Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » New member - "uncoached" (Presentation of a new member looking for advice)
| New member - "uncoached" [message #348684] |
Sun, 29 September 2019 12:25  |
JoeFromVenez
Messages: 3
Registered: September 2019
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Hi people. My name is Jose. I am South American, venezuelan living in Lima, Peru.
This is a great forum! I was close to buy a Birchaven in 2012 but had to leave the deal because of sudden, unexpected changes in my life.
I have always liked the idea of buying a coach, and some pieces of land scattered in my country, to park safely my RV when on Vacation. I already have two small plots, one in Isla Margarita and one in the middle of the country. As soon as I can after getting my GMC, will buy one in the Andes cordillera, about 3000 meters high. Don´t have a coach yet, found one being sold in 7K, but it´s pretty used. However mechanically it seems good..needs airbags of course, but it could make a 700 kms trip and climb some 1,8 kms high mountain road without problems according to the owner. It´s unlikely that any improvement has been made on that thing. Needs new windshields, airbags, maybe a new radiator, tires and brakes are going to be needed for sure. I would like to change the black water tank for a composting toilet.
Owner says it has over 100K kms in the engine and transmission, but the last few years it has been mostly without use. Chances are once it starts to be used, lots of stuff is going to come out. I am planning to ride it 8-9 thousand kms per year.
Do you have any estimation of the cost in dollars of the repairs and regular use? thanks for any advice you can provide.
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| Re: [GMCnet] New member - "uncoached" [message #348690 is a reply to message #348684] |
Sun, 29 September 2019 13:06  |
Gerard Hickey
Messages: 53
Registered: June 2019
Karma: 1
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Member |
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Welcome Jose,
Yes, as you start to use the motorhome you will find all sort of things
that were never disclosed, whether known or not known. I purchased a 76
Eleganza II about 5 months ago and I knew that there would be some
issues that would need to be addressed. It all started when I took a
trip to see it and turned on the in dash heater and nothing happened. I
looked at the previous owner and he simply replied with it had been working.
From the first night of owning the RV things started to appear. Such as
filling the gas tanks to capacity would result in gas spilling out all
over the ground. Since then there have been fuel filters replaced, gas
tanks dropped and several lines replaced, front end bushings and
steering arms being replaced, couple of electrical issues and all of the
water lines replaced.
Two things I would do/consider.
1. You say that the previous owner says it could make the trip
(yes, I am sure we all have heard that one before :-). Ask him if he
would be willing to bring it to you and you will pay for his airfare and
expenses back (and fuel of course). If he starts making excuses as to
why he can not do it, I would suspect there are more things that he is
not disclosing.
2. I am making the assumption that the coach is in the US (at least
that is where the majority of them are), but it also sounded like it was
a 700 KM trip which would definitely not be anywhere near the US. If the
coach is in the US, I would consider an extended trip (call it a working
vacation) and do the repairs and replacements here in the US. I would
expect that it would be easier to get parts and almost certainly
cheaper. There are many knowledgeable people on this list that could
probably assist with identifying problems with the coach so that you can
get items replaced before heading back. That is assuming that the coach
is here in the US.
Anyway, let me the be the first to pre-congratulate you on your coach
when you get it :-)
Have fun.
--
Gerard Hickey / WTØF IRLP:3067/Echolink:529661
hickey@kinetic-compute.com DMR: 3102272
425-395-4554
On 9/29/19 10:26 AM, jgdemunck3--- via Gmclist wrote:
> Hi people. My name is Jose. I am South American, venezuelan living in Lima, Peru.
> This is a great forum! I was close to buy a Birchaven in 2012 but had to leave the deal because of sudden, unexpected changes in my life.
>
> I have always liked the idea of buying a coach, and some pieces of land scattered in my country, to park safely my RV when on Vacation. I already
> have two small plots, one in Isla Margarita and one in the middle of the country. As soon as I can after getting my GMC, will buy one in the Andes
> cordillera, about 3000 meters high. Don´t have a coach yet, found one being sold in 7K, but it´s pretty used. However mechanically it seems
> good..needs airbags of course, but it could make a 700 kms trip and climb some 1,8 kms high mountain road without problems according to the owner.
> It´s unlikely that any improvement has been made on that thing. Needs new windshields, airbags, maybe a new radiator, tires and brakes are going to
> be needed for sure. I would like to change the black water tank for a composting toilet.
> Owner says it has over 100K kms in the engine and transmission, but the last few years it has been mostly without use. Chances are once it starts to
> be used, lots of stuff is going to come out. I am planning to ride it 8-9 thousand kms per year.
>
> Do you have any estimation of the cost in dollars of the repairs and regular use? thanks for any advice you can provide.
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
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| Re: New member - "uncoached" [message #348740 is a reply to message #348684] |
Mon, 30 September 2019 16:03 |
6cuda6
Messages: 975
Registered: June 2019
Karma: -6
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Senior Member |
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I like the other poster's idea of having it driven to you but i suspect that wont happen.
We have had ours since July 2019 and drove it home 1400km [approx 800 miles]....it was an fairly uneventful trip, just a bad isolator but i was prepared with tools and knowledge as im a mechanic by trade. So if your not knowledgeable on how to fix everything on the side of the road your best to bring a good credit card and stay on major roads that link cities.
The other thing is to plan on taking it easy....you dont want to take a coach that has been sitting for 2 years or more and drive it 70mph for 18hrs a day in a race to get home. We gave ourselves 5 days but took only 3 as things were working well.
Now is our coach perfect....far from it...the inside is beautiful but there is a bunch of little things i have been fixing such as an exhaust manifold leak, an air compressor that takes for ever to pump up the system, a converter that is only working under light loads etc.....by the time im finished ill probably have 2 to 3000$ in repairs/upgrades to just the basic motorhome [and im doing all the work].
My recommendation is buy the best you can for your money and be prepared to put more in over time.
Rich Mondor,
Brockville, ON
77 Hughes 2600
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| Re: New member - "uncoached" [message #348784 is a reply to message #348684] |
Tue, 01 October 2019 12:59 |
JoeFromVenez
Messages: 3
Registered: September 2019
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Both answers are GREAT advice 
The coach is in Venezuela, I´m getting through a hard family situation and we´re negotiating our home there to exchange it for some useful items, like some equipment for my business (I am an NDT engineer, worked in the oil industry) and...a place for me and my younger kiddo to live in once we can come back to Venezziola (like the original italian name better).
This said, I have a small plot nearby to my parents´ place and I can make a concrete pit there, to fix whatever needs to be repaired. My major concern is (as usual) to get enough cash and make it livable. Once things start to get better and the oil industry starts to recover, having equipment and a mobile place will make my small company (and I mean like REALLY small) to be kilometers ahead of competition.
I know this business, have been over 16 years in it, and every project, the supervisors would send us, the personnel actually doing the job to crappy motels, while they took good bedrooms in nice hotels. Getting the permit for boondocking in the parking lot of the plant for the duration of the job will be easy.
Once that moment arrives, I hope to have my coach already upgraded (1 ton front end, diesel and rebuilt tranny, with a one compressor setup for the air suspension, composting toilet, washer machine, heavy duty A/C and solar)
It´s going to be expensive, I know. But as it is going to be used as living quarters and part time home office/work shelter/man cave, then...well, it´s going to be a productive asset, hopefully.
My main concern is, that under our laws to circulate with a cracked windshield can have unpredictable consequences with the thugs disguised as LEOs plaguing our roads, ranging from a small bribe "for coffee" to force one to get a mater to tow the coach to the intended destiny. The windshield costs good money once shipped to Venezuela...and I would love to get a Plexiglas shield just like Airstream have.
Maybe someday I would convince someone in Venezuela with a plastic factory to design (I´m an engineer after all), make and sell these plexiglas shields to GMC owners. Our advantage is cheap access to raw materials, and this is a large piece, not so difficult to manufacture as some colleagues have told me.
Yes, I need to have some spares handy before engaging in that wonderful (and incredibly expensive) adventure. But I´ve never regret of some things in my life, specially if they are related to vehicles, except for having bought one of the most terrible engines in the modern history: the suzuki H27 V6.
If I rebuild that fraud some day, I will feed it with methane from a biodigestor to generate electricity, and use it to heat water for the hot tub I want to make in my cottage until it explodes...again.
That´s the reason I decided to join this forum before buying
You people are great.
Thanks for your advice
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| Re: [GMCnet] New member - "uncoached" [message #349399 is a reply to message #349394] |
Thu, 17 October 2019 23:24 |
Mike Kelley
Messages: 467
Registered: February 2017
Karma: -2
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Senior Member |
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Jerry W. Is correct - quite a few coaches for sale if you know where to look. Just be sure you know what you are buying! One big issue to watch for (especially if considering a coach from the Midwest to Northern states) is a rusted out frame - a very expensive fix!
The factory rated these coaches as able to tow 1,000#, so if you want to tow a 4,000# vehicle - an upgraded final drive is just about a necessity.
Mike/The Corvair a holic
Sent from my iPhone
> On Oct 17, 2019, at 8:11 PM, Jerry Wheeler via Gmclist wrote:
>
> I would say there are probably close to 100 GMCs for sale if you know where
> to look. GMCMI has a bunch as does Bdub on his website; also some of the
> GMC clubs have coaches for sale too. Bdub, if you read this, sent me a
> personal email as I will be listing a coach on your website.
> JR Wheeler NC/OR 78 Royale, 73 Painted Desert
>
> On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 6:01 PM jgdemunck3--- via Gmclist gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>
>> There´s not plenty of these coaches for sale. As far as I remember, I just
>> have seen 4 or 5 in many years, and most of them in deplorable conditions.
>>
>>
>> This is the one I would like to buy
>>
>>
>> https://vehiculo.mercadolibre.com.ve/MLV-548551663-motorhomes-motorhomes-_JM#position=11&type=item&tracking_id=0a23a3f5-0cb9-4600-b9df-27e87ba 12e93
>>
>> before some moron buys it and make a stupid food truck out of it. Perhaps
>> it´s not in great shape, but on time it will be worth it.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
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| Re: [GMCnet] New member - "uncoached" [message #349400 is a reply to message #349399] |
Thu, 17 October 2019 23:35 |
jimk
Messages: 6734
Registered: July 2006
Location: Belmont, CA
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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We have been supplying several 3.70 with LSD as they give additional
traction on grass and fine gravel.
On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 9:24 PM Mike Kelley via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Jerry W. Is correct - quite a few coaches for sale if you know where to
> look. Just be sure you know what you are buying! One big issue to watch
> for (especially if considering a coach from the Midwest to Northern states)
> is a rusted out frame - a very expensive fix!
> The factory rated these coaches as able to tow 1,000#, so if you want
> to tow a 4,000# vehicle - an upgraded final drive is just about a necessity.
> Mike/The Corvair a holic
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Oct 17, 2019, at 8:11 PM, Jerry Wheeler via Gmclist gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> I would say there are probably close to 100 GMCs for sale if you know
> where
>> to look. GMCMI has a bunch as does Bdub on his website; also some of the
>> GMC clubs have coaches for sale too. Bdub, if you read this, sent me a
>> personal email as I will be listing a coach on your website.
>> JR Wheeler NC/OR 78 Royale, 73 Painted Desert
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 6:01 PM jgdemunck3--- via Gmclist > gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>>
>>> There´s not plenty of these coaches for sale. As far as I remember, I
> just
>>> have seen 4 or 5 in many years, and most of them in deplorable
> conditions.
>>>
>>>
>>> This is the one I would like to buy
>>>
>>>
>>>
> https://vehiculo.mercadolibre.com.ve/MLV-548551663-motorhomes-motorhomes-_JM#position=11&type=item&tracking_id=0a23a3f5-0cb9-4600-b9df-27e87ba 12e93
>>>
>>> before some moron buys it and make a stupid food truck out of it.
> Perhaps
>>> it´s not in great shape, but on time it will be worth it.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GMCnet mailing list
>>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,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: [GMCnet] New member - "uncoached" [message #349414 is a reply to message #349400] |
Fri, 18 October 2019 14:58 |
Keith V
Messages: 2337
Registered: March 2008
Location: Mounds View,MN
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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OP is not in north America.
I doubt he wants to import one from the USA to Peru
The coach looks decent enough, hard to tell mechanically of course.
front wheel bearings, engine, transmission, rear bogies are the main mechanical points of interest.
Jack up the front and wiggle the wheels, if they move more that 1/4" you have work to do!
Same with the rear wheels
Engine and trans, take it out, drive it, get it hot and see how she runs
Let it idle when you come back look for leaks excessive exhaust steam funny noises
Good luck
Keith Vasilakes
Mounds View MN
76 exRoyale
MicroLevel
________________________________
From: Gmclist on behalf of Jim Kanomata via Gmclist
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2019 11:35 PM
To: gmclist@list.gmcnet.org
Cc: Jim Kanomata
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] New member - "uncoached"
We have been supplying several 3.70 with LSD as they give additional
traction on grass and fine gravel.
On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 9:24 PM Mike Kelley via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Jerry W. Is correct - quite a few coaches for sale if you know where to
> look. Just be sure you know what you are buying! One big issue to watch
> for (especially if considering a coach from the Midwest to Northern states)
> is a rusted out frame - a very expensive fix!
> The factory rated these coaches as able to tow 1,000#, so if you want
> to tow a 4,000# vehicle - an upgraded final drive is just about a necessity.
> Mike/The Corvair a holic
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Oct 17, 2019, at 8:11 PM, Jerry Wheeler via Gmclist gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> I would say there are probably close to 100 GMCs for sale if you know
> where
>> to look. GMCMI has a bunch as does Bdub on his website; also some of the
>> GMC clubs have coaches for sale too. Bdub, if you read this, sent me a
>> personal email as I will be listing a coach on your website.
>> JR Wheeler NC/OR 78 Royale, 73 Painted Desert
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 6:01 PM jgdemunck3--- via Gmclist > gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>>
>>> There´s not plenty of these coaches for sale. As far as I remember, I
> just
>>> have seen 4 or 5 in many years, and most of them in deplorable
> conditions.
>>>
>>>
>>> This is the one I would like to buy
>>>
>>>
>>>
> https://vehiculo.mercadolibre.com.ve/MLV-548551663-motorhomes-motorhomes-_JM#position=11&type=item&tracking_id=0a23a3f5-0cb9-4600-b9df-27e87ba 12e93
>>>
>>> before some moron buys it and make a stupid food truck out of it.
> Perhaps
>>> it´s not in great shape, but on time it will be worth it.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GMCnet mailing list
>>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk@appliedairfilters.com
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Keith Vasilakes
Mounds View. MN
75 ex Royale GMC
ask me about MicroLevel
Cell, 763-732-3419
My427v8@hotmail.com
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