blow outs that can heavily damage an RV. Inspect all rubbers lines such as radiator hoses, heater hoses, bypass hoses, brake hoses and fuel line. Pull the wheels and visually inspect brakes, calipers, caliper slides, wheel bearings and lug studs/nuts. New wiper blades, fuel filter and oil/filter change if uncertain. Don't forget generator maintenance if you have one. Do a full walkaround with a helper to make sure all lights work. Forgot to mention the belts. Is it an aluminum roof? Some of the later ones were. Good luck in your travels. It sounds like a nice rig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayoff53 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Welcome to the forums. The price is right in line with other 92-93 Warriors in excellent condition that I've seen over the last three years. I think they are about the nicest and highest quality of all the Toyota RVs. You got the true 6-lug dual axle from the factory. Other than a 4x4 Sunrader these seem to have one of the highest resales of all the Toyotahomes. You're an experienced RV owner so I imagine you know to check all the seals and reseal them every 1-2 years to prevent water leaks. You should be familiar with how all the appliances work and how to thoroughly test them. Check the propane tanks to make sure they are still within 12 years from new or have been reinspected. On the mechanicals of the chassis I'd inspect all fluids and replace as necesary. Most industry guidelines say flush the brake fluid every two years, flush traditional green coolant every two years (orange Toyota coolant may be good for longer.....), strongly consider replacing tires if over 5-6 years old to avoid trip interrupting blow outs that can heavily damage an RV. Inspect all rubbers lines such as radiator hoses, heater hoses, bypass hoses, brake hoses and fuel line. Pull the wheels and visually inspect brakes, calipers, caliper slides, wheel bearings and lug studs/nuts. New wiper blades, fuel filter and oil/filter change if uncertain. Don't forget generator maintenance if you have one. Do a full walkaround with a helper to make sure all lights work. Forgot to mention the belts. Is it an aluminum roof? Some of the later ones were. Good luck in your travels. It sounds like a nice rig. Thank you for the response! I feel fairly competent to deal with the coach end of things - I've had both new and old trailers and am fairly familiar with general care and maintenance. I gave this rig a pretty good once-over and took it for a drive. It looks, acts and sounds like it has been very well maintained. The tires are all less than 1 1/2 years old with VERY little use. The generator has 4.5 hours on the clock and just had the carburetor rebuilt - I think the last owner didn't run it often enough and the carb got "gunked up". He started it up for me and it started and ran like a champ. Ran the roof A/C and it got cold pretty quickly. The engine has, I think, all original hoses and belts - but I looked pretty closely and saw no signs of aging or checking. Tested the wipers - worked great. He has had very regular oil/filter changes and has kept meticulous records of all the work done. I have not inspected the brakes, wheel bearings and studs, but I can tell you that it brakes evenly and smoothly. My brother and I checked all the lights - a couple clearance lights were out, but extra bulbs are in the glove box. About the only things I didn't check were the spare - which I WILL check before we take it out - and the roof, which I know was recently resealed professionally but which I haven't personally seen. I'm pretty excited about getting this baby on the road, but first I still have to actually BUY it. Today being a bank holiday, I was unable to get the financing done. With a little luck, my lovely bride (of more than 30 years) will get that done tomorrow while I am at work. We actually expect to borrow against our paid-off Prius rather than financing the Toy motor home because the interest rate is 2.5 % lower on the 4-year-old car than on the 19-year-old motor home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel_Aggie Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 The only thing I see that concerns me is the potentially original belts/hoses. Since you have good records you should be able to study them and see if they were ever replaced. If they are original you should be able to find a 10 digit 12345-67890 style part number on them. By the 90s some makers were using EPDM hoses instead of traditional rubber....but I don't know if Toyota was. EPDM hoses often make it to 10 years but 19 years on any hose is a ticking time bomb. When you replace the bulbs on the clearance lights, check the sealant on them. They are a very common leak area especially on the front. On gasoline generators it's not a bad idea to always run StaBil in the fuel. It helps prevent carb gunking when the fuel evaporates and prolongs it's shelf life. If you always run it, you can't forget to do it when you end up not using it. If you have ethanol blended fuel in your area, ryou might esearch their new ethanol product as well. http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/default.aspx Even new RVs are very difficult to finance. Anything over 10 years old is almost impossible to finance. You must have a small bank that actually looks at collateral value! Certainly makes sense to use the car unless you plan to sell it. If the Prius were totaled, would insurance pay it off? Something to check into as full coverage is dropped by some people on older vehicles. Gap insurance might be worth it in this instance if the car were to depreciate quicker than the loan gets paid down. I really like buying a vehicle with thorough records and with 1.5yo tires and a fresh carb rebuild I think you are getting a lot for your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayoff53 Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 The only thing I see that concerns me is the potentially original belts/hoses. Since you have good records you should be able to study them and see if they were ever replaced. If they are original you should be able to find a 10 digit 12345-67890 style part number on them. By the 90s some makers were using EPDM hoses instead of traditional rubber....but I don't know if Toyota was. EPDM hoses often make it to 10 years but 19 years on any hose is a ticking time bomb. When you replace the bulbs on the clearance lights, check the sealant on them. They are a very common leak area especially on the front. On gasoline generators it's not a bad idea to always run StaBil in the fuel. It helps prevent carb gunking when the fuel evaporates and prolongs it's shelf life. If you always run it, you can't forget to do it when you end up not using it. If you have ethanol blended fuel in your area, ryou might esearch their new ethanol product as well. http://www.goldeagle...il/default.aspx Even new RVs are very difficult to finance. Anything over 10 years old is almost impossible to finance. You must have a small bank that actually looks at collateral value! Certainly makes sense to use the car unless you plan to sell it. If the Prius were totaled, would insurance pay it off? Something to check into as full coverage is dropped by some people on older vehicles. Gap insurance might be worth it in this instance if the car were to depreciate quicker than the loan gets paid down. I really like buying a vehicle with thorough records and with 1.5yo tires and a fresh carb rebuild I think you are getting a lot for your money. Well, we took delivery yesterday and we are as proud as new parents! It is in such good condition - they even had custom made canvas seat and cushion covers made to protect the upholstery from their dog, which explains why the upholstery looks virtually brand new. We are the third owners and both prior owners kept all records - including the original window "sticker" showing the base price and all options, totaling a little over $32,000 in 1991. We have records of the head gasket warranty work, tires, awning and step addition, re-sealing, repair of leaks in the cab-over, etc., etc. There is no spare, but I found in the Winnebago manual that a spare was an option (that this unit did not have) and that they recommend using one of the duals to replace a flat front or just removing a flat dual until you get to someplace to get the flat fixed. That works for me. The last owner had a receiver hitch added to the back but was quick to say NOT to tow with it - the back frame members are really too light. He put it there for a bicycle carrier (that he threw in) and I may consider a cargo carrier there if we find we need it (don't expect to, but with the genny, there is no outside storage). This unit was used as recently as 3 weeks ago and everything appears to be in perfect working order. We're planning a shake-down cruise this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel_Aggie Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 You are the first one I've heard with an original window sticker. If you have the opportunity to scan that and post it I imagine it would be a pretty popular item to view! I'm not sure if we have a scanned copy of the owners manual in the files/pictures section for this unit. If not it would certainly be appreciated. One of the most common question on here is where can I get a manual. They just don't exist anymore for the most part. You could probably even sell a scanned manual converted to .pdf on Ebay. You are really lucky to have such complete documentation/records. Should be a huge help in devising a maintenance schedule. I believe www.stocktonwheel.com offers the correct wheels for a spare. Other posters can better answer that and there are some older posts about it. I strongly disagree with removing a rear dual to replace a front flat unless it is a dire emergency. You most likely end up overloading the remaining tire even if you only drive a short distance. Overloading that tire can cause a blowout or damage the tire internally weakening it. A blowout on most Toyotahomes can cause severe damage that is difficult to repair. I'm sure several crank down tire hoists could be adapted from the salvage yard. Good advice on the rear hitch. Once you look underneath at the frame extension you'll see why. I was amazed when looking under mine. The bike carrier is just another added value! Congratulation on getting such a pristine unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunneys Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Congratulations!!! It sounds like a great buy that will give you years and years of enjoyment! Andrew & Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayoff53 Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 You are the first one I've heard with an original window sticker. If you have the opportunity to scan that and post it I imagine it would be a pretty popular item to view! I'm not sure if we have a scanned copy of the owners manual in the files/pictures section for this unit. If not it would certainly be appreciated. One of the most common question on here is where can I get a manual. They just don't exist anymore for the most part. You could probably even sell a scanned manual converted to .pdf on Ebay. You are really lucky to have such complete documentation/records. Should be a huge help in devising a maintenance schedule. I believe www.stocktonwheel.com offers the correct wheels for a spare. Other posters can better answer that and there are some older posts about it. I strongly disagree with removing a rear dual to replace a front flat unless it is a dire emergency. You most likely end up overloading the remaining tire even if you only drive a short distance. Overloading that tire can cause a blowout or damage the tire internally weakening it. A blowout on most Toyotahomes can cause severe damage that is difficult to repair. I'm sure several crank down tire hoists could be adapted from the salvage yard. Good advice on the rear hitch. Once you look underneath at the frame extension you'll see why. I was amazed when looking under mine. The bike carrier is just another added value! Congratulation on getting such a pristine unit. Good suggestion about scanning the manual - I will do that before long for the benefit of other members. One (or possibly more) page appears to be missing. The manual is in a plastic binding and some sections are general - for all Winnebagos of that year - while some are specific to this model. At one point in the general winterizing section, it refers the reader to page 7-5 for the location of the water line drains for the specific unit. Unfortunately, there is no page 7-5 - Section 7 ends with 7-4. Because of the style of binding - just loose sheets punched and put in a plastic spine - I can't tell whether it has been removed or never existed. So, while I will post the manual I have, if anyone has page 7-5 of the Winnebago Warrior manual for 1992 (or any other year, for that matter), I would certainly like to get a scan of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom W Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I have the same unit their are four drains for the water two in back of the sofa rings that you pull up to drain and two under the stove area a little sliding door &valves that turn. To drain mine, drain system and hot water heater then I use air to blow out lines, where we're at sometimes I don't drain it as we use it in the winter not that cold,just monitor the weather and use a space heater on nights as required. Those frame extensions are pitiful my spare is mounted on the rear bumper even that might been to much when going over bumps, I've thought about underneath it would require moving or rerouteing a gas line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 At one point in the general winterizing section, it refers the reader to page 7-5 for the location of the water line drains for the specific unit. Unfortunately, there is no page 7-5 - Section 7 ends with 7-4. FWIW, my '93 Operator's Manual is the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I can offer a plumbing diagram. http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/Plumbing.htm For some reason, there doesn't be a '92 Warrior included, but I assume '91 & '93 will be pretty similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayoff53 Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 I can offer a plumbing diagram. http://www.winnebago...am/Plumbing.htm For some reason, there doesn't be a '92 Warrior included, but I assume '91 & '93 will be pretty similar. Thank you! I'm not sure whether I have that or not, but it's always good to have resources! Thanx, too, for confirming that your manual does not have a 7-5. I'll assume the reference to that page was a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Perhaps you haven't found these:- http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/Wiring.htm http://www.winnebagoind.com/service/wincd/1993/93wt321rl.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Another item that may need servicing if not done before is to change the rear axle fuild (I think it is 2.5 or so quarts). Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86rader Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 sounds like you have found yourself a very nice unit. Hope you are happy with it. as for the price, i think 12K is a fair price, but not a great one, given the time of year. If it was may, i'd say it was a pretty decent price. of course, if you are in california, i 'spose time of year doesn't matter much. in the end, i guess if it makes you happy, it was a good deal. you did mention something about interior paneling delamination. make sure it is not a leak issue. if it is, run away or at least reopen price negotiations. good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayoff53 Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 you did mention something about interior paneling delamination. make sure it is not a leak issue. if it is, run away or at least reopen price negotiations. Nope, not a leak issue. There has been a very slight leak in the cab-over, but it was all professionally repaired - I have receipts and pictures. This is just a couple of places where there has been condensation causing the "wall paper" to wrinkle a tiny bit on the corner of a wall panel. You have to look hard to even find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Just thinking out loud:- "I wonder if a steam iron would get rid of those wrinkles?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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