Gifted Class A

[mist4life]

This is my first post and I hope you all will take mercy and help me out. My mother-in-law has gifted us with her 2000 Bounder 34D. This is very generous and we are foolishly excited. The kicker to this is that it has set in a campground unmoved for 7 years since my father-in-laws passing. We know we need all new tires, a new fuel pump and plan on replacing the serpentine belts fearing dry rot. Please let know what other things we need to take care before trying to get it from Indiana to our Ohio home. Our plan is to gut and remodel the inside and make it our home on the road. We know that we are in for a long road and may have to spend $$ but are thinking because of no initial money layout we are still ahead. Any thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks!

[wildmanbaker]

GHOST1750 wrote:
Friends bought a motor home that had been used 3 times in 11 years. They took it to a RV repair shop and paid them $500.00 to inspect it. They changed the tires, batteries, belts and filters and took off for the Midwest from California and returned with zero problems. You'll go crazy if you listen to too many doom sayers. One thing for sure, you can't beat the purchase price and you can afford to bring it up to date. Just give your mother a big hug and say, Thank you.

By the way someone suggested having it towed to your home, it cost me $2,100.00 to have my motor home towed 245 miles. I had no choice, insurance Co. helped out.

And this could be the situation with the OPs, but we just want them to be aware of the problems and costs that could be involved with an unknown RV, and what has happened to others, and maybe save them some grief.

[GHOST1750]

Friends bought a motor home that had been used 3 times in 11 years. They took it to a RV repair shop and paid them $500.00 to inspect it. They changed the tires, batteries, belts and filters and took off for the Midwest from California and returned with zero problems. You'll go crazy if you listen to too many doom sayers. One thing for sure, you can't beat the purchase price and you can afford to bring it up to date. Just give your mother a big hug and say, Thank you.

By the way someone suggested having it towed to your home, it cost me $2,100.00 to have my motor home towed 245 miles. I had no choice, insurance Co. helped out.

[Bill_Satellite]

I have read and pondered and remained silent. However, unless you can do a very good trouble-shooting job on all systems (plumbing, electric, chassis and engine, etc.) I would be looking to unload this coach as soon as possible for as much as I could get. It it runs then maybe put on new tires and change all fluids, belts and hoses. Clean everything (headlights to engine and radiator) and put it up for sale. If there is obvious rot, water damage, rodent damage you are going to have to be willing to go all in or get out with a few bucks. The choice is yours but you have a huge project in front of you and I am not sure that what you received I would consider to be a gift.
Keep in touch and let us know what you do. I wish you the very best.

[wildmanbaker]

Op, remove the rims with the flat tires and take them to the tire shop, have them replaced and aired up, reinstall them on the MH. You do not need to pay someone to do grunt work. It you cannot do this, I'm afraid that you are in way over you heads.
IF a raccoon was in the MH, you have a real breach of the MH somewhere, and must find and fix it quick. Someone mentioned possible wiring problems and to remove the engine cover. Removing the entire engine cover will be a job. First pull the rug up around the base of the cover, and back about 8". Remove all of the staples that are come through the rug, as these will scratch, cut, puncture you. Since you have had rodents inside, the last thing you want is an injury that could infect you. There are screws holding down nailing strips around the base, remove and there will be more under the strips holding down the cover. On Fleetwood's, the engine cover has a flange around the base, but it is not very heave and will break/split easily. This flange is also sealed to the floor with a urethane glue. To get it started, use a flat spring bar to drive under the flange. Work around the cover and use flat blade screwdrivers, or wedges to maintain pressure upwards. I would use a multi-tool with a cutter blade to work around the cover base. There will be screws in the hump, against the firewall also, at random places. Try not to break or crack the engine cover as this will just to the costs and be a big delay, as it will have to be made for you. Hopefully the drivetrain wiring will be intact, and you will not need to remove the cover at this time.
Good luck, and if you need more advice, we have more advice than good sense. LOL

[mowermech]

Tom/Barb wrote:

Jim@HiTek wrote:
For instance, the ball bearings supporting the crank shaft can develop a flat spot where the weight of the shaft rests. Good luck!

Wondering what gas engine has a ball bearing supported crankshaft.?

I wondered that myself. I have worked on small engines that had one end of the crank supported by a ball bearing, and radial aircraft engines that had ball bearings, but I have never seen an automotive engine with ball or roller bearings. I believe there were some exotic engines built that had them, but one would never see one in a motorhome!
I have resurrected vehicles that sat for 20 or 30 years, and have never encountered a bearing problem.
It sounds like an "old wives tale" to me. Old wives, in my experience, were seldom competent mechanics.

By the way, OP, with that much evidence of rodent infestation, you can anticipate chewed wiring in all three systems: 12VDC house, 110VAC house, and 12VDC engine. I hope you lifted the "doghouse" over the engine and checked it closely!

[Jim]

Tom/Barb wrote:

Jim@HiTek wrote:
For instance, the ball bearings supporting the crank shaft can develop a flat spot where the weight of the shaft rests. Good luck!

Wondering what gas engine has a ball bearing supported crankshaft.?

Or put another way, the bushing supporting the crankshaft develops a flat spot.

[Tom_Barb]

Jim@HiTek wrote:
For instance, the ball bearings supporting the crank shaft can develop a flat spot where the weight of the shaft rests. Good luck!

Wondering what gas engine has a ball bearing supported crankshaft.?

[CharlesinGA]

mist4life wrote:
We are working with a truck mechanic friend to replace the fuel pump and are considering cutting an access in the floor so that we don't have to drop the tank to do it. It is a gas engine. But after reading your comments, we may just go ahead and drop the tank anyway so that we can get it cleaned.

Well, its a shame it turned out to be so nasty. It will take a lot of cleaning in the hidden places to get it all out, but sounds like you are off to a good start.

I'm picky and cutting a hole in the floor is to me, a total hack job. The problem with doing this in a motor home, is predicting EXACTLY where the pump is so a minimal hole could be cut, then trying to turn a very tight pump retaining nut deep down in a hole in the floor.

Second problem is that the floor is very likely a DOUBLE floor, with a 2 inch or so insulation layer in it. With this type of floor, cutting a hole would be a messy and crude job that would never be right again.

Dropping a tank is a rather easy thing to do, and would probably take less time and effort that cutting the hole.

Charles

[Jim]

A 2000 gas RV with only 5500 miles on it. Yikes. And not driven the last 7 years.

Really, it should have around 50,000 miles. Reason you might want that mileage is because a gas engine that just sits, develops issues with many of the rotating parts internally. For instance, the ball bearings supporting the crank shaft can develop a flat spot where the weight of the shaft rests. When you start the engine again and run it a while, that flat spot causes the bearing to go bad. And as you can imagine, there are many rotating parts. So be prepared to remove the engine for an overhaul...

The good news is that if conditions were right, modern engines can last unused longer than older engines and I'd think a MY 2000 might be one of those. Mostly sealed, using modern oils and antifreeze, etc.

Good luck!

[mist4life]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! You have certainly given us a lot to think about and check out. Just to clarify a few things and answer some questions that have been asked, yes, we have been in the motor home and checked it out. There are mice droppings everywhere and at one point, a raccoon had gotten in and tore out the back of the sofa to make a bed. My husband and a friend of his went over and took out 16 construction size garbage bags of stuff out, cut up the sofa and removed it and put out rodent repellent. The roof was resealed a few years ago and there are a few water spots around the antenna and skylight but it was 14 degrees out the day they were there so they couldn't really check out a whole lot. The thought on that day was to just clear it out.They were masked and gloved. It is about 4 hours from our home,where we need to get it to work on it and we have until August to move it. We have met with a truck repair company that is about 10 minutes from the campground and we will be getting the tires put on there for sure. They charge $125 per hour to put the tires on onsite but think that we may be able to get it to the shop after putting on the one tire that has come off the rim. We are working with a truck mechanic friend to replace the fuel pump and are considering cutting an access in the floor so that we don't have to drop the tank to do it. It is a gas engine. But after reading your comments, we may just go ahead and drop the tank anyway so that we can get it cleaned.
The remodeling that we are going to do is just your basic removing the sofa (it's already gone) the booth area and the extra chair and replacing them with custom pieces that we build, painting and new flooring. My husband is thankfully, a wonderful woodworker and is very skilled in all areas of home remodeling so we are not worried about the inside remodel at all. He was raised in a camping family and has been around campers and rv's his whole life although this will be our first. We realize that this is going to be a BIG endeavor but believe that we are up to the challenge. We are just waiting for the weather to break and the $$$ to add up so that we can begin the process as soon as that happens, hopefully in the next month or so. It only has 5500 miles on it and at this point I don't know if that is good or bad.
Thanks for all of your suggestions! We will be sure to review them and speak with professionals as well to proceed in the best possible way. What a great resource you all have been!

[mowermech]

Just a couple of thoughts:
Is it gasoline or diesel? If gas, the fuel tank must be removed and cleaned, and the carburetor on the generator will also need cleaned. If diesel, the fuel won't "rot" like gas does, so unless there is water in the tank it is probably OK.
There is no re-certification requirement for the frame mounted propane tanks on motor homes. Inspect the tank for damage and severe corrosion. If none or very minor is found, it is likely good to use. I would have a system pressure test done to verify that the regulator is still in good condition and working properly.
Definitely look for evidence of rodent infestation. Don't just look in drawers, pull them all the way out and look behind and under them. remove everything from under the bed and in the cupboards and storage compartments, clean and inspect everywhere. If droppings are found DO NOT vacuum them up! Use liquid disinfectant cleaners and carefully wipe them up. Surgical gloves and a mask might not be necessary while doing this cleaning, but they wouldn't hurt, and they are inexpensive. Rodent droppings can carry some rather nasty viruses, so caution is advisable.
Sanitizing the water system should be done before using it. I won't go into detail here, there are many references online as to what to use and how to do it.
I'm not sure it is absolutely necessary to replace all fluids (coolant, engine oil, transmission fluid, differential oil, brake fluid (if any), etc.) immediately, but it is probably advisable before putting very many miles on the rig after you get it running. DO, of course, make sure all fluid levels are correct before starting the engine!
Just some thoughts from an old retired mechanic...

[femailyetti]

If you are willing, and real handy, you can fix most things on a older home. MONEY PIT, is probably a real good term if you don't do it yourself. EVEN if the shop rate is only 90 or so an hour, it will ad up very fast.
If your up for a leaning experiance, your about to get one. there a couple of rebuilds of differnt models if you look one here. Some are willing to go a little deeper than others to fix thing.

[J-Rooster]

Check in all the outside cubby holes for signs of rodents. Congrats on your new coach!

[CharlesinGA]

mist4life wrote:
This is my first post and I hope you all will take mercy and help me out. My mother-in-law has gifted us with her 2000 Bounder 34D. This is very generous and we are foolishly excited. The kicker to this is that it has set in a campground unmoved for 7 years since my father-in-laws passing. We know we need all new tires, a new fuel pump and plan on replacing the serpentine belts fearing dry rot. Please let know what other things we need to take care before trying to get it from Indiana to our Ohio home. Our plan is to gut and remodel the inside and make it our home on the road. We know that we are in for a long road and may have to spend $$ but are thinking because of no initial money layout we are still ahead. Any thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks!

I see motorhomes and travel trailers all the time on Craigslist, "gutted out and ready for you to build it the way you want it" or "stripped this out and planned on remaking it how I wanted but I found one I like..."

What statements like these translate to is..... "I never realized you needed to understand electricity and codes, both 120v AC and 12v DC, that you needed a full cabinet making shop and the knowledge to plan and execute construction of cabinets, tables, etc, totally understand RV appliances and systems, and that you needed to be a mechanic of the highest order to fix all of the little issues and big ones to make this reliable and roadworthy"

I watched a sailboat video on Youtube where the couple got lucky and were the first to answer a Craigslist ad for a free sailboat that really was in very good condition. In their reviewing of it they admitted that they had a sailboat and they had gutted it and were working to re-do the interior completely but discovered their mistake and were not going down that road again. Their plan this time was to do some light redecorating and minor repairs and actually get to USE the boat rather than working on it for years and years.

The very best thing you can do is (provided the MH hasn't been severely water damaged, or rodent damaged beyond reasonable repairs) is to do a super deep cleaning, washing curtains and removable cushion covers, etc, replacing the mattress, doing mechanical repairs to make the chassis and house functional again, and using it. Only after you use it for a while and really know how RV's work and understand them, should you consider "remodeling" certain individual items, one at a time, making sure that you can get it back together within a reasonable amount of time.

As others and yourself have already noted, the MH will need lots of mechanical work, such as all new brake calipers, rotors, pads, hoses, master cylinder, fuel pump and filters (I'll bet it has a plastic tank), fuel hoses, coolant, coolant hoses, and belts, probably a new water pump, and dump and refill of the transmission and engine oils and filters, etc. Wheel bearings will be a huge item as you have a set of bearings on each of the rear hubs and they could also be bad. You will probably have to engage the services of a truck shop to handle this, as special sockets will be required on the rear to remove and replace/retorque the rear bearings.

Hope it all works out for you, it will be a lot of work, but don't make more work for yourself than it needs to be.

Charles