# Looking for first RV



## 106121 (Jul 26, 2007)

Hi All,

Been interested in getting a RV for a while and after finding this forum I spent some time reading.

I have been surfing a few web sites and came across a Winnebago Superchief 27ft for £14500. This is on the Dream RV web site (www.dreamsrv.co.uk)

Besides the obvious stuff like getting a through AA/RAC report what should I look out for?

I cannot find GVW anywhere but I assume it must be over 3000KG? This means less VRT (vehicle registration tax) importing it to Ireland

Thanks,

Gray


----------



## 103625 (Mar 28, 2007)

they don't give the year of the Rv but it looks quite tidy
you should be looking for signs of damp/water ingress
its been carpeted and reupholstered so there won't be signs of wear
just make sure engine and transmission is in good working order
and the tyres have plenty of tread and no sign of cracking on the sidewalls
all the extras need to be working i.e aircon,oven,fridge,blown air heater

good luck
Tony

ps the weight will probably be 12000 lbs (about 6 tons) gross
the weight plate is usualy situated inside edge of the drivers door


----------



## 106121 (Jul 26, 2007)

winniebagotony said:


> ps the weight will probably be 12000 lbs (about 6 tons) gross
> the weight plate is usualy situated inside edge of the drivers door


Thanks for that info Tony!

From looking on the internet it appears that the engine would be a chevy 454 7.4l petrol. What sort of mileage would be normal for that size engine?

Given the size of the engine compared to body, this would give the RV some reasonable pulling power for hills etc?

Thanks,

Gray.


----------



## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Gray,

Good news is no problem with pulling power up hills.

Bad news is probably around 9 mpg. Hence some people consider LPG conversion.

Dave


----------



## 106121 (Jul 26, 2007)

Hope you guys don't mind a couple more question 

How do you find a engineer who would be qualified to do a report on this type of engine?

How many miles should they be OK for without an overhaul?

Thanks,

Gray.


----------



## 100790 (Aug 30, 2006)

Hi Gray

My RV is fitted with the V8 7.4 litre Vortec engine which has now done 57,000 miles. In the 18 months that I have had the RV the only problem I have had was with the starter motor. This was obtained in 16 hours, as we were in a rush, at a cost of £132 delivered. The engine is awesome, loads of pulling power, starts first time however, the down side is the fuel consumption. I recently had it converted to LPG, however not cheap but as I intend to keep it for a long time, it will eventually pay for itself.

The engine is easy enough to service, no special tools required and parts are easy enough to obtain . Linda from Stateside Tuning is very helpful and has a knack of sorting most things out.



> How do you find a engineer who would be qualified to do a report on this type of engine


Duncan from Star Spangled Spanner might be able to help you out here. Have not needed his help yet (touch wood) but from the posts on this forum it appears that he is a good egg.

I looked at several RV's before I bought mine, I found that all had good engines the main problems was with the bodywork. Delamination, water ingress and sun fading from being left out in the open in places like Florida.

The delamination and water ingress can be easy enough to find, check around the windows on the inside. You may well see the wood has bulged and if it is really bad is soft to touch. From the outside if you look along the length of the vehicle you can often see the bulge on the outside.

Get the seller to run all the appliances to make sure they work. Check the V5 for correct vehicle classification and date. I came across 2 RV's that the dates did not match up i.e. a 1996 registered as a 1998 and advertised as such. The weight and width of the RV is important. I am not fully up to date on this but there are some changes about to be made. Someone with more up to date knowledge might come along and offer more advice on this or search the forums as there are a number of posts on the subject.

Hope this helps and that I am not teaching you how to suck eggs.

Geoff


----------



## 100790 (Aug 30, 2006)

Duncan Star Spanngled Spanner

Try this link

Geoff


----------



## 103625 (Mar 28, 2007)

Grey
it depends on which engine is in it and how its been looked after
Ford reckon 150,000 miles at least with 8000 mile services
Chevy are also good but recomend 3000 mile services

transmissiom services at 50,000 miles
these figures are for petrol engines

american engines are usualy fairly tough motors

hope this has been some help

Tony


----------



## 100790 (Aug 30, 2006)

Hi Tony

Would appreciate it if you would let me know how you come by the figure of 3000 mile service interval for Chevrolet as my manual says 7,500 miles or annual which ever comes first.

I believe the short trip service interval is 3000 miles or 3 monthly?

Thanks

Geoff


----------



## 100790 (Aug 30, 2006)

The following was taken from the service manual:

Follow the Short Trip/City Scheduled Maintenance if
any one of these conditions is true for your vehicle:
 Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
 Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
 Most trips are through dusty areas.
 You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
 If the vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.

Geoff


----------



## 106121 (Jul 26, 2007)

GEOFFs125 said:


> Hi Gray
> 
> The delamination and water ingress can be easy enough to find, check around the windows on the inside. You may well see the wood has bulged and if it is really bad is soft to touch. From the outside if you look along the length of the vehicle you can often see the bulge on the outside.
> 
> ...


Hi Geoff,

Thanks for the info here, I need all the help I can get . Is there any where I can read up on V5 checks?

Later,

Gray


----------



## 103625 (Mar 28, 2007)

HI Geoff
thats probably what i was thinking of with Chevy's short trip services
i stand corrected 


 
Tony


----------



## 106121 (Jul 26, 2007)

winniebagotony said:


> Grey
> it depends on which engine is in it and how its been looked after
> Ford reckon 150,000 miles at least with 8000 mile services
> Chevy are also good but recomend 3000 mile services
> ...


It's a chevy 454 7.4l Petrol.

Interesting info, Thanks.

Later,

Gray.


----------



## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Something to note... Duncan also sells RV spares and accessories, as well as being a dedicated RV mechanic. Seems not many people know that! :lol:


----------

