Help Identifying an RV

[Aaron L]

Found this on Craigslist and can't find any information on it. Any help would be great!

1983 Brougham 24' Class C (Fiberglass Shell)

[Joe Z]

Originally Posted by Aaron L

Found this on Craigslist and can't find any information on it. Any help would be great!

1983 Brougham 24' Class C (Fiberglass Shell)

That sure looks like a molded fiberglass body which is in pretty good shape..... I would take that over a stick built with the rubber roof anyday as it should be fairly watertight..... my first opinion is I like it if i was looking for a motorhome. Now not being there in person and it's a 1983 you have to check out the drivetrain and front end components really good and being that old i would hope you have some mechanical experience as bringing it everytime to a RV center for repairs can and will be very costly. but again first opinion by what i see in the pictures it looks to be in pretty good shape.
keep us posted if you proceed.
Joe

[Donna D.]

I think the molded fiberglass mohos are totally cool. If I could find a Scamp motorhome in good shape and local, it would be in my driveway.

If you don't get the answers you seek, you may want to post your question at iRV2 - RV Forum Community and the Open Road forums at RV.Net RV and Camping Forum ? RV, Trailer, Camper, Motorhome, Camping and Campground Information lots of motorhome folks post at both forums.

Best of luck

[Aaron L]

Found the actuals sales site, and some more pictures.

1983 Brougham motorhome used motorhome

Joe Z. I am pretty mechanically inclined. Do you know of a good guide to help me know what exactly I'm looking for in the "front end", I was also reading about the chassis(?) being something to check out.

Donna D. I totally love the Scamps too. I wish I could afford the tow rig, and 5th wheel.

What other molded fiberglass motorhomes are there?

What is the best way to check the seams on it?

I might go check it out, take some pictures and video...

[Joe Z]

Aaron
You can do a quick test of the front end by simply having someone inside the truck while started so the power steering works and have them turn the steering wheel left and right continuosly til it touches pressure (usually 10 o clock to 2 oclock) while they are doing that look at all the components under the front end like tie rod ends, idler arm etc to see if theres any slop in those bushings.... then look at all the other front suspension bushings for excessive wear. ( do not jack it up which is a different procedure by moving components from underneath)
The chassis go from front to rear on both sides and look for any crack, breaks or abnormalities.
Also even though it has low mileage check underneath all components that hold oil/fluids as the seals go bad from non-use and could start to leak.
Lastly go to the exhaust pipe and stick your finger in there and if it comes out sticky, gummy or oily run as fast as you can...... if it's black and sooty that's fine and is just running rich at the carb and or timing..... if it's light gray or white in there it really runs super good.
While your at it look at the camper where it goes over the top of the drivers compartment as the stickies tend to crack there from the bounce but that fiberglass shell is probably fine......try to look in the daytime as night time things look much better than they actually are. That motor home does look to be a nice one which i wouldn't mind owning either.
There's more but hopefully this will help.
Joe

[Aaron L]

I ran down and took a look at it.

-It is in fair/good shape.
-Looks like it got a lot of use, but was well kept
-I think it has been sitting for a while since last used.
-A lot of fabric inside. And it's holding a lot of this Oregon dampness. :/
-No Mildew, or major/minor floor warping that I could find. Little to no color differences. No smell.
-A bit of leaking around one of the windows, looks easy enough to seal.
-Roof looks pretty well sealed up (after-market coat of some sort of paint/sealant) no cracking or damage. probably could use a good cleaning and reapply for the sake of it.
- Side fiberglass feels pretty solid, except at that leaking window. The seams felt pretty solid too, but are in much need of a resealing.
- Fiberglass has no major cracks. has some "age" looking web cracking here and there.
- Damn near all of the cabinet handles are broken. :/
- Bathroom looks in really good shape, seemed like the least water/damp issues then the rest of the moho. +
- Side door looks like it may have been broken into way back looks like a larger?? after market window was installed and a bolt lock put in some minor gaps/warping from the installed stuff...

Test Drive:
I didn't get your post in time Joe Z But I did get to take it on a 5 mile loop.
-Started up as one would expect a sitting rig to.
-Exhaust looked fine.
-Engine sounded normal. (is that even a valid remark
-Belts look old, but far from neglected.
-Same with the tires. 1/2 tred maybe a little more.
-Drove nicely, Didn't feel like a GIANT boat going down the road.
-Steering didn't float, or pull.
-It's get up to 60mph was pretty good. (pretty much as I expected/figured it should)
-Breaks where touchy at first, but felt solid after we got down the road.
(The last 4 I can compare to driving my Dad's 85 Airstream landyacht down the road. This drove better then it ((as it should))
-Cruz control didn't work
-Drivers power window didn't work
-Windshield wiper fluid runs down inside of the dash, and none to the window got my feet wet.

Other:
-Generator didn't start up, probably from the tank being below 1/8 full, they said it would start right up if they filled the tank.
-Didn't see if any of the other appliances worked.
-all but like 2 indoor lights work.
-indoor gauges looked to work.

Dealer Conversation turned to price, and a lot of; If we get this fixed then this $$. I had to walk away, it was getting so sales pushy. Better to sleep on it anyway. I want to go back and look at again tomorrow. Demand to see all the appliances and generator work. And see what other advice you guys may have for me.

[Donna D.]

Born Free is another brand of all molded motorhome.

There was a bunch back in the late 1970s, early 1980s.. like Scamp and Tioga being another. These two were built on either a Ford Ranger or Toyota four-banger drivetrain. Gutless wonders!

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Joe Z

I would take that over a stick built with the rubber roof anyday as it should be fairly watertight.

I see quite a few seams between panel assemblies.
I count 5 separate pieces, not counting the GMC Van's cockpit:

1. The cab-over bunk & front body section including the flare to full width behind each front door.
2. The left (Driver's Side) Wall Panel
3. The right (Curb Side) Wall Panel
4. The Rear Endcap
5. The Roof including the hump that joins it to the Cab-over (which might be a separate 6th piece. I would want to climb up and verify it is one piece.)

If I remember correctly, it should have a steel cage body frame to support the exterior pieces. The center vinyl trim strip in the channel along every aluminum seam covers a self-tapping screw every 3 inches or so, meaning a bazillion leak points around the perimeter of the roof panel alone.

I've had to reseal identical joints in a motorhome with similar construction. The leaks show up inside the cabinetry along the sides. Not pretty.

[Aaron L]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

I see quite a few seams between panel assemblies.
I count 5 separate pieces, not counting the GMC Van's cockpit:

1. The cab-over bunk & front body section including the flare to full width behind each front door.
2. The left (Driver's Side) Wall Panel
3. The right (Curb Side) Wall Panel
4. The Rear Endcap
5. The Roof including the hump that joins it to the Cab-over (which might be a separate 6th piece. I would want to climb up and verify it is one piece.)

If I remember correctly, it should have a steel cage body frame to support the exterior pieces. The center vinyl trim strip in the channel along every aluminum seam covers a self-tapping screw every 3 inches or so, meaning a bazillion leak points around the perimeter of the roof panel alone.

I've had to reseal identical joints in a motorhome with similar construction. The leaks show up inside the cabinetry along the sides. Not pretty.

Thanks! GREAT points!
I guess the question is, does this design's flaws outweigh many of the other construction methods out there?

I kind of think so... At least a lot easier to manage. (w/ all those windows too!)

I am kind of worried about where the roof panel comes in. Any decent way to check that? (in construction do you think they where smart in overlapping the roof over the side panels?) Still a lot of screws though

[Aaron L]

If I where to go ahead on this, how hard would it be to take some fiber and resin, and seal those joints up??

I've seen several surfboards built, and repaired..

I guess it comes down to engineering and how the structural integrity would change. Is the flexibility built into the frame + panels there with a purpose?

Did people even think about this stuff in 83?

[Joe Z]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

I see quite a few seams between panel assemblies.
I count 5 separate pieces, not counting the GMC Van's cockpit:

1. The cab-over bunk & front body section including the flare to full width behind each front door.
2. The left (Driver's Side) Wall Panel
3. The right (Curb Side) Wall Panel
4. The Rear Endcap
5. The Roof including the hump that joins it to the Cab-over (which might be a separate 6th piece. I would want to climb up and verify it is one piece.)

If I remember correctly, it should have a steel cage body frame to support the exterior pieces. The center vinyl trim strip in the channel along every aluminum seam covers a self-tapping screw every 3 inches or so, meaning a bazillion leak points around the perimeter of the roof panel alone.

I've had to reseal identical joints in a motorhome with similar construction. The leaks show up inside the cabinetry along the sides. Not pretty.

Frederich......
You are so right. when i look closer at the pics there are many joints riveted together which make this a "stickie" (steel framework) with a fiberglass coating riveted on.... I thought this was solid molded fiberglass (like a boat or casita, scamp, burro etc) which was attractive to me for being fairly leak proof except for windows etc...... and the mention of the roof being painted with something further proves this. Add to this the salesman being pushy tells me he doesn't have too many Lookers.
Joe