Howdy.  

I will be in the market for a CHEAP motorhome that can drive 3500 miles (1700 to/from) in the near future.  Needs to sleep 6, have a working toilet, not break down on the trip, and did I mention cheap?  

Any suggestions on what to look for, or not look for?  

I have zero motorhome experience, so tell me all about 'em.  Thanks.  

I looked at alot of used RV's before I recently bought a travel trailer.

I got sick of looking for a decent RV and figured I just pull it with my truck and forget about worring about one with a good drive train.

For what your looking for you'll probably have to part with about $6k minimum, mid to late '80's vintage.

Things to note other than the usual stuff you look for in a used car:

have plumbing pressure tested or run water through it for a few hours and look for leaks

water stains in ceiling

have the owner demonstrate generator, heater, water heater, etc.

Cool.

Needs to be a motorhome, since we don't have a sufficient size truck [:)]

This one should work ok.
[img]http://www.rvclassified.com/pictures/39308_1_T.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.rvclassified.com/rvclassified_cfmfiles/ads/adsearch2.cfm?adid=39308[/url]

What a bargain!

[rolleyes]

www.rvtrader.com

No to MI, yes to temporary, and um...we'll get back to you on the legal aspects.  So that's probably a no [:D]

Ever think about renting. Works for me.

Ask Garry Owen!  He can give you a great reference on motor home rentals!

That is a worry.  Not too much, though, since i'm not going to be carrying C3 stuff around.  Damnit.

six people huh, well you will need to build two of these beauties like these guys did, they're aerodynamics is a bitch.

 [img]http://saber.net/~sking/rt66/RT91_WEB.jpg[/img]

Back these babies up to one another and put a tarp up between them and there is room for the whole family.

 [img]http://saber.net/~sking/rt66/cody.jpg[/img]

I'd probably look at a Class C (cutaway van) model with Ford running gear. The Ford 460 tended to be a tad more reliable than the GM 454 of that era, albeit not quite as peppy. There are a few Class Cs with small block engines in them, but the fuel economy isn't much better and the power is seriously lacking (especially if you're planning on towing a small car behind it for transportation while camped).

It's easier to find a dealer that will work on Class C's, since much of the running gear is essentially the same as a full-sized van. (Many dealers refuse to work on Class A's, since they tend to be too heavy for many service lifts, and the mechanicals are different from other vehicles).

No motorhome is particularly reliable, compared to an automobile. They tend to be loaded to the maximum capacity of the chassis all the time, and are prone to heat-related problems (engine or transmission overheating, vapor lock or fuel pump problems, leaking or warped exhaust manifolds, etc.). Some of these problems are fixable with aftermarket modifications, but it helps to have a good mechanic.

Most motorhomes use quite a bit of oil, due to the hard-working engine. That means that you have to watch the oil level carefully (and hopefully, the previous owner did, too).

Another downside of all motorhomes is that if something breaks down while you're traveling, your entire living space will be stuck in the repair shop. With a trailer, when the tow vehicle breaks down, you can still stay in a campground while the truck is being repaired. Finally, pickups are MUCH easier to work on. Both Class Cs and Class As have most of the engine compartment inside, making it difficult to get to.

If you have any other questions, PM me. In another life, I'm a contributing technical editor for a couple of the more popular RV magazines.