What to look for when buying an AS that has been sitting?

[MtnCamper07]

I am a property Mgr that has fallen victim to my own success - we managed to rent out all of our vacation rentals for the summer and now have no place to stay for the next few months!

I would like to purchase an AS to live in for the next few months. As luck would have it, there is a 1993 30' Excella for sale just a few miles down the road. I stopped to look at it today and learned that it has been sitting for several years. I have experience with other RVs but have never had an AS before. The Excella is in good shape and only the exterior finish seems to be worse for wear (clearcoat peeling). What should I look for? What types of problems would one typically encounter with an AS that has been sitting for a while?

• What does it cost to get and AS inspected prior to purchase?
• I know that there is a problem with the refrigerator but how can I check out the other appliances? What should I look for?
• The blue stripe around the trailer is cracked (most likely a dried out decal that is cracked and will peel). Any idea of what is costs to replace this?
• The ref coil had a leak and the coolant leaked out. I am told that one must replace the entire coil. I have seen these priced at approx $500 for a replacement. Is this accurate? Must I replace the entire unit or can the coil be fixed? I am mechanical & handy - is this relatively easy to do?
• As some point the owner got a flat and damaged the belly skin just behind the rear axle. The metal appears to be somewhat mangled. What does it cost to fix this? Can this be done by me or should I take this to the shop?
• The rub strip along the bottom edge of the trailer (point at which metal skin meets belly skin) is coming loose (seems to expand at a different rate and works its way out of the channel). Is this easy to fix?
• I will likely have to replace the batteries... any idea what deep cycle batteries cost?
• Can solar panels be added later? Is there a section in the forums that addresses questions on installing solar?
• Any other ideas, comments, or mentionables? Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance for your comments & suggestions.

Nate