May be a Cougar owner soon

[bicklebok]

Hello everyone!

A friend of mine is selling his Cougar 294 model. I'm unsure of the year model, but I think it's 2003-2005. Anyway, Im seriously considering buying it from him. It has normal wear and tear for a camper of that age.

Other than the roof, is there anything else I should be concerned about? I asked him if it had a manual crank for the slide and he said yes, but he has only camped in it a few times and is not that familiar with it.

This would definitely be a step up from our Scamp 13! LOL

[ctbruce]

Welcome to the forum from Kansas City, MO. Glad you're here.

It may be a good idea to get someone who is more familiar with campers locally to help you look it over. You'll want to make sure that everything works or you'll be inviting problems later. Here are some things to check:
Tires: How old and what kind of shape are they in.
Brakes: Are they functioning?
AC: Does it blow cold? Is the fan noisy?
Furnace: Does it blow hot? Is the fan noisy?
Water pump: Does is work?
Appliances: Do they work? Does the fridge cool on electric and LPG? Does the stove work? Microwave/oven: do they work if included?
Lights: Inside and out: Do they work?

There is a starter list, I'm sure others will chime in shortly.

[sourdough]

If you're looking at an RV maybe 14 years old you need to look closely. It's not like buying a new one.

Look everywhere for water stains. Check all water connections/faucets etc. Look underneath with a fine tooth comb. Appliances? What are they like? Do they work? The inside will be up to you. Worn? Beat up? Missing stuff?

Tires would be a primary concern. What is the date of manufacture? If over 4 years you need to replace them. Does the LP system work? Batteries? Are they fresh or burned up? The list is endless. I would suggest printing the PDI for a new trailer and use that as a guideline when buying something that old.

[bsmith0404]

As the others have already mentioned, there are several things to check. Obviously buying and older trailer can save a lot of money on purchase price, but can get very expensive quick getting it into working condition. I wouldn't worry too much about cosmetics, it is what it is when buying something that old and it sounds like you are already accepting that. The big dollar items that will hurt the bank if they need replacing, tires, batteries, refrigerator, AC, water heater, furnace, roof, slide seals, suspension, brakes, wiring (make sure all the exterior lights work, interior and exterior, critters like to chew wires), and of course water damage (look for signs of delamination as well as water stains).

[bicklebok]

Thanks for the tips gentleman.

I know the entire history of this camper because I knew the original owner and the current owner. The original owner used it 3 or 4 times and let it sit in the elements for about 10 years before he sold it. The current owner has used it 3 or 4 times. Cosmetically the sun has taken its toll on the exterior and graphics(dont like them anyway). It has some delamination on the right front edge of the camper. I havent researched it yet, but I believe it's something I can fix.

The tires are 3 years old. Supposedly everything else works. For the price, I'm ok with any repairs that have to be made, except for the air conditioner. I dont know how to work on ac units, so that would be costly.

The seller is a personal friend and his asking price was very fair, but I just made him an offer a little lower than that. To be continued.......