Hello,

I live in NJ, I am buying a 1993 Barth Breakaway. Why? Because I love the look, I needed a deisel for pulling my race car trailer and it seems like a great value.

I go see it in person in a couple of days. Can anyone give me some advice of what to look for.

And why is a Barth my best coach choice. Thank you in advance for your replies!!

Some advantages: aluminum construction, top end (in their size range) coaches for their day.

If they have been well maintained, they are reasonably affordable and they can usually be fixed faster than they break.

Chassis parts are generally available, except for the MCC chassis.

Big plus: a website with tons of info and lots of talented people to help you.

Down side? They are all orphans (company gone since 1998) no factory service, etc. You're on your own.

Variation between coaches is considerable, sometimes makes it hard to compare prices and service history.

It's a 30.5 length with a 190 Cummins turbo Diesel with a 4 speed allison trans with 74,000 looks clean based on the 18 pictures I received

will it tow a 16-18 foot enclosed race car trailer OK?

Good question there... I have a V8 gasser so I don't know.

190 hp may be a bit weak in the mountains but I think many are towing with success.

The diesel guys could give you better toad info.

AFAIK, no Breakaway has a listed towing capacity (GCVW), but several owners tow vehicles without issues.

What is the weight of the trailer fully loaded? If it's much more than 5000#, I would be concerned. You can call Spartan, the builder of the chassis, to get more expert advice. And get as much info on maintenance that has been done as you can. Radiator flushing, transmission flushing, brake work done, suspension work done. At 74000 miles, you want to make sure that you don't have to do several thousand dollars of deferred maintenance. What's the asking price?

13000 firm

For that amount there is a Thor with a 454 gas engine and equally beautiful condition. I'm concerned about Barth being out of business.

It is true that Barth is out of business but the majority of the makers of components that make up a Barth coach are readily available. I have a 1975 Barth motorhome and have not had trouble finding parts for repairs.

quote:

Originally posted by Nowell:
13000 firm

For that amount there is a Thor with a 454 gas engine and equally beautiful condition. I'm concerned about Barth being out of business.

Barth being out of business would not be a major concern. Spartan, Cummings and Allison are still in operation. Other than bumpers most everything else is still available or updatable.

If you are looking to tow you may want to find 1 with an 8.3 instead of the 5.9.There is more power to be found in the 5.9. Just remember you are getting a 20 year old unit. There will be needed repairs.

The drawback to the Barth is going to be the addiction to this web site.

The chassis and drive train etc. on one of these units are not what you encounter on a routine basis even if you "know cars". You might consider paying a pro for a pre-purchase inspection. You might post, if not already, where the Barth is located to see if someone can recommend a person to do this. Might cost you several hundred dollars but could help you avoid a costly mistake and even if things are typically okay for a unit this old, the pro can point out areas where repairs are needed and estimate costs, etc., so you can look at the total cost.

Tom Taylor

quote:

Originally posted by Nowell:
13000 firm

For that amount there is a Thor with a 454 gas engine and equally beautiful condition. I'm concerned about Barth being out of business.

The Barth has an all-metal body.

Does the Thor?

The Cummins engine and Allison trans will last longer than the GM gasser parts.

The 454 will tow and climb better.

Is the Barth a front or side entry? Do you have a definite opinion on front vs side entry? That can be a biggie with DW.

I haven't seen this on Craig's list or anywhere else. $13000 is a very good, could be low, price for a '93 Breakaway. What year were the 6 tires produced? Anything over 7 years would need to be replaced. And on a dually, you usually don't want to replace just one on a side. Replacement tires of decent quality start at about $300 each(mounted and balanced). When were the shocks replaced? Being a northern coach, inspect the undercarriage carefully. There are many steel parts like storage compartments that can and do rust. Tom's advice is spot on. If you have to rebuild the brake system it can cost between $1500 to $5000. While the 5.9 can be safely bumped up to a lot of horsepower, the Allison 542 can't handle much more that 200/220. And remember, with the 542, you can cruse at about 60mph, max. Cummins says 2500/2600 RPM(around 60mph) is ok but anything more than that is not a good thing. Cummins engineers have told me that at 3100RPM the engine can come apart. The NADA on this Barth is close to $20000. While that is not the true market value, be wary of a price that is too low. A 6-speed, 5.9 Breakaway in Charleston SC, sold for over 20K about 6 weeks ago. A couple of other 4-speeds sold in the 16K range. My 28'er is for sale at $16500 and it is very clean, no rust at all. Just do your best to not get surprised and put your emotions on the back burner if you can. Having said all of that, if you want to buy a 20+ year old motor home, all of them would have the same possible problems. But the basic Barth design is far superior to anything else with the exception of things like Foretravels, Newells, and Bluebirds.

It's a Front door better or worse?

After all your responses (thanks) I am less concerned with them being out if business and more concerned with towing my 4000 to 5000 pound enclosed trailer.

The Thor has 39000 miles all new tires this year same size and same price.

I am confused. I like the unique look and construction style of the Barth just concerned with its towing strength. Seller told me tires 6 years old and serviced last year about 3000 miles ago.

When I said the Thor is the same size I was referring to the length of the coach. And it also cost 13000