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Old 12-26-2019, 05:06 PM   #1
Narnia
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Help! I need help with purchase!

Went to see the 2010 3000RK today. There was powdery white mold on the bottom of the woodwork (slide frames,too) and some on the bottoms of the upper cabinets as well. We also found water coming in on the corner wall under the toilet room vent. There was a lot of condensation on the vent cover. It has been sitting since May on a vacant lot, 30 minutes from the owners house. It didn't have a strong mold smell, but a faint trace.

Is this something that we should even consider? Thanks for your helo in advance!
 
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Old 12-26-2019, 05:29 PM   #2
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If it is really cheap and you have no other choice...maybe.
I have bought used RVs in the past knowing I had some projects in front of me.
But a water leak...you don’t know how long it has been a problem. And the longer it has been a problem the more stuff can go to pot. Since Montana’s are aluminum framed walls the studs will be ok but the wall board could be damaged and I especially would worry if any of the screws holding the walls to the frame were rusted thru. No way to check that. I hate to be a Debbie downer but maybe someone else has better advice
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Old 12-26-2019, 06:30 PM   #3
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You aren't going to like my opinion but you did ask for public opinion. I would without question stay far away from this particular Montana especially knowing now that it has water problems. There are good units out there just keep looking and be patient.
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Old 12-26-2019, 07:18 PM   #4
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I tend to agree with Mike, if you can get it cheap enough and are handy enough to do repairs it could work. But if you'll have to pay to have everything worked on it can be a real money pit.
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Old 12-26-2019, 07:46 PM   #5
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I would tend to stay away from one that has water damage. That often turns into an onion that gets worse and worse as you peel away the layers. Even if it is really cheap to buy the repairs and your time may make it more than expensive than a slightly higher priced one in better condition.


Your doing one thing right though, if your buying used don't go to a dealer. They tend to way overprice their stuff. Your far more apt to get a good deal from an actual owner. Might even get lucky and find someone like me, I always seem to buy high and sell low LOL. Truthfully you might find someone who is itching to sell their current unit so they have down payment for another one.
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Old 12-26-2019, 09:08 PM   #6
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You should probably stay away from this unit, mold is not something you want to be around. Goggle mold and read up on what happens to your health when in close proximity of it.
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Old 12-27-2019, 12:10 AM   #7
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I am so disappointed and discouraged. Have looked for so long and never found a non-musty unit under 20k. All have had some kind of water or condensation damage. :-(

Thanks for your input.
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Old 12-27-2019, 06:15 AM   #8
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Narnia, I have been following many of your post regarding this unit. You have ask a lot of very good questions in all the threads in an attempt to educate your self on this RV. You are obviously new at this RV stuff but willing to learn, and trust me there is so much to learn. Unfortunately learning about these things by working on an older unit can be an expensive proposition, as in it never stops. Fixing one problem just uncovers several more. I would only buy a unit like this if losing the purchase price did not change my standard of living and I had a ton of time and dollars to make all the repairs. Sometimes the best deal is the one we walk away from. Good luck with your decision. Another cleaner unit is out there you just have to continue to look.
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Old 12-27-2019, 08:16 AM   #9
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Keep looking.
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Old 12-27-2019, 09:10 AM   #10
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Count me on the "run away" side. I'm pretty handy and willing to fix whatever. But I just don't like the unknown of water intrusion. There are way too many places for water to hide and cause damage. Also, once water is in the unit it can be very difficult figuring out where it's coming from. If you've already got mold then do yourself a huge favor and move on. Don't be afraid of repairs, but please start out dry.
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Old 12-27-2019, 10:06 AM   #11
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You might try placing a "In Search of" ad. Never know you might get lucky and find someone that just wants either payoff on a rig they need to get out from under or someone that wants to unload their current rig to buy a another one. Of course your budget may limit you to a smaller unit than you might actually want. There are always compromises. But the more patient you are the better the chance you will get a good deal. Don't give up!!
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Old 12-27-2019, 04:23 PM   #12
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Old 12-27-2019, 07:29 PM   #13
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18 yrs ago we decided to get out of the pop-up and move to a fifth wheel. We could only afford a used unit. I wanted one that had aluminum framed walls thinking a leak would have less affect on the framing (rotted wood studs). we looked for a Holiday or an Alpenlite. Ended up owning two Alpenlites. The decals on both were roached by the Texas sun. The second one had a leak on one of the baggage doors that I never could fix. Ended up replacing some plywood flooring that rotted out. We painted over the decals and it looked good for the years we had them. Also the second one developed a leak at the front cap due to failed caulk that I did not catch. It developed a delaminated bubble in the filon that drove me crazy.

The interior wood was great in both units - high quality. We updated the interior colors, upholstering + removed the carpet and installed vinyl plank. We had fun doing the work.
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Old 12-28-2019, 09:06 AM   #14
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The presence of mold due to a water leak to me would indicate a general lack of maintenance in other areas, as well. Consider the purchase price, then add all the repairs necessary to bring it up to minimum standards ( think brakes, tires, plumbing, appliances, new roof, and on and on.)
You could have bought a decent rig for what you would spend on repairs alone. I’d pass this one by, and look for one that you could start enjoying when you first hook it up.

Good luck in your search.
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Old 12-28-2019, 10:01 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Narnia View Post
I am so disappointed and discouraged. Have looked for so long and never found a non-musty unit under 20k. All have had some kind of water or condensation damage. :-(

Thanks for your input.
I can appreciate staying within a certain budget...that's how we did it for our first 30 years of towing. It does, however, require a little more patience since available rigs within your budget are typically a little older and it can be difficult to see or know all that's happened to them in their lifetime.

But good ones are out there in the $20k range. I'm not familiar with the climate and conditions in Georgia and whether finding dry units is more of a challenge there or not.

Are you willing to travel a bit to get a good one? Do you have an adequate tow vehicle to tow something in the 30'+ range? If you are able to travel a little I'd be looking in Craigslist in dryer climate areas like Texas or Arizona. I know in Portland, OR there are several good options in your price range.

Anyway, my encouragement is to be patient and not settle by being in a hurry to buy. A sound, dry, comfortable unit is out there.
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Old 12-28-2019, 07:41 PM   #16
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Run! IMHO
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Old 12-29-2019, 08:02 AM   #17
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Plenty of used ones around. Three for sale here in our Snowbird Park in Florida, 2011 Cameo for 18K, 2009 Big Horn for 16K, know the owners well, units well maintained. Lots of folks have to sell late model RV units of all kinds, they don't like RVing, they get sick, they want a bigger one, lots of reasons. Stick with your search, you will find something better than what you described.
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Old 12-29-2019, 09:45 AM   #18
Narnia
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Thanks everyone! What a kind and generous group of people!! It makes me want to buy a Montana even more!

We gave it no more thought. The other crazy part of that rig, is that when we got there, the rear stabilizers were tied up with a bungee...and were sticking out from the width of the body, by 2' on each side!! Isn't that illegal to go down the road like that??

When we told him that we weren't interested, the guy had the gall to tell us that he didn't appreciate us wasting his time!!

That's what WE should have been saying!! We had driven 4+ hours and stayed in a hotel so that we could have plenty of time to finalize and pay for the rig, because he made it sound so perfect!!! Lesson learned!! Don't believe everything they tell you! I knew not to believe salesmen, but I didn't expect a private party to be the same!
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Old 12-30-2019, 12:35 AM   #19
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I bought mine about 6 years ago from a dealer about 2 hours from my house. I saw it on Craigs List. I paid just over half of what it was listed for. Dealers always list high. Make sure to check NADA guide for pricing. I made sure the price was in the ballpark before driving out to look at it. There were plenty of photos online and it looked great. I love my Montana and would not trade it for a new one!
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Old 12-30-2019, 04:36 AM   #20
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Sounds to me that even if that guy had it priced at $5000 - I would pass!
Still would have been over-priced for the nest of vipers and problems you might inherit.
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