Somebody has offered me a Free Motorhome. What should I do?
15OK, so that’s the clickbait. Someone I know acquired an abandoned RV at a storage facility auction. It’s not running and they don’t really have a way to move it, so they offered it to me for nothing if I can get it off the self-storage property before the next monthly payment is due.
DETAILS
Zimmer Motor Coach. The luxury RV and limo maker was only in business for a few years in the late 1980’s. Exterior design: Imagine a low-slung version of the GMC Motorhome (from the 1970s). These Zimmer Coaches are built on an extended F-150 chassis but revised to be front wheel drive. This unit is a 1987 model, about 20ft wheelbase & maybe 26-29ft long overall; has a 351W mated to a Ford automatic transmission, transfer case, and front drive axle – interesting setup.
Was driven onto its current location 5 years ago and never moved since. One side window broken by hail, main door seems a little skewed & doesn’t close quite right. Carpet is ruined and interior smells badly of mildew, but seating is all plastic-wrapped and might be salvageable (unless critters managed to get inside). No batteries, no brakes, tires won’t hold air.
Any ideas about a low-cost way to haul this thing outta there? Normal charges for towing large RV/coach normally start at $350 and can go hundreds more. I’m pretty handy around the house, but don’t really work on cars (does installing hitch frames and trailer wiring count). Where would I take this thing to have it ‘returned to service’?
TL;DR . Am I crazy to be interested in this vehicle?
- 42 comments, 104 replies
- Comment
Would you enjoy living in this, because if you are married, I think once your wife sees it, she will kick you out of the house.
@Barney I think it would be really cool, but then I’m not the one at risk of being booted. Seriously, though, of I was going to drive one, I would much rather have that than one of them similar vintage
/image Winnebagos
@ybmuG I like the one in your picture. I’d take that in a heartbeat.
Edit: WTF? You switched pictures on me. I want the Mercedes one.
@Barney yeah, I thought, well THAT doesn’t make my point!
@ybmuG Haha, so true.
@Barney I will be building a tiny house once retirement starts. We’ll see how long I can live in it.
@compunaut I guess this could give you a taste of tiny living.
Some comments here on one:
https://barnfinds.com/1987-zimmer-motor-coach-executive-decision/
If I had to guess, they probably did the same type of drivetrain “conversion” as another RV mentioned; blockoff plate on the transfer case so it’s permanently FWD.
Unless you are retired, and wealthy, you should thank your “friend” for the offer, and politely decline. That item is probably best offered as scrap, and the cost to fix it would far outweigh anything you could sell it for.
You will probably never be able to enjoy it. Mold and mildew are forever. The odor will likely never leave. It’s a pretty obscure item, but offering it out for parts might work (not you, your friend should do this). You would probably spend more making it street legal than if you went out and bought a decent, used motor home of equal size (and more recent vintage).
@Shrdlu
And there’s the voice of reason and wisdom.
Agreed. Money pit for anyone not already an enthusiast/rehabilitator/trader of these things.
@f00l
What am I, chopped liver?
@Barney
You didn’t go into the endless expense/frustration in such detail; You went for humors instead. Which is good!
But @shrdlu went for the kill.
@f00l I was NOT kidding. If he were my husband and he brought that thing home, he definitely would end up living in it.
@Barney
I understand that; might do the same; but I believe he was asking whether to accept the offer of ownership, not whether to bring it home.
Perhaps I read his post too quickly
@f00l @Shrdlu damn you, always appearing on my right shoulder, spouting common sense and shit
@Barney @f00l
I guess I thought purple dinosaurs were up for more fun & adventure. Turns out they are just a
/image stick in the mud
purple loves @barney.
@compunaut This old dinosaur has had much fun and adventure. Now she’s just a lot more cautious. And maybe a little smarter.
@Barney @compunaut Thought experiment: What if it was purple?
@Barneybot isn’t a real bot.
@compunaut @mehcuda67 Nope, nope, nope.
Kind of reminds me of the shuttles from Space 1999
@compunaut
Caveats: circumstances under which you or someone you know might want this:
Got undeveloped land, or a long term hunting lease or hunting rights agreement on undeveloped land?
If so, then if the roof and insulation are functional, and the water, heating, and generator-electrical systems can be made to work, it might be useful there. For a few days occupancy now and then, where people are mostly outdoors anyway, the other defects can be ignored.
Know someone who is homeless or nearly homeless, but is good with their hands and has a place to put this monstrosity? It might work for them.
Charities that accept boats and cars, “any condition”, might be able to do something with this. They might have the appropriate contacts to get something from it.
Or … Take a bunch of pix and details to one of those huge used RV/camper/travel-trailer retailers on I35 S of FW, from Burleson going on down to Alvarado.
(There is an enormous place just n of Alvarado.)
Go visit one, or call/email one, and ask them if they would make you an offer?
@f00l
PS
The title transfers might be expensive and a pain I think you would probably have to pay sales tax to the state or somebody would
@f00l Often something 10+ years doesn’t incur sales tax. And a antique car plate would be a life long plate that is cheap, presuming it qualifies (usually they have to be 25+ years old).
@f00l @Kidsandliz How is one charged sales tax for an item that is free? I guess I’d be willing to pay the state 8.25% on $10 .
@compunaut They usually go by the value in whatever they use to determine value and not what you paid. In any state I have lived in something 10+ years old has no sales tax charged. As it, technically, is considered an antique vehicle you’d likely be safe from that.
@compunaut @Kidsandliz
I don’t know what the rule is that determines what is an antique vehicles in Texas, but the vehicle must be way beyond 10 years I think.
@compunaut @f00l @Kidsandliz It’s 25 years in Texas for antique registration. And making it moar better, the owner has to be over age 25.
I shit you not.
@compunaut @Kidsandliz @therealjrn
It would be cool if there were a rule that if the car was less than 50 years old, the owner had to be older than the car
Perfect state law to create massive trolling
@compunaut @f00l @Kidsandliz in Michigan we pay based on blue book, no matter the age. Even if it’s a gift. Unless it is from an immediate family member like a parent.
@compunaut
Pshaw. I’d take the deal. YOLO, ya know?
Don’t let these sober-minded, reasonable people sway you. If you have the space, or a space to park it under a cover or something it might be a huge amount of fun!
Do you live near Wichita? I know a place you could keep it.
@therealjrn Oh, I’d so divorce you in a minute.
@therealjrn If I knew how to move it 350mi north, I might take you up on it
@compunaut Don’t even think it.
@Barney Hey, @compunaut? Just whisper me and I’ll give you the address. We’ll have to go in the middle of the night to drop it off tho.
@compunaut @therealjrn Whaddaya think the towing charge would be to bring it up here? I’m not worried.
@Barney @therealjrn I might be able to rent an appropriate trailer for $125/day. How long to make the round trip pulling a few tons of rolling stock?
@compunaut Too late, I’ve moved and have left no forwarding address. However, I do have @therealjrn’s address… He’s about 70 miles closer to you.
Here’s an odd notion that might work for somebody
I knew someone years ago who was making a good living when he was young he was also a natural repairman and mechanic and could fix most things
Instead of wanting to buy a house he wanted to make money
He had excellent credit and a lot of free time and no relationship or children or anything to get in his way
So he talked a bank out of a business loan and bought a warehouse.
He bought a used motorhome that didn’t have an engine that ran for traveling and had it towed to the warehouse and he lived in the motorhome until he found a tenant for the warehouse.
Then he moved the motorhome out to edge parking on that property went back to the bank and talked them out of another loan and bought another warehouse and had the motorhome towed there. He then lived in the motorhome until the second warehouse rented
and repeat
After a while he was making so much money he just bought a house with the extra
I think I heard he eventually sold the motorhome for a pittance to a friend; he had never repaired the engine
over a period of several years he wound up owning 20 warehouses or something like that as he was good with repairs and could do a lot of stuff himself
and he was a natural at business and at this sort of wheeling and dealing
I haven’t seen or spoken to him in 20 years but I did hear a decade or so ago that he was worth unbelievable money now
If you know someone who is kind of like that: this is something they might want to mess with
@f00l There’s a philosophy of real estate investing called house-hacking that is very similar to that.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you (or you and your spouse) are location-flexible that’s a solid way to build wealth.
This issue isn’t just mold and mildew - with a broken window (even if the rest of it doesn’t leak which is not a given since you said mold and mildew are prevalent) the odds are high that you will also have structural damage of rotten wood (presumption here it is stick built) and if you can’t fix that yourself that will be incredibly expensive to fix. Dry rot of tires will be a problem. The kind of tires you need are expensive. You have no idea what other problems it has.
I owned an 88 Nissan Sunrader (class B, fiberglass, in good shape) and found I needed to sink several thousand into it. Mine didn’t leak and hadn’t sat. Because it was a cult camper (something I didn’t know when I bought it - I was looking for one that fit into a regular parking spot and was older so I could afford it) I managed to sell it for twice what I had in it back when the two cancers in one year hit and I needed money (it was a sad, sad day).
Research the thing to see if there is an io groups or facebook group for the thing to get a sense of how desirable it is. If it is desirable you might be able to sell it cheap and make it their problem to get it off the property.
I’d strongly suggest paying for a vehicle check to see what kinds of problems it has if you are thinking about keeping it - that is several hundred dollars from an RV place (this is more than an engine check).
Having sat open to the weather, not being run the odds are high it has multiple, expensive issues (even if you can fix the issues yourself). Likely it was abandoned for a reason.
Unless it is a desirable cult vehicle where you can unload it even if it has multiple issues it is probably worth walking away. It will otherwise be a money pit - sort of like an older boat.
Edit - also that it was also made for only 2 years likely means it will be really tough to find parts.
@Kidsandliz Note: It wasn’t totally open to the weather - has a giant fabric cover that provides decent protection; but it sagged thru the damaged window and let substantial moisture in.
I would think that drivetrain parts would be easy to find - variations were used on Ford vans & pickups for 20 years! I agree that trim/accessory & interior parts would be unicorns - I would expect to gut the interior & rebuild like a vintage cabin
@compunaut check the floor and walls. Look to see where the water is coming in. If you are lucky it will just be the broken window. Butyl tape is how you reseal windows and other cut outs (for example the roof AC/roof vent if there is one). As long as you don’t drop the windows when you take them out or put them back in this you can do yourself. It is tedious but not hard.
And check for rotten wood - floor, walls… If you have to strip it down to the studs and they are rotten you will have a lot of work to do. See if the roof sags. Redoing everything yourself is certainly a way to save money. But these kinds of totally strip it down undertakings tend to turn into a bigger project than many people first anticipate. If the only rot is by the window then you are likely pretty much set. If it is more structural it can be a lot of work. On the other hand if you like projects then it might be worth it too.
@compunaut Well that is a plus it had a cover. Presuming you have the skills and time to rebuild you could turn it into something nice.
@Kidsandliz I’m confident in my renovation skills. Need help with moving it and engine/mechanicals.
@compunaut Does it start normally (well after you charge the battery and put some gas in it) and, other than the tires, appear to be drivable? Have a mechanic look at it for that. If it does, perhaps just buy RV tires and drive it?
@compunaut @Kidsandliz Having bought a set of RV tires in July, I can tell you from recent experience, RV tires and installation are NOT cheap! I spent north of $2,500 for mom’s RV when I was moving her here. You can’t throw on just any cheap Walmart tire. The weight of the RV is significant and running under rated tires is begging for disaster.
While she was living in it at my house I spent another $2,000 for various parts and those were basic repairs, not complete renovation. Water pump, power inverter, black waste valve, AC compressor motor, stair actuators… everything for an RV is 2 to 3x more costly than the “regular” version of the part.
You will swiftly surpass the value of the RV in parts cost alone. Not to mention your time and efforts. If you want an RV, go buy a runner for the same (or even less) money.
@compunaut @ruouttaurmind tires-easy.com has good prices on RV tires and you can get metal valves, including a longer one for the inside tire. The will deliver to your house or, as I did, to the car repair place where I had them put them on for me. Tires were pretty new as well - not ancient ones with respect to date.
I appreciate everyone’s input so far, mostly varying degrees of how nuts I must be to show interest in a ‘project’ like this
However, I challenge y’all to face the practical questions:
@compunaut Do you have a AAA card?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mehbe call some mobile home movers for ideas on moving it. I guess it’s too big for a regular flat-bed tow-truck? I’ve seen some big-ass semi tow-trucks.
Since you’re starting a $0 purchase price, you can pay a little to get it moved, yes?
@compunaut Depending on how much it weighs you might be able to tow it with a pickup using a tow dolly (presuming one would take the weight). One big issue would be will the tires hold air and how far will you have to tow it from where it is. Call a truck tow business and see what they suggest/costs.
You’d get the engine worked on by people familiar with older Fords. My engine in my Nissan was worked on by a regular repair shop as it was just the 6 wheel pickup engine. I was lucky that I didn’t need any camper work done. You’d get the RV portion worked on by RV people (or do it yourself). It would be worth paying for an assessment before you sunk money into it though. If, in fact, there isn’t structural damage and you plan to permanently park it (so you’d not be spending $1000+ on tires and other, yet to be discovered repairs) it might be worth it. Depends on what you want it for.
@compunaut Oh! You know wut? Do you know anybody that hauls hay bales? Mehbe they’ll winch it up onto their flat trailer and haul it with their big-ass dualy pick-up truck.
@therealjrn @Kidsandliz Yeah, I won’t have any trouble finding yahoos here in Tejas with giant pick-em-up trucks. But it seems not that many have 24-30ft flatbed RV-haulin trailers
@compunaut It may be that you will need to pay to have it professionally towed since the tires won’t hold air. If you plan to redo it then it might be worth it since that is a “cheap price” for an RV. If you join Good Sam I think they have towing and/or discounted towing.
@compunaut @Kidsandliz Check with a local hauling company, or construction equipment companies - they usually have large flat bed trailers to move excavators and bulldozers, and often winches to pull them onto the trailer when they’re broken. We have a local dirt supplier and trucking company that charges $100/hr to move anything anywhere. Say it’s 100 miles, that’s four hours round trip plus an hour to load/unload it - $500.
And this is in California where everything costs at least twice as much …
@compunaut @Kidsandliz If you replace at least the rear tires, you might be able to tow it with a wheeled dolly on the front. I don’t know if the difference in $$ will justify the inconvenience though. You’ll need to replace the tires at some point anyway.
@compunaut @Kidsandliz @mehcuda67
Re towing
The dolly tow is an idea if you have access to a monster pickup and if the RV tires are at all serviceable.
There are plenty of people with the dually/flatbed hay bale towing combo that @therealjrn mentioned around DFW, esp once people get out past the ‘burbs.
I’ve seen people with these tow setups towing close to 20 of those huge round bales of hay. Or towing with several tractors or several other choices of heavy farm equipment on the flatbed. .
I don’t know: if you have some friends with property, and they are into ranching/farming (not just getting away from the city), ask them. They might be able to tow it. Or they might have a neighbor or acquaintance who might tow it for a reasonable fee. In the rural countryside, once one gets into serious raw acreage or ranching territory (not just rural homesteading), everyone seems to know someone who has a setup that could handle something like that RV.
@compunaut
Commercial truck towing companies. They have the proper equipment for this kind of move, and will be much less expensive than anyone who specializes in RVs
RV menchanics, commercial truck mechanics, and maybe 4x4 truck mechanics (because it’s essentially a stoved-up 4x4). If I was looking, I’d contact the commercial truck places first. Also, there are many commercial repair shops with mobile service.
Got any pictures of the inside?
@RiotDemon Yeah, but they don’t really show much:
The RV is more than 60mi away; the only time I was there in person it was dark & rainy. Most of what I know comes from storage facility manager and the individual currently responsible for the vehicle (not the same person).
@compunaut @RiotDemon
More than 60 miles away. Hmmmm.
If you do decide to have it towed, are you towing to in DFW, or to an RV place, or to some other semi-rural place?
If you bring it into the city it to an RV place, everything you can’t do yourself will possibly be pretty expensive.
If you move it to somewhere rural or semi-rural, and you are careful about whom you hire (for the work you don’t want to tackle yourself), you might be able to get quality repair work done at a fairly inexpensive rate.
FWIW, locally in N TX, you can almost certainly purchase an older but fully functional travel trailer for a few thou. Esp if you are patient and take the time to learn to evaluarle before you buy.
No mold no mildew that way.
@f00l Thanks, I’m aware. The quality is usually poor. For my own use I’m probably not interested in a trailer – either small Class A or a large pickup camper (need to be able to park in a ‘normal’ spot).
This Zimmer is interesting as a project because its base cost is zero. Except moving it might cost north of $600.
This guy seems fun Matt’s RV reviews
I don’t spend much time on jalopnik.com, but I feel like there must be an insane person on staff there who wants to own this or work on it. I could be wrong. And I don’t know how you would find or contact this person. But I would poke around there.
@mossygreen Ask for a guy named Lefty.
@mossygreen Jason Torchinsky already has a
deadnon-runningproject RV of his own.@narfcake There you go! That’s the guy!
That is a cool looking retro RV and would make a hell of a project if you have the time, inclination, and money. A rock solid drivetrain with readily available parts is a huge plus. If the fwd conversion is a modified transfer case that’s great news for you long term. If you’ve got fab skills for the body and interior and the time to do it, I say go for it.
For removal, it’s been said but find someone with a fifth wheel flatbed trailer of sufficient length and a good winch and just load it up and haul it away. If possible, park it on pavement under a cover to make it easier to work on. Triage it and assess the damage, and if it looks like too big a problem list it on bringatrailer with no reserve, then tell jalopnik about it so maybe they will write an article about your listing and bring you bidders.
The good news is the title transfer should be fairly easy in Texas. I know that kind of thing can suck here in Louisiana. But here, they definitely tax you on what the stated sale amount is. I’ve bought $100 cars before. They cocked an eyebrow at me at the DMV but I said it was a project car and they seemed to think that was good enough.
It looks like the monorail at Disney World. That’s enough reason to go pick it up.
If there’s an RV show anywhere near you, it may be worth going to collect vendor info, network, and maybe learn stuff.
I would do it. Maybe look around in the NextDoor app? Find locals looking for evening/weekend extra money work? Or if your local high school or community college auto shop needs a project vehicle? IDK, but I think in your position, I’d have to find a way.
Go to www.cheaprvliving.com/forums and ask your question. There are many people there who are experienced with such things.
I’m sure most have googled it by now, but in case you haven’t:
https://imgur.com/a/bTe7FSp
The Imgur link has a number of interior shots.
There still some left …
@stolicat That thing is AMAZING! I want one now.
Run away, run away! The term “ money pit “ comes to mind. Good used RV’s are everywhere, run away!
@rawhid YES!
@Barney @rawhid Pshaw. Good used motorhomes that cost TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS are everywhere. Cheap ones are crap
/giphy “fascinating” Spock
From the original post and your follow up comments, it is abundantly clear you will regret letting this once in a lifetime adventure pass by. $500 to get it to your property is a no brainer for the enjoyment and frustration it will bring to you. Just say yes!
@RedOak @compunaut
Yeah, it looks like this just might be a GO, in spite of all the cautions.
Sometimes, with projects, one must just “follow your heart”
/giphy “follow your heart”
/giphy “The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.” - Thoreau
Hey! Before you act!
What do you plan to do with it?
Some RV places supposedly won’t allow motorhomes that old, I’ve been told.
(I don’t know is this only applies to “residential parks”, or also to parks intended for travelers.
And I don’t know if this is even true.)
Check? If you have that sort of thing in mind?
@f00l It also applies to some travel parks too. My 88 Nissan wasn’t “new enough” to stay in some of those. Of course there are Walmart parking lots (well not all, but most), etc. for those times when that happens. Unless, of course, you were also wanting to stay at the RV park for other reasons.
@f00l @Kidsandliz Really? I have never been asked how old my RV is at any place we’ve ever stayed.
@f00l @katbyter Maybe yours doesn’t look junky? I mostly stayed at “low class” places where they didn’t care. Twice though, in touristy areas where the cheap places were full and the town was no overnight parking, I was forced to find a more expensive place and was turned away because mine was more than 20 years old. Or so I was told. It may also have been that I hadn’t yet put the shine back into the fiberglass, the rear platform was an add on and I hadn’t painted it yet. Who knows. What I do know is that on a forum I was on when I owned this, others had experienced this on occasion at a few places.
Honestly I wouldn’t touch it. Looks like junk.
@unksol Really? I touch my junk all the time.
@therealjrn do you touch other people’s junk though? If it was a standard F150 drive train plenty of parts but that old. Non standard. Plus the mold/mildew issue. My cars have all been old and I’ve done all the work but this I’d let go. I’m quite fond of the junk I have.
You’ve got a point @unksol. I try to make a practice of not touching another man’s junk. It hardly every happens anymore.
@therealjrn @unksol
/youtube captain of the pinafore live
“What, never?”
“No never!”
“What, never?”
“Hardly ever!”
So give three cheers and one cheer more!
That thing is cool looking! Looks like a lot of work, but if you don’t have to pay anything for it, you’re potentially way ahead of the game. As others have already said, the fact that it has a standard drivetrain is a big plus.
Personally, I’d go for it, but only because I’ve been wanting that kind of thing for a project for a while now. Since it’s based on the F-150, motor and drivetrain parts wouldn’t be too hard to find. Any decent mechanic should be able to work on it for the same reason.
That said, I don’t think you should go for it unless you intend to put either a lot of effort or a lot of money (or quite likely both) into it. 'Cause it looks like it needs a lot of love.
/giphy money pit
So taking a good look at the few photos out there it looks like this has some plusses - likely not stick built. Likely metal (car/truck style) or fiberglass. Also looks like the roof seam is not on the edge of the roof, rather curved down the side. If you are lucky roof will be one piece. That will reduce roof leaks (think upside down boat hull so your only leaks would be windows, roof vents/AC cut outs, anything due to rust). If you decide to move forward fixing leaks would be priority number one. Hopefully it is one piece fiberglass or sheet metal so you don’t have to paint waterproofing on the roof.
If that one photo is accurate of the inside you won’t have much interior demo since it looks like it is just set up more or less like a giant limo. Be much easier then to build out what you want but do find out what the weight limit is with respect to the engine and frame as finishing off the interior with wood can make it very heavy. Also make sure you take into account passengers, luggage, food, water tank, fuel tank, allow for black and gray tanks when full, etc. into the overall weight limit (there are plenty of places around you can weigh RV’s - also making sure the load on any one tire/axel is within specs - when you build the inside you will need to keep that in mind). The usual rule of thumb with this kind of stuff is you want to stay 20% under the max weight limit when fully loaded with people and stuff so you don’t trash the transmission/engine.
Mileage will likely suck - but that is normal. What you may want to do is add a second gas tank if you are going to travel with it (but again factor the weight into this). Will give you range and you can just switch over to the second one when the first one runs low (or runs out - that happened to me once when I wasn’t paying attention while driving down the highway - lost power, flipped switch, caught back up again no problem). If you have a switchable second gas tank you are also able to rig those to fuel the generator (fueling the generator out of your one and only “regular” gas tank can mean you run out of gas while parked - oops - so don’t tempt fate, not to mention a 5 gal gas container will likely only get you about 40 miles tops).
If you are getting a generator - paying for a quiet one is worth it. Honda makes good ones. Also putting in a system that uses solar (you have a nice big roof and they make flexible solar panels that you can attach to the roof - although having ones that you can crank up and swivel to catch the sun best is good - having ones you can take off and put in the sun while the RV is in the shade works well - but increases theft problems) and then dual power it makes sense. 30 vs 50 amp power plug ins: have both if you can, if you can only have one go with 30 as those are useable in more places. House batteries make sure you have enough - don’t skimp here. And keep the engine battery just for the engine. Don’t tempt fate. Also to the extent possible have all appliances, especially the fridge, dual or tri fuel (eg 12 volt, regular house current, propane). Those appliances are expensive.
As you remodel the inside think about how all drawers, cabinets, doors, etc. need to lock latch shut so things don’t pop open while going down the road. Think through how to design the insides of cabinets so dishes, supplies, etc. don’t rattle around (here is where marine and RV places both will excel at choices/ideas to pirate) matters. Since this doesn’t look like it has anything to level it when parked, make sure edges have lips so things don’t slide to the floor accidentally (although you can buy things to raise wheels - actually raise or drive onto to raise) to help with that.
This could be fun if fundamentally the thing is sound. Whatever you estimate the cost is - well I hate to say it, but doubling that will likely make sense. You probably will unearth issues as you go along. If you look at videos/read about people who converted vans/school busses into something to live in they have plenty of clever ideas for how to maximize storage, build things that are light, etc. Oh and likely from the 80’s this is not insulated. Worth doing that.
@Kidsandliz Gross weight for an '87 F-150 is 4900-6250 pounds, depending on the package. I’d guess - but don’t hold me to this - they’d use something from the upper end of that range for this application. You can add at least a couple hundred more pounds of capacity by upgrading the shocks and leaf springs. It’s a surprisingly easy job to do yourself, and only costs a couple hundred bucks. There’s still an upper limit imposed by the axle strength, but - and, again, I may be wrong, so do your homework - I believe the F-250 used the same axle, so there’s a good bit of wiggle room.
@dannybeans Hmm that isn’t nearly as much as I thought it would be. He is going to have to be very careful with the weight when decking it out. As it is probably at least 4000 gross.
@dannybeans @Kidsandliz
I haven’t explored this yet, but I wonder if the chassis isn’t more like the GMC Motorhome: no rear axles but a ‘trolley’ (semantics?) arrangement instead. How else does the floor remain so low?
@compunaut @Kidsandliz You may be right. Looking at this gallery, it seems to have a similar wheelbase.
Also note the passenger arrangement - it looks like it seats nine plus the driver. That should mean you’ve got at least 2000 pounds of hauling capacity to play with.
That RV reminds me of the Rectrans Discoverer. From the early ‘70’s.
The company rented space in my father’s warehouse to do some development work - that’s how I heard about them.
In its time it was a pretty advanced looking RV, styled by Larry Shinoda, the guy who designed the ‘69 Boss 302 and the Mako Shark Corvette.
We still very rarely see one around.
(The graphics on this video example incorrectly name it “Discovery”)
Just found this out - Zimmers were made as very high end mobile conference rooms and executive transportation. Only a few were made as motorhomes.
As a result likely originally a quality build.
If you decide to give it a crack on your own, I have a couple suggestions.
Walmart sells a “value” line of automotive batteries for around $40-$50. Probably not what you want to put into your daily driver, but well suited for this project to get it up and running and home.
Drain the gas tank and change the fuel filter before trying to get it started. Old gas can make a mess of the fuel system. While you’re at it, make sure to check all your fluids levels before trying to get it started.
Check the brakes to make sure the hydraulics pump up and hold pressure. Then check the calipers and shoes to be sure they’re not locked up with debris or rust. Ideally, plan to lube up the brake system mechanicals.
Replace the fan belt and alternator belt. Unless it’s a serpentine belt (unlikely) a new belt will be only a few bucks. Consider it a cheap insurance against getting stuck half way home. Unless you’ll be driving more than 15 to 20 miles, a new battery will get you there even if the alternator is kaput.
But those tires though. Those tires are spendy. Try calling around to the commercial truck tire joints and ask about used tires. I can’t tell from the pic, but I’m guessing it’s got duals on the rear axle?
I still say it’s a pass, but it could be done with the right planning.
I know I’m getting in in this late, but this is a rare vehicle. I’ve seen one on the road once, and I immediately googled it to see what it was. If you don’t want to fix it up, or just want to do the bare minimum, you might be able to resell it for definitely more than you paid for.
Wasn’t there a meh show done by a guy in an RV like this? Did I imagine that? Was it real or some fever dream?
@thismyusername
It was @Skemmehs, right?
@sammydog01 @skemmehs @thismyusername It wasn’t really an RV, though. It was a Mitsubishi Delica.
So it’s not an airstream so no cult value. A quick search of the NADA guide for RVs says it is worth between 0-8500 so if it didn’t smell like mildew and it ran sure maybe. But if it hasn’t moved in 5 years the rubber will be dry rotted and it’s likely to be more big rolling turd
/giphy rolling turd
@bleedmichigan I agree.
Stay away from the worthless moldy money pit.
Run!! Free Rv or boat wil be worth less then you pay for it.
@CaptAmehrican But then I had a flying junior with trailer I got for free and sold for $500… The only thing I had to do was buy an anchor just in case I couldn’t paddle against the tide if I lost my wind (James River although also sailed it by the Navy Base in that small cove on Willoughby Spit which was about 12’ deep at its deepest outside of the dredging).
It had been capsized in an oil spill before my time, the fiberglass was now brownish rather than red, the hull had been filled with foam because of leaks (so it would drip for a day after I’d use it)… and it sailed great! I won ugliest boat on the water (in Norfolk) and it was great as I didn’t have to take care of much of anything since it already looked like shit.
Of course who I sold it to bought it for the same reason I had it - sailing with little of the work usually involved to upkeep the thing/keeping it look pretty.
Where in N Texas is it located? If close enough I might be arm twisted to help see if it could fire up at the very least. If it was driven in then it should be able to be driven out. Tires of course will need replaced…but get sizes and a quote before you freak out, I know people who RV and they aren’t dropping $3K on tires (but they aren’t cheap for sure). If you have property to move it to, even better…pay a bit upfront to get it moved, remove the bad interior and stop the mildew from continuing. Learning to work on it could very well teach you that you don’t want one…
@tightwad
That’s a cool offer!
I’ve owned two sailboats, three travel trailers and a couple houses. I’m a pretty decent hand with a tool or two. I wouldn’t touch this. RVs are ver complex amalgams of complex subsystems: you can learn how to use them, fix them, and replace them. But even a new RV has nonstop problems. An old, abandoned RV open to the elements is going to be a nonstop repair clusterf#ck. The only people who think button old and rehabbing is a good idea is someone who beber did it. The rest of us have learned from our mistakenly acting on that belief. But if you just want to thro away $25k, I’ll send you my address. In the long run, it will be cheaper and less aggravation.
I’m the guy trying to offload this behemoth. It’s still available if anyone is interested, and is located in McKinney, Texas. Shoot me a message if you’re interested. I would love to see it go to a good use but regardless, it needs to be off the property. Wheelbase is about 20 ft and the bumper to bumper length is 29 ft.
@therealjrn DON’T YOU DARE!
@therealjrn It’s almost worth the cost of transport to have it dropped at @Barney’s place just to see her reaction.
@Barney @ruouttaurmind @therealjrn I mean it 1. gets it off my hands and 2. goes to a good use so go for it!
@ruouttaurmind @therealjrn Aw, come on, I’ve already got a '94 Saturn that’s broken down in my mom’s garage and I can’t figure out how to get rid of the thing. I don’t need this, too.
@87zimmer Don’t listen to these guys. It’s not gonna happen.
@Barney You can try this for the Saturn. They say “running or not”. Better call them today. You need to clear out some space.
@ruouttaurmind Is this a for real organization or one of those ripoff ones. I really need to get rid of that car.
And I’m really glad you don’t know my mom’s address.
@Barney You’re safe. At least from me
@therealjrn You’re the one who started all of this.
@Barney That sounds a lot like a dare.
@therealjrn Noooooo
I’m going to start a gofundme campaign to collect donations for the trasportation of the RV to @Barney’s house. Who’s in?
@Barney @ruouttaurmind Maybe that veteran’s charity will take this RV off my hands!
@87zimmer Great idea! Give them a call.
@ruouttaurmind You are incorrigible.
@Barney @ruouttaurmind Or you could start a gofundme for me and my friends to restore this beast
@87zimmer @ruouttaurmind This organization does not show up on Charity Navigator.
@87zimmer @Barney Donating a vehicle to an organization with a worthy cause is a great thing to do. But if you really need it gone, at the end of the day I guess as long as they resolve your problem it serves it’s purpose. Even if only a small portion of the proceeds make it to charitable causes.
@87zimmer @ruouttaurmind I suppose you’re right.
@87zimmer @Barney If nothing else seems to work, try salvage yards or scrap haulers. Around me, the salvage yards will usually pay a pittance and take it away. They can sell parts, pull core parts and crush it for recycling. I am guessing you have a clear title that can be signed over.
I wonder how much Barney’s address is worth? Maybe Nathan can be bribed with cookies.
@speediedelivery Nathan wouldn’t tell. Well… he might for cookies.
Yeah, I’ve got a clear title. And the salvage yard idea sounds like that might work. Thanks!
@Barney @speediedelivery No scrap yard wants to mess with it due to the body being non-metal. I even told them they could just have it but they don’t even want it for free. A local salvage yard showed some interest but it doesn’t seem like they are making any efforts to send a truck out. If none of the charities take it I guess it’s me and some buddies with sawzalls and pickup trucks hauling bits of mutilated RV to the municipal dump… I really hope it doesn’t turn out that way but is a last resort if absolutely necessary…
@87zimmer have you put it on the free Craigslist section? Then send the link to Jalopnik and post it to a couple subreddits. You’ll probably have it gone before the weekend, and maybe get some questionable cashier’s checks in the mail as well.
Don’t cash those checks.
If you want it haul it to your site. Seal the leaks. Do not spend another dime until you get a title.
I wish I were in Texas! Just picked up a 39’ Tioga that has a few gremlins. I have short legs so have to use a step ladder to get in it, LoL.
Good luck!
And just out of curiosity, how much is the monthly storage?
Here’s some industry info on the Zimmer coaches:
https://www.lctmag.com/article/42108/zimmer-motor-coach-profile
@sarahsandroid That was an interesting puff piece/sales pitch/native ad/article. It really took me back to the late '80s!
This particular relic in Texas has been adjudicated “too much to handle” by the current owner and his friends so it’s probably not worth trying to save.
If “boots-on-the-ground” can see it isn’t worth saving I can’t imagine who does. Maybe somebody who already does vehicle restoration like those TV guys might.
@sarahsandroid @therealjrn There are folks I know who buy what others might call close to hopeless Toyota and Nissan class C’s (there is sort of a cult following of those things). While some of them actually turn them into something nice after practically rebuilding the entire thing, others sell them totally stripped as that is as far as they got. I’d guess there are more people than we think who might be interested. And, of course, it just takes one. Hope someone comes and gets it.
A ghost from the late '80s
I went and looked at this . is it still at the storage lot . i can get that out of there.
@threejbrewer sure, just send me a cashier’s check for $5,000 and you can pick it up at your convenience.
@compunaut @87zimmer any ideas?