I wound up not buying this unit.

Could not make it up.

It is very nice and perfect paint and low miles.

Had I lived near there, would have snapped it up.

I sure hope someone buys it as it's clean, but needs a check over before being moved.

8 year old tires, oil service etc

But considering it is near Elkhart, I can not imagine what you could not get for it , as needed.

Very nice people to deal with.

I figure for purchase price and tires, et all, you'll be looking at an additional $3-4K.

Tom Taylor

Any pics? Maybe I can do a 'threefor'.

Jim

Do a search on Tamara and the 92 Barth Regency posting will appear*. I wss wrong about the batteries. She says there are 4 new batteries. The pictures make is show really well - almost like new.

Tom Taylor

* Linkie

Hi,

I was looking at the 92' for sale and I was wondering is it normal for the motorcoach to have that slightly forward stance.

I was under the impressing that if looking at a Barth from the side the Barth should have a level stance?

I don't know enough so I thogut I would ask in case the front suspention air bags might not be fully inflated or maybe the engine was shut off and the air slowly goes down on the air bags?

Link to the 92' barth for sale below:

http://barthmobile.com/eve/for...1087061/m/2023976277

Thanks,

Corco

The Gillig chassis has air adjustable ride height valves and they can be adjusted easily. They do deflate aome as the air lines age. You might have to replace a few lines or valves but the bags are pretty much good or bad. They don't just leak. For the miles and condition this looks like a great buy.

Thank you Tom K. This is good info. i have a lot to learn.

Another question I have is what Allison transmission do you all think the 92' Regency with the 3116 CAT had connected to it... is it the MT643 which only has converter lock up in 3rd and 4th or the MT545 which does not have any lockup.

I thought maybe Gillig used a specific transmission in their chassis in the early 90's for MHs' or did they put in whatever a customer ordered?

I was going to call Gillig and give the VIN but they are closed until Monday...

Thanks,

Corco

If any of these babies sit for some time, they might just tilt a little. But, the air compressor pumps it back up. What you need to look at in person is the condition of the air bags. If good, the rubber is smooth outside. If bad, it looks like rot and rough. I have a RR that looks like it needs to be replaced but it carried me 3200 miles and holds air. I am thinking not too bad to replace if you can get it jacked up.

Last time I checked, they lock in 4th if a four speed and lock up in 5 or 6 if a 5 or 6 speed.

Tom Taylor

Hello Tom,

Did you inspect this Barth in person? I am interested in it and have talked with Tamara, as well as viewed the photo's she sent. My concerns are that it has been sitting for some time, and she did not have any manuals for the operation of the systems.I also have no experience with the CAT 3116 engine other than what I have researched on the net. Have been going back and forth with the issue of "diesel vs gas". I like the longevity of a diesel as well as the power, but am more familiar with working on gas engines. Tamara was very nice and answered all of my questions. Base on my "gut-feeling" about potential problems with a unit that has been inactive for so long, I made an offer to her. I am looking for a dependable home for my wife, daughter and I as we will travel the country looking for an area that we want to put roots down in. I would appreciate anyone "weighing-in" with opinion or insights to my concerns. Thanks!

I think part of the 'gas vs diesel' thing comes from what we are familiar with. Now that I am a diesel owner, I'm getting up to speed on that technology and actually have come to the conclusion that it may be more simple and more dependable than the old 454 that I still love.
Jim

The difference between a Diesel Pusher (DP) and a Gas Puller are pretty substantial in most cases. The engine design is just one difference, with suspension, frame geometry, braking, drive-line efficiency, component placement (like generator) and storage all following the pattern established by the inherent design efficiencies or challenges.

One may very well guess that the DP is the preferred configuration for large RVs due to the efficiencies and durability inherent in the diesel engine, the heavier transmission, the air brakes, the extreme efficiency of the far shorter drive-line and exhaust requirements. This is why they are usually $100K more than a gas rig of some equivalent length.

This doesn't make the rig any better or worse for an individuals needs, but does reflect the component cost difference required to get the efficiencies and qualities a DP demands. Simply put, everything in a DP is usually bigger, higher quality and longer lasting. Hence, the higher price. Jets are also more expensive than prop planes for a similar reason.

When talkng Barths, any comparison of a dp Regency vs a gas Regal must consider usage.
Our Barth is not a short time vacationer. We drive it 2500-3500 miles to Arizona and live in it for 4-5 months over the winter and then its the same distance home. That's 5 to 15 days on the road each way if we feel like touring a bit; and we tow a 3000 lb car.
We need the extra interior and exterior storage compared to a Regal to hold all our stuff. The longer range on a tank of fuel and having the engine 30+ feet behind us and under the bed makes driving it a better experience.
Those are the main reasons it took us 4 years of looking to find the right Barth. I never considered any sobs.
This is just our opinion and our situation.
Don

As for me IMHO

I owned a Class C almost new with a V10. That thing with 305 hp could not push a 27 ft Fleetwood up a bridge and I hated all that down and up shifting.

I traded for a Coachmenn 37 ft diesel pusher with a Cummins/Allison combo and liked that. I just did not like the coach. The older coaches not Barth looked like a bordello inside and all that fiberglass checking and fading.

So, I traded that for a 5th wheel nice to put up at my son's place even and then built a storage place to put it as he lives on 5 acres on a lake in the country. Probably 15 acres of lake. Then, his wife takes off and everything goes to crapola. So, I put the 5th wheel at a lake resort in Jacksonville.

Then, I discovered the Barth out in CA and decided I had to have it and flew to CA bought it, drove it to Lou's in MI and then went back and got it and showed up with Lou at the Barth meeting in Goshen. Several good things came of that. I met Lou and Barb and and they are wonderful. I have not met Bill New York but he is a great guy and has help me a lot as have others at Barthmobile.

Drove the Barth home and now it is at my son's place in S GA. Waycross.

I like the heavy undercarriage of a diesel pusher, the fact that the noise is in the back pushing and the tranny shifts smooter than a adapted car tranny.

I also like the lower center of gravity of a pusher.

So, this is my response to gas vs diesel.

If you do your job as to preventative maintenance that diesel will out last you. My son has 1.3 million miles on a Freightliner truck of about the same era as my Barth and makes a good living driving it and so far, it has been about the bearings, brakes etc and the Cummings is still as they say "Trucking along".

Tom Taylor

quote:

Originally posted by Don in Niagara:
When talkng Barths, any comparison of a dp Regency vs a gas Regal must consider usage.

Yup. The more you drive, the more sense a diesel makes. Our trips are only our state and adjacent states, so our trips are sort. Usually just a one-day drive. Length of stay seems to not be a big issue, but the Regencies are certainly nicer inside than our upline Regal. We spent most of last year and almost all of this year (so far) in our Barth, and have never wished for a bigger or better coach.

There is no doubt that a Regency would be quieter and more pleasant to drive than a Regal. Day after day, that would become a factor.

For some, another consideration is your destination. We would not want a longer than 30 ft coach because we are usually in totally isolated off-road dry camping locations, and a longer, lower or heavier coach would get us in more trouble than we already manage to find.

Michael, my perspective is that of one who had a diesel pusher for only a little over a year. I was naive to think I would not have to put a lot of money into it. Not only did I, the new owner will have to also.

I have often repeated the line: a motor home will give you all the hassles of a big old truck PLUS all the hassles of an old cottage.
But, the TRUCK aspect of the one you are considering has around 15% of the miles mine had.
Never the less, the age is about the same. So, you are likely to experience some of the same failures despite the low miles.

The one you are looking to buy has depreciated immensely. Reminds me of the beautiful 1996 Cadillac DeVille we had (till sad-to-say was hit and totaled a year ago) which had a sticker price in 1996 more than $32,000. I did not pay much more for it, three years ago, than a mundane Chevy or Pontiac the same age. We enjoyed all sorts of luxury features. Along with them comes all sorts of expensive repairs, eventually.

Likewise, you have an opportunity to purchase what was a very expensive, exclusive, custom motorhome for pennies on the dollar. When and if you do, the maintenance and repairs will cost as much as if you paid $100,000 for it. I think you should expect a big initial cash outlay to bring the chassis and engine up to snuff. Thereafter, 'house' upgrades and updates can be done at your own pace. They are separate from the imperative maintenance and repair for which you MUST budget.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences and insights.