New to the Winnie family and RV's in general.

[Sean-WO]

I just purchased my very first Winnebago Adventurer. Its a 1994 with the Chevy 454 as far as I know anyway. It is 34 foot and has only 49,800 miles on it with 987 hours on Generac generator. It has set up for the last 2 years. All tanks are full including gas tank and it runs like a charm, even the generator !! I was shocked ! I bought it and drove it home 62 miles with no issues other than brake/power steering or should I say lack there of but I have since found out they both operate off the power steering so one fix takes care of 2 things. I got a ton to learn about it but I am looking so forward to it. I'll be picking yalls brains in no time.

 

[Sarah_W]

Welcome, Sean, and congrats on the new-to-you rig. The "adventure" is just beginning!!

 

[LarryW-WO]

Howdy, Sean! 454 is my favorite Chevy engine. Did the former owner keep a list of fluid changes? If old or he/she didn’t, that’s where I’d start. Tire dates would be next.

 

[Sean-WO]

Hey there Larry, As far as I know there are no records. The previous owner passed away 2 years ago which is why it sat for so long. I bought it from a guy that bought the estate. It is completely loaded. I mean every drawer and cabinet has stuff in it so there may be some records but I plan to do it all anyway just because I don't know. The tires look great and fairly new with no signs of dry rot. It was on the jacks when it set up so at least the tires werent just sitting in the dirt. It's not the prettiest thing and it needs some interior work, mainly getting the nasty carpet out and doing a good cleaning but I am in it for $5000 UNDER low retail so I feel good about it. I've got a lot to learn that's for sure.

 

[Lightfoot54]

Hi Sean, Welcome. My P30 chassis shares your issue with the power steering. I haven't tackled it yet. I hope it is an easy remove and replace pump kind of fix; let us know how it goes for you.

 

[Sean-WO]

I sure will Lightfoot. I'm hoping for a leak in the system somewhere. When I went to first look at it the owner added a quart of power steering fluid and the steering seemed ok, whined some but it would turn but I never tried the brakes until I was headed on the driveway and down the road on a narrow road in a curve..lol Yeah it was that dramatic ! Practically standing on the steering to turn it then standing on the brakes to stop it. I felt a whole lot better about my purchase after I made it to my house 62 miles away mostly interstate and it ran good with the exception of climbing a hill when it kicked into passing gear it wanted to bog a little but with at least 2 year old gas I was pleased. I am ready to be camping somewhere !! Keep us posted on your progress as well.

 

[Lightfoot54]

Hi Sean,
Did you ever get the power steering and brakes fixed? Curious how that went. I am finishing the roof this weekend, and might tackle the powertrain next week.

 

[Sean-WO]

No, I have not. I did drive it to the lake and camp over the weekend last week and the weird thing is both brakes and steering work fine at first and then go out or become hard to work. Its not low on fluid and I don't think its the steering pump. I have read something about the park brake out of adjustment will cause something like this. If you notice the power steering dip stick, it has marked on it a range up top where it actually says that. While camping I had a water leak from the toilet supply that leaked under my 2 week old new laminate flooring so I am currently pulling ALL flooring out and will redo with LVP. Gotta fix the leak which I believe is loose supply line, had a flat tire on the way back home but made it safely home. Let me know what you find with yours and Good luck to you.

 

[BCam]

RV tires tend to age out long before they wear out. Just because the tires "look great and fairly new with no signs of dry rot." doesn't mean they shouldn't be replaced. You need to check the DOT date code on the tires to make sure. The conventional wisdom is to replace after 5 - 7 years, Michelin puts the outside limit at 10 years, contingent on condition.

When I bought my 2002 motorhome, the tires looked almost new and the owner told me they were only a few years old. I was more concerned about some other issues so it wasn't until quite a while after I'd brought it home that I checked the DOT code and they were twelve years old and an accident waiting to happen!

Google "RV tire age" for more info. If you do need to buy tires, as long as you stick with a name brand, you'll be OK. You don't need to buy the most expensive tire on the market. Most of the tire recommendations on this and other forums are based on personal opinion or "my brother-in-law uses XXX tires at his trucking company". It's kind of a Ford vs. Chevy thing. After reading some of the tire postings you'll have a pretty good idea of what brands to look at.

Also, try to find a well-regarded tire shop in your area that serves the trucking trade. I found one that also serves many local RV dealers and followed the tire shop's advice, saving quite a bit of money in the process.

And make sure the tires the shop is installing have a relatively current DOT code as well. This is more critical with RVs than cars since car tires wear out sooner. Personally, I'd prefer 6 mo or less but up to a year should be OK (ask for a discount). If you have a spare, instead of keeping your best old tire, you're better off buying a relatively new, used tire for the spare.

 

[Sean-WO]

The tires were put on in 2014 and have sat off the ground for the last 2 years. The flat was obviously due to leaking around the rim and got low enough to break the bead. I have the receipt where he had them put on and he passed 2 years ago so it set up until someone bought his estate and the MH was part of it and the new owner didnt want it and sold it at a GREAT price. I have tons of receipts for stuff thats been done to it. Thank for you advice and info, I will certainly keep it in mind.

 

[BCam]

You're lucky to have all the records and that the tires are only four years old. My priorities would be a full mechanical check-out of the chassis and drive train, brakes, etc. and to make sure it's leak free and to re-caulk as necessary.

Remove the old caulking first, clean the surfaces and re-caulk sparingly, don't goop it on. It doesn't take as much as most put on. Any fixtures (vents, etc.) that show any signs of leakage should be completely removed, cleaned and re-mounted with the proper sealant. Simply applying new caulking externally around the edges and on top of the mounting flange isn't going to be effective. It's the sealant between the two surfaces that does the work.

Winnebago's online sealant call-out lists only go back to 2000, so you might want to call them for advice. If you have a fiberglass roof, Dicor is not the right product to use, despite what others may tell you:

 

[Lightfoot54]

Power steering pump noise

Sean, sorry to hear about the leak. I found this tip for Chevy 454 drivers.