Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » GMC pre sale inspections
| GMC pre sale inspections [message #259665] |
Thu, 21 August 2014 20:05  |
Jim Galbavy
Messages: 1443
Registered: August 2007
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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This week an owner has blamed another party for short comings when
the coach didn't meet their expectations. We have all been asked to
inspect a coach when the new owner will not do has own inspection and will
even want you do that inspection for nothing. We have all played the
telephone game as kids. It also seems that after a few weeks or months
(or sometime days) people forget what they originally asked of the inspector.
Most of these new owners may not even know the questions to ask. Remember
the girl from Missouri who bought the raccoon coach in Virginia Beach a
while back? I refuse to inspect a coach or give an opinion for anyone who will not make the effort
to be there with me at the time. All you get are hard feelings when someone thinks they
can buy Prevost that will drive with them into the sunset for well under $10K.
I guess what I'm saying is if you tell people that you know how to wrench, then
inspect your own rather than put it off on someone else then put your problems on
on that person. See how easy it is to not make yourself clear?
jim galbavy
'73 x-CL ANNIE
Lake Mary, FL
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| Re: GMC pre sale inspections [message #259682 is a reply to message #259665] |
Thu, 21 August 2014 21:18  |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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I think both the person asking for someone to inspect a coach, and the person inspecting the coach should understand what they are getting into that sort of deal. This world is filled with of all sorts of people and different personalities and there are none missing.
Ultimately it is the person spending the money who needs to take responsibility of that decision that is made and live with it good or bad. Have to make best judgement of both seller and inspector.
I also believe this is not the norm, That majority of gmc people helping gmc people ends up building more friendships then enemies. Seen lots of people happy with long distance purchases that others have vouched for. But that buyer in those situations usually knows what they are gambling with.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| [GMCnet] Fwd: GMC pre sale inspections [message #259683 is a reply to message #259665] |
Thu, 21 August 2014 21:16 |
David Gardner
Messages: 62
Registered: June 2014
Karma: 0
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Well Put Jim:
I have been looking for a coach now for 6 months. Before I even started looking I read everything I could find on the internet about these coaches. I spent hours each day reading and trying to learn as much as I could before I bought. I read all (ok most of) all your postings and I learned what kind of things went wrong with these coaches. I took that knowledge and used it in my inspections. I even went to inspect junker coaches in the desert just to practice! I’d like to think I have learned just 1% of what you all know after your years of experience. One posting I particularly liked was where someone stated,”You will probably need to spend $2,000, traveling to find your coach. After digesting that, I realized he was right. I have personally traveled from So Cal to Florida twice, Seattle once, and driven to Sacramento and back once to Personally inspect a coach. Yea it cost me some $$ and a few heartbreaks, but each time I learned more of what I needed to inspect.
Tonight I am taking a red eye and flying back to Florida again to hopefully consummate a deal on a 23 Birchaven side bath. On paper it looks good, its provenance is documented, it is owned by one of the members of this group, it has in the last year had some extensive mechanical work done to it with invoices to prove it, Jim Bounds is very familiar with the coach. It all sounds perfect…….and yet as I pack I am bringing a number of tools to do my own inspections. These are 40 year old coaches, and it is always buyer beware. I’m sure everything will be ok, but it is my responsibility to investigate and confirm what is going on with a coach not somebody else’s. I know that my coach will still need more mechanical work to make it reliable and I fully trust Jim Bounds to do this work. I recently spent 3 days back with him about a month ago, and got to see how he ran his business, treated his employees, and saw his absolute passion towards keeping these coaches going. He spent at least half of his workday talking to people across the country with problems in their coaches, he wasn’t getting paid to do that and never once did I hear him complain! During my visit, Jim went out of his way to make sure I knew what I was getting into with these old coaches, and the potential costs involved to fix them up. I was stunned that he would take so much of his valuable time to talk with me, and educate me about these coaches, and I think he was stunned at the number of questions I had!!!! There is not a question in my mind that he should be the man doing the mechanical restorative work for me. I could probably do much of the work myself, but frankly I want to get on the road ASAP and start enjoying this coach the way it was intended to be.
As a final caution, please everyone remember that e-mails are one of the worst forms of communication, and it is sooooo easy to misread and misinterpret something. I have discovered an incredible community, one which I am proud to be a part of. There are really only a few of us and we need to treat everyone with compassion. If you have an issue with someone, please discuss that issue with that person and either take it to private emails, or just take a deep breath and call them up and discuss the issue and work it out.
Nuf said…..Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post that I have bought my coach, and start the process of thinking of a name for it. Wish me luck! :-)
Best to all.
David Gardner
2012 MB E350 Bluetec
1982 Corvette
West Hollywood Ca
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Jim Galbavy
> Subject: [GMCnet] GMC pre sale inspections
> Date: August 21, 2014 at 6:06:54 PM PDT
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Reply-To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
>
> This week an owner has blamed another party for short comings when
> the coach didn't meet their expectations. We have all been asked to
> inspect a coach when the new owner will not do has own inspection and will
> even want you do that inspection for nothing. We have all played the
> telephone game as kids. It also seems that after a few weeks or months
> (or sometime days) people forget what they originally asked of the inspector.
> Most of these new owners may not even know the questions to ask. Remember
> the girl from Missouri who bought the raccoon coach in Virginia Beach a
> while back? I refuse to inspect a coach or give an opinion for anyone who will not make the effort
> to be there with me at the time. All you get are hard feelings when someone thinks they
> can buy Prevost that will drive with them into the sunset for well under $10K.
> I guess what I'm saying is if you tell people that you know how to wrench, then
> inspect your own rather than put it off on someone else then put your problems on
> on that person. See how easy it is to not make yourself clear?
>
> jim galbavy
> '73 x-CL ANNIE
> Lake Mary, FL
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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| Re: [GMCnet] Fwd: GMC pre sale inspections [message #259710 is a reply to message #259683] |
Fri, 22 August 2014 01:25 |
jimk
Messages: 6734
Registered: July 2006
Location: Belmont, CA
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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If you trust me or Jim B for the work that gets done, then I will tell you
that your dreamin.
Jim B and I have one heck of a time making sure our mechanics are doing
things right.
I am constantly needing to inspect what is done,
I'm sorry to tell you like it is.
On Thu, Aug 21, 2014 at 7:16 PM, David Gardner
wrote:
> Well Put Jim:
> I have been looking for a coach now for 6 months. Before I even started
> looking I read everything I could find on the internet about these coaches.
> I spent hours each day reading and trying to learn as much as I could
> before I bought. I read all (ok most of) all your postings and I learned
> what kind of things went wrong with these coaches. I took that knowledge
> and used it in my inspections. I even went to inspect junker coaches in
> the desert just to practice! I’d like to think I have learned just 1% of
> what you all know after your years of experience. One posting I
> particularly liked was where someone stated,”You will probably need to
> spend $2,000, traveling to find your coach. After digesting that, I
> realized he was right. I have personally traveled from So Cal to Florida
> twice, Seattle once, and driven to Sacramento and back once to Personally
> inspect a coach. Yea it cost me some $$ and a few heartbreaks, but each
> time I learned more of what I needed to inspect.
>
> Tonight I am taking a red eye and flying back to Florida again to
> hopefully consummate a deal on a 23 Birchaven side bath. On paper it looks
> good, its provenance is documented, it is owned by one of the members of
> this group, it has in the last year had some extensive mechanical work
> done to it with invoices to prove it, Jim Bounds is very familiar with the
> coach. It all sounds perfect…….and yet as I pack I am bringing a number of
> tools to do my own inspections. These are 40 year old coaches, and it is
> always buyer beware. I’m sure everything will be ok, but it is my
> responsibility to investigate and confirm what is going on with a coach not
> somebody else’s. I know that my coach will still need more mechanical work
> to make it reliable and I fully trust Jim Bounds to do this work. I
> recently spent 3 days back with him about a month ago, and got to see how
> he ran his business, treated his employees, and saw his absolute passion
> towards keeping these coaches going. He spent at least half of his workday
> talking to people across the country with problems in their coaches, he
> wasn’t getting paid to do that and never once did I hear him complain!
> During my visit, Jim went out of his way to make sure I knew what I was
> getting into with these old coaches, and the potential costs involved to
> fix them up. I was stunned that he would take so much of his valuable time
> to talk with me, and educate me about these coaches, and I think he was
> stunned at the number of questions I had!!!! There is not a question in
> my mind that he should be the man doing the mechanical restorative work for
> me. I could probably do much of the work myself, but frankly I want to get
> on the road ASAP and start enjoying this coach the way it was intended to
> be.
>
> As a final caution, please everyone remember that e-mails are one of the
> worst forms of communication, and it is sooooo easy to misread and
> misinterpret something. I have discovered an incredible community, one
> which I am proud to be a part of. There are really only a few of us and we
> need to treat everyone with compassion. If you have an issue with someone,
> please discuss that issue with that person and either take it to private
> emails, or just take a deep breath and call them up and discuss the issue
> and work it out.
>
> Nuf said…..Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post that I have bought my
> coach, and start the process of thinking of a name for it. Wish me luck!
> :-)
>
> Best to all.
> David Gardner
> 2012 MB E350 Bluetec
> 1982 Corvette
> West Hollywood Ca
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Jim Galbavy
>> Subject: [GMCnet] GMC pre sale inspections
>> Date: August 21, 2014 at 6:06:54 PM PDT
>> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
>> Reply-To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
>>
>> This week an owner has blamed another party for short comings when
>> the coach didn't meet their expectations. We have all been asked to
>> inspect a coach when the new owner will not do has own inspection and
> will
>> even want you do that inspection for nothing. We have all played the
>> telephone game as kids. It also seems that after a few weeks or months
>> (or sometime days) people forget what they originally asked of the
> inspector.
>> Most of these new owners may not even know the questions to ask. Remember
>> the girl from Missouri who bought the raccoon coach in Virginia Beach a
>> while back? I refuse to inspect a coach or give an opinion for anyone
> who will not make the effort
>> to be there with me at the time. All you get are hard feelings when
> someone thinks they
>> can buy Prevost that will drive with them into the sunset for well under
> $10K.
>> I guess what I'm saying is if you tell people that you know how to
> wrench, then
>> inspect your own rather than put it off on someone else then put your
> problems on
>> on that person. See how easy it is to not make yourself clear?
>>
>> jim galbavy
>> '73 x-CL ANNIE
>> Lake Mary, FL
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Fremont,CA
jimk@appliedairfilters.com
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
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Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC
jimk@appliedairfilters.com
www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
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| Re: GMC pre sale inspections [message #259713 is a reply to message #259665] |
Fri, 22 August 2014 01:59 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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I received a call from my daughter yesterday. She was asking me to go look at a 200? Saturn for a girl friend. I refused. I knew that I would not be able to get under it so see the important stuff. I also knew if anything went wrong in the future, I or my daughter would get stuck fixing it.
I am willing to take an initial look at a prospective coach for a buyer to tell him whether to fly in and and look at it. After that it is on the prospective buyer to get a real in depth inspection prior to purchase. I had a GMCer do that for me on a car I was interested in over in Central Ohio. After he blessed it, I drove over and inspected it myself prior to purchase.
I do not know what got Jim G. to start this thread but I understand the concern.
Note: The response time on this posting was 87 seconds with no SQL error.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
[Updated on: Fri, 22 August 2014 02:01] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] GMC pre sale inspections [message #259718 is a reply to message #259665] |
Fri, 22 August 2014 03:22 |
Olly Schmidt
Messages: 1265
Registered: February 2014
Location: Germany and Scottsville, ...
Karma: 8
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Senior Member |
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I have invested a bit more than 2k in travel expenses, and everytime I
learned stuff.
The other thing someone told me with regards to others looking at a
coach is: Don't trust them, if they say, the coach is in good condition,
but you CAN trust them, if they say "don't buy it".
--
Best regards
Peer Oliver Schmidt
PGP Key ID: 0x83E1C2EA
'76a Eleganza II, VA
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Best regards
Olly Schmidt
PGP Key ID: 0x18a9 3a1f 4196 bf22
'76a Eleganza II, VA
'73 Sequoia, SH, Germany
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| Re: GMC pre sale inspections [message #259986 is a reply to message #259665] |
Mon, 25 August 2014 03:59 |
94nubble
Messages: 275
Registered: July 2011
Location: Chesapeake VA
Karma: 3
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Senior Member |
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Jim Galbavy wrote on Thu, 21 August 2014 21:05This week an owner has blamed another party for short comings when
the coach didn't meet their expectations. We have all been asked to
inspect a coach when the new owner will not do has own inspection and will
even want you do that inspection for nothing. We have all played the
telephone game as kids. It also seems that after a few weeks or months
(or sometime days) people forget what they originally asked of the inspector.
Most of these new owners may not even know the questions to ask. Remember
the girl from Missouri who bought the raccoon coach in Virginia Beach a
while back? I refuse to inspect a coach or give an opinion for anyone who will not make the effort
to be there with me at the time. All you get are hard feelings when someone thinks they
can buy Prevost that will drive with them into the sunset for well under $10K.
I guess what I'm saying is if you tell people that you know how to wrench, then
inspect your own rather than put it off on someone else then put your problems on
on that person. See how easy it is to not make yourself clear?
jim galbavy
'73 x-CL ANNIE
Lake Mary, FL
I now agree with this 100%, not even a "payed professional" is to be trusted. In my case 2 of them. Your never to old to learn a lesson in "let the buyer beware".
Tom McManus
1977 Royale
Chesapeake VA
[Updated on: Mon, 25 August 2014 04:16] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: GMC pre sale inspections [message #260318 is a reply to message #259665] |
Thu, 28 August 2014 07:10 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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When I do 'Due Diligence' inspections - called tower kicks - everything is documented and photographed, and the results supplied the potential buyer in a binder or two. And depending on the complexity of the inspection, the price can approach that of a low end GMC. Basically here's what's there, here's how it measured, here's how the manufacturer said it was supposed to measure. The buyer forms his own opinion, I seldom render them. I did on the one my rigger declined to climb, my recommendation was, "Don't stand under that one!"
I'm happy to go kick a tire for someone regarding GMCs, but I'm not conversant enough with them to render value opinions. I side with the majority here, I'll be happy to go with you and help you look.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: GMC pre sale inspections [message #260354 is a reply to message #259665] |
Thu, 28 August 2014 12:15 |
habbyguy
Messages: 896
Registered: May 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ
Karma: 3
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Senior Member |
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Johnny's right - "value" is so subjective that it's really meaningless to take the word of anyone else. The only input that would make sense is comparing a coach to others that have been bought / sold recently (as in "this one seems to be nicer than the '77 Royale my buddy just bought for $15k"). What's a screaming buy to one person at $8k might be something another would walk away from if it was free.
I'm not sure if the actual selling prices for coaches has really dropped - I think it's more likely the advertised prices for coaches has dropped. When I was looking a couple years ago, I'd say that about half of the coaches I was looking at were priced at a level they'd never come close to selling at. I think the market is still adjusting to the "crash" in the market in '08-09, before which nice coaches WERE selling for more than they are today. But I think the reality of that adjustment is still rippling through the GMC owner's community. Maybe not so much with those of use who participate in forums or groups like this one, but certainly with those folks who might have paid $30K for a nice rig 10 years ago (and wonder why it's not selling overnight at $20K now).
And of course, I've learned (a couple times the hard way) that a coach that actually presents pretty well in photos and description can actually be a steaming pile of poo that MIGHT qualify for a parts coach.
That (all) said, it's still a VERY valuable option to have a local "expert" (that is, one of us...) take a look at a local coach for a non-local buyer. None of can be counted on to be a 100% judge of every detail of any coach, but at the very least we can perform a very useful go/no go service. There's still some chance that a given coach might fall into that gray area where the "expert inspector" sees it differently than the potential buyer might, leading to either missing a good opportunity, or making an unnecessary trip. But compared to the prospect of having only the seller's photos and descriptions to go on, the local "expert" GMC owner is a big, big advantage (bet folks looking for diesel pushers don't have that option!).
Mark Hickey
Mesa, AZ
1978 Royale Center Kitchen
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