Help...Us buy our first motoerhome......

[Ryan Wright]

Forgot to sign my post with coach information.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Ryan Wright wrote:
> Mark,
>
> You should be able to drop two or three grand, at will, when necessary. You
> might do this once or twice a year, or you might do it every two or three
> years, but the fact is something is going to fail. My air compressor croaked
> and it cost me about a thousand bucks with labor (I had them replace some
> deteriorated coolant lines while they were back there). A new alternator was
> in the $400-500 range. My refrigerator died, that was $1200 (I replaced that
> myself).
>
> Point is, if you have money set aside and can pull a couple grand out to fix
> something on a whim, and if you can reasonably replenish that fund in a few
> months just in case you need it again, you will probably be fine. However,
> people who are living month to month where a $500 repair is a huge problem
> for them, probably should reconsider buying a coach, especially one like
> this. It will quickly become an anchor around their neck, deteriorate and
> turn into a yard ornament.
>
> You can do a lot of work yourself. I spent a weekend replacing some parts on
> my generator. ~$100 worth of parts and saved ~$2000 in labor by doing the
> work myself. It wasn't even that difficult, as I had forum members here who
> gave me the necessary advice and virtual hand-holding to get through it
> (thank you!). This is an excellent resource. I could have replaced the
> alternator and compressor, too, but I was in a hurry and just wanted it done
> (and didn't really have a good place to do it myself).
>
> I'd plan on $3k to $5k per year in maintenance. If you can handle that,
> you'll be fine. If you get a good coach and take care of it, you won't have
> to spend this every year. Some years you might only spend a couple hundred
> bucks on oil and filters. As long as you are able and willing to spend this
> much yearly, you shouldn't be disappointed in your new toy.
>
> You mentioned "major systems... such as (the) engine." Expect to pay $25,000
> give or take if you need to rebuild your engine. That's a huge hit for most
> of us. I mitigate this potential by keeping up on all engine maintenance,
> keeping the radiator cleaned, and watching the gauges closely for signs of
> trouble. Thankfully, a Blue Bird has an abundance of gauges.
>
> -Ryan
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 9:00 AM, Mark wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks Brad and Pete for those insights. I don’t have any problems doing
>> stuff like you describe.
>>
>> I think my worry was about major systems failures such as engine and
>> driveline. Stuff that cannot be fixed
>>
>> While boondocking.
>>
>>
>
>