I'm not familiar with this brand at all.. but what I would be extra cautious looking for is any sort of water damage. If it needs new windows and vents - these are all great places for water to get in. And water damage, especially in typical sticks-n-staples RV construction can quickly weaken walls, floors, etc. Thankfully, if its been in AZ, it doesn't rain much (that's where we're currently at with our new-to-us 1961 bus conversion).
Walk strongly through the unit.. does it feel solid? Are there any soft or squishy spots? Eye the unit up and down, and look for any buldges anywhere on the walls, inside and out. Pay particular attention around windows, and below. Press on all the walls and make sure they're consistent throughout. Look under cabinets, etc.
If there are any soft spots anywhere... any peeling of wall paper/paneling/etc. - walk away.
The entire RV market is soft right now, so there's no need to jump on the first good deal you encounter. Go visit lots of units for sale, and get a very good idea of what you want. You'll learn a tremendous amount about each unit you look at - both about trailers/RVs and about what will work for your situation.
And wow... 270,000 miles on a 2003 seems high... that's over 30k per year. Was it used in a commercial fleet previously? That could be a good thing, depending on how well they maintained their fleet. Diesels are built for heavy use, so it's not as concerning as with a gas vehicle... but could be worth taking to a mechanic for a thorough inspection. What's the condition of the tires?
As far as it being a good deal or not.. run the truck through KBB and Edmunds for its value. Do a search on the trailer brand to see what others similar are selling for.
But it really comes down to.. does it work for you? Is the price in your budget, and are you prepared to take on the maintenance costs of a high mileage diesel and the known repairs needed on the trailer?
Best wishes,
- Cherie
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He used it to full time for two years before they came to AZ and bought a house. They have used it once in about a year that they have been out here. He has had it in storage since he bought the house about a year ago. He paid $48,000 new for it off the lot and he just wants to get rid of it so he can buy a Jeep for commuting(he commutes 65 miles one way to work). They found they just have not been using it as much as they used to and have stopped full-timing. He customized it to a full timing lifestyle, and made it better. He said it just needs a new window and a few vents on top (due to some kids trying to break in at the storage lot he had it at)He is also willing to sell his 2003 Dodge 2500 5.9L Turbo Diesel Short Bed 4X4 with the hitch included and everything we need to get started using it. The truck has 270,000 miles on it and he has done all maintenance to it that it needs. We can pick up the combo truck and trailer for $20,000. Trailer is $12,000 and truck would be $8,000. Is this a good deal? What do you all think? Should we jump on this deal? We are going to look at it this week sometime. Is there anything we should look for? Is this a good model trailer? My husband and I would like to start full-timing with our 2 medium sized dogs (a Weimaraner and Chesapeake Bay Retriever). Thank you for all of your help! We look forward to going to see it!
