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Topic: Looking at purchasing this LD.... (Read 6 times) previous topic - next topic
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Looking at purchasing this LD....
Yahoo Message Number: 145932
We are looking at purchasing this LD http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/1993-Lazy-Daze-23-1-2-F.L.-112162488 does anyone have any recommendation for a person/company that inspects motorhomes in the area? It does need new tires....is this a fair price? Any other advice from those who have been through a long distance purchase? Not sure how we would be able to get it back to Michigan.....maybe rent a car that I could leave in CO...that way I could bring along camping gear and my special diet foods. It would be myself and my son bringing it back but, only one driver.
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145933
Can't comment on the price. But the only place I could recommend for inspection would be Boulder RV Center located in Boulder.
www.boulderrv.net This is the place I would take my LD for service on the coach. Very knowledgeable folks.
For the chassis, I recommend The Auto Repair Place. Also in Boulder.
www.theautorepairplace.net This shop did my fuel pump replacement & did a great job at a fair price.
As far as advice for looking at it in person. Don't assume you will be buying it. Plan for both scenarios.
Hope that helps.
Victor
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145934
I have an RVing friend who has used Denver's # 1 RV Mobile Service (a one-man business owned by Dan) and has spoken highly of his service. You might call and see if he does this kind of inspectiion work or maybe could recommend someone who would. 303-458-5865. No guarantees. I don't know Dan or his work. IMHO, I would not buy any older RV without either inspecting in personally and/or having it inspected by a qualified, knowledgeable person.

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145937
In addition to the suggestions of Boulder RV (I've also been satisfied with their service) and the Auto Repair Place, there is also a Ford dealer in Longmont that works on RVs and can probably do  a pre-purchase inspection if the dealer is willing to let you take it there.  They won't do work on the coach.

In terms of getting there, you could fly into Denver, rent a car, and check out the LD in person.  If you end up buying it and don't have a second driver to drop the car back off at the airport, you should be able to drop the car off in Longmont.  If you don't buy it, you can drive back to the airport and fly home.  A family member of mine just did that to buy a LD long-distance - she packed some basic camping gear (bedding, pillow, etc.) and took it with her on the flight.  She bought the LD, took it immediately to have new tires put on, and then drove home.
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145941
I would strongly recommend waiting for a more local purchase.  We have few regrets buying ours long distance, sight unseen, but it is such a hassle and requires stress on both parties. A lot of stress.   Any offer you make holds up the sale process for the seller until you or your agent sees it. And then, you are no different than any other buyer saying yes or no.  And any negotiations are painful long distance.  If you send any paperwork in the US mail, they will loose it for a week or so.  Ours was lost twice in a row for a 10 day delay, each.  If you were asking for advice selling long distance, I'd tell you don't do it.

On our long distance purchase we found 1 little problem with the fuel gauge not working correctly cost us $900 to fix.  We love our RV but will never buy long distance again unless we can drive there in under 6 hours.
Spark Plug Replacement
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145949
For those interested, I just had the spark plugs replaced on our 2001 at  102,000  miles by the local Ford dealer, Bluebonnet Ford in New Braunfels,  TX.
 The bottom line for replacing 10 spark plugs and doing a tune-up was  $456.93, $52.60 for parts, and $399.99 for labor.
 They also inspected the drive belts while they were at it, and said that  they were OK & did not need replacing. This was a pleasant surprise after 13  years and 102 k miles.

Barry
Re: Spark Plug Replacement
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145950
And to think that back in another lifetime, I just went down to Pep Boys, bought some plugs, threw a cloth over the fender, and changed them out at no cost to me. Of course I did have to check the plug gaps first. Times have really changed. Not necessarily for the better.

Dick
Re: Spark Plug Replacement
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145952
Probably a lot. It used to take me about 20 minutes to change out the plugs in my cars.
 Labor costs are reaching the insanity point these days. Last week two guys from a local roofing company came over to check for a leak. They spent about 45 minutes raising some tiles around the cupolas and charged me $240 for looking.

Dick

Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145962
I would pass on this vehicle.
 First of all, as others have mentioned, any long distance purchase is going to be stressful. Personal travel, coordination of (and paying) mechanics for evaluations, repairs, etc + simply trying to nail down a price without having direct contact is problematic, to say the least.
 Secondly, if one **were** to engage in a long distance purchase, I would suggest only dealing directly with an owner. Certainly not a dealer in this situation - or any situation, actually, unless you really know what you're doing.
 Third, IMO the price is too high for the year, miles, model & condition. A possible concession could be made if you found out it had some engine/drive train factory/performance upgrades, like a larger motor, overdrive, Banks, etc, but even then I'd be looking at $10-11k.
 The optimal arrangement for your situation would be to find an LD for sale by owner in the southwest. They could then explain to you in detail all the things he/she has done to the rig. The thing about LDs is they typically aren't treated like generic, 'disposable' RVs, so it would be rare instance where one hadn't had some special love & kisses applied beforehand.
 An owner could tell you firsthand how it drove, what its performance was like, any quirks, etc. A dealer is simply interested in making a buck (completely understandable - it's their business afterall). If this thing was priced to move off the lot at $6-7k, then yeah, it might be worth the risk.
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145963
Contrary to what everyone else is saying, and contrary to what I would advise, or want to do myself . . . Oh, yeah - we did just that.  Bought our 2005 RB Lazy Daze from a dealer's lot, trading in our 40-foot Mountain Aire behemoth . . . without ever having left Sierra Vista.  We did this through Holland RV Centers in San Diego.

http://www.hollandrvcenters.com>

In early 2009, I negotiated via computer with the salesman, and they sent a driver with the Lazy Daze, picked up the Mountain Aire, and we were done.  Amazingly, this was our second such experience.  In 2002, we had purchased a Sportsmobile camper van the very same way through the Sportsmobile factory in Fresno.  The unit originally had been sold by them, but was currently in Seattle.  We had it delivered via commercial carrier (on a car transport vehicle), and it, too, was perfect.

In both cases, we have been very happy with the process and the results.  We still have both vehicles.  Whether I would risk it again, well, I can't really say.  Times are different now.  And I'm older, with less energy!  ;->

Virtual hugs,

Judie http://dorrieanne.wordpress.com
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145964
The price seems to be in the ballpark for that model and vintage. I agree with those who say you need a thorough professional inspection before committing to buy a twenty-year-old rig. There will undoubtedly be some problems with a rig that old, so it's a good idea to budget a couple thousand dollars for whatever may pop up.

You're right to assume that it will need tires all around, so include them in your budget. Don't let the seller tell you "These tires have plenty of tread left!" Read the date codes, and if they are more than five years old, get new tires before you drive it home.

Assuming it passes muster, "fly out and drive home" is probably the best plan. Don't bother to bring much with you other than clothes--remember, you can buy anything you need at Walmart, and you can eat from paper plates until you get home.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Spark Plug Replacement
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145966
Yep, I used to that to, and as often as every 15,000 miles. Regardless of the car, I had to also change out the ignition wires, and points, and cap, and do it several times before the vehicle almost got to 100,000 miles before it needed a valve job, and maybe a carb rebuild. My SOB's V10 cost me less in engine maintenance than any car I owned back in the 60's and 70's, going 170,000 miles with no maintenance, other than 100,000 mile plug change (and filters, antifreeze, of course).

The modern engine is a monument to man's ingenuity, in my opinion.

Eric

Richard Hughes wrote, On 4/25/2014 12:54 PM:
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145967
"Contrary to what everyone else is saying..."

I too would like to chime on on the positive side of the question. I know that many, perhaps most of the rigs purchased used by our members over the last decade or so were bought "long distance," as indeed were both of mine. I never even saw "Skylark," my current rig, until the delivery driver pulled up to my campsite with it.

The fact is that finding the Lazy Daze you want locally is difficult or impossible, unless you live in southern California. These coaches have never been mass-produced, so there aren't that many out there. And LD owners tend to hold onto their coaches longer than is true of most other brands. That's why long-distance Lazy Daze purchases are the rule, not the exception. In most cases there simply isn't any other way to find the rig you want.

That's not saying you should go into a long-distance purchase blindly. As I and others here have pointed out many times, a good inspection is vital, and the older the rig in question, the more important it is. With a twenty-year-old coach, I'd want it looked over both by a Ford mechanic or dealership and by an RV technician. The money spent is well worth it.

As we've also said many times, when buying an older rig--even after inspections!--one needs to budget a couple thousand dollars for unanticipated repairs. For example, tires alone cost $1,200 or more for a set, and most used rigs need new tires.

When I bought my 1985 LD, she was "only" 16 years old. On my second day of ownership, I paid $1,100 to have the cab air conditioner rebuilt. But I wasn't upset, because I had budgeted $3,000 for repairs... so I had used a only third of that slush fund.

Chuck's $900 fuel gauge replacement was in the same category. Not to sound unsympathetic, but that kind of expense is something to be expected and budgeted for. If you think the purchase price of a used RV is going to be your only cost, you're almost certain to be disappointed.

Or putting it another way, if all you can afford is the purchase price, and that's as far as your budget will stretch... you're better off not buying. I'm not trying to scare anybody off; just being realistic based upon my own experience and the experiences of many, many members of this group.

In summary: used Lazy Dazes are scarce, at least compared to used Fleetwoods. You are almost certainly going to have to buy one located some distance from your home, perhaps on the other side of the continent. Plan for that and deal with it. Likewise, almost all used RVs have at least a few problems*. Budget for them and deal with them. If you act sensibly, have realistic expectations, and take advantage of the resources in our Files area, such as the pre-purchase checklist, you can have a good buying experience--as most of us who've bought used rigs can attest.

* My "Skylark" was an exception: when I bought it, it was only three years old, had only 16,000 miles on the clock--barely broken in--and Mike Schafir had kept it in factory-new condition. In short, I was extremely fortunate to get that rig. But that situation is very rare.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
 
Re: Looking at purchasing this LD....
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145970
I agree with all Andy said. I also would not buy a used rig without having a good inspection done, or if you feel qualified do it yourself. When I bought my LD I was lucky being the first that called on it. I drove 550 miles to inspect it and spent 8 hours doing so. Having owned a Fleetwood and dealing with all the shoddy construction Issues, I knew what to look for on the LD. Also if you can get one from the original owner with all the paperwork and receipts that's a big plus. Happy Hunting!

Bob...Pahrump NV. for a few...
01 23.5 TK, Jeep Cherokee Toad