price now $12500

http://rvs.oodle.com/detail/19...VIEW-_-www-_-NA-_-NA

What a substantial reduction.

A Aloha.........I'm Mokibra..........and I'm jumping in on this thread because I have an interest in this Barth......whatever it turns out to be. Very interesting read and I will be speaking with Sam this Evening and had a good talk with him yesterday.

Incidentally Kevin asked Sam on this thread "Sam,Do you mean the 8.3 Cummins engine only has 70,000 miles on it? How many miles are on the coach?"

I asked Sam that question and he states that there is 191,000 miles on the Coach: He did not seem clear on exactly how long he had owned the Coach, but it was in fact He, who had the 8.3 installed: After he had apparently driven after having lost a belt: So I would assume there is nothing other than gauges in the cockpit, that announce "temperatures rising" lights, buzzers, and bells. I would be interested in candid thoughts with regard this Coach. I have my own of course. I spoke with Sam, as I said, and found him to be a forthright human. I can't say I know much about Barth, other than the Build quality:

What attracted me to this coach is the length, and of course the 8.3L Turbo Cummins: And of course I like the 22.5 Rims and tires: I'd prefer a different transmission. 6 speed with a true overdrive would be nice: But still, with an Axle ration in the high 3's economy should be OK.

What caught my eye reading the thread, was that this is on a Spartan Chassis,of course I would prefer Crown or Gillig LOL, but that it is for lack of a better phrase, a cut above the rest, in terms of Spartan Chassis of that era. Any comments there? And I was also interested in the comments regarding the actual "numbers" from the data plate. That this build may have been off the books: some referred to it as an "oddball". Anyway I am extremely interested in this Coach, which is precisely how I stumbled upon this site, and low and behold a discussion regarding the specific Coach. Sloughing clear coat doesn't concern me. I would be interested in anyone's thoughts regarding this specific Coach. And if anyone in fact has seen it, their impressions. Mahalo and many thanks in advance.....Moki

hi Moki....

hope you stick around
and contribute (from your vast store of expertise)
like you did on Yahoo with the FMC motorhome

Thanks Doug Just interested in this Tennessee Barthmobile: I saw that someone suggested earlier in the thread, that they were going to look at this Coach.

As I said, I did speak with Sam and he strikes me as being a very very nice man. What jumps out at me, is this coach has been available for a very long time. And that does cause me some pause. I love the length, and the drive train. And it seems reasonably priced right now.

I know weather has been bad, and Sam had it priced considerably higher. I am very interested in this Barthmobile.........guess I'm looking for someone to tell me haven't lost my mind..............moki

This would have been tempting if I weren't so enamoured with my Breakaway.

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin:

quote:

I'm looking for someone to tell me haven't lost my mind

No you have not lost your mind! Mountain master chassis and a diesel pusher. Keep snoozing and you will loose a great chance for a Regency Barth. Regency Barths are Rare indeed. I Believe I saw on here that there were only 175 Regency coaches built.

Has any member of this group actually seen this Coach? And when I speak with Sam, as he does not do emai........ Should I grind him with the "listed" Barth questionnaire.......I saw a post that claimed the original owner did the transplant (re-power) from the 5.9 Cummins to the 8.3. Minor movement perhaps, but Sam told me He was responsible for the re-power, after losing a belt shortly after ownership. He says the chassis has 191,000 miles, brakes are at 50%, it did have wheel bearings done, rear, and that the levelers lower and retract at front, but lower, but do not retract at rear: he said he had them "redone" twice but still no change.

What concerns should I have regard the over-all mileage for the chassis. Steering comes to mind. Bushings, tie rods, etc. Are there known steering deficiencies with these coaches, as there are say, with the FMC, due to the weight at rear and "lightness at front"? I did note a member said that the radiator was at the front, what kind of challenges does this present? That's one hell of a run for a couple radiator hoses..........any response or thoughts to that? Sorry for all the questions: Moki

I think Jim and Tere have.

Rusty. I know they mentioned their intention to do so: But there surely is no post from them to that effect. I can't imagine they would take the initiative to visit this Coach. And then not report their findings.........I'm simply going to assume no one from this group has seen the Coach.......and move forward from some of the helpful things I have learned thus far. Moki

I guess you can "imagine" or not as you so choose.
inviting Jim and Tere to a private topic (by clicking on their handle) would be more definitive. Mary also knows about the coach.
The Breakaway for sale by Jim and Tere has a fraction of the miles. Either is a long, long way from the Hawaiian Islands.

We have not gone over to Memphis to see this Barth. It is indeed interesting and I would love to go over and drive it. Since Mary Ray is right there, maybe she would be a more likely candidate to check it out. Feel free to PM me for more comments.
JIm

For what it's worth, I was in Memphis on 22 March and stopped by to see Sam's coach. He and his wife are REALLY nice people and he will point out the bad with the good. Before I tell you my impressions, let me give you my background so that you know my perspective. The wife (Fran) and I (Steve) had a '70's Itasca on a Chevy P30 platform, followed by an'82 Wanderlodge FC35 for a number of years, but after the plane hit the Pentagon my time to maintain and use it went to zero. Rather than let it rot in place I sold it. Then we had a '66 Airstream that I sold when I went to Afghanistan. After I got back from Afghanistan in '08 I stumbled on a nice Avion 34ft trailer and it has been our "coach" since then. I do most of my own wrench turning. I retired 3 years ago and am sending the kid off to college in the fall, so we are back in the market for a 28-35 foot coach with a tight turning radius. Now on to Sam's coach.

Like most on here, I was interested in Sam's coach because of the heavy chassis, short wheelbase, and the motor. Sam told me that the 8.3 was installed by the original owner, along with a heavier transmission. He doesn't know the transmission model number and I didn't look for it. Then one day Sam was cruising through Texas not paying attention when the belt came off and he fried the first 8.3 motor. Had a rebuilt installed and that 8.3 motor now has 71K on it. Coach has 191K. Sam had a leak in the exhaust brake and had it sealed so that it is currently not functioning. Fuel shut-off solenoid developed low-voltage problems, so he rigged a separate manual switch by the driver to shut off motor. Starts easy, idles nice, and no excess smoke. Tires may have been put on 5 years ago, but date stamps are older. No wear but are starting to check and probably need replacing. Paint is at least as bad as the pictures. Some flakes off when touched. Sam says it needs shocks. Roof needs the usual redo with the silver stuff. I really like the front radiator setup. Better airflow and provides lots of access to the engine.

Now to the inside. How do I say this? The coach is "very lived in". Sam agreed with my statement that it would probably take at least another $12.5 to bring it back. Captains chairs are dirty and at least the arms are cracking. Burn mark on the sofa, though no smoke smell in the coach. Fridge is new/newer but the installer never put in the décor panels so it is the empty aluminum frames on the doors. I can't put my finger on anything specific, but something in the bath struck me as strange. Floor covering throughout really should be replaced. Woodwork is nice (hey, it's a Barth) but needs refinishing on the table and at least rejuvenation everywhere else. Wallpaper was put over the cherry walls in the front just to brighten it up. No apparent damage that needed covering. The bed in the back is just a mattress that Sam threw over the original twin setup. Said that he didn't remove anything or add anything except for the mattresses. Replace it with two twin mattresses and you probably would be back to the original setup. From what I gather, Sam and his wife towed a long trailer behind it for years for business and lived in the coach when on the road. It shows. Even so, it has really nice bones. I was still considering driving it then going home and calculating an offer for it until my eyes met my wife's. She has been up for many of my projects over the years, including the VA Repo house that we retired to, but I could tell this coach was probably not going to be one of them.

I hope this helps anyone else considering it. As always, consider the source (me). Your mileage may be different.

Thanks so much Steve. On at least a couple of fronts. Your Service. As well as your input regarding the Coach. Nothing you've said, in my mind is fatal. And my primary concern is always "the bones". The engine is a huge plus. As is the Chassis. Paint? not a big deal. But what I don't like is "jury rigged stuff". I don't like having to step in the mind of another to "figure it out". I echo your "good folk" sentiment and Sam strikes me as forthright.

But it is also clear that this is not a Coach I can buy sight unseen: I would need to go there, or at the very least contract a worthy knowledgeable mechanic to go through the Coach.

Bottom Line: I believe I would be better served taking this money and simply putting it into one of my Crowns: Where the bones are quite remarkable. I've been back and forth with this, it does appeal to me. But although "old" I would like it to be turn key. I appreciate so much your thoughts. In Hawaii they have a word. It's called Manini. (Makneeknee) and it means small; with what you have mentioned, Sam mentioned, there are simply too many manini things. At the same time I recognize the merit of risk/reward. Still I have to pass. I think someone who had the Luxury of having Sam's Coach, in their side yard, or driveway, could address these "things" in their leisure and likely end up with a very cool and unique Coach. I simply don't have that Luxury. Not today.

Again Steve Mahalo, and as well Mahalo to the other members who lent construct to this endeavor..........Mokibra

quote:

I hope this helps anyone else considering it.

WAY TO GO!
Your inspection and good description of your findings are an important, relevant addition to the forum. Too often, some of us post things that add absolutely nothing worthwhile.

I'm not trying to scare anyone off of Sam's coach. Just telling what I saw. I don't think it was idle long before he placed it on the market. Sam and his wife moved on to a newer, longer SOB (Some Other Brand). There are things about the Barth that she still misses, like the mirrors in the back of the overhead cabinets to let her see what is in there. The Barth could probably be used now while doing the rehab over time. However, this is one that I would definitely recommend putting eyes on before pulling checkbook out.