bobblefrog Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) Hi all - New here, but have been doing lots of lurking/research the last six months. I hadn't planned to buy for another year, but found one locally just down the street and went and took a look at it today. We have owned an RV before so not totally clueless, but don't have any experience with these. The woman who owns it full-timed in it for about eight years and has her spreadsheet of maintenance and receipts for repairs. She had a rebuilt Jasper (it's a 4 cyl auto) put into it at 117K mi (it's at 154K now) and it has the 6 lug axle. It's been modified for a single person so I'd redo the interior - but I'm thinking it's not bad to start with a clean slate - I could custom build my own pieces. Will probably need to replace floor and bathroom door (has a curtain now). No sign of blistering paint, seams look good, no soft spots. The only evidence of water damage was the usual front window which was over gooped (needs to be cleaned) and while I found water staining on the material over the cab inset, it was hard underneath. The plumbing/water pump will all have to be worked over, but she says she's used the black and grey and toilet and they all work well, just she hasn't used the fresh water lines for a few years. Tires look in good shape, no sign of cracking/dry rot but they are 2010 so I'm thinking I'll have to replace them to be safe? Paint on the truck is dull but I assume the camper part can be buffed out? It actually didn't look bad, just a little rust around the water inlet that looked like it could be scrubbed up and painted. I've checked with the mechanic that just did an ignition relay switch replace for her and they will do a check of the engine for $50 and I can probably add on more an they'll check out the electric systems. She fired it up and I did get a puff of whitish (maybe grey/blue?) smoke from the exhasut - that has me a little nervous. She says she doesn't have to add oil but the mechanic said they would definitely be able to let me know if that was indication of something serious. She says she's never used the fridge on propane, just electric, and the fuse panel looked "expected" didn't see any fire or heat damage. Oh, and awning mechanism is broken - arms look good, but will probably have to replace that as well. Did not get up on the roof - no ladder, but can have that inspected. She wants $6500 for it. We talked a little about driving it - she says she has taken it over the Rockies to California - 35 up the mountains and some draft of course when you come through a gorge, but she says nothing that ever scared her. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any advice! Edited March 10, 2016 by bobblefrog Correcting mileage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Up north mi Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 What make is it ? do you have any pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 10, 2016 Author Share Posted March 10, 2016 It's a Sunland Express? Not one I've run across before. I pushed up on the ceiling around all the vents and a/c and stepped down hard in the corners where I could - obviously I need to do more, but that first go over didn't show anything soft. The ceiling stuff - whatever that thin stuff is, is a little loose just around the vents and a/c about a 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Nothing that you would notice except for feeling and telling there was a slight gap. Course I would expect that for its age, but maybe this is a warning flag...I didn't see spots or any obvious staining. Afraid my pictures aren't great, but hopefully they help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 1 hour ago, bobblefrog said: She wants $6500 for it. We talked a little about driving it - she says she has taken it over the Rockies to California - 35 up the mountains and some draft of course when you come through a gorge, but she says nothing that ever scared her. Any thoughts? Yes, the price is around $3000 too high, in my opinion. I see them (similar size, age, and condition Toyota RVs) for $1800-$3500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Yes, the price is a little high for this year Toyhome, but for it's age it's not in too bad of a condition. Price can sometimes be affected by location. There is some staining on the ceiling and the usual leaky front window. One other thing I'd check on is the condition of the plywood in the wheel wells. The wood often delaminates there even with the nice plastic skirts on there. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) Thanks Dolphinite, good advice. Yeah, I have to agree with you both I would have been happier if this was less considering the work I foresee putting into it. But also haven't found anything that looks quite this sound near me (so far). I think if it was the floor plan I wanted (with the kitchen on the side and bathroom across the rear - but that might be 90s models only?) I wouldn't be so hesitant. It would be a welcome project. Edited March 11, 2016 by bobblefrog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I'm in Florida where vehicles seem to sell for way more than the rest of the country and I would consider that too high! But of course it is worth what someone will pay for it. I paid a premium price for mine, but no rust and just a tiny bit of rot which I missed when looking at it. IF that mess around the front window is silicon it is going to be difficult to remove. Then nothing sticks to where silicon use to be! If it is not silicon should not be too bad to clean it up. Good luck Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 Thanks - pretty sure it is not silicone, she said she had a guy do it and then it oozed out once the sun started beating on it - but I will definitely check it if I move forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 Thanks everyone for chiming in, going to keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVdaytrader Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 13 hours ago, bobblefrog said: Thanks everyone for chiming in, going to keep looking. bobblefrog....Here is a site that may interest you. Has the most Toyota RVs for sale that I have seen. Nice breakdown of year, brand, location, etc. http://toyotarvforsale.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 (edited) Thank you! I had not stumbled across this site - really appreciate it. Or, maybe I had stumbled across it and thought it was one of those useless directory sites - didn't dig deep enough. Edited March 12, 2016 by bobblefrog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I had not seen that sight either, thanks for posting. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 A lot of very old Craigslist reposts on that site. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVdaytrader Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 A lot of the postings are months old, but it gives a good idea what folks are asking for their rigs. And it shows so many that you can check out all the different makes to see which brand you want to watch for. If I was in the market to buy, I would look at "all of craigslist " every day. Any good deal goes fast!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 Yes, with the search field I can search my city and state and surrounding states and get a great history of what has been on the market the last year and for how much. I can see its value in determining how far off the mark a price is. Although I'm not a happy flyer and willing to pay more for local :-) And the layouts - this is a great way to learn them. Ultimately cool. Keep me busy researching while I wait for "the one" to pop up in my obsessive classified searches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 There is nothing worse than driving halfway across the state for a "mint condition" vehicle only to find rust, rot and stains and stink when you get there. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocinante Sunrader 88 Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 FYI, It is nice to have the six lug front wheels also, means that you can actually have a working spare. Early models had five lug front and rear, then they started putting on six lug rear, then six lug front and rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblefrog Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Now that's something I hadn't thought about.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.