w3ozwizard
Lacey, Washington
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When I bought my 28A from CA they told me the mileage of when the oil and other fluids had been changed so I could maintain the warranty. They also told me when and how many miles I had on the tires. You know I have bought many used cars in my life and I don't remember getting all the service records. When I sold my MH years ago, I did not provide any records other then telling they buyer when I changed the oil and such. The ones I looked at a dealer lots had been washed and that was about it. Some even smelled of cigarette smoke which turned my wife off right to start.
Maintenance records can be generated and fabricated. You will not see a lot of stuff on things like CarFax in that they are mostly self insured and could have been wrecked and unless you crawl around and check you will never know.
The internet is full of horror stories even on NEW motorhomes. All you can do is do your best to make sure you know what you are getting. For me, I plan on having to fix a lot of stuff even though the one I got could not have been more pristine. It really looked like it just came off the assembly line. Really!!! I was hoping to find something wrong with it in the two days I inspected it, but hard as I tried I could find only nit picking things. That is not to say the rig could crumble tomorrow afternoon. But I am starting out with a lot lower financial base than if I would have bought a used Four Winds 28A off any of the lots I looked at. Do the math.
After all a motorhome is like a house going down the road, having a 7.5 earthquake each day. Something bad is going to happen sometime so be ready.
2009 Four Winds Majestic 28A
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samven1
Hedgesville, WV usa
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Joined: 07/17/2003
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W3,
I am happy that yours is in such good shape and as far as I know they are all in the same condition as yours but lets be honest here, very few buyer will spend the time or have the expertise or equipment or even the knowledge to use the equipment if they did have it that you have. If I had your knowledge of engines and transmissions I would still do the inspection even with the service records.
CA must have all their units computerized in order to keep track of maint. and service costs. So my question is if they have the records and could put them on a CD or print them why dont they offer them even if it was an additional cost. Would you buy a used car if the owner told you they had all the service records and history of their car but you could not see or have them.
I know I may come off as confrontational but I dont mean to, I am just naturally suspicious of used car/RV/boat dealers in general.
Sam
03 Dodge Ram 1500 QC LB Hemi
2015 Four Winds 22E Chevy
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Mocoondo
Chicago, IL
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samven1 wrote:
Oh and if 6 shower heads have been replaced I want to know what is wrong with the design that causes them to be so fragile before I have to buy 6 more.
Buyers who are enthralled with the failure mode of shower heads should not be shopping retired rentals on a used RV lot.
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w3ozwizard
Lacey, Washington
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Point well taken. Here is some purely speculation probably no bases in fact but here it goes. The coaches and cabs are both numbered and are not the same of course. In talking to folks in Mesa and the area where most of the hundreds of CA motorhomes are re-manufactured each year, there is some thought that the coaches are re-manufactured before hand and put on re- manufactured cabs. If this is at all true then of course there would be separate maintenance records for both parts of what will finally become the MH that they offer for sale. My oldest daughter lives there and she was told that story form someone who should know. But again don't take it to the bank, but that would be at least a reason. In doing a lot of inspection underneath the coach, I could not see anywhere new bolts were in place, so that is just probably an old mans tail. All I know is that mine is as close to any new one, that I looked at, as could be humanly possible. Two small scratches on the floor and one cabinet near the bed has a small nick in it. That is all. It even smells like a new coach. The undercarriage and motor block and heads looked clean, no oil or dirt as you would expect. Even the bolts on the motor mounts looked new, not just cleaned along with the expansion plugs on the block and the block itself. When I asked did someone put a new engine in the rig, they said no it is just part of the re-manufacturing process. When I took the cover off the engine inside, it was as I expected, with oil and dirt as would be seen on an engine of that age. Although the spark plug wires and looked new.
I know I sound like a salesman for CA and I don't mean to be. It is just that the condition of the motorhome I bought was far and away what I had expected and hoped for. I can't say they are all like that, but if they are then the re-manufacturing process they brag about is really worth considering. I'll give you my word that if I find anything wrong with it, I will report it here for all to see. I am not shy about doing that at all.
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Mocoondo
Chicago, IL
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w3ozwizard wrote:Point well taken. Here is some purely speculation probably no bases in fact but here it goes. The coaches and cabs are both numbered and are not the same of course. In talking to folks in Mesa and the area where most of the hundreds of CA motorhomes are re-manufactured each year, there is some thought that the coaches are re-manufactured before hand and put on re- manufactured cabs.
Cruise no longer separates houses from chassis.
The chassis your coach is riding on is the chassis your coach was assembled on at Fourwinds.
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jonthebru
Maui
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I am interested in how easy it may be to modify the simpler CA rigs with more outlets and improved plumbing if necessary. My understanding is they are built as rentals so have some easier operating devices. Is this correct?
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Mocoondo
Chicago, IL
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jonthebru wrote:I am interested in how easy it may be to modify the simpler CA rigs with more outlets and improved plumbing if necessary. My understanding is they are built as rentals so have some easier operating devices. Is this correct?
I'm curious what type of plumbing modifications you had in mind. You poop in the hole, it drops into the tank...doesn't get much more foolproof then that. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile") The plumbing is designed with ease and simplicity in mind. Systems don't get much more robust yet simplistic in my opinion.
As to electrical, wiring is run up in the ceiling through foam insulation. Might be hard to add outlets unless you are ok with exposed wiring, but that holds true with most coaches.
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jonthebru
Maui
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Well for example, is the plumbing set up well for easy winterizing? Is the water pump set up well? Does the RV have 1 or 2 batteries and if there is 1 is there room for another? My understanding, to repeat myself, is that the electrical setup is somewhat simplified for easy use by renters unfamiliar with RVs.
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Mich F
Plantation, Fl
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Joined: 04/18/2004
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jonthebru wrote:Well for example, is the plumbing set up well for easy winterizing? Is the water pump set up well? Does the RV have 1 or 2 batteries and if there is 1 is there room for another? My understanding, to repeat myself, is that the electrical setup is somewhat simplified for easy use by renters unfamiliar with RVs.
I noticed a similar post by you a week or so ago. You seem to be under the impression that these rentals are somehow "different" from non rentals. That is not the case. They might not have awnings while being rented or possibly some other features are different or lacking, but basically they are built the same as any non rental. As for house batteries, many Cs come with only one. The plumbing and wiring is going to be about the same as any non rental.
Basically your understanding of rentals is not correct. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink")
2014 Itasca Spirit 31K Class C
2016 Mazda CX5 on Acme tow dolly- 4 trips ~ 5,800 mi
Now 2017 RWD F150 with a drive shaft disconnect
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jonthebru
Maui
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Thanks for that response. I know that El Monte rentals are off the shelf RVs, but CA rentals are built for rental purposes. I guess I gotta get off my rump and go somewhere to look at them.
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