First time Purchase 2007 Georgetown SE 350DS

[Texas_RV]

Howdy folks,

Former coworker has a 2007 GT SE 350Ds, bunk bed option. Their FIL passed and they are selling it. Asking $24K. It has 28K miles on it. They have had it inspected, generator and AC Serviced.

Issues:
-Not garage kept, so I need to get roof inspected they say it was but going to pay to have it done again
-Front chairs are toast, down to foam, been quoted 450 a chair reupholstered
- Tires are 12 years old with side wall dry rot, they are Michelin size 235/80 r22.5 ( I believe) which sell for 500/tire. Been told Toyo 245/75 r22.5 are the way to go for value and ride.

Nitnoid things, I'm handy so should be able to fix.
- 1 piece of Molding missing around dining table
- small wear marking linoleum.
- needs a good cleaning
- Door to master has a small hole it in.

What do you experienced folks think? Should we run away? Ask for a 3 grand off for tires and chairs?

PS. I have an RV shed so this puppy will be garage kept if purchased.

Thanks in advance.

[Texas_RV]

Anyone out there? Really need some knowledge here. 28k miles on 2007 unit for 24k. Tires are shot but owner has fixed everything on inspection report except this. They aren’t RV folks are adamant 12 year old tires are have plenty of tread.

Anyone have experience with buying used units. Prices for inspections are running around 1500 dollars that would put 3 tires on it.

[HangDiver]

This thread might get more relevant views in the Georgetown Forum. Maybe one of the admins can help...

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by HangDiver

This thread might get more relevant views in the Georgetown Forum. Maybe one of the admins can help...

Thread moved to Georgetown sub-forum.

[Texas_RV]

Thanks. I was going off the first time purchase description. Sorry

[nvs4602]

Compared to others listed looks like a good price. I would go over it good. Crawl under it. Run AC units off generator. Run water. Test heater all that stuff. I would definitely change out all the fluids as well. Engine and generator oil , antifreeze, grease up the front end and u-joints.

https://www.smartrvguide.com/rvs-for...orgetown-350ds

Good luck.

[NXR]

So your first RV? If so, while the price looks fine to me I'd hire a professional RV inspector, not some person doing the work on the side. See: https://nrvia.org/

It'll probably cost you $700 or more but it could save you from making a several thousand dollar mistake if they find a big problem, such as delamination in the walls or broken exhaust manifold studs, etc. Be certain to ask the prospective inspector what they usually find on a motorhome of that vintage. For example, the rear sway bar bolts on the Ford F53 chassis like to loosen up and fall off on the older ones (and some newer ones as well). A good inspector will know about those issues off the top of their head. Also, ask for a sample inspection report from an RV of that vintage to see what they really do.

Good choice on the tires. I just got a quote from https://www.motorhometires.com/ for six of those and it was about $3,600 installed. Those folks are not the cheapest but not outrageous. They come to your location and replace the tires at your place.

As for asking for money off, if you never ask then the answer is always an implied "No" and it might just be a "Yes" if you can make it a quick sale.

Be certain to ask for all maintenance records, such as oil changes. Unlike a car or a truck, mileage is not a good indication of the condition and low mileage often fools people into buying a real problem child. Most motorhome owners supposedly put on about 5,000 miles a year. Your hoses, belts, brake fluid, transmission fluid, radiator fluid, etc. may all be due for replacement and that can add more thousands.

Be certain you also get the maintenance records for the onboard generator.

No maintenance records means you need to ask for a bigger discount because you're the one taking the exposure. Unfortunately, 12 year-old tires probably is a good indication of the maintenance condition unless the thing has been parked for eight years. And being parked for many years is also a problem. You could have a lot of things just waiting to break as the motorhome goes bouncing down our lovely roads.

Somewhere inside you should have a CCC (cargo carrying capacity) sticker. Take a picture and post it here. Some older Georgetowns have very limited capacities.

HOW do you intend to use it? Two adults, two adults and six kids and a couple of dogs, long trips, etc. That's where CCC becomes very critical.

You can find older Georgetown brochures here: https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...res-10709.html but the 2007 brochure does not show a 350DS floor plan for some reason. Maybe the brochure is not the correct one.

If that thing has an RV fridge, one that runs on propane or electric, be DARN sure any recalls have been accomplished. There was a massive recall on certain Norcold fridges manufactured between 1997 and 2010 due to their propensity to leak, catch fire, and burn the RV to the ground in about ten minutes. The "average" life of a propane/electric RV fridge is about 15 years and you're "right there". You could be needing to have a new cooling unit installed. That'll be about $2,500 installed. Any half-baked inspector will look for that problem immediately.

Both Dometic and Norcold had recalls but I think Norcold's was the largest: https://norcold.com/recall-informati...-dec8f104-b62d

Oh, one more thing. I think Georgetowns of that vintage could have either the Ford F53 chassis or the Chevy Workhorse chassis. Which chassis does that have? Chevy got out of the motorhome business in 2010 so parts and expertise can be a problem as well.

All of the above is why I personally would pay for a professional inspection and be present during the inspection. There are a lot of things needing checked. And if it all comes out perfect, you now have a great idea of the condition. That's worth the peace of mind to me.

Good luck,

Ray

[Chuck_S]

Quick Google search for this model bus shows $24,000 is well below the asking prices of similar vehicles so it may include the discount for the bad tires, seats, and possible roof repairs and it may sell quickly at this price once it goes on the general market. Pure guess on my part.

Regardless I'd have it inspected (we call this surveyed in the boat/yacht world).

-- Chuck

[Texas_RV]

Yep, its a FORD body limited v10 forgot the liters. I think its been sitting as the relative that owned was pretty sick. Looks like he did replace the tires once since its an 07 and now has 2011 tires. They just had the roof resealed at the dealership, generator was serviced, gas leak was fixed. I would definitely get it inspected, unfortunately inspections post Covid in our area start at 850 dollars. I will gladly pay but I'm not sure the seller will adjust the price even if things are found.

I've also bookmarked the shim issue on these units so that I can have inspector check

I'm conflicted, its definitely dirty inside they had a dog and it needs cleaning. Chairs as previously mentioned are toast just like all the other posts on GTs. I just did a ton of research on water heaters, I'm also certain this thing was never cleaned. Trying to get all the maintenance records now. They had it inspected at the dealership last March and the tires were flagged, as well as roof, gas leaks, water leak, all was paid for with receipts sans tires. I noted that they missed a few things on inspection and they did go back and have the roof resealed but they said advisor at dealership said the tires were Ok.

The floor plan is legit and I found the brocure on the web, it has the bunk bed options. Short term users would be me, the wife, 3 teens and my FIL. I know this unit is not a long term fit for us given age and access to parts. mostly weekend getaways.

Its been sitting for about 3 months and they haven't had any serious buyers. Which I could find someone a little more reasonable to inspect it.

We are making one more call to see if they are willing to come down in price if inspection finds issues, I know on NADA the new value is 22K for condition its in.

We rented an RV in 2021 and that trip throughout the southwest is something i'll never forget. So we are definitely conflicted as to buying this unit or waiting for the foreclosures that are sure to come in the future.

You guys have been awesome, thanks so much.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Texas_RV

Its been sitting for about 3 months and they haven't had any serious buyers. .

You've gotten a lot of good advice.
Just going to add my 2 cents.
If it's been sitting for 3 months and they haven't had any 'serious buyers', the rig is probably overpriced.

You need to get it inspected. Not just the roof, the entire rig. A friend's father had an accident that shattered the window and bent the frame. They replaced the window and it looked good, but leaked like a sieve.
-Auto shops can recover chairs and your price seems about right.

- Those tires need to be replaced. The owner has no argument for 'tire wear' if there is dry rot on those tires. They could blow as you drive out of the driveway and damage the sewer system, a slideout or any number of things... including you.

In addition, you're buying a 16 year old rig. Some rv parks won't rent to anyone with a 10+ year old rv. They will usually make exceptions if the rig is in great condition. It's also difficult to finance a 10 year old rig.

It sounds like the owner doesn't want to spend the money to get it in 'sellable' condition. Doesn't sound promising. The price might come down if you wait a bit.

[Texas_RV]

Agreed, they admitted they aren't RVers and are just settling the FILs estate. They keep saying tread is great, no matter how many articles I send them, even wifey saw the dry rot. copy on the 10 year rule, I"ve heard it's mainly used to keep long term ghetto rigs from taking up space and often times family weekenders are allowed in. If purchased I've seen some good vidoes on how to make her shine.

[NXR]

If they are Michelin tires, Michelin's RV tire guide says to replace all tires over 10 years old regardless of visual condition. Even a car tire store will tell you to replace those tires.

See: https://www.michelinb2b.com/wps/b2bc...s_Brochure.pdf

See Page 6 under SERVICE LIFE FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE TIRES for their reasons.

If the motorhome has sat for years you have absolutely no idea if any of the tires went low of flat, potentially overloading the tires and causing internal damage. You just know what the tire pressure is now. I also would not drive that motorhome after purchase without first installing a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) to alert you of any pressure problems while driving to the tire shop. I'd install it before I drove it another mile.


You're the only one who can decide if the value is good enough. Me, we almost paid $700 for an NRVIA inspection on a brand new 2019 Winnebago Vista 35F that had sat on the dealer lot for a year.

The dealer, General RV, was a real "piece of work" and even though we found slide defects that their salesperson witnessed they would not allow a professional inspection pre-sale on the grounds that the inspector might break something.

Yeah, more like the inspection could cause us to walk away and then General RV would have knowledge of defects they would have to repair before they sold it to someone else...

We walked and found something better from a different dealer.

Ray

[Chuck_S]

Reviews of General RV (Ashland VA) compare it to Camping World -- but not as good as Camping World. I won't use either other than retail small items.

-- Chuck

[NC Bill]

On RVs, low miles means it’s been sitting a lot. RVs that sit often aren’t maintained. How the rig has been stored and maintained is more important. The fact that the chair upholstery is shot in such low mileage is a clue. Obvious sign of neglect.

Decide what it is worth to YOU is the key. Don’t debate with the seller. I always couch offers with “this is what it is worth to me xxxx. It may be worth more to others.” The fact is it hasn’t sold yet. That is another clue. People that inherit stuff often are clueless on value.

With my parents estate we had to wrap stuff up so we could settle everything. So we discounted stuff to move.

[John24RLS]

In its current state, not cleaned, front seats trashed, etc. It's unlikely that they will sell it any time soon. The first thing a new buyer looks at is the curb appeal. Doesn't sound like this unit has any. It is also unlikely that a buyer will be able to get a loan on this older unit which makes it a cash deal. Eliminating a lot of potential new buyers. Also I bet the fridge is toast at that age or soon will be after heavy use. Also the ride quality is not going to be good in that older unit so you may have to do a lot of suspension work like shocks etc. You didn't mention the batteries, how old are they? Two house batteries and one chassis battery. I would politely say this is my offer and here is my number if you change your mind give me a call and move on. The market is starting to change and becoming more buyer friendly.
Good Luck.

[Tom48]

If not an affordable inspector,. Find a well rated mobile RV guy to spend a few hours inspecting. 6:30 at night one rig in our convoy had a problem. Three of us did Google searches and looked at yelp ratings. Found a mobile that showed up about 9 am as his second repair. Was quite generally knowledgeable yeah I would say sharp semi retired guy with a lifetime of RV repair service. I did the "hiring interview"
Manager of a nearby business let them overnight in the back of their lighted parking lot and they caught up with us before noon the next day. It had to be more than fate that we found that guy they must surely be everywhere.

Good luck Tom

[Texas_RV]

Thanks everyone for all the great info. We decided to drop out for now based on condition of the unit. We explained what it was worth to us, we estimated 7K just to get on the road, (tires, chairs we can sit it to drive it, and a full inspection, outside gel coat work) Only 28K but the inside really needs a lot of TLC. I wasn't even tracking on the Suspension but on a unit that has sat this long that is a concern. Thanks again, everyone. We wish the sellers all the best and hope they get top dollar for this unit.

[HangDiver]

A car, truck, trailer, or motorhome thats been sitting for years can have its own eco system of multiple plant and animal life living within its confines. Sometimes walking away is the right thing to do...