Should I buy 98 Coleman

[campfam]

Hello,

I have never owned a popup camper and My wife and I are in the process of looking for one.  I found a 98 Coleman that looks really nice at a dealership near us.  What I want to know is there still life left in a popup camper this age?  How long do most popup campers last?  Like I said this thing looks really nice and is plenty large for us I just don't want to make a mistake and have to buy another one two years later.

Thanks,
campfam

[rccs]

If the camper is in good condition now it should last you for many years to come if taken care of. My 1995 Coleman is in great shape and I see no need to replace it for many years.

[mike4947]

Two of my old PU's from the 70's are still on the road the last time I checked.

But, there is one major thing to check out on 96-03 Coleman/Fleetwood PU's. The ABS roof and ABS panels. DO a search on these before you really get interested in that trailer. it could save you thousands of dollars.

[GeneF]

Coleman roofs had sagging problems during that year.  I know, I had my roof replaced.  This is about a $1200 plus repair.

If you want to check if the roof is sagging:'

1.  Raise the roof about 6 inches.

2.  Use a string and place it at one end of the roof.  Put the other end of the string at the other end of the roof and pull tight.  If there is a gap of about 1/4 inch or more between the string and the roof, there may be roof sag.  This means the seals on the roof at the ends will not seal and you will be getting water into the camper.

If so, I would stay away from it.

Maybe you could ask the dealer if a new roof has been put on.  I believe there may be a way to tell by the serial number on the roof.

Personally, I wouldn't consider buying it just for the potential of the roof sag.  IMO