Okay, I am finally convinced that a Barth is the best RV that not only ‘might’ fit into my budget, but is also safe enough for a new full-timers ‘first’ first real rig.
So I have been searching for the 'perfect' Barth RV for me........and sadly, not yet finding it.

I have TWO concerns...

The first should be- will I be able, as a single full-timer with great common sense, but zero mechanical experience, to fix, let alone even know if something needs fixing, when I am in the middle of God-knows-where, and have no support???

As I said, that should be my primary concern...However, I'm a girl and as such my priorities may seem out of order to all of the knowledgeable members of this forum who appear to be able to diagnose AND repair their Barths blindfolded!!! Impressive, but very intimidating to someone who half-considers filling up with petrol as ‘maintenance’.

Well, regardless of the scathing I may receive, I am going to ask about what should be my second concern, but is in fact, my first...
Are there no Barths that have unique interiors, or that have been redone, not as a proper RV (as in the Mays incredible redo (which I love!!!....but it is a little over my budget right now), but more like some of the interiors I saw on a link from this web site to the photo's from Mr. Sharkeys web site of incredible and unusual conversions/remodels?
I especially loved the warm interior of the "House Truck" and several others depicted on that website.
I know a lot of them are way out there, but several truly felt like a 'home'.
I would love something like that for my full-time rig, but wonder if anyone ever sells them once they have gone to such effort?
I believe all of the rigs that were depicted on the Sharkey website were customized by their owners (and not even Barths) and I do not have the skill, time, nor experience to do that....let alone the money.

Have any of you ever seen a Barth redone in a unique way, such as I am describing? Or is that just too much to hope for????

I would love to see photo’s of any unusual interiors in a Barth….

Thank you,
Lola K

Well Lola, you asked kind of a broad question, so here goes.

You don't necessarily 'need' mechanical aptitude to own a motor home, even an older one. That being said, you DO need a good mechanic in your life, one whom you can trust to do honest work, and do it well.

These coaches are well built, but remember that most Barths are getting up in miles and years, which equates almost certainly with mechanical breakdowns and inconveniences. MOST of these can be headed off by good preventative maintenance and the balance usually will not bring your vacation to a crashing halt. Perhaps a bulb will go out, or a faucet will leak. The proportion of work you do yourself will make your Barth more affordable.

You say you have common sense? Well, that is the principle component necessary to do mechanical work. The rest is attitude, patience and learning. Buy yourself a set of tools, and have a friend teach you some of the basics. Change your own oil, and work up to other things. Buy books on basic plumbing, electric and home improvement. A lot of basic concepts are universal.
The alternative to your learning and doing is to pay someone else.
That may be in your budget, it may not. Examine it well and remember that buying a Barth is a lot more expensive than your average collector car, in more than one way. Many people (myself especially included) balance a mortgage and several other needy cars with kids and such in the mix by working a little overtime and doing just about everything myself. It CAN be done, but if you are just learning now, the curve will be steep but not insurmountable.

As far as your interior desires go, nothing would surprise me. I have seen Barths with absolutely wacky late 60's decor all the way up to the corian/leather plush jobs that Barth produced in the 90's. They were customs coaches, and like Dave's post of the "Day Coach" for partying, (loved that one) the breadth of interiors is wide.

Do people pour a LOT of time into redoing their coach and then sell? Sure.

Whether you are going to luck out and find your ideal coach perusing the ads is a matter up to the fates. Buying a used "Anything" is a matter of deciding how much you are willing to concede out of your desires to get what you want. You may find it more expedient to buy a nice, clean coach with relatively low miles and be happy with whatever interior you end up with. Otherwise, you can get your new hammer out and strip it out. Paneling, carpet and furniture can be stripped out and replaced in a Barth as readily as it can be in your home. This would be a fine time to hone your newly desired mechanical skills!

Good luck.

Windsor covered almost everything, Lola, but I would add 2 caveats.

First, IMHO there is no perfect alternative for anything. Even if you design whatever it is yourself, and build it from the ground up, when you're through there will be things you wished you had done differently, and things your pride and joy does not accomplish that something else would do better.

That goes double for RVs. Motorhomes, standard travel trailers, 5th wheel trailers, pickup campers, and van conversions all have their advantages, and disadvantages. You pick the best alternative for you, and live with its disadvantages.

There are only a few ways the components of an RV interior can go together, and each floor plan has its own merits and detractions. Find one you can live with and decorate it to your tastes.

Caveat #2 is preparation. The more problems you have anticipated before you leave, and the more certain you are that all systems are up to snuff and working well, the less agony you will encounter on the road. Preventive maintenance is key, and whatever you buy is likely to have been neglected in some way. By the time most people get around to selling their rig, it has sat for awhile, often because something needed work that they just didn't get around to doing until they got tired of it.

I bought my Barth, a, '90 Regal SE last January. A beautiful rig in which the two previous owners had (thank God) maintained the major components. Someone had installed some valuable goodies as well, but God knows how long it had been since attention was paid to regular maintenance of minor systems and appliances. It looked as though they drove it until something broke, had it towed in, and spent thousands getting it repaired. And they didn't always get their money's worth.

I have thus far completed around 45 items on a do-list that stays about 10 items ahead of where I am, as I go along. Most of the stuff is minor, and could have been accomplished for peanuts in $ and time when it was discovered. But they didn't need it today, so they let it go, and I'm stuck with it because I want it right.

I have one advantage you don't. I've been doing this stuff for 60 years since I was 15. But unless one is totally mechanically challenged, one can learn what they need, and keep it up once they get it right. The learning curve can be steep, and costly, but once you're there, you can look with pride on what you have done, and be confident of reliability as well, because you did it yourself, and you know what's going on.

Lola,
I have been working on my motorhomes for 25 years including restoring a GMC from the ground up. BUT NOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED........Now that I am well into the "Golden Years" I choose to not spend my days on my back under the motorhome or contorted in some strange position trying to reach the fan clutch. I used to enjoy that but now it is a chore.

I found a great Barth with only 18000 original miles and with a super clean interior. I spent a few hundred dollars with my mechanic having all the fluids changed and rubber components checked/changed. Had to spend another couple hundred having a service guy fix my water heater and another seventy five having a mechanic tighten electrical connections.

Notice the common denominator -- "having someone else do the work". My contention is that if you start with a coach that is in good condition when you get it you don't have to have big bucks capability to have someone else maintain it for you.

So the bottem line is that no matter whether you like to fix things or just travel, you can get a lot of enjoyment out of a good coach.

Gary & Edie
'88 Barth 28'
North Idaho


[This message has been edited by Grizzlygiant (edited September 27, 2004).]