What do you guys think?

[Doug1199]

Trying to get comfortable with 2002 liberty for sale by owner 61000 miles has not been used much the last 6 years only 16000 miles. We had a pdi done, codes checked, Air check on skin. Coach seems clean. What ghost are in the closet and where should we be on price on this non slide coach?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Doug, only you can decide on the price. With some effort you can find the range of prices for comparable coaches, and then based on how much you like it and its features will determine its worth to you.

I think as a rule people that tend to trade often need to buy at the lowest possible price to minimize the cost of depreciation and to be able to resell the coach easily when they find the next coach they would rather have. We tend to keep our things so while cost is always going to be a factor in our decision, what is most important to us is to get as much of the features as we want in a coach and if we have to pay a little more we can live with that because over time it really doesn't make that much difference.

Any coach as it ages develops "ghosts". A little used coach may have more issues than a coach that is used often, but the bottom line is if it is made of rubber there will come a time when it needs to be replaced, not because of wear or use, but because it has aged out. A perfect example is tires. The major tire manufacturers agree that when a tire has been in service for 6 years its life is just about over, and at 10 years from the date of manufacture they wash their hands of any warranty support on a tire.

From my experience air bags start to get checking and cracking at the point where they roll over the "piston". The suspension Norgren valves are likely to start leaking if they haven't already, brake chamber diaphragms may be getting prone to cracking or leaking, etc. If the coach has slides the seals may be getting brittle and likely to start leaking. But this has nothing to do with whether the coach was sitting or being used. This is what happens. Maintenance is an ongoing process and regular use somehow tends to prolong the life of some components, but it doesn't prevent the ravages of age. I think people that buy coaches with low mileage and the expectation that those low miles translate into a trouble free product get disappointed when they realize those low mileage coaches still require maintenance.

That coach may have issues with the bushings in the front suspension A frames or sway bars or shock absorbers. All of this is normal and if you budget to deal with these issues you could end up with a very good coach in new condition (mechanically).

If you are a do-it yourselfer, relatively speaking the cost to bring these above items up to date will take a week or so of your time and a few dollars relative to the cost of the coach. The thing to remember is a coach that was frequently used compared to one that has not been used much may still need to have every item listed above replaced. That is not to say the rarely used coach is not going to have some issues as a result of non use. Depending on where and how it was stored there could be corrosion inside the engine. The roof could be suffering from leaks due to aging of the seals around all openings, something that would have been maintained on a coach that was used often.

My guess is if everything checks out and works as intended, in the early stages of ownership keep a sharp eye on the things that could be affected by age and set up a priority list to resolve potential issues. And don't let the market force up the price because it is a "low mileage" coach. Personally I would have felt much more comfortable with a coach of its age with a good maintenance history and 150,000 miles of regular use.

[garyde]

I would ask for the last 6 years of maintenance invoices. What I would be looking for would be simple yearly lube and oil changes, transmission & coolant changes, Batterries changed out for house as well as chasis. Any seal replacements, belts, tires, air bags, & Generator maintenance, repair and/or replacement.
These items are all things that I check or replace. I've had my Coach since the summer of 06.
Other items ; air compressor for the coach air system, air compressor for the zip dee awning and maintenace of the awning. Batteries for the awning controls.

on the interior, all of the lighting. check to verify all the lights are good.

Water Pump operates all sinks, showers, and toilet.

Water filters ; need replacing

Webasto Heater. Needs to be cleaned, filter replaced.

[gershwin]

Trying to get comfortable with 2002 liberty for sale by owner 61000 miles has not been used much the last 6 years only 16000 miles. We had a pdi done, codes checked, Air check on skin. Coach seems clean. What ghost are in the closet and where should we be on price on this non slide coach?

I'm no expert on pricing but I will pass along at least what I have uncovered w/ current "asking" prices for that vintage:
It appears 2001-2002 non-slide coaches are in the $230k-260k w/ a small premium for Marathon/Liberty of course this does not take in to account what the other posters have spoken regarding overall "maintenance and sort" condition of any coach.

I'd put it right @ $275k ball park as a reference.