Should I buy This Classic Class C RV?

[Pat Daly]

Well, ever since we wrecked our bumper pull travel trailer and suv on Colorado's grooved pavement a few months ago we've been in search for a good old Class C. Since I usually screw up buying classic campers, I though I'd ask my friends on goodoldrvs.com to give me their recommendations on buying a used class C motorhome. I found a 1989 Cobra Class C in Texas on Craigslist with a little over 30,000 miles on it that seemed to fit the bill. It's in my price range, $5,000 to $6,000, and the owner wants to sell it. Here's what other veteran rvers are saying. Feel free to give me YOUR input too. Those of you who know me also know that I sure need all the help I can get!

[Pat Daly]

here in Oklahoma anything that is rusty and can be towed, including the drivers, are considered road worthy.  LOL

[Lakota Wolf]

Texas can be different from DMV to DMV. They sometimes ask if its a salvage,rebuild,recovery etc. I do know anything over 10 yrs old has to be inspected and certified road worthy.

[david craft]

There was once a company called sierra. Ceiling fabrics had just come out then and they had a problem with delamination and other design flaws as well. The warranty claims started stacking up and sierra closed. A short time later Cobra opened with a much better product. Same buildings, management, ect...as sierra

[Pat Daly]

Jim, I don't know how Texas handles them either, BUtttttt..... since the owner swore that it had never been rebuilt or wrecked and did not have any salvage title claims against it I knew something was very wrong with the deal.  It was just what I was looking for to. Linda, Lady dog and I needed a vehicle to use in our high plains and Midwest searches for vintage campers to restore; it would have provided transportation, a place to stay.. mostly in kind farmers fields, and a tow vehicle for my trailer hauler. Too bad. I have yet to find another with the preferred layout and generator.      Oh, DO beware of anything from Arkansas, no offense to our members there of course, but they don't note many major salvage issues, like vehicle submerged LOL; many, many hurricane cars and campers wind up there to be rebuild and mostly taken to Arizona to sell to unsuspecting folks.

[Jim Stoltz]

I know this one is a few years old now, but the title thing intrigues me. While entirely possible, I find it hard to believe that it was totaled and reconstructed 3 times. It may just be the way TX deals with RVs - they start out as incomplete vehicles. If that's not the case, it could have been totaled and rebuilt in 1995 (the first record in the list) and then that rebuilt/salvage title followed it through every new registration. That's the way it is in NJ - the "R" (reconstructed) title follows it through its entire life. It doesn't mean it was reconditioned every time.

[R. Randall Halton]

It looks like a good deal, and it's fiberglass. The fiberglass campers are always less maintenance and easier to repair. I guess you passed on it, it's almost 2015 and I haven't seen any postings of a replacement. That's sad about your other one. Did you build it? If you built it, it's always more meaningful.

[Rick Stafford]

 Sorry to read of your disappointment on that RV Pat. I have had things like that happen too as many of us had. But I always remember what my dad used to tell me. he said "Never worry about what you did not get to buy because you still got your money! Worry about what you did buy because it may cost you a lot more". There is a reason for everything and I bet something better will come along and you will be glad ya waited!     Rick

[Pat Daly]

At 8:36am on January 11, 2010, Kenneth Harlow said…
Pat, When I was looking for an old RV to restore my nieghbor a 3/4 of the year RV'er educated me to the fact that the old Winnebago, Itasca, Coachman, and Gulfstreams all had GM or Ford steel I beam frames, hard roofs with steel truss cross members, and great wall insulation. The wiring in these are easy to trace out and replace. The plumbing is easily accessible. The front end dissasembles easily with lots of room for engine removal and installation. They have on the average of 16 to 20 inches of room to crawl around underneath for repairs.

[Pat Daly]

Little depressed right now, but you are certainly right.

[Becky Blanton]

Oh Pat, I'm so sorry. It looked great. But think how bad you'd feel if you'd BOUGHT it first THEN found out!