A Tour of Elsie

Although she has less than 90K miles under her belt, being nearly 22 years of age puts Elsie squarely into the category of 'late middle age' in RV terms. I found her in N. Carolina in a state of benign neglect, with all major chassis mechanical systems functioning correctly but with some cosmetic problems and a few issues with some of the 'house' systems. However, her general condition overall was really quite good, despite the areas in need of attention and/or upgrade. Perfect for my needs and budget.

The front brush guard seemed a bit over the top, and unnecessary, as remote off-road excursions don't figure uppermost in my future plans. Also, upon close inspection, the guard installation was a bit sketchy. The mountings and support brackets were poorly secured and generally very flimsy, and certainly not likely to offer much impact protection. So, the whole thing will probably go away!  

  

20 years of mostly summer time use in southern states translates into a lot of IR and UV exposure, with predictable results all over the GRP coach body. By way of contrast the original Ford paintwork on the cab area remains in generally very good shape.

Interestingly, the UV/IR damage seemed to be limited to the darker graphics areas, where the clear-coat applied over the factory decals was failing. No doubt intended to protect the graphics, the coating seemed to have become the weak point and the worst affected. Probably the dark gray graphics absorbed more IR energy, resulting in more  heat exposure than the white background. Also, the body had obviously been buffed repeatedly over the years which reduced clear coat thickness and 'compounded' the problem......pun intended   Some future re-finishing will be needed....hopefully stopping short of a complete repaint or wrap!

Although all the main interior cabinet doors and trim are built from solid wood, the dividing partition walls and cabinet frame panels are built from a sort of compressed fibre material, faced with a faux wood-grain laminate. It's not clear if this was done for cost and/or weight reduction purposes but that material is clearly a weak point in the build, being very vulnerable to moisture absorption on the panel edges where there is no protective laminate. This is most evident at the lower areas where they rest on the floor or, as shown here, when a raw edge was butted up against the entrance door frame. A damp carpet, the entry door left ajar during a downpour, any of several situations could have resulted in moisture wicking into the edge of the panel, causing this distortion and de-lamination.

 

 

In several places there is significant swelling of the panel as well as cracking and lifting of the facing laminate as seen here. At some point this will be addressed with some sort of sealing and re-facing or, worst case, a partial rebuild. 

 

Although still operational, the folding step at the rear entry door was badly tweaked and bent on one side.

The step itself and and it's support braces on the passenger side were badly distorted, likely due to someone backing with the step still deployed and hitting something. The damage made it a little difficult to operate the step and, even if undamaged, in the folded position, the step prevents the entry door from being opened from inside the coach. Not a great design. Time will tell if the solution will be repair, replace or discard the step.    

All of her various bumps and blemishes identified above were actually helpful when taken into account during the sales negotiation for Elsie. So, now on to all the good news!

Apart from two very small carpet stains, the interior of the coach is excellent. In particular, the cab area the headliner, dash, upholstery, door cards and dog house (engine cover) carpet are all unmarked.   

Despite their age, the two  Flexsteel captains chairs are spotless, with the drivers side surprisingly showing no appreciable wear.  Both seats are extremely comfortable with all the power and manual adjustment features working without issues.

The galley area is also extremely clean, showing very little signs of use and none of the typical burns, stains, nicks and dings in the counter top that tend to accumulate in boat and RV galleys. 

The 3 burner LPG stove is particularly clean and looks as though it has never been used. 

In contrast to the moisture damage on the compressed wood fibre wall and partition panels  at the entry door, all the other cabinetry and trim throughout the coach is in excellent condition. Most of it is solid hardwood with no evidence of staining, peeling, fading or other damage. 

The microwave has seen plenty of use but is in good cosmetic condition and, so far, seems to work correctly.

 

The shower, toilet and vanity are immaculate, with few signs of use, although the inner bowl seal on the Sealand Traveler 511 gravity toilet is worn. Replacement parts for the toilet are inexpensive and readily available so it will be overhauled before serious use. The original porcelain bowl is in great shape and will be easier to keep clean than the cheaper, lighter plastic designs found in many newer RVs. The small weight penalty is tolerable in my solo operation.

The entertainment system components are all operational and in good condition, but the TV and VCR are 110 V AC driven power hogs and ancient technology. They will be replaced by light weight 12 V DC units that can interface with WiFi, Bluetooth and other similar 12 V DC devices and operate independent of shore power or the generator, without draining the house batteries too severely. There is potential for several pounds of weight saving in this area as well as much more media versatility.

The Dometic combination gas (LPG) and electric (AC) absorption fridge-freezer is cosmetically perfect, but  very erratic when switching between the two power sources, sometimes shutting down completely, and is generally rather inefficient. When the ambient temperatures get above 90 F the unit doesn't reliably keep the temperature below 50 in the fridge and the freezer is useless. It is also an ridiculously big appliance for such a small coach, where general storage is at a premium. It is a prime candidate for replacement with a smaller, lighter and more efficient 12 V DC compressor unit, which will be more than adequate for my needs and will free up valuable space for extra storage.

All the upholstery throughout the coach is unmarked and in excellent condition, with all the cushions holding their shape well, particularly at the dinette, typically a high wear area.

 

 

 

The condition of the interior carpet in the coach was a particularly pleasant surprise. Most of the coaches I looked at before Elsie had badly worn carpet, often badly stained and threadbare in places. The galley and entry areas usually the worst spots. By way of contrast, Elsie's carpet was a little matted in a couple of spots at the entry door but very clean. A bit of TLC with a steamer and they'll be as good as new. Those shiny light spots in the pic are sun reflections through the side windows.

 

 

The onboard Onan generator is in excellent cosmetic shape, and has only 425 hours running time recorded on the meter. From my boating experiences I've always used +/- 10,000 hours as a rule of thumb for the useful life of this type of generator so, also having seen several Chinooks with original generator hours well over 5000, and still running strong, I think that, with recommended maintenance, this unit has many years of life left.

 

The door seal on the generator access door needs replacement but the generator itself is very clean and looks well maintained. It starts quickly, hot or cold, and runs smoothly with no surging or hesitation.

 

The only problem I could find was that the air cleaner cover was missing, although the element itself was in place and looking very clean.

All things considered, for right around $20K, Elsie seems like a pretty good deal but, as with all things, time will tell. Now, about that 'fridge.