Picked up new to me Chinook

[68camaro]

Update and cautionary tale on tires on used rigs,

For the update,
-got fan motor and blades replaced. Fan air force pulls screen up with vent open so I need to McGiver a way to keep mesh top from being pulled up into fan blades.
-New black water hose holder installed.
-Electrical cord only came out about 5 feet, untangled from inside now fully extends to 20+ft, previous owner gave me very nice extension they used but now I don't need to carry this around.
-Antenna repaired and working, TV, splitter, and digital converter wires messed up, all correct and everything working beautifully.
-Back step brackets straightened, now sit flush but need to tighted star screw so they collapse without rubbing (rubbing makes very hard to open - collapse), but they are correct.
-Batteries checked, needed a lot of water, fairly new so good to go.
-Blind on passenger side restrung and tied on, one side alittle too tight so will need to back off a tad, but works real nice.

- Discovered smart solinoid bad, new one ordered and I should have tomorrow.

Action Van 4.5" lift kit, steering stabilizer and fox shocks delivered at shop, tires should be tomorrow or Friday. All will be installed next week then rear leaf springs ordered.

Now the cautionary tale, when picked up rig today tech notice rear tire almost flat, he checked and it had only 10psi in it, as he was filling he saw tire was splitting. I had 10 miles to travel to get shop doing/lift & tires. I was very nervous driving there but got it dropped off.

I bought this rig in Ark and drove it 1200 miles home on shitty old tires unknowlingly, since then I have had one blow-out, spare was not Load E rated, and now rear wheel coming apart. I can't believe I made it home with no issues. For those picking up new to them rigs, check tire dates before committing to long trip home, I had plenty of tread but age of tires are causing them to breakdown.

[Blue~Go]

Ah, the satisfaction of checking things off the list

I just put my rear lower (manual) step back on a couple of weeks ago (had it off for towing car). Oh my, is it nice to have that back. I like to sit on the top step, feet on the bottom step and survey my domain.

Don't you wish you could somehow just alert the word to date codes on RV (and trailer) tires? That "great tread" line was used on me SO many times when I was RV shopping (I knew about date codes by then, but many sellers take offense at the concept because "but look, they are like new!" Yep, just like new, but seven years old

You got away with it (without realizing you were doing so) and now you can cruise along on brand new, "young" date-coded tires. Ahhhhh.

[chin_k]

We all are offended because they were still our tires. Once you pay for the rig (and the tires are no longer mine), and ask me if I want to buy the "like new" tires, I will give you a few a bag of recyclable soda bottles in exchange.

[Blue~Go]

We all are offended because they were still our tires. Once you pay for the rig (and the tires are no longer mine), and ask me if I want to buy the "like new" tires, I will give you a few a bag of recyclable soda bottles in exchange.

Did I say something insulting? If so I'm sorry. I don't really understand your reply though.

I was just speaking of the many RV's I looked at with very old tires (6-10 years old), but the owners were still insisting they were basically "new" just because they had tread. (But if they are that old they really need to be replaced to be safe, no matter the tread.)

No matter the tire age, I was always polite with the various sellers though; it's not like I acted huffy or anything.

[chin_k]

No, Blue, you has been always respectful and a true gentleman.

I was just trying to say that we like to "up sell" when we are seller, but want to negotiate down the price when we are the buyer. Normal human nature. Sorry for making you worry with my reply.

[Blue~Go]

Thanks - glad I didn't offend.

In the case of tires though, I think people just don't understand. With cars, tires so rarely age out (because people drive more), that they just assume good tread means good tires. As a buyer, it sounds self-serving to try to explain why, nope, these tires need to be replaced. Usually, I just offer what I think something is worth to me, and don't really mention what I think is wrong or right about something. Because like you say, it's hard not to get defensive when you are selling something. I have tried to explain about tires, but found it just wasn't worth it.

In the end I just decided to figure that ANY motorhome or trailer I buy needs a full set of new tires (and they usually do). So it's just baked in to my purchase decision.

Still though, sometimes you just have to roll your eyes (silently). One RV I looked at was advertised specifically as having "brand new" tires. Oooh, great, that's a bonus! Looked at the date codes.... six years old. I politely mentioned it to the buyer, who immediately went on a rant about the ripoff tire shop selling him old tires, etc. etc. We contacted the tires shop and they had his service invoice..... from when he had bought the tires SIX years before. On that one, I did say "Well, since you have advertised it with brand new tires, how about if I pay your asking price except that we split the cost of a new set of tires." His reply was "No, because in my mind I still feel these are new tires."

Oh well, I politely declined, and found a different one that I liked even better later on.

[chin_k]

Yeah, when it come to selling, the lawn on my side is always greener.

I wish I spend more time on this and other RV related site before buying mine. However, I was looking very hard and missed a few opportunities and so when the next workable one came along, I decided not to hassle too much and buy it on faith. Glad that I have not find any real deal breaker, but it would be nice to be a knowledgeable buyer and have more time to shop around.

[Blue~Go]

I hear you on that chin_k. On the other hand, after I passed on the "new tires" one, it took me like a year and a half to find another one I liked. Coulda been enjoying it all that time. So I can see just getting one that's reasonable, and then working the kinks out (cause there will always be kinks anyway).

[68camaro]

Yeah, when it come to selling, the lawn on my side is always greener.

I wish I spend more time on this and other RV related site before buying mine. However, I was looking very hard and missed a few opportunities and so when the next workable one came along, I decided not to hassle too much and buy it on faith. Glad that I have not find any real deal breaker, but it would be nice to be a knowledgeable buyer and have more time to shop around.

This was my predicament, I flew 1200 miles on one way ticket based on what seller told me. Turns out there were issues I asked but not told about. I had choice to buy and hope for best or get expensive one-way ticket home.

I decided to buy and hope for best, actually except for tires it turned out everything big worked and only minor corrections needed so I probably got lucky. But these sell so fast that if I passed they had others waiting to give deposits.

[Blue~Go]

But these sell so fast that if I passed they had others waiting to give deposits.

Isn't that the truth? I had driven (a long way) to look at an other-brand motorhome, and it was advertised as "excellent" but actual condition was "fair." Boo! So that evening I scanned Craigslist in that desperate "there has to be SOMETHING to have made this long trip worthwhile" way. Lo and behold there was a just-listed Chinook, AND it was misspelled (potentially good for throwing others off the scent). Chinook was already on my list as a possibility. I called at about 9 p.m. and asked them how early I could be there the next morning and they said 8 a.m. By the time I got there they had like 20 people on a list. Sheesh! No pressure