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Re: Newbie with questions about Lazy Daze
Reply #26 –
I would add to the list above:

When checking toilet check it holds water (flush, let fill, then check 5/10 min later water level didn’t drop).

I think deploying the awning was in the list Kent posted but also check it is securely attached to the rig.

Gather information on all appliance - brand and model and if it has one the manufacture date.  Things can work but at some point they will fail and you want to be prepared to replace with new appliances (working now does not mean working in a year).    This includes refrigerator (obtain cubic foot size at same time), oven/range, furnace, any alternative heat such an added catalytic heater or heat strip, water heater, water pump (double checks for leaks under this), air conditioner / evaporative cooler, any fantastic fans, and the power center including the charger / converter / inverter (if there is an inverter) and battery monitor (check the history like depth of last charge).  Know beforehand about smart battery chargers (vs the dumb ones) and the good battery monitors that tell % used (only a few out there and not in most rigs.  Also gather generator information. 

Ask about any upgrades or modifications that were made.  Ask to see the records - are there receipts for all work done plus original purchase?  Including things like oil changes and regular service.  Are manuals for everything?  Check their coach batteries (what kind, size, age, etc.) and ask how they maintain their batteries.

Check the condition of the gaskets (glazing seals) around the windows - inside and out.  Ask what they did to ensure their LD stayed new leak free.  Check the sealand used between the window frames and the rig, if any was put between the window gasket/glazing bead and the window, between the end cap and rig, where there are seams around the rig and on the roof, and around any protrusion through the walls/roof (think vents, porch and other lights, things attached to the roof (air conditioner, solar attachments,  vents/fans, etc.).  And based on my latest experience with an older used LD make sure none of those sealants are silicon (huge effort to replace that sealant when that needs to be done).

Likely a used LD is going to have some issues including a well cared for one that is getting older.  Having your information gathered helps you pay an appropriate price and helps you understand what work you need to do on the rig (now and in the future).

And you are going to miss some things.  It you caught most of it you did well.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Newbie with questions about Lazy Daze
Reply #27 –
Quote from: Milosdad  - 
    I really appreciate all of the helpful response. I see almost all of the LD coaches for sale are in California, or somewhere else on the west coast. So I will need to be ready, cash in hand, to fly to wherever the coach is. I love to travel, but hate to fly. It's like boarding a very rude cattle car! That being said, I need to know how to check for flaws, roof, or whatever is common myself.  I really do not know any inspectors out west, and if they are anything like home inspectors here in Delaware, I really would be hesitant to trust their judgement. I'm also concerned that I could make a long distance deal, fly to the coach, and find out that someone offered more money, and I'm out not only the coach, but the plane ticket. Any input from other successful long distance buyers?

      Thanks
   Milosdad

Welcome, welcome!

As with my experience, you are getting the best possible input from a variety of knowledgeable sources.  Here's my 2 cents.

I'm in north Missouri, so only half as far away from SoCal as you are, but still quite an undertaking to make such a decision sight unseen off the internet.  The generous input from so many on this site helped prime the pump for me to take the leap.

When the floorplan that I'd been craving came up on the old Yahoo site, I asked if someone might be available to put eyeballs on the rig to assess if it was even worth the trip from Missouri; I received a very gracious offer from a Forum member who lived nearby (that being a relative term, given SoCal driving compared to Missouri   :P ).  He shared his assessment of the rig's condition & the asking price; I decided to make the trip in mid-December 2013, & made an appointment with Vince at the Mothership for an inspection.

I, too, hate being crammed in an aluminum cigar tube, with other miserable souls, & flung across the sky...  As it turned out for me, Amtrak had a much better option (Joan's YMMV mantra is applicable)--friends took me (& everything but the kitchen sink) to Kansas City on a Friday evening, where I checked two huge suitcases (that were not weighed) & was allowed two additional carry-ons that were not measured for dimensions as the airlines do, plus no checking for liquids/etc., so the yogurt & other food I took for two days wasn't an issue; I wasn't "dinged" for the travel pillow/sleeping bag I rigged to the rollerbag; & the large backpack with laptop/etc. counted as my "purse".   There was WiFi, I could move around easily, the scenery was wonderful, seats/legroom were excellent, though it did fill up from Albuquerque on to where I got off at Fullerton.   On Sunday the previous owners picked me up in Fullerton, & I spent the night in the rig in their driveway reading manuals/etc.  Monday they took me & the rig to the Mothership (whatever the distance is from Whittier to Montclair) for the appointment with Vince (he recommended replacing the showerdome with the new style, which I did, & despite the standard well-reported grumblings about Eternabond, he said she was in great shape).  The previous owner went over the various systems with me, had scoped out a park/school parking lot to give me driving lessons, & helped me plan an escape route....I called my insurance company to activate the new policy before I left Wednesday, the CA plates took me home, & the seller gave me a midmorning-after-traffic-eased-some escort from their place in Whittier to I-10 which then got me to I-15 & I was on my way.  :)

The only hiccup was on the money end on Tuesday.  I'd heard my dad talk of writing checks to buy cattle in Texas, & on various trips, so I didn't think about getting a cashier's check...problem was that the California bank wanted to hold my check for several days--I had a commitment at home that was already squeezed on the calendar the next week & there was a big winter storm building in the NW & aimed at the midwest...I needed to get out of Dodge on schedule.   The two-hour time difference meant it was after bank closing in Missouri; fortunately, I'd tossed a local phone book in the who-knows-if-I-need-it-but-just-in-case stash of stuff, so I called the president of the bank at home; he called the office/they called me at the CA bank/confirmed the funds to that bank manager & then wired the transfer to the CA bank.  We got everything signed & sealed, and all sighed with relief.

I didn't think to ask some of your questions...I'll certainly think the finances out in advance should I do anything like this again.  The sellers included linens/paper & plastic ware/etc., so I didn't need to take as much in the big suitcases as I did.  Time of year made it a bit dicey for me as a newbie; flying ahead of the weather from Denver across Kansas was anxiety-provoking, but I got into my driveway as the ice storm hit.  I know this is wordy--I do tend to ramble  ::) , but hope this helps you think of things that matter to you as you navigate this process.   Most important--have fun learning what's important to you. 

Best wishes--

Lynne

Lynne
LDy Lulubelle, Green '05 31' TB
Lilly, the 4-Legged Alarm
Re: Newbie with questions about Lazy Daze
Reply #28 –
Quote from: Lynne Broyles-Greenwood  - 
Welcome, welcome!

As with my experience, you are getting the best possible input from a variety of knowledgeable sources.  Here's my 2 cents.

I'm in north Missouri, so only half as far away from SoCal as you are, but still quite an undertaking to make such a decision sight unseen off the internet.  The generous input from so many on this site helped prime the pump for me to take the leap.

When the floorplan that I'd been craving came up on the old Yahoo site, I asked if someone might be available to put eyeballs on the rig to assess if it was even worth the trip from Missouri; I received a very gracious offer from a Forum member who lived nearby (that being a relative term, given SoCal driving compared to Missouri  :P ).  He shared his assessment of the rig's condition & the asking price; I decided to make the trip in mid-December 2013, & made an appointment with Vince at the Mothership for an inspection.

I, too, hate being crammed in an aluminum cigar tube, with other miserable souls, & flung across the sky...  As it turned out for me, Amtrak had a much better option (Joan's YMMV mantra is applicable)--friends took me (& everything but the kitchen sink) to Kansas City on a Friday evening, where I checked two huge suitcases (that were not weighed) & was allowed two additional carry-ons that were not measured for dimensions as the airlines do, plus no checking for liquids/etc., so the yogurt & other food I took for two days wasn't an issue; I wasn't "dinged" for the travel pillow/sleeping bag I rigged to the rollerbag; & the large backpack with laptop/etc. counted as my "purse".  There was WiFi, I could move around easily, the scenery was wonderful, seats/legroom were excellent, though it did fill up from Albuquerque on to where I got off at Fullerton.  On Sunday the previous owners picked me up in Fullerton, & I spent the night in the rig in their driveway reading manuals/etc.  Monday they took me & the rig to the Mothership (whatever the distance is from Whittier to Montclair) for the appointment with Vince (he recommended replacing the showerdome with the new style, which I did, & despite the standard well-reported grumblings about Eternabond, he said she was in great shape).  The previous owner went over the various systems with me, had scoped out a park/school parking lot to give me driving lessons, & helped me plan an escape route....I called my insurance company to activate the new policy before I left Wednesday, the CA plates took me home, & the seller gave me a midmorning-after-traffic-eased-some escort from their place in Whittier to I-10 which then got me to I-15 & I was on my way.  :)

The only hiccup was on the money end on Tuesday.  I'd heard my dad talk of writing checks to buy cattle in Texas, & on various trips, so I didn't think about getting a cashier's check...problem was that the California bank wanted to hold my check for several days--I had a commitment at home that was already squeezed on the calendar the next week & there was a big winter storm building in the NW & aimed at the midwest...I needed to get out of Dodge on schedule.  The two-hour time difference meant it was after bank closing in Missouri; fortunately, I'd tossed a local phone book in the who-knows-if-I-need-it-but-just-in-case stash of stuff, so I called the president of the bank at home; he called the office/they called me at the CA bank/confirmed the funds to that bank manager & then wired the transfer to the CA bank.  We got everything signed & sealed, and all sighed with relief.

I didn't think to ask some of your questions...I'll certainly think the finances out in advance should I do anything like this again.  The sellers included linens/paper & plastic ware/etc., so I didn't need to take as much in the big suitcases as I did.  Time of year made it a bit dicey for me as a newbie; flying ahead of the weather from Denver across Kansas was anxiety-provoking, but I got into my driveway as the ice storm hit.  I know this is wordy--I do tend to ramble  ::) , but hope this helps you think of things that matter to you as you navigate this process.  Most important--have fun learning what's important to you. 

Best wishes--

Lynne


" I called the president of the bank at home"

The glories of small town living. 🙂

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Newbie with questions about Lazy Daze
Reply #29 –
Quote from: colddog  - 
My point it when comparing two equal LD's one pulling a tow is harder on the vehicle then not towing.  The drivetrain is a very important part.  Weight is what the drivetrain is overcoming as it works.  The harder the work the more damage is done.

In the E450s, the transmission is what gets stressed when towing. As long as the cooling system is in good shape, the V10 will do whatever is asked, within reason, for many miles.
Excluding the blown spark plug problems that 2003 and older E450's suffer from, the V10 regularly runs 200,000+ miles, without major, work in commercial applications, such as airport shuttle buses.
To protect the transmission, when towing heavy vehicles, upgrading to a larger transmission cooler is recommend as well as using a transmission temperature gauge to monitor it's temps.
Larger transmission cooler E450 | Flickr
Several LDs that I know of have pulled 4000+lb Jeeps for 140,000 miles, without failures.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
 
Re: Newbie with questions about Lazy Daze
Reply #30 –
Milosdad,
if you haven't done so yet,  check out the 'helpful links' section on the home page.
There is a wealth of information there, including changes thru the years so you have a better idea of what year LD started with whatever engines, transmissions etc that interest you.

Colddog said to be wary of weight and Lazybones said he's never overweight - that's because he keeps an eye on it.
I have a 31 Island bed that starts out heavy and I always have to watch it.

About the treatment of airline passengers - they're also known as 'self-loading cargo'
Welcome aboard. 
Joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
2013  31 IB   ORWAN   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE