We went to look at a 92 frt entrance 30' Breakaway yesterday. Only 37K, very light oak cabinetry, full tile floor frt to back, good paint, interior some what worn given the mileage but not bad, single pane windows, 2 skylights, only 125 hr on the 4KW Kohler. etc. etc. That's the good.
The bad is that it has been stored outside on bare ground in an RV dealer's back lot this past winter and for who knows how many other years as well.
The whole bottom of the coach is rusty. Everything!! The batt slide out is rusted solid. The levelers are all rust covered, the step is out and I don't know if it would retract now or not. The locks on all the ext. storage are corroded white metal. The engine oil was below the add mark and dirty. Tires are probably originals and side wall cracked. All batteries are dead so it couldn't be started.
The interior shows the same kind of neglect but is in pretty good shape. The shower door wouldn't open, but maybe I wasn't doing it right. The gold (brass?) coloured bathroom faucet was pock marked with corrosion. The hall skylight appeared to have a pinhole in it. No water leaks that I noticed.
Apparently the owner runs several businesses. Maybe he used it as a mobile office or something and that's why it has such low mileage.
What a shame! We were so disappointed but at least we had a good look at a Breakaway. We've not seen one before and were really impressed with the original build quality.
Both the Sparten and Barth vin plates say May 5 1991. I guess then that would mean the engine is a 91 Cummins and not upgradable.
If levelers and frt step had to be rebuilt/replaced, how much would it cost? Given its condition and if you could get the price down accordingly do you think it's too risky to buy and try and restore? I'm scared of the Cummins and gen being damaged.
The $$$ required then would make it out of the question.
Your comments would really be appreciated.

I am not EXPERT, but can tell you this with CERTAINTY, anything stored out side on bare ground and even worse weeds or grass will find rust that is NEARLY IMPOSIBLE to reverse. The moisture that transfers in at least the midwest is HUGE. Maybe in AZ it is a different story, but weeds for example grow up to touch the undercarriage and carry with them MOISTURE, and this is very bad. Depending on the condition of such it may not be worth a dime.

This is my opinion, and one would certainly want to have an inspection done. I would tell the seller to get it running so as you can take it out for a test and then take it to an independent inspector. This is in my opinion the only way I would consider such.

I wish you well my friend.


Dale

Don, will you be doing the work yourself or paying for it?

I bought Jon Bourke's 85 Regal which had been sitting on bare ground in Prescott, Az for four years. He didn't have it out much. But, he went through it completely before I got there, fixed what needed fixing, and I drove it 2000 miles back to Charlotte with only a few incidents. Yes, there were a couple of braces in the area of the generator and right front wheel well area that are badly rusted, but the frame and basic other stuff are good. Of course, Arizona is a good place to preserve anything, except 2nd generation Italians like me.

Don you're first but if you don't want it, it may be what I am looking for to go into my gutted out 34' Barth. My shell is great and all aluminum on the inside but it is a hollow cave. Frame is good and the 454 is strong.
Papa Don in Oregon

Dale,
Unfortunately that is exactly the conditions that have existed in this case. For some time too it appears. Your advice is well taken. If I went any further with this I'd ask the owner to get it mobile and I'd have an inspection and have the engine checked out.
To answer Bill's question. I'm not a mechanic but have done lots of rebuilds on British sportscars and motorcycles. From what I observed here, you would have to do as much of your own work as possible or parts and labour charges at any good RV place would equal the cost of Dale's A-1 Regency by the time your done.
Question is, do I really want to? Guess we need to find out the condition of the chassis and the diesel before anything else. That's something I'm not gonna be able to do much to if it needed it!
Thanks for the input.
Don

quote:

Originally posted by Smith Brother:
I am not EXPERT, but can tell you this with CERTAINTY, anything stored out side on bare ground and even worse weeds or grass will find rust that is NEARLY IMPOSIBLE to reverse. The moisture that transfers in at least the midwest is HUGE. Maybe in AZ it is a different story, but weeds for example grow up to touch the undercarriage and carry with them MOISTURE, and this is very bad. Depending on the condition of such it may not be worth a dime

This is my opinion, and one would certainly want to have an inspection done. I would tell the seller to get it running so as you can take it out for a test and then take it to an independent inspector. This is in my opinion the only way I would consider such.

I wish you well my friend.


Dale

Hi Don, I wanted to mention our 92 Breakaway has a Kohler 7KW gen set. I'm a little surprised it's a 4KW in the one you are looking at. Can you run both AC units on a 4KW generator? Something to ponder.

------------------
Larry and Heidi from CA

Hi Larry & Heidi
Not sure it is either. I took a brief look at the genset but couldn't see where it said what output. Got the 4kw off the listing on page 5 of the "Barths For sale" here on Barthmobile. Take a look - July 17, 2004.
Really, by the time I had got to the genset I was rather dissillusioned with the whole thing and didn't try very hard to figure out what it was.
Too bad. These things are really rare up here and it saddens me to see one as nice as this just left to rot.
Don

quote:

Originally posted by hilarlee:
Hi Don, I wanted to mention our 92 Breakaway has a Kohler 7KW gen set. I'm a little surprised it's a 4KW in the one you are looking at. Can you run both AC units on a 4KW generator? Something to ponder.