2005 Monaco Executive - Feed Back is it worth the buy..

[MJ.STIGER]

1st off thank you for accepting me in the community. Been hunting these forums for ideas and discovery as i look at a used unit. 

 

I am looking at used 1 owner 2005 Monaco Executive w 135k ... Asking price is 80k. Is it worth it?  I know that could be a loaded question. But Year and condition wise is it with in reasonable asking price?

 

I have watched a ton of videos and browsed through this forum. Educating my self on things i should be looking for good and bad. In my inspection of this coach i think it very well taken care of unit. I will list the things i found that are cons if you will. And then the positives. Would like to hear your feedback if you have any good or bad. I am no Coach inspector by any means but good at lots of things. 

 

- Rear Tail Light Cracked

- Black Paint Checking

- Milage 135k

- 10k Onan with 3000hrs

 

Here are the options and things i found in my walk throughs. 

1 - piece roof no seams (a wind detector for awning has silicone needs to be replaced with Dicor)

- Tires Date code 2021

- Carpet replaced in clean condition

- Shocks replaced

- Norco Refrigerator replaced

- Roadmaster S- Series Chassis

- All storage areas Clean + Passthrough slide out tray

- No signs of water damage in any cabinets or next to refrigerator

- Slide Seals look to be in good condition and no puddles or sign of water having been sit on the slide outs. 

- 3000 watt - xantrex

- Aladdin System

- Power Reels  Water and Shore Power

-  All the Coach and Product Manuals including the full book Wiring Diagram

- No cracked counters or chips or gouges in wood interior

- Washer/Dryer Combo looks to never been used. 

- Roadmaster 9000 

- 1 Large Girard Patio and front door awning

 

I can post some photos on request. 

Thank you all for the comments good or bad. Looking forward to getting back to some type of RV travel. 

[Fasthobie16]

Looks like it’s been used with mileage and generator usage at 3000hrs. Tires are good for age dates. More than likely bugs and problems have been fixed over the time of ownership. Have you driven it?
You didn’t mention anything about service records , repairs, receipts, etc. I’d be looking at that. Operate the washer/dryer.  Pull out cabinet drawers and look at the floor for water leaks etc. I’m pretty sure this model has AquaHot. Does It function through the cycles and come back on when temp resets? When last serviced? Paint:  if you’re planning on that experience, $$$$$.  Does it need it?? What EMS / transfer switch is Installed?  Norcold refer replaced with what???? TV’s upgraded to digital flat screen? Entertainment system working? Toilet holding a little water in the bowl? I’m not sure but I don’t think it uses DEF. That would be a good thing.  I’m sure I could think of more to look for but if it meets all the above, you probably could make an offer. If they are asking $80, they will take less. Always negotiate. Good luck. Jim 2000 Monaco Dynasty 40’

Edited March 11, 2023 by Fasthobie16
Spelling

[Just Jim]

that pricing seems to be in line with what I'm seeing.  It usually depends on the number of slides and the length.  2 slides are priced much less than 3 or 4 and longer coaches seem to be a little less.  The 500 hp Cummins is a great engine and I would not bat an eye at 135k miles.  The ones you want to avoid are the 20 year old engines with 30k miles.  For sure check the Aqua Hot, that can be a money pit.  Also, the usual stuff....  check for rust, service records, etc.  Get an oil analysis if it hasn't been serviced recently.

[PAPARO]

Hi, this is my first  crack at this! I love this organization. It’s  gotten me out of trouble on many occasions! MJ, sounds like you’re on top of things, while you’re checking for rust make sure you get on your back and crawl underneath check out the framework for the  basement. Also run everything ( Air conditioners/heat pumps; generator; furnace; fridge/freezer; washer dryer; slides; awnings;  battery compartment; water pumps; electronics  etc.  Take your time try everything! 

[Dr4Film]

The price is in the reasonable range. As far as the coach and chassis, you just have to work your way through each and every nook & cranny, each system, electrical and mechanical, etc. That may take you a few days. My first Class-A I spent two full days going through it. My first Monaco which was only one year or so old I spent one full day due to its age and the seller's use and knowledge of it. The Dynasty, I could & should have spent at least two full days.

I hired a "certified" NRVIA inspector to inspect my Dynasty before purchase which was a waste of money. In retrospect I should have done in myself as I had more experience with Monaco coaches than he will ever have. Lesson learned.

Remember that there are four main electrical systems, shore power, generator power, Inverter power all of which provide 120 VAC along with 12 VDC power. Two water systems, shore and water pump. Don't forget about solar power.

The thermal checking was very common in many years of Monaco coaches, so you won't get away from that especially in the dark black areas.

 

[Jdw12345]

One of the things I did while researching possible coaches to purchase was to run a Car Fax on them. It doesn’t tell everything about the possible purchase but it can provide more pieces to the puzzle and provide you with info when compared to the seller’s story to what you do know about the history of your potential purchase. You can also get the vin number and the engine numbers and stop at a Cummins dealer and have them do a search to see what pops up, it’s a crap shoot but you have nothing to lose! 
 

Generally speaking the more owners any piece of equipment has been through the more they are neglected, that’s just generally speaking, sometimes it’s not true tho! If you are able to find out where the coach was serviced (hopefully by the same facility) that helps in itself, call the facility or if you can stop there and observe the repair facility to get a sense of there work just by looking around, also ask the service facility how well maintained the coach was.
 As stated above, try everything out, all the functionality of everything, from the slide outs operating smoothly (extending and retracting) to all the doors closing and opening (internal and external) to light switches, cruise control, headlights, everything!

 Consider a inspection.

 

 That price seems to be in the normal selling range for that year and model. Use RV Trader as one point of reference on pricing.

 

 One more thing to consider, once you find a model that fits your needs, download the original sales brochure and educate yourself on what was standard equipment and what was optional equipment so you know exactly what you are looking at and how much propaganda you are being told!   When considering a purchase from a private party, I always ask the seller how much they know about what they are selling, if they claim to know and you know from the sales brochure or forum’s that they don’t know what they are talking about, you now have a basis of them and there knowledge. With that said, not all sales brochures are 100% but it’s certainly worth noting.

 It took me three years to figure out and find what I was looking for.

 

 JMO

Edited March 11, 2023 by Jdw12345

[Steven P]

I'm not as seasoned as most on here, but the 135k miles on coach seems good for age and diesel and i wouldnt worry there.  The genny may be a little high and a negotiating factor, but not a deal breaker at all.  I have about 1200 hours on mine.  In addition to the above questions,  how many previous owners? Does everything work?  I had an RV shop inspect the one I bought and seller took $15k off already agreed upon price after seeing what needed work.  That was without me asking. But it sounds like you found a good one, make sure you're happy w the floor plan. And of course post the pics.  We love pics. 

Edited March 11, 2023 by Steven P

[jacwjames]

I'd suggest get 3 sampling kits from JG Lubrication and at minimum sample/analyze the engine oil, transmission oil and either the engine coolant or generator oil.  Well worth the time and effort.  The kit has a small bottle, labels, and small sampling tube.  They also sell a vacuum pump but I've bought a large syringe that works good.  Take sample, fill out the label with appropriate information, and send it in, once they get it it takes a couple days, so depending on mail could be a week.  Create an account on the JG Lubrication site and they'll email back the results. 

The results will flag any abnormal limits on the sample.  On oil samples I look at the metals and silica levels.  Silica is an indication of dirt contamination, which in an engine is bad and probably means the air intake system has been compromised.  Does not take much dirt to dust an engine, which means $$$$

But if the coach looks good and you can't find anything wrong the price seems OK, do some comparison shopping.  RV Trader will show asking price but you never know what they actually sell for.  I know PPL has prices of units they recently sold. 

[vito.a]

Both the mileage and generator time are high, but if taken care of will be fine.  If trading into a dealer, they will hit you hard on these.  Up to minus 50%!

Does it have the Cummins ISM 500, the Cummins ISX 525, or the Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine?  These last two were expensive options but the ISM is a great engine.  The Aqua Hot was also an option.  What about Eaton Vorad Smart Cruise (another expensive option)? 

If it's 40' it will have two A/C's and if it's 42' or longer it will have three. 

Check the slide out covers, the awning material threads, the air conditioners/heat pumps, the undersides of the slideouts, the locks on the driver's side front slideout (there is one front and one on the rear of the big main slide), the Aqua Hot on both electric and diesel, battery age for both house and chassis batteries, the HWH air ride and leveling system, the dash A/C, and the kitchen sink drain where it transitions from the slideout.  

It is approaching the age where it will need some TLC.  I would budget $10k for updates and repairs.  Plan on doing most repairs yourself or double that figure.  

Best of luck!

[MJ.STIGER]

Thank you all for the great and Honest feedback. 

Posting some photos since they say more than words at times. 

There are Service Receipts with repairs to the Aqua Hot bad level sensor, Seals and sunshade replacement. 

And to some of the comments i have looked at all nook and crannies trying to find Water leak, Wood issues, Wallpaper peeling and not finding anything that i can say humm possible problem. 

 

[Gary 05 AMB DST]

In that time frame, the cause of the black paint checking was that a new, outdoor siding panel was used.  The new panels would outgas in the hot sun. That caused the paint to do what you see (checking).  No problem. Some non-owners think that it was finished that way and complimented it.

Gary 05 AMB DST

[Fasthobie16]

MJ, 

So what’s the problem? Make a deal if y really like it. 

[MJ.STIGER]

No Problem just wanted some of your feedback. I think i have done a bit of research on repairs and such. That i feel comfortable going into it for sure. I am good with many things and if their is a schematic i can figure it out. Little up front cost to spruce it up. Like new sofa and changing bed from Queen to King. 

And other little things new display head unit, side cameras to start. Then getting a flat tow setup.

Down the road would be having the black repainted so the looks fresh and remove carpet and tile it all the way through. And upgrade refrigerator to house style. And that is about it out side of up keep and maintenance. 

Oh Solar for sure Might make it to the top of the list. Have lots of solar stuff from my business. I would like to go that route 1st. But i am sure i will want to add more batteries for storage. Will just roll with what i got for now. 

Will keep all posted look forward to road ahead. 

[Steven P]

Brochure looks great.  Nice that they put a tag on all of the Executives.  My Diplomat 40 doesn't have a tag. 

2005.Executive.pdf

[Tom Cherry]

The 2005 was the last year before the total upgrade of the electronics.  The newer ones have more creature features like the Intellitec MPX for the lighting (dimming) and the switches.  The newer ones also have up to 22 Custom Intellitec circuit boards in the front rb and a covey in the back.  
 

the real expert here is our site owner @David Pratt.  He will get an alert.  I’d pm him and talk to him.  He did a thorough review of what he wanted and custom ordered it and eventually moved up to a Fore Travel.  I consider him our best pre 2006 expert on the Dynasty/Imperial and on up models.  I know he knows every nook and cranny of the Exec and did all his repairs and a ton of upgrades.

Good Luck…

[MJ.STIGER]

Thanks Tom. 

I plan to do some Home Assistant Integrations at some point. Should be Easy enough with current wiring and such. 

I will need to hunt down changing things out to LED for less power consumption. I will dig through the forum i am sure i will wind what i am looking for. Thank you so all for the great feed back. 

[vito.a]

Wow, that's a nice coach. 

Just repainting the black exterior will not get rid of the checking.  As someone else mentioned, it's caused by the filon fiberglass siding outgassing.  Paul at Precision Paint in Bremen IN seems to have success in limiting the checking, but it's a $20-30k process.  Still a lot cheaper than replacing the siding.  

In most cases changing to LED lights is just a matter of changing the bulbs.  

My opinion: RV dealers are like old fashioned used car salesmen.  Verify everything in writing.  

Good luck!

Edited March 12, 2023 by vito.a

[MJ.STIGER]

Vito the checking is only bad and visible on the black. I did get a quote to repaint the black only for about $4k. To keep the coach in a nice presentable manor i might just have the black redone. At least it would give a few more years or more of looking nice and clean rolling down the road. You where spot on i asked about a whole paint job. If i was going that route then i could design anything i wanted. 

LED there are some lamps in there that i think have a small ballast which might need to be removed or modified. 

[Ivylog]

Having owned a 04 Dynasty for 14 years… sold to our daughter so 19 years, it’s a great rig on the good handling S-10 chassis. Should have the adjustable TRW steering box. Looks to be a 40PBDD with a ISM (good engine)…needs both batteries to be the same age. Only one LR slide is a plus as you have a bigger Girrard awning and the bays are easier to access.

I would not worry about repainting the black as it’s strictly cosmetic and will come back if you repaint. I would definitely replace the No Cool fire bomb with a residential.  A 21 Whirlpool only requires an inch more height while a Samsung requires 7”.

A diesel Onan is only good for 20,000+ hours and the chassis should go 500K.

Not a deal breaker but the window at the head of the bed will be cold in ID. Not having the house multiple system is a plus… hard to beat rocker switches.

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Ivylog

[jacwjames]

I'd do some checking on repainting just the black, it probably won't get rid of the checking as it penetrates into the fiberglass.  I have the checking on my 2002 Windsor, at one point I read about using black wax to hide it and tried it, it works to some extent but not a cure.  At this point in time I just live with it.  

[Paul J A]

Price is great. Less basement storage with a 40' Tag Coach. You will really appreciate the NO patio area front slide and large patio awning.  And as Dick stated, access to the basement is so convenient, with the vertical parking basement doors. We full timed with a 3 slide Executive we ordered, specifically for those 2 reasons.

[waterskier_1]

That price seems fair, but it really depends on what maintenance and upgrades have been done over the years.  I have a 2005 Exec that I specifically choose because I did NOT want the Multiplex system they put in the Exec's and Dynasties the following year.  I paid a bit more, but my coach had 2 new roof A/C's, new inverter, 1000 Watts of solar integrated with the inverter (Victron equipment).   Also the front and rear TVs had been updated - the front from a plasma in the ceiling to an LED (which I have since upgraded to a larger one), the rear from CRT to 32" LED.  It has a coach wide router with WiFi and Cellular Fail-Over.  A new upscale microwave.  New surround sound A/V receiver with Bluetooth and WiFi.  A new 600D Aquahot unit.  And many other things - all in all, I calculated the additional items worth over $20,000 if you hired the work done.  

  -Rick N.

[MJ.STIGER]

Thanks for all the great Response's. This group is truly amazing. 

 

 

I do like the large awning and not having a slide near the entry door. I can see the huge benefit to access the basement while the awning is out. 

Interested did you have to remove a window to get the new Fridge in?

[Mocephus]

Definitely get an inspection done by a certified NRVIA inspector. I’m very handy and knew a lot about what to look for, but not trained like their inspectors. It was well worth it. He will find things that you won’t and that the dealership probably doesn’t know about. I also had fluid analysis done on engine and generator oil and coolant and transmission fluid. The final report I received was huge leverage when negotiating the final price and saved me thousands. Money absolutely well spent. 

[Dr4Film]

20 minutes ago, Mocephus said:

Definitely get an inspection done by a certified NRVIA inspector. 

Money absolutely well spent. 

I guess you must have missed reading my previous post.

Not always true!