Daybreak motor home ... any rec's appreciated

GlennDog

As Sgt. Schultz said many times "I know nothing!"
I know next to nothing about these things . . . but I'm reading what's online

My friends and I rented a motorhome and drove down to spring break in FLA 40 years ago. A great time, but a motorhome on its last leg is on my mind.

I'm just kicking around the thought of doing a little traveling around our great country.
HEY, TROY . . . . got room in the driveway? . . . LOL

I realize this is not an investment, but a trade of cash for adventure and life experiences.

Strictly based on the price point, I'd say this is the JC Penny of motorhomes (not Lord & Taylor). I have not seen this in person, but I will by weeks end.

Here's what the seller claims:
"In very good condition 2006 Damon Daybreak 32 ft loaded. One super slide with dual ACs and a generator. Awning, hydraulic leveling jacks, On-ford V10, 65,000 miles, runs and drives great. Sofa, super slide, full kitchen, gas and electric fridge, three burner range, oven, microwave, furnace, rear queen walk around bed, sleeps up to six. Shower tub, nice bathroom area, beautiful layout. Everything in working condition, very clean. EVERYTHING WORKS, NO LEAKS, NON-SMOKER, VERY NICE, GOOD TIRES AND BREAKS, READY TO GO!

Nice pics here. But pics are pics
https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/rvs/d/troy-2006-daybreak/7523900922.html

I'm wondering if this is on par with owning a boat
AKA The best 2 days in a boat owners life is the day you buy the boat . . . and the day you sell the damn boat

Thanks in advance

txcoastal1

So is it 65k or 650k miles
Contradiction in details vs the itemized info on right side of listing

F1nut

You better hope it has brakes and not breaks.

I have to say, it looks very clean inside...a plus.

FYI, there is no bigger money pit in the world than a boat, period.

Dabutcher

If this does not work out for you? Crankyape.com has some great RV’s up for auction now and then. No affiliation. Good luck. D

dromunds

2006 is a pretty old vehicle. Just sayin’. Plus, this time of the year I’d be offering way less than asking. I’ve noticed lots more RVs for sale lately. With interest rates going up much more in the future and the concomitant effects on the economy I’d expect prices to drop even more.

invalid

I wouldn't worry too much about the age, the Ford V10 should have plenty of life left in it. Be prepared for only about 7-8 miles per gallon though

daddyjt

The two-days thing is absolutely true about campers/motor homes. We had a 32’ Montana 5th wheel - not TOTL, but a nice unit, for about 9 years. First off, in addition to the purchase cost, there’s licensing, insurance, and storage (depending on you situation). These things for us added up to about 2k/year. THEN there’s the fact that nice campgrounds/rv parks are $50-$100 per night (even scuzzy ones are $30-$50). THEN there’s fuel - my diesel pickup got about 7-8 mpg pulling. Then there’s the fact that every time you go to use it, it seems like you’re fixing something. Then there’s the process of loading it up with food/clothes/personal items for the trip, then the unloading and cleaning after the trip. Then there’s the nuisance of navigating heavy traffic in unfamiliar locals with the behemoth.

Add all that up, and I figured I could have stayed in first-class hotels for the trips we took, and pocketed an extra $40k - as well as saved a ton of headaches.

Sorry to be negative, but you asked;-)

maxward

^^^ Every time I think about getting a trailer or RV, I remember the words of a friend who is now on his second or third. And those words were pretty much what was said above.

Jstas

Dude, he asked for recommendations, not a urine parade in his Wheaties.


Anyway, that's a real nice price for a 2006 and 32 feet. That would be going for $25K, at least, around here.

In fact, the closest analog I can find locally is a Fleetwood that's 3 feet longer and 3 years older with a Chevy gas V8 and an Allison transmission and it's listed for $24,800.

So my first question is what's really wrong with it?

The Ford V10 had early problems with deck warping causing intake gaskets to fail and the plastic intake manifolds to crack but it was fixed by like 2003. Same with the spark plug issue. A 2006 motorhome, though, if it was a leftover chassis, it might still be a 2V from 2004 so I would ask about that or find teh emissions sticker under the hood. The 2V engines were out of production by 2005 so if it was a new chassis when built, it should be the 3V engine which has better power stats. Not so much more power but better power band and better mileage.

As far as what to look for in the RV itself, make sure everything works. Check plumbing because of most of it is vinyl tubing and the older it gets the more prone to dry rotting and cracking it is.

I know the pictures look nice but I see some concerning stuff like the positioning of some electrical outlets and how they aren't squarely mounted. That's indicative of stress like someone left something plugged in and closed a slide which messed up the outlet. Potential problems there.

Also, check for water damage around the venting and windows, especially on the roof. Make sure the slide seals and cargo door weather stripping are in good shape too. Check your propane connections too.

I know that's all a bit "extreme" to some people but that stuff adds up if you have to replace it and with an RV, there's LOTS to replace. Gets expensive, quick.

Otherwise, check engines, even the generator. Don't take their word for it. Pop an oil fill cap and look for water (white foam) if the foam is more coffee colored it means the engine has been running with water in the oil. For something that sits for significant amounts of time, that's not out of the ordinary but it can be indicative of lackadaisical maintenance. Crawl under it. Look at the condition of the frame and undercarriage. Is it dirty and rusty, caked with dirt? Check the soft parts like rubber body bushings and look at brake lines, the rubber ones. Do they look dry rotted and cracked? Look at the hard lines too for the transmission, brakes and fuel. If they are corroded that's going to be significant cost to replace and they do need to be replaced. Anything that you test out that isn't working is going to need looking after. They are houses on wheels and there's sooooo much that can start a fire or break down and it can be hard to find a place that services RVs because you need super heavy lifts and a big garage with lots of overhead space to pick them up. Nice thing is, it's a Ford drivetrain and dash so parts are everywhere and inexpensive. Comparatively of course.

The other thing to check is what the going price is for the RV in your area. If it's the cheapest one for sale, why? If it's priced significantly lower than it's fair market value, why? They are potential red flags.

But usually when someone feels they have to tout things like new maintenance items to make the price seem sweeter it makes me wonder what problem is being covered up with the lipstick on the pig, ya know?

Just with boats, don't jump at the first cheap thing that comes along. Unless you are super mechanical with lots of time and space to store it for free, a broken RV or boat is going to be a headache and money pit. You're better off buying something in better condition and stomaching the extra cost up front. The point is to enjoy it, not to buy a never ending repair bill or something that ties up every weekend at the storage facility or driveway instead of the campground.

That said, we've been looking for RVs as well. Mainly because with a family of 4, it's getting cheaper to tow our hotel room with us to go visit family than it is to fly, rent a car and a couple hotel rooms for a week. And that's no where near first class accommodations. That's mom and pop motels levels. Additionally, an RV can get you to a spot that a hotel room doesn't necessarily get you to. Especially when you go to visit state and national parks which typically won't allow anything bigger than 35 feet into the camping areas. So a 35 foot or smaller RV gets you parked right in a national park campsite. Even at $100 a night, it's a deal. Yeah, gas sucks and so does having to make all your own food but it's also a good thing.

But we're looking at trailers so we can go park somewhere, unhook and take the tow vehicle some place near by too.

So don't get discouraged, do your research and buy smart and informed. It's not going to be an appreciating investment but a well maintained RV will retain value better so if you do go to sell in the future, you can recoup much of your cost. It's a pile of money you're going to spend so spend it as wisely as you can.

verb

Good luck in your journey Dog! I've been looking around as well. The Mrs isn't there yet, btw she's more of a hotel kinda gal. But once retired, it would be great to travel all around this great country of ours! Travel at your own pace, stop virtually anywhere and rest (any walmart parking lot if your in a pinch). A lot of advantages in not having to stay at a hotel, IMO. Especially in the more rural areas where accommodations are, well, mixed.

Definitely buy pre-owned, as the original/previous owners have already endured the massive depreciation on these guys. Lot's of deals out there, just gotta be patient!

Size matters too, IMO. What to do when your parked, and gotta run to the local store to get suppliers? A smaller RV is better to get around the local town, IMO, than a huge 32 footer. Do you trailer a motorcycle or scooter? Bicycles? All considerations I've been thinking about.

Keep us posted!

daddyjt

Jstas wrote: »

Dude, he asked for recommendations, not a urine parade in his Wheaties….

This is literally the last line of his post, and it’s what I was responding to…

GlennDog wrote: »

…I'm wondering if this is on par with owning a boat
AKA The best 2 days in a boat owners life is the day you buy the boat . . . and the day you sell the damn boat

Thanks in advance

audioluvr

I live in my 5th wheel when I work on the road. RV 'ing isn't for everyone but my GF and I make the best of it. I've traveled the country and met some wonderful people. If you can't figure out which end of the Phillips screwdriver you use, stay in hotels. There's always going to be things to fix, especially if you go cheap. My recommendation is look for class A diesel pushers with less than 60k like Holiday Rambler, Monaco, Beaver, etc. They were built to last and were very expensive new. You'll be into one for twice as much but you can tow a vehicle behind it like it wasn't there and RV parks won't question if it's too old or not.

Detroit may not be the ideal market location though. I'd look in California, Nevada, Arizona etc where snow birds go.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/rvd/d/mesa-2004-newmar-kountry-star/7527971549.html

huggies

I wouldn't buy a used motorhome without taking it on a test drive over some steep grades, if possible. Grew up in the mountains, and every year there was at least one or two RV's that burned to the frame because it overheated and caught fire. Look for any overheating issues!

GlennDog

I appreciate everyones input

Can you elaborate on the comment below?

I would think that if you roll up the the entrance gate (and you are not dragging a muffler) that you could enter the park. Do gate attendants “evaluate” the worthiness of the RVs ?

audioluvr wrote: »

. . . and RV parks won't question if it's too old or not.l

Thanks guys!

treitz3

That comment propped up my curiosity as well...

Tom

boston1450

Most campgrounds like when a clean vintage unit shows up. Have you seen a recondition 1800's Shasta's prices. You'll look like grandpa

txcoastal1

treitz3 wrote: »

That comment propped up my curiosity as well...

Tom

Remember cousin Eddie…here’s your answer

GlennDog

txcoastal1 wrote: »

Remember cousin Eddie…

Hilarious!

audioluvr

Many RV parks require them to be 15 years old or newer. Occasionally I've come across ones where 12 years old is the limit. It's there way of keeping there parks ratings high by keeping Cousin Eddie out.

treitz3

Do you know if this includes camper/travel trailers as well or are they not allowed at all?

Tom

audioluvr

Anything.

treitz3

Interesting. I wouldn't even be able to enter said campground due to the age of my tow vehicle.

Ya' learn something everyday.

Tom

audioluvr

Tow vehicles are exempt usually. If you're towing a new 2022 Alpenlite with an Edsel you are good to go.

polrbehr

If and when you go to look/test it out, call first and tell the owner you want a cold engine start. And when you get there, open the engine bay and make sure it's cold. Many years ago a friend of mine whose son was a top-flite mechanic told me to do that when I was looking at boats; his reasons were many but what I recall is if there are any issues you'll hear them when the motor is first running. Since it seems RVs and boats share similar horror stories, I figure it might be relevant advice.

treitz3

....and that's good advice too. With any gas powered engine IME.

Tom