1987 Southwind - what to look for
Paul Dickson
Are there any known problems with Southwind motorhomes of 1987 vintage?
The one I am considering is 30-something feet long and has only
30-something K miles on it. I don't know the chassis or engine type.
Other than the usual things to check when buying a used vehicle, what
should I be on the look out for? Any recalls, etc.
--
Paul Dickson
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Oracle Corporation.
TQu...@wow.com
In article , QBF...@prodigy.com says...
>
>We have our third Southwind ( 1983, 1989, and 1996). It is a well made
>product at a reasonable price. However, watch the 1989 for side wall
>delamination. It is a very expensive problem to correct.
>
>Good luck shopping.
>
>Debbie
>
What do you mean by side wall delamination? We have an 1988 Southwind
Deborah Heinz
Ernest Smith
> In article , QBF...@prodigy.com says...
> >
> What do you mean by side wall delamination? We have an 1988 Southwind
On the 1989 Southwind (not sure about the 88 or 90) the roof does not
overlap the sides of the coach, just meets the sides. A fiberglass
molding is then attached to cover the seams where the sides and the
roof meet. If you do not remove and replace the sealant every year
(should be checked once every six months) the sealant cracks/shrinks
enough to allow water to enter between the inner and outer walls
of the coach causing the sides to delaminate. Also, on any coach
the sealant around the windows should be checked and replaced at
the same interval. The 89 Southwind also has a front "cap" that
needs to be resealed. If you are not sure that the person you
are buying the coach from has had this work done every year and you
are in a state that get a lot of rain (ie here in Oregon) you might
be asking for problems. We bought our 89 new and I thought that I
was resealing the roof and windows correctly every year. But we
just had both sidewalls and most of the inner walls replaced on
ours by the Fleetwood repair center in Riverside. The total bill
came to almost $22000. Fleetwood assumed the majority of the bill
and we ended paying around $8000. The same design problem still
exist (roof/side), but was given "very" good instructions on what
to do by the personnal at Fleetwood. You can bet that I am going
to be a LOT more diligent in inspection and resealing of the coach
now.
--
Ernest Smith
email er...@oregon.west.sun.com
Deborah Heinz
The layers of the side walls separate. It looks like a ripple or bubbles
when you look down the length of the wall. When we traded in our 1989
Southwind, the dealer carefully examined the sidewalls for delamination.
He said 1987 - 1989 were the prime years for the problem. Some units
have the problem, others don't.
Our relatives had delimination on their Pace Arrow. The repair bill was
approximately $5,000. Fleetwood had their motorhome for 2 months.
I hope this is helpful.
Debbie
Paul Dickson
In article <4tkph8$1q...@usenetp1.news.prodigy.com>, QBF...@prodigy.com
(Deborah Heinz) wrote:
> He said 1987 - 1989 were the prime years for the problem. Some units
> have the problem, others don't.
>
> I hope this is helpful.
>
> Debbie
Yes, thank you. Though now I find out that the rig I am considering is
not a Fleetwood Southwind after all, but a Georgie Boy. Same vintage. Is
this
prime years for the problem something specific to Fleetwood construction,
or is it likely to turn up in all brands? I am not that familiar with
Georgie Boy myself.
Loretta Ray
Loretta Ray
I have a 1990 Southwind which appears to have delaminated in two
small sections of the sidewalls before I spotted it. I took it to a
dealer to have it resealed. My question is will the resealing
prevent further spreading of the delamination or will it continue
to spread??? Thanks for your help.