What to check when buying a coach

[Bill Englund]

I have a good friend, that is starting to shop for a motorhome, and he ask me if there was anything he should be checking on, and looking for, when they found a coach they liked.

It got me to thinking, and I realized, if we had lunch, and I started talking to him about what to check out, he’d probably end up remembering only 25% of what I told him. So, I sat down and wrote out key points, to allow him to have some kind of “check list” when looking at a used coach. It’s not specific to any brand, and is directed toward a used coach, not a new one.

Since I put this together, I thought perhaps someone on the forum might have a friend looking for a coach and it could help them as well. Thus, I’m sharing what I wrote. I’m sure there are things I missed, and somethings I could have elaborated further on, but this was my starting point.

It’s pdf file, so it can be easily printed and sent on to someone. If you want it as a Word file, just let me know.

[Mike Shumack]

That's a good list.

I would add "check the Slide Outs". Check the operation. Check the rubber seals. Look under the slides (while extended) to see if there is wear from rollers. Also note that some Monacos have the problem with the corner of the slides delaminating (see the Talin website for an explanation of this or see their video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALlhHRoE0Aw ). It is a good idea to check the underside edges and corners of the slides while they are out.

Also, you stated "Independent suspension way is better than a solid axle". Our Beaver's don't have independent front suspension - and many will argue that it is well engineered and desirable suspension system.

Lastly, "Disc brakes" are superior and desirable over Drum brakes. Some of the older coaches had drum brakes all the way around. So I would suggest buyer look at the brake type and stick with models that at least have front disc brakes.

[Bryan Beamon]

Bill and Mike great list, you might also add oil samples records if available and for those coaches without silverleaf data to take the coach to Cat or Cummings for the engine history for all codes and run info.

[Will Hansen]

Bill, your inspection list is great for someone who has found a candidate coach. Another dimension of the shopping process doesn’t get much attention and that is the year of the coach. I think a key to satisfaction in purchasing the right coach is targeting the right range of model years within the brands the buyer likes, their budget, the depreciation curve, and I would argue, the engineering era. I’ll use our shopping experience as an example:

As a big guy, it was important to me to get a coach with 7’ ceilings, and this also tends to allow for more interior storage. Tall ceilings were offered in some high-end models earlier, but didn’t become common until 2006. That year also found most coach brands offering one-piece windshields which I see as as an added bonus. So, for us, 2006 became the beginning of our target model year window.

A huge model year consideration for me was the ‘regen’ process and the Diesel Particulate Filter (‘DPF’ is not to be confused with ‘DEF’). I’ll discuss regen as a layman coach buyer whose opinions were formed from anecdotal evidence, and service records for coaches I considered. Diesel engines that require regen started appearing in 2007. And by 2008, most of the engines built before the emissions regulations came into effect had found their way into coaches. The economy tanked in 2008 so there are relatively few ‘08-‘10 diesel coaches out there which I see as a good thing. The regen process in these coaches is prone to failure resulting in the coach having to be towed, and turbocharger failures also seem more common. These coaches have higher horsepower ratings which salesmen may play up, but early regen engines for both Cat and Cummings are very risky, IMO.

DEF came along in 2010, and more reliable regen. At the time we were shopping for our coach, we didn’t want to be so early in the depreciation curve as 2010 or newer, so our shopping target range became 2006-2007 as a result of the above.

Newer vehicles are much more reliable than in years gone by due to advances in metallurgy and engineering. So, all other things like condition and mileage being equal, newer is usually better. But, within brands and models, and major industry engineering shifts such as emission control requirements, there are good years and bad years. Coach buyers shouldn’t focus so much on the presence, absence, or condition of the numerous but relatively minor systems that comprise the coach. Most can be fixed, but some big items can’t. 

-Will