Archive for March, 2009
Used Rv Buyers Checklist
Whether you are buying a motorhome from an auction or from a reputable dealer you still have to take great care and spend a long time meticulously checking out all aspects of the vehicle. After all this purchase that could most likely be one of the largest in your life second only to buying your house. Dont let yourself get rushed into anything and take your time making notes as you go. Anything that needs attention or replacing should be written down there will always be something and the cost of the repairs need to be taken into account when negotiating the final price.
Take a reputable and mechanic with you to look over the mechanical side of vehicle preferably one who is experienced in RVs.
Here are some general points that the Sureterm Direct specialist motorhome team recommend you to look out for:
- Batteries: There are normally two lots of batteries in the motorhome. The house batteries for the living area and the vehicle batteries. The vehicle batteries should be able to hold enough charge to start the engine with little effort even from cold and after a period of non movement.
- Oil: Check out the colour and constancy of the oil. If the oil is burned then it is a sign that something is wrong with the engine. If the oil is thick and gooey and has white foam then this might indicate that additives have been used in an attempt to seal up leaky engine gaskets.
- Brakes: The brakes should be tested thoroughly on the test drive making sure that they are responsive and bearing in mind that when fully loaded the vehicle will be even more difficult to stop. Check the handbrake will hold the vehicle well too.
- Rust: Make sure that the frame of the vehicle is not rusted as this is a sure sign that the motorhome is nearing the end of its life. Occasional small rust spots on certain parts of the bodywork might be possible to repair without presenting further problems but beware of bubbling under the paint work as this signifies rust that has been painted over. At the first sign of rust you need to discover the extent of the damage and ask yourself how much work is involved in repairing it taking into consideration any paintwork that might need to be done at the same time.
- Paperwork: Ask to see as much of the paperwork as you can including the full service history along with receipts for any other work that might have been undertaken. Look for the number of previous owners and most important of all make sure that the VIN number of the vehicle itself matches that on the accompanying paperwork. Find out how much weight the vehicle can carry. There should be a notice inside normally on the back of a wardrobe door stating the net carrying capacity. This is the maximum weight the RV can carry. This is known as the CCC. There are actually many models that are so heavy in themselves that they leave very little margin for anything else and once loaded up with your family and their possessions there is a serious danger of overloading the vehicle.
- House batteries: The house batteries provide current for all of the internal electrical systems when an external hook up is not available. You need to discover if these are holding their charge. Check the battery terminals for corrosion. If the vehicle has solar panels fitted you need to discover exactly how much charge is being put back into the batteries.
- Propane system: Inspect the propane tanks hoses and regulators. There might even be certificates of safety for these. Make sure that the refrigerator switches over from gas to electric with no problems when an external hook up is connected.
- Toilet: The toilet needs to be able to hold water or the smell from the black water tanks will come back up into the bathroom.
- Flooring: Check over the floors very carefully especially around the sink and in the bathroom. Make sure there are no soft spots. Any damp or mould could lead to rotting of the wood or rusting of metal. Soft spots will most likely be as a result of a leaky plumbing system.
- Ceilings: As with the floors you need to check thoroughly for signs of damp or mould. This will most likely start to appear in hidden places up the corners and at the back of the lockers. Any damp patches on the ceiling are more than likely a sign that the roof is leaking. A leaky roof can be extremely difficult and expensive to repair.
- Heating: Test out the heating system well making sure that there is enough power to heat all parts of the motorhome at once. Make sure that there are heating vents in all the rooms including that bathroom and that when on they blow enough hot air to keep the whole vehicle warm on a cold night as well as providing hot water.
- Air conditioning: As with the heating make sure that this is adequate and that it still blows cold air. Recharging an air conditioning unit can be quite costly.
- Insulation: Ask about insulation. How will it stand up to the cold nights? Are the water tanks insulated?
- Comfort: Spend some time sitting in the chairs and lying on the bed. You need to know if these are comfortable and positioned correctly. Can you lie on the bed without your feet hanging off the end? Can you see the TV from the chairs without straining your neck? Is there enough room to eat comfortably at the table? Are there enough stove burners? Is the kitchen counter space adequate?
- Overall check: Finally make sure you do a thorough general check of everything. This includes tuning on and off everything you can. Make sure that all the lights are working both inside and outside. Open every cupboard and locker check all electric items and the electrical outlets. Are the electrical outlets located in sensible conditions and is there enough of them? Open every door every vent every window and panel both inside and out.
Insurance: Just before you make your purchase you should check that you are able to insure the vehicle by providing a specialist RV insurance company like Sureterm Direct with the exact make and model you will be purchasing.
About the writer: Author Ross Hinton is an experienced web content contributor. He helps owners find out more about motorhome insurance at www.sureterm.com.
Upclose With A Peterbilt Pick-up Truck
Mike Tredway of Lebanon Missouri has spent the better part of his life as an over the road truck driver. He knows the highways and back roads of our great United States and Canada like the back of his hand. Whats more so is that he also spent many years working on these big rigs and then later he began rebuilding cars and trucks that had been wrecked.
One look at Mike and 10 minutes into any conversation with him you will immediately peg him as a trucker. His real passion however is building Peterbilt PickUp Trucks. Meshing together the chassis of full size pick up trucks such as CheveroletDodgeFord and GMC with the bigger dogs such as PeterbiltFreightlinerMack etc. is the perfect blend for Mike. His experience and love for trucks big and small has helped to create a true work of art.
Where does one start when contemplating such a task as building a “little big truck?” The chassis is the first place to start. Mike can start with a regular chassis superduty or what ever and add the motor of your choice suspension transmission and most importantly…the cab of what ever big rig you choose.
The first truck he built he didn’t cut down any on the size of the cab. The finished product was beautiful but the lines of the body didn’t suit him. It was too obvious that it was two different vehicles put together to make one.
Mike is somewhat of a perfectionist and realizing how this truck looked just didn’t set well with him. He decided there would have to be some subtle modifications made to the cabs of the big trucks in order for them to match the lines of the pick up truck beds/wheel wells etc.
Since that first inseption he has grown and developed his process of building Peterbilt PickUp Trucks to the point that they look like they could have been built in Detroit. But one closer look to the custom interiors paint jobs wheels stacks and his favorite 502 Crate Motor and you can see there is nothing ordinary about these pick up trucks.
Each pick up truck that is built starts with an indepth conversation with the potential buyer. Mike likes to get to know the customer so their wants dreams and desires regarding their Peterbilt Pick Up Truck can be incorporated into the build to make it truly a custom one of a kind rig.
Contact is usually made via email over the internet after someone has visited his internet site. There you can see pictures of the first one built. It of course was the very first one befor he decided the lines didn’t fit just right.
Mike then likes to meet if possible with the customer and goes over things like weather they want a Chevy Ford or Dodge chassis. Then they discuss the size of the engine transmission suspension etc. After that a price quote is given to the customer and half is due at the time of order with the balance due in full upon delivery.
The pride and care that goes into these Peterbilt PickUp Trucks shows up in his shop as well. The 40X80 shop is almost as spotless as what you see on TV watching someone like Boyd Cottington. He is very organized and detail oriented. It’s just himself and his son that built these rigs so it takes about 160 days from start to finish and I can guarantee you he knows where every wrench nut bolt screwjack and lug nut is at in his shop.
This little shop is probably one of the best kept secrets in his community. Peterbilt PickUp Trucks are a custom and very unique vehicle which is also why they are considered a high end luxury vehicle. Not everyone can afford them. Which is probably a good thing because if everyone could Mike would never get a break to rest.
Now as far as a fiberglass kit is conserned…need I say more? You get what you pay for. Even though I’m a car kind of lady I want one of these Peterbilt PickUp Trucks.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;H.V.Hendrick lives in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri enjoying her very successful MLM business. H.V.Hendrick has a book in the publication process due out soon on amazon.com. You can learn more about these peterbilt pickup trucks by visiting
www.peterbiltpickuptrucks.ning.com
Tips Of Finding Old Jeeps For Sale
If you are looking for old jeeps for sale you could stand to benefit from a few searching tips. Not all old jeeps for sale are alike and it will be necessary for you to be careful about where you shop and the jeep you select.
Firstly you have a number of jeep finding resources available to search for old jeeps for sale. All you have to do is avail yourself of such resources.
So where is the best place to find old jeeps for sale? Thanks to the Internet it is super easy to find a variety of old jeeps for sale online. There are some tricks to the act of buying an old jeep from online sellers that you need to note. First be sure to read the description of the vehicle thoroughly so you can have a good idea of what the seller is offering. Do not forget to examine the fine print.
You may ask is it safe to buy old jeeps online? The answer is yes if its a trusted website such as Ebay. There are many ways buyers are protected online but the best way to determine if seller is reputable is to look at their feedback score and you can also view the comments from previous buyers left for that seller.
Ideally you would want to do business with a seller with a feedback score of 100. But you have to take everything into consideration. If a seller has a feedback score of less than 100 he still may be a reputable seller. You need to review all of the information supplied so that you can get an idea of what the seller is like and if he or she is reputable enough for you to make a purchase from him. In addition do not be afraid to question the seller of an old jeep about the vehicle its conditions and what the vehicle may or may not need. Good sellers are always happy to address your questions and/or concerns pertaining to old jeeps for sale.
You have other resources available to you too when looking for old jeeps for sale such as local classified ads which are also sometimes published online. Again it is always recommended that you carefully select a seller to work with.
I recommend you checking out www.jeepmax.com. It is a specialized Jeeps for Sale site offering a great selection of Brand New and Old Jeeps for sale. This website makes finding your dream Jeep a million times easier. Be sure to try this website before you buy.
About the writer: Wilson Snyder is a freelance writer. Learn more about Old Jeeps for Sale at JeepMax.com