Rob the Winnebago you remember, which I still have, has an hour meter as I mentioned above. This Monaco that I got a couple of months ago has no meter that I can find so far. I would have them service the generator every time I serviced the motor home, once a year or 5000mi which ever came first.

Fern,

Even on the front panel of the generator, there is no hour meter?

I've had a 2007 Cross Country (entry level), 1999 American Dream and now a 2004 American Revolution. The ONLY pro to the Cross Country was that it got 9mpg with the little 5.9 Cummins. I don't know what your budget is but my only advice would be to not let the age scare you. If you've got 50-60k to spend, buy a 15 year old coach with a few more miles that was near the top of the line during that time versus buying a 5-10 year old entry level coach with low miles. We also have a 90's Monaco Signature Series in our family with no slide and I love it. It has an aqua hot system on it which is awesome - definitely worth looking into. I honestly wouldn't be scared to buy an older coach without a slide for what we do. If it wasn't for having two very young kids, the slide really wouldn't be a big deal. They are laid out very nice and they're actually quite a bit more comfortable going down the road.

I think most of the things I looked for have already been listed. I'd look into the Eez TPMS for your coach and trailer whenever you get one. For about $400 you can monitor tire pressure and temperature on the coach and trailer. Generator on a slide is a huge plus if you can find one. Electric patio awning is pretty nice. Side radiator, 330hp+, Cummins, Allison, fiberglass roof, etc etc. Check for delamination on the sidewalls and water damage on the ceiling/walls inside.

Rob I just went out and pulled the generator out and no hour meter anywhere. 7500 Onan diesel. I'll change the oil often enough, trust me. I don't like my oil to get dirty in anything.

Fern,

Not doubting you. I have had three and they all had the hour meter near the start/run/off switch on the same flat panel.

I know Rob..... It just don't have one that I have found. Seems pretty odd to me but if there is one somewhere I have yet to find it and thanks for every ones help.

2004 Sport Coach Limited Edition on a Freightliner chassis, 3126e 330 Cat, 364K miles, 7500 watt Onan, nearly 29K hours (planning to replace it this winter during the off season).

Motorhomes are all about being taken care of. If it's been maintained properly, age and hours are not a significant issue. All motorhomes require a lot of maintenance to keep them in top shape.

We replace tires at 80K miles, change oil at 8K miles, trans fluid at 25K, change gen oil at 150 to 175 hours. Brakes go to about 200K. I'm on my 4th set of shocks.

The worst thing in the world for a motorhome is to sit idle and outside.

We tow 8k with a 5.9 38' single super slide. The single super slide is a pretty good deal I think compared to the deeper ones for maintenance and ease of use going down the road.

The 5.9 is fine if you don't worry about things like pissing off truckers going up a two lane mountain pass. Good mileage. Won't pass nothing but a gas station.

With any Cummins from that era you have to at least think about injection pumps at least as far as getting stranded. Read about vp44s for 5.9s or CAPS for the 8.3. My choice would be a cp3 common rail on either a 5.9 or 8.3 which I think is 04-05 vintage before egr and def. I put together a custom lift pump system for my vp44 but can't get a gauge to work so still pretty frustrated with it.

Ours was poorly maintained and as a result it puts a toll on my racing occasionally but I got into it for 10k less than anything similar and it has served us prettt well overall (except for that time I was stranded 15 hours from home with a pregnant wife when the 1st vp44 died). You're best bet is to buy something you can sink a little money into to make it just right. I'll keep this one until I can do that with the next one or this one falls apart whichever comes first.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Walter:
2004 Sport Coach Limited Edition on a Freightliner chassis, 3126e 330 Cat, 364K miles, 7500 watt Onan, nearly 29K hours (planning to replace it this winter during the off season).

Motorhomes are all about being taken care of. If it's been maintained properly, age and hours are not a significant issue. All motorhomes require a lot of maintenance to keep them in top shape.

We replace tires at 80K miles, change oil at 8K miles, trans fluid at 25K, change gen oil at 150 to 175 hours. Brakes go to about 200K. I'm on my 4th set of shocks.

The worst thing in the world for a motorhome is to sit idle and outside.

Very good information and it brings up a question to me. Even though yours has gone 364K miles proves the motors are pretty durable even pulling all that weight. I am still thinking there will be issues busted hoses, water pumps, fuel pump, those things will not last forever and wonder when to replace them?
With yours having that many miles makes me more comfortable to look for ones wit 75,000 to 100,000 miles.

I'll share my experience with the 5.9 Cummins. (long)
Initially when we first got our coach (bought it brand new in 2004) it was fine.
However, at 12,000 miles (1 1/2 years old) the turbo went.
We had it towed to a local Freightliner dealer. They replaced it, $9500 out of my pocket. The turbo is NOT a normal turbo, it has the wastegate built into it, special for motorhomes, pickins are slim on finding them.
Also, UNFORTUNATELY they had to plug the computer in to get codes, when they did that it also AUTOMATICALLY downloaded the NEW EPA standards for that engine. This is where the issues REALLY started.

So we pick it up and the thing is a TURD, NO POWER even with NO trailer behind it. I immediately turn around, they keep the coach for another week, can't find anything wrong. The dealer with me standing there calls Cummins so we can talk about it, Cummins acknowledges that the NEW program in the computer knocks the HP down to about 270 so it will pass the EPA standards. It got great fuel mileage just gutless.

When I found out what it was I asked the dealer to put it back the way it was. He said he couldn't because if he did he could loose his license. I called BS and went round and round with them but still couldn't get it removed.

Within the next 4 years I replaced 2 more turbos, the issue is they basically burn up because the pedal is to the floor the whole time driving it. (the tech confirmed it when he downloaded the computer the last time).

Moral of the story is: stay way from the 5.9's OR do NOT have any work done to it by a DEALER.
It's nothing more than an engine you find in a diesel Dodge truck retro fitted for a coach.

I did put a Banks kit on it, that helped a little, then sold it.

I tow a 32 foot trailer with 2 dragsters, golf cart, 55 gallons of alky, 2 sets of spare wheels and tires, converters, transmissions, rear ends, etc.

Just a word of warning.

Having owned a few gassers, a pusher, and now a toter, I can tell you if you can possibly swing it in the budget, a toter is pretty sweet. If you don't need a slide, you should be able to find a nice one for a reasonable amount. Toters don't have as many luxury gadgets as pushers, but the towing is awesome. Neither wind or hills will ever bother you.

Something to check on, I was told units that are over 10 years old are harder to get financing on. If that makes a difference to you.

quote:

Originally posted by fatpack:
Something to check on, I was told units that are over 10 years old are harder to get financing on. If that makes a difference to you.

I am going low budget here. Going to retire soon and do not want any payments or reason to have to continue working. Pay cash and be done with it.

Curly,

I get you about no payments.
But one other thing I would consider is a coach at a certain age you can not get any warranty.
One big expense and it will more than pay for itself. After paying for my first turbo I learned this quickly.
I will NEVER have another coach without a warranty.

I'm kinda big on the no payments thing. I owe on my house. But I shake my head at the financing some get because they feel that there is no other way to get into the motorhome they want. Upside down right from the get-go. I do understand the want for a warranty.
If I popped an engine on mine, I would probably throw it away if I couldn't do the replacement myself. At some point it makes no sense to make the investment considering what it is worth at the time. People think...well I paid tens of thousands for it. I can't throw it away! Well, you paid tens of thousands for it several years ago. It isn't worth that now, and frankly it probably wasn't worth that the moment after you bought it. Throw it away if it doesn't make sense to fix it. The last thing you want is payments forcing you into what is probably a bad decision. Plus, if you add up a years worth of payments and warranty, or a couple, or 5....you could have just bought another one for cash.
LOL. I don't roll in in the toter/stacker beautiful everything. Image means very little to me in that way. Functionality and dependability are king.

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:
I'm kinda big on the no payments thing.

LOL. I don't roll in in the toter/stacker beautiful everything. Image means very little to me in that way. Functionality and dependability are king.

That is me I guess if I wanted to I could get most any thing I wanted. But I am not trying to impress anyone or keep up with the Jones. I just want something low cost and dependable. I am building a new house out in the country actually down sizing and building a barndominium. Now many people may not like it or be impressed and I just do not care. It is not for them it is for me. The new house will have a place for trailers, motorhome and all of my cars. Safe and secure.

I have never not had room for all my toys because I flat refuse to live in a development or HOA community. When I came to NC I bought a heated and cooled 52X40 garage with 5ac. It had a 4br brick rancher on the property......not another house in sight, just cows and chickens. Got to have a motor home of some kind to put up with the heat in the summer or I just couldn't race. You can get a pretty nice one for less than $50K.

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Walter:
2004 Sport Coach Limited Edition on a Freightliner chassis, 3126e 330 Cat, 364K miles, 7500 watt Onan, nearly 29K hours (planning to replace it this winter during the off season).

Motorhomes are all about being taken care of. If it's been maintained properly, age and hours are not a significant issue. All motorhomes require a lot of maintenance to keep them in top shape.

We replace tires at 80K miles, change oil at 8K miles, trans fluid at 25K, change gen oil at 150 to 175 hours. Brakes go to about 200K. I'm on my 4th set of shocks.

The worst thing in the world for a motorhome is to sit idle and outside.

Very good information and it brings up a question to me. Even though yours has gone 364K miles proves the motors are pretty durable even pulling all that weight. I am still thinking there will be issues busted hoses, water pumps, fuel pump, those things will not last forever and wonder when to replace them?
With yours having that many miles makes me more comfortable to look for ones wit 75,000 to 100,000 miles.

So far this is what I've replaced. 1 starter, 2 alternators, full set of injectors, was on my third replacement and decided time to change them all. Oh and on my 3rd serpentine belt.

This winter I'll be changing the following, water pump, oil cooler, perhaps the radiator, air compressor, fix the dash air and exhaust manifold gaskets. I may replace the turbo as well. I've got to pull the radiator and inter cooler to fix an engine oil leak, so have decided to do these while I have it apart...it just makes sense.

One other thing we did have to do was replace the transmission. However, that was caused by a failed trans cooler that allowed engine coolant in the transmission. Freightliner paid for half of it.

Something to keep in mind. Onan 7500 gensets did have an issue with the armature. Something about the epoxy was bad. If I recall correctly, it only affected the 2004 model if my memory serves me correctly. It was fixed under a recall. I think someone brought that up already.

Not wanting to high jack this thread, but this post could be very helpful to me also. We are looking at either buying a class A motor home or a trailer with a bath package and a/c. A new trailer with all that will be close to 30K, a nice used motor home can be had for about the same money. I work out in this heat, but it is getting tougher every year to tolerate it. My wife, on the other hand, is diabetic and works inside, the summer heat & humidity are brutal on her.
At this point, we don't even know what we don't know about motor homes. I am a truck mechanic by trade (over 40 years, all aspects of it, engines, brakes, a/c's, ect, ect), so a lot of the concerns I am seeing here don't really bother me (except the parts cost of it).
I see a lot of Holiday Ramblers for sale, and have always heard good things about them. Do they hold up well? Also, I understand that some mfg's have a "good, better, best" models. I would like to see more of "what to run from", in addition to what to look for.
Thanks, Brian

quote:

Originally posted by All Out Brian:
Not wanting to high jack this thread, but this post could be very helpful to me also.

You are not high jacking this thread, all information is welcome here. I started this thread to learn what to look for and watch out for so if you have any questions feel free to ask. That is how we learn. I appreciate all the questions and answers.