New Class A owner 1999 Winnie Brave SE 29A F53

[risenphoenix71]

Hello! This is my first class A but not my first RV (have had toy haulers, pop ups, travel trailers in the past).

I'm here looking for tips and tricks for my new-to-me Winnie Brave SE 29A (1999 F53 chassis). She'll be hauling me and my greyhound around the country this summer. It's still snowing outside, but I've been up on the roof (during a warm couple of days in the 50's last week) and resealed almost everything and added vent covers over the vents (Maxxair because I love them!).

ATM, she's at the chassis shop getting the once over. I'm expecting a laundry list of to-do's from that. She's got 53K on the odometer but it's apparent that the maintenance came to a stop and she was stored for the past 10 years (judging by the maintenance logs that ended about that time from the original owner). So, lots of little nitpic things like broken and seized up latches, weathered seals, etc. But, the systems work and the roof is undamaged. Some minor water damage from the window seals and such.

Anyway. Hi!
Corrine

 

[Morich]

I used to buy a few old ones for short term use to repair and then resell and there is one thing that suddenly came home to me on what happens when we don't use one for a while. I bought an old one that had been used as a photo shop going Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart without much driving.
Put it in shape for one big trip to Ca and sold it only to have the guy come back and ask if I had any brake trouble! Seems brake fluid attracts moisture which then rusts wheel cylinders! When you start using those cylinders the rust scores them and they leak.
Point being to have the brake fluid changed out and maybe go for looking in the cylinders to see if they are okay.
Coming down the East side of the Rockies, my MIL asked if we had brakes and my wife told her we did, little knowing how close we did not.

 

[risenphoenix71]

For sure the braking system will be checked. As a matter of fact, the chassis shop (they do all sorts of commercial vehicles) specifically talked about brake calipers. I have race cars, so I know my way around general automotive systems. It's all greek to me when adding a house on top of a truck chassis though. And Kingpins....I thought those were mafia bosses and not suspension bits!

Also, tires.... the date code on the tires is 2011 and I know from my towable days that age kills tires no matter what the tred looks like (the PO was proud of the tires having 'great tred'. I just smiled knowing they were not long for this world).

 

[RD Eagle]

Congratulations and safe travels. Sounds like you are on the right path for doing that.