Advice on purchasing a 1983 Newell, specifically plumbing

[GorillaSooner]

I've been talking with a person for a few days about the coach and went and looked at it yesterday. They are asking $25,000 and it has 150k mi on it with a Detroit Diesel. It seems like a good deal, but my hesitation comes in form of the plumbing. They live up north and didn't winterize it in time last winter and at least one pipe bust.

That's where the concern is. They haven't had it looked at yet to see how much work needs done or if any other pipes busted. My question is, how hard is it to work on plumbing? If any of you guys have had this issue before does it tend to be extensive pipe damage that requires a lot of work? Can the pipes be changed out without ripping out floors and walls?

[rellick]

Plumbing can be a big job, especially if the tanks have been leaking rottong out the basement floor, is a very common issue with the older coaches.
Broken pipes aren't a huge issue, they run them under the floor with basement access, the other things to look at are the water heater, pump, filters if any and valves, toilet etc. The best is to tear it all out and start over new with pex and replace what you can. Taps can also be an issue as well as drain pipes and traps. Theres usually more than meets the eye.

[MrE]

Keith is correct, the one burst pipe could very well be the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Replacing 32 year old plumbing with pex is also a good recommendation if you do buy it for many more years of service.