I am thinking of buying a 2004 with 1 slide (I know, 1 year before the newer Ford transmission) Winnie 24F on a 12-2003 E450 chassis. No corner bed which is ok with me.
The consignment lot wants mid $30's, but says that a low $30's offer would probably fly. Owner has all manuals. From his handwriting it's an older guy. (This is really close to Sun City in Surprise, AZ)
Condition - 57,000 miles with 2 year old Michelin tires. Spare (new) in back storage. Genny (Onan 4000) has 98 hours on it. It fired right up and "loped" up and down for a couple minutes - salesman said that's normal (?) I thought it would just idle steady, never had a genset before so I don't know.
Trans fluid was pink and didn't smell. Engine compartment very clean, interior of coach somewhat dirty (carpet), owner must not have detailed before he brought it in. A couple minor glitches (shower head holder out of wall, ripple/bubble in lino under dinette) but otherwise everything worked. Slide worked fine. Roof looked clean. No delam on the sides. A stain in bathroom ceiling where vent is, must have left it open once.
It drove well. Had newer Bilstein shocks under it, a thick rear sway bar and the stock ford steering stabilizer. Frame looked very clean. All switches/pump worked. OH air ran ok. Cab air cold. No body damage. Didn't wander or pull. I didn't get it on the highway but could next drive.
The lot wants $600(!) for a PDI of the rv systems. That sounds pretty high to me. I think I could get an independent tech for a lot less than that. I didn't check the propane but can. I didn't run the coach batteries but they looked about 2 years old. Chassis battery same. Everything else looked/worked. I was impressed with Winnebago quality compared to low level stuff on the lot.
My last "C" was a cheapo GMC, 1982 overloaded 23" that was a fixer-upper but did the job for 4 years.
Anyway, what do you all think of the price and the 8 year old Winnie coach? Anything big to look out for? Can I gt a good pdi for say $300? I'm sure I could take it off the lot as long as I paid for the inspection.
You might say to the dealer that if you pay for the PDI they will then guarantee exactly what? I reckon most put on the fridge, A/C, maybe the water pump, but never dump or fill the tanks to check for leaks in water. It's pretty hard to imagine they will work on it for 6 hours at $100. an hour.
It might be cheap insurance should you find there is a problem.
Mike and Carole
2007 Snowbird 9'6" Super Slide
2005 16.6 Double Eagle
2000 F350 7.3 SC 4X4
previously 8'10" Snowbird Camper
2006 Triple E Regency 27 foot SXL SOLD!
We have a 2003 Minnie 24F. Bought it new in October 2003. We have enjoyed it for 70,000 miles of travel. Only chassis problem was a failed ABS controller, that was replaced at no cost by Ford under warranty. Other than new tires, that is the only time it has been in the shop.
We have had a couple of water leaks. The worst was in the cabover. The leak source was the sidewall to floor joint on the passenger side where the sidewall appears to have been cut wrong and the metal trim strip barely covered the joint. Suggest you remove the mattress and check the cabover floor for soft spots, especially forward of the metal beam in the floor. We also had a small leak from the center brake light as the wiring hole was almost as large as the height of the light and the gasket didn't seal properly.
Other than that, everything still works and we have had a great time with it. Heading out for a trip to UT, CO and WY later this week.
Surging of the generator sounds like a gummed up carburetor.
I have checked the cabover - looks/seems ok. (I have rebuilt an old wooden framed cabover leaker before...)
Gummed up genny carb sounds like it might just be the problem - with 98 hours on a 2004... . Find some Sea-Foam or Gumout perhaps? The genny draws from the chassis fuel tank, right?
When I tried taking off the (dorky) foam steering wheel cover, it snapped back and a big poof dust cloud came out - looked like an atomic bomb test... I think this unit has been sitting for a while. Maybe that's why the carpet is dirty.
I'll consider offering $26K, an identical make/model sold for $26 within the family (advertised on RV.net in Mesa AZ for $29). I just called.
Anything else on the fiberglass roof care, Winnie quality vs. other makes, issues with the front end of the Ford, genset maintenance??
What about costs of a pdi from an independent rv mechanic? I agree with Artum Snowbird (I know where Campbell River is, DW is from Abbotsford) that you can't stretch out 6 hours... They won't guarantee or fix anything for the 600, it's another "profit point" for them. They wanted $300 to clean the carpet!
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