I received this PM---

I drove five hours, from my home in Largo, to Miami in March, to purchase this coach.
Mitch told me the same story about his father having eye sight issues, and that he could not drive it anymore.
Mitch said that his father would only accept cash, as payment for his in mint condition coach. I told him that I would make an appointment at the Bank of America branch in his neighborhood, and would meet him and his father there, and complete the cash transaction.
Mitch called me back and said that his dad had agreed, and set up an appointment for the inspection, and purchase.
The pictures shown in the Miami C/L are the same as the now Orlando C/L. The pictures are of the coach listed, but must have been taken many years ago.
When we arrived we found it with a battery charger attached to the engine batteries. The engine would not turn over. The coach is a dirty, unkept, unserviced mess, with trashed tires.
I was so angry over the total waste of my time and money, that I could not even speak to Mitch and his son.
I would like to warn any members thinking about this RV, to not waste their time, or to at least ask for pictures, as it actually looks today.

I am new to the club, and did not know how to go about warning the other members about this listing. {previously posted as: "93 Regency 36' Miami C/L"}

any comments??

So sad, proving once again there is no hiding from internet scams.

The problem is that we all get a bit spooked by these things and when a legitimate seller comes along they get a rough time if their add is a bit odd.

I guess this is why we should continue to follow these things on the site and ask many questions.

Some folks will do anything to promote a sale; that isn't acceptable on Barthmobile.com, and where I can, I'll stifle it.

I think we should continue to keep the "Barth sightings" forum for outside listings, ebay, craigslist, etc and then be wary of the seller's intent. Sometimes I wonder if we should cover outside listings at all but people who are looking to buy a Barth would naturally come to this site and it is nice to be able to match a buyer and seller.

When we use the "Barths for sale" for members' coaches we seem to have much more reliable listings.

Unfortunately, infrequent site visitors do not know the difference. We must continue to be wary of the outside listings.

"Buyer Beware?".....Question - Or Absolute Fact.

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Maybe it's just my investigator background or healthy skepticism. But when information in an ad seems a little sketchy and/or the question and answer session with the ad's author do not add up, my alarm bells go off.

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I feel rather bad for the author of the PM cited in this thread but perhaps one's excitement at the possibility owning one of these fine older coaches clouds our judgment just a bit. Or the fear that we may have to face the possibility that (this one got away).

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When I first posted about this coach in the Sightings Forum I also posted my findings. And thanks to Steve VW a photo of the data tag I had the seller send to me.

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At that time I was not very adept at linking together all the information about this coach I had found here on Barthmobile.com, and for that I am truly regretful. But that doesn't negate the fact that you must do your homework.
Here

And here And here Also see photos in photo bucket linked in the data tag project.
(Note how far back information go's on this coach)

On the question of buying a used coach--When we bought ours we read the information, asked tons of questions of the P.O. on several different occasions and finally after about 6-7 months scheduled a visit to look over the coach. This gave the P.O. time to do some things that were needed like batteries and a passenger side windshield. (Clear recent photos help but they never show everything and some folks are better at this than others. Dealers have it down pat but they are also expert in showing all of the good points.)

During this time I researched the postings on this site and it was pretty easy to track the coach for the ten years or so that it was owned by the seller. I learned that it went up the AlCan Highway but was used mostly for local outings plus an annual snowbird trip to AZ.
Having said all of that, I realized that this coach was 21 years old and would probably need some attention and I was right. The main systems are all good but there are still a few small items to fix.

I suppose the idea is to be very careful when looking over these older units. Learn as much as you can about the engines, transmissions (I was very glad when I found that the coach had a MD3060 Allison 6 speed)and chassis as well as the regular "RV" items. Check out maintenance items like coating of the roof and finish condition of the exterior and interior. (There is a check list somewhere, maybe Good Sam, that itemizes things a buyer should be aware of when looking over a coach.)

Finally, I think it is important to not get attached to a unit that is for sale. Be willing to walk away if you do not feel right about it or you cannot reach suitable terms about price, delivery and things like that. Always know that the spending does not end with the sale--there will be things that have to be done and they will cost $$$.

Excellent advice! A good example of how to do it right. I've seen your coach, it is a beauty.

Buy a coach with some known history (like from this site, not craigslist) Verify condition and age. I can think of several Barthmobile coaches which have sold with happy sellers, happy buyers, and a reasonable price. Jim & Tere, Tom Johns, Cagles, Mogan David have all sold nice coaches that found happy homes. It looks like Bubba Barth's coach is moving, too.

Contact the seller to see who you're dealing with. Don't be afraid to dicker on price, equipment, etc.

DO NOT BE IN A HURRY TO CLOSE, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING. If the seller is in a hurry let it ride. DON'T HESITATE TO WALK AWAY.

In spite of these efforts, expect the unexpected. There will be additional expenses, especially at first.

quote:

Originally posted by Cantrade:
... (There is a check list somewhere, maybe Good Sam, that itemizes things a buyer should be aware of when looking over a coach.)

The check list is in the lead post by Dave Bowers under Coaches for Sale.

Here is that checklist in PDF form for you to print and carry with you----

http://truckroadservice.com/ba...Buyers_Checklist.pdf