Just bought a 1983 RV as our Poor Man's DVC

[HHI_DisFans]

Warning: This is a long post.

I am a Disney Addict and disboard lurker who fell in love with the Fort over four or five visits. However, after the last camping trip (tent camping) my husband swore he would never go back again. In fairness, he's not the kind to "rough it" and we had some pretty bad weather. Also everyone got sick and we spent a lot of time with vomiting children in the comfort station. The only way I have been able to get him to even consider it again, was to look at renting an RV.

Then, last week, I came across a 34ft. 1983 Pace Arrow RV. I drove it, seemed to run fine. Had new tires, new water heater, new exhaust system, new refrigerator and microwave, new shower, newly done pergo floors, and a fresh exterior paint job. (Dark Blue as opposed to the signature tan) It has some water damage to the back bedroom and bathroom ceiling from a roof leak that has been repaired. The gentleman who owned it said he wanted to fix it up for tailgating and nascar races but lost his job. I bought it for $2000.00 out of my personal Disney fund, and am thrilled to get it rehabbed and hopefully down to the Fort where I can now stay with my six kids without paying a fortune for a DVC room or two hotel rooms.

I feel like I got a deal. I drove it home from G.A. to S.C. on I-95 and it seemed to run great. Noticed a few minor issues like the turn signals don't light up in the dash, but they do work fine on the outside. Something is wrong with the wipers, maybe they need a new motor? I figue I should start by replacing the fuses and wires since it seems a few items in the dash aren't working. The last owner bought them and gave them to me, he just never got around to doing it, I'm hoping it might fix the wipers without a new motor. Anyway, all the appliances, ac, water heater and heat seem to be in good working order. It runs fine except for the issues I already mentioned which seem minor to me. I'm no mechanic but it has 82,000 miles on a Chevy 454 engine, which I've read is supposed to be pretty good. I'm highly motivated, can sew, and in the last 5 days have completely redone the dinette upholstery and purchased copper wall tiles to redo the kitchen backsplash... I am even working on Musket Mickey pillows, but I digress.

My husband thinks I have lost my mind. He has never owned a used car, nor done more work on one of his new ones other than change the oil or a battery. I have done brakes on my older cars I had before we got married and like the challenge of a "fixer upper," having installed new walls, tile flooring, etc, in other homes. I've never done a lot of automotive work, but I have found I can figure most minor things out given the right tools and a good manual. I'm envisioning fixing it up with hidden mickey's and a bar stocked to make Kungaloosh, but I don't think my husband sees the potential. To add insult to injury he said the other folks at Fort Wilderness won't want to be parked next to my old RV he has dubbed "Sully" since it is, in his words "a Blue Monster."

So, what say you Fort Wilderness campers - know anyone else that invested in a fixer upper and has been happy or am I going to be wishing I spent my money to rent some DVC points? Any pointers on things I should consider or check out? I am really hoping to get everything fixed up and take "Sully" down to the Fort for Halloween. Ideally, I am hoping this purchase will eventually enable me to go 3 - 4 times a year. If not, I have checked comparable vehicles and it looks like I should at least be able to recover what I paid for it. I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts, I figured this to be a place where people would understand why I love going to Disney enough to buy an RV specifically to travel there. However, if you - like my dear husband- think I am crazy, feel free to say so. If there is interest, I will post photos and hopefully see you at the Fort!

 

[photogal06]

Cool! We have a 1989 Travelcraft Class C. When we bought it, it had some of the upholstery redone, and it had Pergo floors. We ended up replacing the water pump, the thermostat, repairing the furnace and the cab AC, and a bunch of other things....I think you got a great deal! We also had a roof leak that had been repaired by the previous owner and then gave out on us during our MI circle tour last summer, so we ended up re-repairing that on the road. Be sure to keep a close eye on any areas that have leaked before!

I recommend taking it out on short trips close to home to start, testing out all of the systems. The people who had ours before us didn't really use the water hookups, so the whole water system wasn't in as great of shape as they thought it was. We had lots of little leaks that we had to fix and discovered the water pump didn't work as well as we needed it to....on another trip, we had issues with the furnace working inconsistently....it took a few trips to get everything ironed out.

We have a lot of people stop and ask us about our old motorhome....most go on to tell us all of the problems they've had with their brand new motorhomes, so I try to remember those times when yet another thing needs fixing on ours

You will love Halloween at the Fort---we went for the first time last year, and it was better than I'd even imagined!

Congrats on your purchase--I think you'll love it!

 

[rock_doctor]

WOW, Battle On! I would change all of the fluids. Not only does this get any undone preventative maintenance out of the way but you will also learn how everything works. Make sure you get the hubby and the kids to help you turn the wrenches. You plan to use it as family time at Disney but working on it can also be quality family time. The 454 will be horrible on gas but has been around since the beginning of time. So getting parts should be fairly easy. You should be able to get a shop manual for the rv. This will tell you everything from wiring diagrams to how to rebuild the trans (which should be a 3 speed turbo 400-also been around since the beginning of time)... I think it is awesome. I own at bay lake tower but still think fort wilderness is the best place to say on site. Just think your way though your problems and see if you can find a forum for your rv manufacturer. They can help you with any specific questions. Good luck and enjoy yourself.

 

[2goofycampers]

As for being at The Fort, we're all campers. Tent, new, vintage and in between we love to camp.

 

[retired and happy]

Sounds like you made a good buy. Check the dates on the tires toi be sure they are really new, and not just new looking. There is a DOT code of 4 digits that will tell you the week and year they were made:such as DOT 3510 would be the 35th weeek of 2010.

Also check out irv2.com. There you can find forums on your type of MH, the chassis, transmission, appliances, etc. There are also many friendly and knowledgable posters who can help with any problem or potential problem you might have.

 

[North of Mouse]

Welcome to the Fort We have been going since they opened (started out in a new VW camper that was also our personal vehicle). We've done everything but a tent and that I REFUSE to ever do. I love the outdoors, but will not sleep on the ground The last 8 years have had MH's and that's where we plan to stay at Don't worry about your older "Sully", as we all love the Fort and camp with what we like or can afford. I truly would not give up "my bed" ( that we upgraded ,did that on ALL our rv's) for anything else at Disney - right, not even the GF None of it tempts us - we love our home away from home (so cozy & comfy - don't have to unpack). Enjoy, but as a pp said, MAKE SURE your tires are really new. Also, go on a short trip where you will HAVE to use everything, and that way you'll know everything is working correctly.

 

[rapriebe]

Congrats on the new RV. Believe me, no one on this board will think you are crazy because we all have probably done something similar to get starting in camping. Don't worry about Sully being old, she's just vintage. You will see lots of vintage campers at the Fort and nobody will care. Have a great time on your first adventure and make sure you let us know how it goes. There will be some stumbling blocks as you start out but don't let them get you down. Have fun!!!

 

[tiggger1]

I would definately look into where there was water damage. We drove our 5th wheel to florida from Ma and noticed it was bounce alot. Well we found out in georgia that the wood rotted where the wall met the floor and I could put my hand through the front corner into the bedroom. we stopped in a home depot parking lot and basically rebuilt that wall because there was no way it would make it any further!

 

[ob1quixote]

Your RV old??? Not hardly!

Here is mine, 1963...

 

[HHI_DisFans]

Thanks for all the great replies, and good advice. I got the stuff to change all the fluids yesterday and am eager to get to work. I'm feeling more excited about my purchase by the minute. And I guess "Sully" isn't that old after all, Ob1 - your vintage rv looks great!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

 

[ob1quixote]

Here is some excellent advice for ya.

Get a new smoke detector and CO2 detector.

Get new ABC class fire extinguishers and mount them strategically; some forward for driving situations, some to the rear for escape situations.

Read up on your RV fridge. Some use propane to operate, and some have had serious fire issues and recalls.

 

[railmail]

Welcome to the world of camping. We would be pleased as punch to park next to "Sully" there at the fort or at any campground, so don't be discouraged. We started out with a used pop-up, moved on to a new basic pull-behind, and really bit the big one when we purchased a new class c (got a GREAT deal that equaled what used ones were selling for) a couple of years ago. I love vintage and have the utmost respect for any gal who can undertake a good project, as I'm right with ya Sister!! Hang in there baby from a gal who's done her share of auto work.

 

[John VN]

Congratulations. Sounds like you done good with your purchase.

First and foremost, IMO, is to let your DH know that the "camping days" are over and now you all will be RVing, , so it's a whole new adventure.

Make sure your fluid change includes brake fluid and have Sully weighed to verify weights are not above axle specs.

Enjoy.

 

[Bricon]

Thanks for all the great replies, and good advice. I got the stuff to change all the fluids yesterday and am eager to get to work. I'm feeling more excited about my purchase by the minute. And I guess "Sully" isn't that old after all, Ob1 - your vintage rv looks great!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

Congrats on your NTU Rv, we had an "old" '86 Starcraft pop up that we took to FW, it's all too easy to get caught up in "new" stuff and striving to get the money to get and maintain it. I'd check out some camping forums (I use Pop up explorer) on suggestions and ideas (for specifics you'd have to find one that includes your RV)
I think it's great you are able to do work yourself, and I wouldn't worry about what other people might think, I like looking around the Fort for unique campers. We had a lot of fun in our freebie p'up that we customized and fixed up ourselves,as long as it's safe and gets you there have fun with it!

We did "upgrade" to a newer p'up and it's a bummer having a payment now, but it was too involved to add everything we got in the new one to the old one. We kept it simple staying with the p'up as opposed to going with a bigger travel trailer.

As far as mechanical things go my daily driver is an '88 Fullsize Blazer, also have an '83 CJ-7 and as long as you keep up with things like tires and basic maintenance the most problems I have are annoyances like leaks(oil,atf,etc).
I would check/change the differential and transmission fluid & filter unless you know they have been done recently. They are not hard to do yourself just messy! You will need new gaskets for both and a filter for the trans in addition to the oil, or RTV sealant can be used if the gaskets are not possible to get, although I would think you probably have a TH400 transmission (if auto) and a GM14 bolt rear axle which were very common and quite durable.
Hopefully the tires are in good shape(can be expensive!)

Check the belts- Power steering, alternator and fan or a/c if it has'em

Check the universal joints in the driveshaft as well(they look like a cross shaped part in the long tube going from the trans to the rear axle, there may be 2-3). these may have grease fittings and you could start by adding grease with a grease gun. If you add grease it should come out all 4 caps by the rubber seal. If water comes out, or you can't get grease out all 4 I'd replace it since they are pretty cheap($10-25) compared to getting towed or having the D-shaft get bent. If there is no grease fitting then they are sealed and you can't add any just check for looseness
you don't want one going bad or coming apart on the road . What I do is park on level ground, and while you could probably not jack up the rear wheels it might be best. Then grab each side of the U-joint(or D-shaft) and check any looseness, you need to do this with no load on the drivetrain(in neutral with the wheels chocked).
The U-joint has 5 parts, the trunnion (center Cross piece) and 4 caps they have small bearings inside and if there is any play they should be replaced as it will only get worse until it fails.
I'm not trying to complicate things or scare you but this is something I've been thru several times, they won't look bad but can go bad pretty quick if the grease has dried up from sitting. That said, once you have you can tell just by feeling the vibrations or the squeaking sounds they make when they go bad, but it would be hard to tell if it's your first drive in it.
There may be a center support bearing as well and these can go bad but the U-joints are more likely to need replacement first.
I' ll keep a look out for Sully the next time we are in FW if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Hope you have FUN in your new adventures.
Brian.

 

[HS3kids]

You have done what I want to do- I keep sending DH email links from RVs I see on craigslist lol... Alas, I just bought a new suv, so unless we get lucky somehow, I dont see us getting an RV anytime soon... but - I would love to see pictures of Sully!

 

[HHI_DisFans]

Wow. We just moved, and I finally got my computer hooked back up and saw all these great replies. I am headed out to do some work on Sully on Tuesday morning. I plan to take a bunch of pictures and I will post a few. Thanks for all the great advice and tips, a lot of those things I would never have thought of myself. I'm planning to book a trip to the fort next week, not sure of our exact dates yet but definately late October. Thanks for fueling my enthusiasm!

 

[sbnewhampshire1]

Congrats! I couldn"t do any of the things you are planning to do! DH does it all. Hope to see you at the fort!!

 

[CommaHolly]

I don't think we're a snobby bunch LOL. It sounds fantastic! I'll keep an eye out for you at the fort! My pop up is 19 years old, so who am I to judge? As someone said,,,,,,,we camp where and how we can afford. Good luck and have fun!

 

[HHI_DisFans]

I haven't been back in a while, You guys probably all forgot about me. The thing is, we had a couple of good storms come through and we have had our hands full.
Here is Sully:

I still think he looks nice for how old he is

Anyway, after the rain two things became clear - 1. The roof was not fixed (or at least fixed properly) and 2. There's a lot more water damage than we thought.

I started to remove wallpaper in the kitchen, only to have the wood underneth completely crumble.

and the ceiling got a lot worse.

So, we've been busy removing several layers of old roof, replacing the rotted wood, replacing the old cracked vent covers with new ones, and re-rubbering (or whatever it's called) the roof. Thank goodness for you tube! I'll post more pictures when he isn't all taken apart!

 

[charliesmom86]

Poor Man's DVC..lol love that. We too have been thinking of buying a used RV to take trips to WDW and be able to maintain a budget without giving up too much of the comforts of home(aka a cramped room or an uncomfortable tent)..keep us posted!