Love at first sight?

I found Dod on craigslist.org.  Since he was almost 100 miles from my home I made two phone calls before traveling for an inspection.  The seller continually apologized for the rough condition of his RV but nothing he said would deter me!

When I first saw Dod there were some concerns:  the cab over section had been pushed in about 6" by a low tree branch; the windshield was cracked; one tire was flat; the battery was dead (really dead); the spark plug wires had been chewed by mice; the carpet was filthy; there was an odor reminiscent of a tom cat; and in general, a rough looking RV.

Dod was residing near Lake Arrowhead, CA which is a long way from the suburban areas of Southern California.  Good for me, as no one else had come to see all the possibilities.  The seller was a very good negotiator: for me!  After an hour long discussion, the price had dropped by 75% and the seller had agreed to install new plug wires and take Dod to be smogged at his expense.  I guess you could say he did not want a prospective buyer to slip away.

Two days later, I received the news that Dod had passed the smog test so my friends drove me up to Lake Arrowhead.  I put in a new battery, started the engine and drove Dod for the first time.  That first drive was almost 100 miles with the first 30 or so downhill.  I took it very slowly downhill in second gear just to make sure the brakes were okay.  Once on the freeway, I kept up with the flow of traffic at a speed I estimated to be 60 mph.  Speedometer was not working!  Dod ran great all the way home with no overheating, no missing, no more rattles than I would have expected even from a newer RV; and other than the odor, an enjoyable drive.

Just how small is Dod?  Here is a picture of Dod hiding behind my GMC Yukon.

Disposable Vehicles

For those of you thinking that I am a risk taker and foolhardy for choosing to make this journey in a 1979 RV, you are right on both counts!  Now please consider the concept of "disposable vehicles".

I have a history of buying older used cars for transportation.  In 2007 I purchased a 1991 Jeep Cherokee with 205,000 miles on it for $450.  The tires were good, it had four-wheel drive, a radio and it was cute!  During the two years I owned it, the only necessary repair was the replacement of a valve cover gasket.  I took it to the desert, the mountains, the beach and anywhere I wanted and I never worried about it breaking down.  Even if the engine blew up I would only be out a small amount of money.  I sold the Jeep for $900. to buy a larger SUV (of course it was cheap and had over 200,000 miles).

In 1982 I bought a highly used Coleman tent trailer for $800., hooked it up to my Jeep CJ-7 and headed off for Cabo San Lucas with two friends of mine.  The first night we camped at a RV park just outside Ensenada and had a great time.  The second day didn't go as well.  About 30 miles south of Ensenada I looked in the side-view  mirror and noticed the wheel was at least 18" outside the wheel well and being held on (just barely) by the axle.  A friend stayed with the trailer and I took the parts back to Ensenada to look for replacements.  None were to be found.  I had roughly 10 days for the trip so when I got back to the trailer I decided that I wasn't going to let an $800. trailer spoil my vacation.  We transferred everything that would fit from the trailer to the Jeep.  As we continued south, I waved goodbye to it and wished it well in its new life (most likely as a condo in someone's backyard)!  We had a great trip!

While I look forward to many enjoyable miles with Dod I am also cognizant of the fact that he is old and may not make it (I wonder if he thinks the same about me).  Even if the worst comes to pass, I will go on and not dwell on the "what ifs" and "if onlys" in life.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

As I began the search for an RV, in the back of my mind I had a goal of finding an ordinary (or or even less than ordinary) looking Class C with a great motor and fully functioning accessories.  My reasoning behind this was that since my planned travels would take me to remote locations in Mexico, I would prefer not to attract attention by driving a newer, shiny rig.

Another reason for an older rig is definitely budget and the fact that this is more or less an experiment.  Friends advised me to rent an RV and live in it for a couple of weeks before making my final decision.  After checking rental rates and comparing them to the prices of RVs for sale, I realized that I could buy an old RV for roughly the same amount as it would cost for a two week rental!  A standard Class C RV currently rents for $693. per week and  $0.32 per mile.  At 50 miles per day, a two week rental would be over $1600.

With Dod, I have the permanent use of an RV and my total investment to date is less than $1200.  Also, with the repairs and improvements I have made, Dod is now probably worth  more than what I have invested.  I am content with Dod!  Who knows what I might think about Dod if I had rented a 2010 RV for two weeks and gotten spoiled.