35 foot 1996 Airstream Land Yacht Diesel

[straycatboat]

I am a newbie and looking at his coach.
The owner does not know much about it.
Whats the engine,chassis, air suspension, engine HP and is there any negatives to buying this coach.
Thanks for advising!

[masseyfarm]

So the 'OWNER' doesn't know much about the coach?

That will be your first warning! I can understand if it has been traded in and a salesman can't tell you the history, but if the coach has been taken care of properly, maintenance records will be available with it.

Proceed with caution.

Dave

[Paul Dobbin]

[QUOTE=straycatboat;1831056]I am a newbie and looking at his coach.
The owner does not know much about it.
Whats the engine,chassis, air suspension, engine HP and is there any negatives to buying this coach.

The engine is a 230 HP Cummins Diesel with a Allison 6 speed transmission in a Spartan Chassis with air over hydraulic brakes and a Jake Brake. It was and still is a great motorhome. If it looks like my avatar, this Forum can help you. We need more information like is it a "Land Yacht"? miles, price, condition any delamination of the body? (may indicate leaks that can destroy any old motor home from the inside).
They are all 20 years old or older now and there still are some good ones out there. but they will be well taken care of and have the records to back it up.
If I were looking, I'd look for a garage kept one like ours. be cause the sun is no friend of RV''s. Our's still get 11 MPG at 70 MPH towing a car or trailer and has ever option they ever could put on the Land Yacht. Good Luck.

[straycatboat]

Well we went to look at it and looks like they bought it a couple of years ago and just to take the kids to the beach for the weekends.
always plugged in and did no maintenance.
Tires were really cracked right to the rim, real dirty and corroded inside the coach due to the salt water/air at the beach and not cleaning.
Roof was and probably still leaking, lots of signs of caulking repairs to the roof seams.
They never looked at the engine.
Outside was really chalky and some delam near the rear bedroom on sides.
We are still looking. Thanks for the replies.

[ijustlee]

A real shame! Even the best RV will dissolve from exposure to the elements unless kept on top of. I don't know how many I've seen where the owners never go inside in a rain storm and look for leaks. They swear that theirs don't leak! It is extremely rare to see an RV more than a couple of years old that doesn't leak someplace. I did see a 1965 Aristocrat 22' trailer in about 1998 that actually had no leak that I could find! It was bought new and parked under a big oak tree and left there for 33 years so was always in the shade. I think that was why it had never leaked. I'd guess that my 31' trailer is about an inch longer when in the sun on a 109 degree day than it is on a -3 degree night in the winter, and that expansion and contraction promotes leaks to form. If you can find an indoor kept or at least fully shaded RV that would be the one to buy!

[Hal3680]

Hello, I've been looking at a 1997 30' Land Yacht with the 454 engine. It has 91,000 miles on the engine. There appears to be a leak at the driver's side windshield/ roof line. Tires are dated 2013 and no delamination visible. The dealer is asking $15,000. This is our first RV and we are senior citizen newbies. Any input would be appreciated.

[Mike1997]

If your unsure of the condition, I highly recommend having a professional RV inspector look it over for you. Leaks are common in all types of RV's but what counts is the maintenance taken to keep it in top shape. Its no different than if you bought a 20 year old Hatteras yacht or a Mercedes convertible. Get an professional independent inspection and make your offer based on what they find. They will also provide you with a price range for the as is condition.

[Mike1997]

Hal3680,

I would offer same advice to you as I did Straycatboat. If your not sure, hire a professional RV inspector and let them give you an assessment. Good or bad, use that info to make your offer if you still want the Airstream.

All the Airstream motorhomes were well built but many are showing their age and some owners did not take care of them. I was fortunate, mine lived its whole live in a tobacco barn and came with all the maintenance records. It still needs new tires and lots of other routine maintenance to get it ready for a cross country trip.

Rule of thumb....all rubber deteriorates with age. Tires, belts, hoses, and anything plastic exposed to the elements.

Good luck.
Mike

[garypk]

Originally Posted by Hal3680

Hello, I've been looking at a 1997 30' Land Yacht with the 454 engine. It has 91,000 miles on the engine. There appears to be a leak at the driver's side windshield/ roof line. Tires are dated 2013 and no delamination visible. The dealer is asking $15,000. This is our first RV and we are senior citizen newbies. Any input would be appreciated.

It's probably worth half that. 454 is a strong motor that is not known for longevity. Some with great care & luck go over 100000mi but most don't especially when its tugging a heavy load every mile. this is only my opinion others will share theirs. I shopped a lot found 1 with low miles bought it for 10500 2yrs ago. My advice is look for low mileage.