I may be traveling several hundred miles to look at and hopefully buy a Barth that's been sitting dormant for a few years. Any advice on things to do to prepare for a drive home?

A 6.2 liter GM Diesel?

How many miles? What year? How long has it been sitting? What is the climate where its been stored? City/state?

If you do go, sign up for something that offers towing in the package as a hedge.

Do you know how to read tire codes? Too old of tires will cause problems.

New belts, hoses, filters and an oil change are high on the list. Never overheat your coach as the 6.2 can't take it. Drive with one eye on the gauges at all times. Purchase extra fuel filters and know how to replace them. Put in fuel additives and then fill it up while at the pump, this will insure good mixing of the additives.

In addition, I would replace the brake fluid. Many RVers don't replace it very often (if ever) and can lose their braking on a bad downhill or stop and go traffic.

Low miles and "time sitting" are an RV's worst enemy. Both Bills mentioned most of the major issues. Fluids wear out and rubber parts (belts, hoses, TIRES) dry rot from sitting and are prone to failure.

Of course before buying, you'd also want to check out all the expensive components in great details. Roof A/C, generator (if it has one), inspect carefully for signs of any leaks. All would be big-dollar repairs later on, if they don't work correctly now.

Let me stress TIRES again! A rolling blowout on an RV tire = BAD. It can tear up all kinds of stuff underneath the RV. And tread depth on RV tires is essentially irrelevant; they will usually wear out due to age long before they show any considerable wear due to mileage. 7-10 years is about the longest you want to go on RV tires, with most veteran RV'ers leaning toward the 7.

quote:

Originally posted by scottydl:
tread depth on RV tires is essentially irrelevant; they will usually wear out due to age long before they show any considerable wear due to mileage. 7-10 years is about the longest you want to go on RV tires, with most veteran RV'ers leaning toward the 7.

My own take is that sitting is the worst thing for RV tires.

1. When sitting, the bottom few degrees of both sidewall and tread are under a permanent deformation, stressing the carcass and the rubber.

2. Heat and flexing release a chemical in the rubber compound that works its way to the surface to protect and prevent brittleness. This is called "blooming", and can only occur during driving.

With a used MH, you really don't have any idea of how much exercise the tires got. Sadly, age, mileage and tread depth are meaningless.

Thanks for the responses. The RV has been sitting for maybe three years. It seems that dry rot of tires, belts & hoses seems to be the greatest worry. This vehicle has a 454. Anyone care to comment on the pros & cons of the 454 vs. the 6.2 liter diesel?

have no idea where Boonton is.
Sometimes forum members are willing to eyeball a coach that is nearby. I have done so once and offered to do so other times. Once, however, the prospective buyer's response was not appreciation, but indignation. Go figure.
Most Barth coaches, like countless other old motorhomes, were powered by the venerable old Chevy 454 -- typically in a P30ish 'bread truck' chassis.
It is reliable and easy to service with readily-available, relatively affordable components. It is preferable to the typical 6.2 diesel. I say 'typical' because at least one forum member has an exceptional (or maybe I should say 'extraordinary') 6.2. From what little I know, I think the Barth diesel you are much more likely to see would have a Cummins 5.9, not a Detroit 6.2. The former is an excellent engine.

New Jersey?

If it a gasser, one of the things to consider is all the parts in carburetors that will gum up and stick including propane generators and lp regulators. If there are two gas tanks, the valve that switches from front to back will also stick. But if you're handy, and the price is right and you have the tools, time and place, nothing that can't be overcome.

Yes Boonton is in NJ and the Barth is a Gasser. It has the 454. The main concern is a 500+ mile trip home.

Big question is does it run? Of course, I've driven a couple of hundred miles to look at a Barth that the owner said ran, to find out it didn't run. Please do not drive on dry rotted tires. Get the date code and see how old they are. Are you handy with tools? Is it in a place where you can work on it for a few days? Do you have the time to spend 2/3 days changing belts, hoses, all the fluids, maybe even the carb? The gas in the tank is no good and would have to be drained somehow.

My coach had sat 7 years.

I was fortunate that the nephew of the deceased owner lived nearby and knew the coach. I paid him $1200 labor to replace the belts, hoses, thermostat, drain the fuel, fuel filters, change the coolant, oil, check the front wheel bearings and several other things. I bought 8 new tires locally. A friend went down with me and we had the tires replaced at a tire store about a mile from the owners home. I only had to drive mine 150 miles. About 30 miles from home, one of the inside duals blew. Come to find out, it had those extension hoses on the valve stems that the tire shop did not get on tight. It started to slowly leak. Since I was so close to home, I drove on in at 30 mph.

To go 500 miles, I'd do about the same thing. Think of it as a vacation and an adventure. Have a good attitude...take plenty of time....a week if possible and lots of tools. Be sure and buy towing insurance. Take it easy...don't push the coach. Get one of those laser temperture guns and watch your temps on wheel bearings, radiators etc...or you might be able to find a shipping company even...... Figure out what you are more comfortable with...

The shipping company idea is one that we sometimes overlook. I could have/should have, shipped the Breakaway to TN. I got a quote for $1000. Nothing like being able to work on your Barth in your own garage.

Any suggestions on a shipping company from Ohio to NJ?

What part of Ohio is it in. Might be able to look at it and give you some input.