1997 26 mb soft spot in wall

Topic: 1997 26 mb soft spot in wall (Read 641 times) previous topic - next topic

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November 03, 2020, 07:27:51 am

Hi
not sure if this is the right forum but here goes , I'm going to look at a 1997 26 mb , looks ok in pics 110000 mi there is a pic near the shower looks like hole in the wall, they call it a soft spot and also they said another soft spot around the city water connection . they are the 2nd owners sounds like its been sitting for a while. but started monthly . the "soft spots are what concerns me, they also said may need some body work. I asked about the frame they didn't say anything about it . I understand it is close to 24 yrs old and this is my first one I'm looking at . that's why I'm hoping to get some advice from the people who've been around lazy daze rv s . any advice or thoughts are welcome . if there were Frame issues where would you look? (also this is located in the northeast)

[edited topic title to include more description of the question - Michelle]

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #1 – November 03, 2020, 08:24:23 am

Unless you have an unlimited bank account, run away as fast as you can from this rig. Soft spots equal water damage. That's lots of work and money to fix. And what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. Probably lots more hidden damage.

Keep looking.

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #2 – November 03, 2020, 08:31:24 am

Quote from: LindaB - November 03, 2020, 08:24:23 am

Unless you have an unlimited bank account, run away as fast as you can from this rig. Soft spots equal water damage. That's lots of work and money to fix. And what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. Probably lots more hidden damage.

Keep looking.

Thank you

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #3 – November 03, 2020, 10:50:25 am

Quote from: LindaB - November 03, 2020, 08:24:23 am

Unless you have an unlimited bank account, run away as fast as you can from this rig. Soft spots equal water damage. That's lots of work and money to fix. And what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. Probably lots more hidden damage.

Keep looking.

But do look at it anyway so you can get experience on what to look (and smell) for. Your nose may be your best friend in this case.

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #4 – November 03, 2020, 11:30:21 am

Quote from: HiLola - November 03, 2020, 10:50:25 am

But do look at it anyway so you can get experience on what to look (and smell) for. Your nose may be your best friend in this case.

will do,thanks again

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #5 – November 03, 2020, 11:53:06 am

Quote from: LindaB - November 03, 2020, 08:24:23 am

Unless you have an unlimited bank account, run away as fast as you can from this rig. Soft spots equal water damage. That's lots of work and money to fix. And what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. Probably lots more hidden damage.

Excellent advice. Anything soft is trouble, likely expensive to fix, the tip of an iceberg is a good description.
1997 isn't a good year mechanically, it has the early low-power V10 and the older E4OD transmission, neither desireable.

Larry.

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #6 – November 03, 2020, 02:54:46 pm

Quote from: Larry W - November 03, 2020, 11:53:06 am

Excellent advice. Anything soft is trouble, likely expensive to fix, the tip of an iceberg is a good description.
1997 isn't a good year mechanically, it has the early low-power V10 and the older E4OD transmission, neither desireable.

Larry.

Thanks

Re: 1997 26 mb

Reply #7 – November 04, 2020, 04:28:22 pm

Sullyboy,
I am just putting in my 2 cents so you get different views.
Some people (ok, a lot on this forum) run from rot, but it should depend on your skills and time. It takes a big chunk of time/effort to fix rot issues which means big bucks if you pay someone else to do it. If you have ever fixed rot in a house, the fix will be similar but more difficult because you are working in smaller spots (not a big room where you are working on one wall/ceiling/floor area, but a very small room where you often need to take things out/remove things to get to the area). Because of this huge effort/time/cost to pay someone else to fix, you should not pay as much for a LD with rot issues as you would for an equivalent LD without rot.

Similar to buying a fixer upper house - you get the house for less money but then you either need to pay someone to fix it up or put in the time and effort yourself, and if you are going to work on it you need to know your skills, time, ability to do so.

That said...
Knowing the source of the leak and how big the damage has spread is important.
IMO, I think it is more likely a leak from the roof/any window/other item protruding thru the outer skin (I am not sure about detailed layout in that model), rather than a plumbing problem at those two spots (which might have less damage than coming in from the roof/window and spreading out over a bigger area).
A hole means the rot has progressed pretty far (vs a soft spot that might just be veneer but could also be more damage depending on what the water flow was).

As Linda said, likely there are more leaks than just whatever caused this, especially if it is coming from the roof (e.g. roof/windows were not sealed well and kept up continually over time so potentially several leaks going on).

I think you are getting different opinions about the engine based on how the owners are using them. Larry tows often and not one of those tiny smart cars

, whereas I think Ron doesn't tow. It also depends on if you are going to go up mountains/grades a lot or hang out on the flat lands (Larry has told me his driving skills for dealing with grades, while I fully get why he does that I would likely choose a method more like his wife would). Include if you mind going slow up a grade if needed. Like everything else, how you use the RV will indicate what model/year/type to buy.
Jane