Systems inspection and readiness

[pzilavy]

I bought a 2003 Roadtrek with 68k miles and am having the RT dealership do a 3 hour run through of all systems be cuz evidently this vehicle was underused creating problems...like the tank pulls are sticky and the propane tank might need a new regulator cuz heater won't ignite. Potable water tank needs sterilizing etc.

My question is what should I be sure to look for?

For example Do I need to worry about toilet base gasket .. it looks like it was never used.

Any advice appreciated. I already had to put a new engine in it due to shot valves.

[Heapie]

Hi Folks,

Heres what I did when I purchased my Roadtrek 2002 190V a couple of years ago.

I first took it to a GM truck dealer and had all Chev things checked out. I also had a Mass sticker inspection. I also asked them what might be wrong and how much to fix it.

I then went to a RV shop and had a guy go over All the RV stuff while I looked on. I paid them the hourly rate, and everything worked except I had to replace a water pump. I understood what was being done because I had studied all the manuals before having this done.

I am now ready to fix almost everything and carry the tools to fix things.

Happy RVing
Heapie

[stan909]

Not to mention that if you take a vehicle to a place that may be doing repairs, isn't it possible that they may find repairs that may not be necessary? I will use the OPs example of sticky toilet valve. I bought my van last August and it had the same problem. I was a little nervous but found that simply putting a little water in the bowl and letting it sit a little enabled it to work. Incidentally , the blade valves at the dump pipe may have a similar problem.

[donrebyct]

stan909,
That is unless you take it to Camping World. Expensive and slow.

[stan909]

I forgot to mention it shouldn't take 3 hours to check everything.

[stan909]

Park it in the driveway and move into it for a day and use it like you would at a campground with and without hookups. Fridge on propane, cook using stove, microwave using generator and land power, sleep in it, potti in it , eat in it. You've already bought and the deal is done. Don't pay the dealer to do an inspection.The money you save can be put toward repairs. If you find things wrong , come back here and get more advice.

[bsinmich]

If you get the model numbers for each of your appliances you can download the service manuals from the manufacturers.

[mkguitar]

Suggest you review the manuals for the chassis, motorhome conversion and each of the added 'stuff" fridge, genny etc.

Even if you are not handy and won't ever work on it, you'll have better understanding of what "they" can do and what "you" should do to keep the systems working...simple stuff such as keeping at inch of water in the toilet bowl to lube the seal...the seal can be smeared with plumbers grease ( or vaseline) to keep the rubber supple and able to seal.
there are lots of simple things you can do to make for a happy ride and save on repairs.

mike

[darsben]

If tires are over 7 years old then YOU DEFINITELY need new ones NO MATTER how much tread.
You state underutilized which means the tires sat in the sun baking all the necessary compounds out of them. That is what ruins a tire

[Handbasket]

Chevy or Dodge? '03 RT could be either. 'underutilized' could be a Dodge with handling issues.

Jim

[midnightsadie]

before you pay them bill, go pull the tank valves,see if they realy did a good job. do as the other post said great info in his post.

[TinyoneRV]

Congratulations on your purchase. For the chassis I would suggest you have the brakes and tires checked. If it was unused for long you probably need new tires because of aging more than wear. If you need brakes put vented and slotted rotors on the front since they tend to overheat on downgrades (be sure to downshift on grades more than 6 or 7 percent). They're heavy vehicles and when the brakes overheat the front end starts to "judder" making control difficult and unpleasant.

For the coach: while inspecting the propane regulator have the entire propane system checked for leaks. Did the stove light? If so your propane system is probably good and something else is keeping the furnace from lighting. For the other items, since safety isn't such an issue, just go camping for one or two nights near home. The non-working items will reveal themselves as they are used and your close enough to home to get the help or tools needed for repair. If you have the space, just camp a night in your driveway.

Also, the propane, smoke and CO detectors should be replaced if they're over five years old.