Log In | Register
Skip to main content
Topic: New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles (Read 15 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles
Yahoo Message Number: 137706
After months of looking for a low mile excellent condition Class C  we finally made the decision and ended up with a Lazy Daze.   I'd had never seen a Lazy Daze in person but I loved the lower profile retro look on the web.   The more I read about the company and owners the more I liked them (this site really helped with the decision).
 This particular LD is a 26 foot mid bath.  The kicker is that it is a 2001 and only had 3,050 miles  (drive to Ohio I'm not 3,700).   As the story goes it was driven from the mothership to DC area and then never used.  I purchased from a car dealer and not the original owner.   They did not know anything about RVs other than this RV was in really good condition.   The dealer purchased in an RV auction and indicated all the proceeds were to go to charity.   The winning dealer did not have further information.
 I purchased and picked-up the RV in Philadelphia, PA area along with my brother who is a hobby mechanic and can fix about anything.   He inspected the outside while I inspected and tested what I could on the inside.  We test drove and then I knew this was a keeper.
 The question I really wanted to know from original owner is whether the RV was covered?   The under body was like new and I was glad to see the higher end shocks.  For the inside of the RV  it was dusty and with cob webs but you could tell by the condition it was never used.
 My biggest surprise was there was absolutely no signs of UV damage to any of the materials including draps.   The roof was also very clean with some slight cracking around the seals.   I know with my VW camper there is no way the roof could be this clean if it was not covered.   But maybe the Lazy Daze roof cleans really well?     I'm sure it was parked on concrete and I suspect covered under something?   There were a few leaves and wasp nest in the water heater compartment  which indicate if probably was not a garage.    I think on concrete and under cover due to no UV damage.  The outside paint was shinny but could use a wax.  Minimal pollen on rubber seals.
 The front tires had a flat spot and were replaced.   The two coach batteries were replaced by dealer.  The oil was changed.   The dually tires were a low end off brand butlooked new  (the spare was a new firestone).   I need to check the date of manufacture of back tires to be safe but I did drive from PA to Ohio without a problem 550 miles.   This RV drove like new.    I could not figure out how to put the back blinds up (I know now) so I drove back with blinds down.
 So other than oil and general clean-up what should I do by way of maintenance?   Already done:  belts, oil change, 2 coach batteries, front tires.   What else should I do to jump start the maintenance?

My list so far:
1) Cooling system flush
2) Make sure the  back wheel batteries are fairly new say less than 5 years
3) Transmission fluid change?

Any other ideas?    My main concern is not to have a break down on early summer trip of 2,000 miles.   I also need to figure out leveling.  I did not test water system but I could tell there was anti freeze down toilet  (some risk here).   I stuffed a napkin up the stove vent to stop an annoying rattle and I think a ruin the vent motor as the 12 volts was on.   The back heater style vent will not open but looks good.  Windows were hard to slide so I cleaned and applied WD 40 (still hard to move but it's 30 degrees on Ohio).
 Look forward to learning more about this great RV. I wish there were more Lazy Daze RV's in Ohio but I feel fortunate to have found this forum.
Larry
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 137710
"My list so far:
1) Cooling system flush
2) Make sure the back wheel batteries are fairly new say less than 5 years
3) Transmission fluid change?"

Larry
 I would want to do a full maintenance, as if it had 50,000 miles on it. Long-term storage of vehicles can cause all sorts of problems. Fluids and rubber parts oxidize over time. Changing all the fluids now eliminates doubts and questions about their condition or when to change them.
 To prevent as many problems as possible, caused by the long storage, I would add to the list not in any particular order.
 -Transmission fluid total flush(18-20 quarts),draining just the pan remove only 6 quarts of the transmission's 18 quart capacity.

-Brake fluid flush. This a must!
 -Repack front wheel bearings-grease can break and separate down after so many years of sitting.

-Change axle fluid
 -Inspect for any oil or brake fluid leaks. Seals can dry up and  shrink when they sit for long periods.

-Inspect parking brake oil reservoir fluid level.

-Inspect or replace radiator and heater hoses.

-Inspect or replace serpentine belt.

-Replace fuel filter.

-Check age and condition of starting battery. Clean terminals.

-Suggest replacing all the tires.

-Flush and sanitize water tank and system.

-Flush water heater with flushing tool. Adjust burner mixture.

-Blow out refrigerator vent to remove webs, dirt, etc.
 -Contact an Dometic dealer to schedule the installation of a refrigerator safety shield, to be done free under a recall (if the program is still in existence).
 -I believe the 2001 Ford chassis had one or more recall pertaining to the cruise control and master brake cylinder, Check with Ford.
 -Clean all electrical contacts on refrigerator and water heater exterior control panels, coat terminals with dielectric grease.
 -In the power center, tighten all screws securing wires in both the 12-volt and 120_VAC side, after disconnecting all 120-VAC, 12-VDC and solar electrical power.

-Add a can or two of Drygas to the gas tank.
http://www.drygas.com/
 -Change generator oil and filter, Check condition of generator's rubber fuel line. Test run under high load.
 -Exercise dump valves, lube if hard to operate. They can be disassembled for cleaning and lubing.
 -Get a spare water pump. Check the floor, under the water pump, for leakage.

-Reseal roof seam with Eternabond tape.

-Check for lifting or cracking of end caps. Seal as necessary.
 -Replace the smoke, propane and carbon monoxide detectors, they are all past their expiration dates.

-Check Dash A/C, recharge if necessary.

-Clean roof top A/C ceiling filters, Remove roof A/C shroud, clean fins and vacuum debris from inside.
 -Tighten body to frame bolts(gently tighten to 15-20ft/lbs), generator, holding tanks and entry step mounting bolts.

-Lube TV antenna with silicone spray
 Please don't use WD40 on the widow tracks, it attract dust and dirt.
Use silicone spray sparingly.

Have fun, you have some work to do.
Larry W
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 137715
Hi Larry,
 Congratulations on your purchase.  I can understand why you would really like to talk with the original owner.  A few simple questions like: "Why wasn't it used?"  However, there are a lot of logical explanations.
 I knew a fellow that purchased an 11-year old fifth wheel that was in "factory new" condition, down to the little "rubber nubbies" on the tires.
The original buyer became physically incapacitated within a month of getting the rig.  The rig just sat parked in his yard for many years as he didn't have family or friends that would use it.  Eventually the owner passed away and it was up to the executor of his estate to dispose of it.  Not knowing anything about fifth wheelers, the executor consigned it to a wholesale auction house.  Your comment about your rig having gone through a similar path, brought this to mind.
 I was going to add several items to your "work list" but notice that Larry W has already provided you with very comprehensive set of things to do.  If it were me I would also do the following:

1.  Have a Ford dealer run the VIN and get the service records, applicable  service bulletins, recalls, etc.

2.  Find someone that understands the "blown sparkplug" issue on Ford V-10
 engines and have them inspect your plugs.  (I can't remember for sure whether year 2001 units were susceptible to this problem or not.  You will find lots of info on this subject on this forum and on the web in general.) You are probably better off having this done by an independent mechanic rather than by a Ford dealer.  On the west coast there are several independent companies that have developed solutions for this issue and many LD owners feel the solutions are better than Ford's.
 You comments about tires are interesting.  It could be that the rear duals got a lot of sunshine and had a lot of sidewall cracking.  The dealer may have replaced them strictly for "cosmetic" reasons.  However, Larry is right; you would be best served by replacing them all. The original tires would be 12 years old and ready to be replaced, even if they have very few miles  on them.  The "new" Firestone spare could be the original spare.  If I recall correctly back in that era Ford was purchasing its tires from Firestone.

Doug

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 137720
Having been through this once at 150,000 miles on our 1997 chassis (1998 SOB), I'll suggest there is no hurry on this for an engine with such low miles. While you can have the plug threads changed to inserts, a more common and much cheaper preventative is more frequent torquing to higher than factory specifications. Perhaps changing the plugs every 50,000 miles instead every 100,000 miles might achieve this.
 After our incident, I decided against the high cost of putting inserts in all cylinders, and instead I carry a kit from blownsparkplug.com that allows the sparkplug hole to be plugged temporarily, allowing the vehicle to be driven safely (and more quietly!) to a mechanic. I also carry a sparkplug kit that, accoding to the instructions, allows the owner to do the repair, and a replacement coil (the original is invariably damaged when the plug blows out). I probably wouldn't attempt the repair myself, but it might allow a quick, cheap repair by a mechanic in some tiny town in the boonies, and save a drive/tow to a dealer with full facilities.

Eric Greenwell
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 137724
Quote
This particular LD is a 26 foot mid bath.  The kicker is that it is >a 2001 and only had 3,050 miles > So other than oil and general clean->up what should I do by way of maintenance?  Already done:  belts, oil >change, 2 coach batteries, front tires.  What else should I do to jump start the maintenance?
Hi Larry
 Congrats on your purchase and it's nice to have another LD in Ohio. You didn't say what area of Ohio you live in but if you live in NE Ohio, I would be happy to check out your rig and give you a bit of help finding service providers. I live in the Cleveland area and have a 2003 LD, also a midbath that we took delivery of in June of 2003.
 IF it were me that bought that rig, the first think I would do is replace the rear tires and make sure the wheels have metal valve stems. Back then, the Ford chassis came with rubber tire stems that most folks installed braided extender hoses on. There are better ways to go, but having new tires and a way of checking tire pressures and adding air is really important.
 Let me know if you are in the Cleveland area; I would be happy to check it over for you share what we've learned out life with a Lazy Daze!

Good luck! Steve K. (watching more snow fall. Looks like a White Easter in Ohio)
Steve K

2003 Mid-bath
 
Re: New Lazy Daze Owner (2001 with 3,700 miles
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 137726
Thanks for everyone who responded! I have a good roadmap to bring our Lazy Daze back to life.   It did drive back home like new but things really are meant to be used.   I still cannot believe there was no UV damage which might be big advantage of those heavily tinted windows.

Steve - I'm
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)