Abandoned $154,000 Luxury Motor Home (will it run and drive?)
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- I found a rare and weird luxury motor home, and attempt to fire it up and drive it 360 miles....
Things didn't turn out as planned
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I cannot believe your extreme level of optimism! You are driving 360 miles to pick up a 35 year old motor home that you bought sight unseen. You don't know if it runs, if it has working brakes, if the tires are safe, etc. Then you are going to hook a trailer onto it, load up your Yukon (almost certainly well over the tow rating of the motorhome), and drive it 360 miles home. By yourself. In one day! Because you have to go to work the next day!! Wow. Did you really think all of that was going to happen? BTW, I owned a Barth motorhome for almost 10 years, in the 80s and 90s. They were very well built motorhomes. Good luck with your further adventures.
it's always worth a shot!
@@LifeofLind thousands of dollars later and all the traveling it was not worth the shot. You are never going to get that POS motor home now what a yr later you expect it to still be in a tow yard or what just given back to you or are you going to spend thousands more to end up with and old moldy unhealth Ugly POS
Looks like it has been pretty well cared for over the years. An absolute steal for $600. Especially with no obvious damage or mechanical issues. Sucks it got towed, truck stops are militant about that kind of stuff. Glad to hear you are finally going to get it home. Eager to see it cleaned up and back on the road. 👍
Thanks! will have a new video soon!
Definitely a nice, nice rig. No damages and ìt runs great , they always need cleaning of course. Been better off parking in Walmart or motel , truck stops are anal, even dropped trailers get towed empty or full. No respect ,just greedy fuel stops. They don't really care
About people or their problems. Tow happy..
it is stolen
I can't believe you leave it there for a year. this motorhome has a soul, I even fell in love with it from watching this video.
it's a beast. finally made it home, check out the other videos on the channel!
Man, I definitely wouldn't remodel that. It's so retro. I love it. Can't believe you bought it for 600.00. What A steal. Anyone who's handy will save money on repairs. Looks pretty well kept to be that old.
Do not remodel that , this is how RVs should look . Big thumbs up on the start , thats cool that it has a wall phone and CB radio (please keep those) and somewhat new electronics but i would suggest 2-3 500 watt solar panels and replace all those batteries with Lithium Ion batteries and a solar charging unit. Replace All your inside and outside bulbs with LED ones (saves on battery power ) plus brighter
We are pretty big on solar, and that has crossed my mind already!
@@LifeofLind very cool , keep her classy n classic but safe and on the roads with some minor upgrades , I think older RV are better then new on style class and respect , you shouldn't have to dish out a million to have something nice
Have a 1985 Barth 32' model, shes a beast. It had a roof leak, we had to gut it to fix all the leaks. Looks like a giant bread van. The best part is the all aluminum construction like an airstream.
Not even an exhaust leak!!! Nice find!! Awesome vintage coach!!! Leave it as is!! That thing has character!!
I'll clean it up and fix a few things and see how it looks!
Wow! That very blue ‘Bus”, as I referred to it was parked right behind me this week. Been staring at it from the get-go! I knew he was leaving early, but I just poked my head out of my Winnebago to show him this. But they were already pulling out. I could smell the diesel and hear the rumbling engine. Awesome rig & the gentleman I met was just the nicest. So it’s great to see & learn about it.
that's an awesome story!
THIS IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT AMERICAN ENGINEERING. Leave something for decades come back add a bit of fuel liven up the battery, BOOM ! Starts and runs like it were never left standing!
I had a 1987 Country Coach. This is running well. But double check everything. The huge 8 cell batteries are the ones used on firetrucks. Can be bought used from some depts. They replace every couple years. 125lbs so get ready.
Do not remodel that. That thing is dope! Nostalgia always comes back every 30 years.
maybe just a good detail and shampoo?
@@LifeofLind yup shampoo n shine and tidy up any loose threads etc and repair whats broke but whatever isn't don't fiddle with it
Agree. A total teardown and clean, put back together. Modify as little as possible. There is just something great about the old styles, just like the new stuff is great/er in other respects.
I agree with these guys... except I would probably redo the carpet and upholstery, just to get rid of the funk (and update it just a little, maybe even some nice leather) 😬😬
Agree. Just keep the utilities in good shape and it should last a life time
I can't believe you got that for 600 bucks. From where? You could park that on a small plot of land somewhere, do a little work to the inside and turn into a cool little home.
This would be a good candidate to park on a piece of land and frame a deck/ roof around it. As cool as this would be to drive down the road again, the gas would just be absolutely insane and things would start breaking fairly quickly as it's so old.
@@_el_louie_213 I'm saying this based on experience. I have had old camper vans, old trucks cars and slide in campers for pickup trucks. People always buy these things because they seem like a dream that's affordable but you soon realize that everything is brittle and unreliable. I'm giving him sound advice that I have went through myself and want to deter people from the headaches I faced.
Here's a single example of this, rubber seals. They are most definitly rotted away and all your pipes and what not will all need to be replaced right away
The windows and the abundant glass areas sets this motor home apart from today's. Love all that sunlight and visibility.
Me too!
Just found this, but I agree with the other comments, don't remodel it, that thing is cool, however I would update the electronics and lights, stuff like that than make it either safer or just nicer while maintaining that retro look.
I remember these from back then. I was a teenager, my folks were into RVing. We had a 33ft Winnebago Chieftain that was $54k then. Same 454 engine.
massive units! well made though
Oil and antifreeze I hope you checked all your fluids before gunning the engine.
always!
Wow $600. That could be some poor persons home in a Walmart carpark somewhere. No need to be homeless in America if something like this is so cheap.
lot's of good deals out there! just need to look for them!
Drive shaft disconnected, no bolts, batteries dead. That's a fairly effective anti-theft device.
Clearly you dont live in a big city. Crackheads always find a way
@@nubreed13 Sure, you could always attach a winch and drive off with it. And just for fun, the parking brake is on.
@@nubreed13 who wants this????
One of my previous RV units was a 37.5 foot Countryaire mh with a 454 engine, it had a gear vendor overdrive added and got between 7-9 mpg depending upon terrain and speed. The wall structure was aluminum as was the roof framing. Exhaust manifold leaks are the norm for these big block engines. Decided to tow a car trailer with the wife’s Supra on it, mileage thru Pa was 5.5 mpg, traded for a country coach asap. The weight of the newmar was apex 17,000 lbs, that steel framed Barth tank is definitely way heavier.
yeah I dont think my mileage going home is gonna be excellent
You have to love how the front was designed to be so aerodynamic.
Like a brick 😆
Love your vids BTW 👍🇺🇸
I also made a video of a 37 chrysler barn find..will it run after 45 years?? Check it out: ua-cam.com/video/9_OXNclmskk/v-deo.html
hard to find them like that anymore.
Not to be critical, but I use an approach called "hyper-realism" and it goes like this: Plan for the worst possibility and go from there. In other words, I would have already made arrangements to get it towed and would have saved myself at least the 5-hrs drive time and the fuel used by the Denali. This would especially be the case with the time restraint (having to work the next day, etc.) I know it is easy to say this now, after seeing the clip, but just to make a point, the last car I purchased was 5-hrs away, though in great shape, and I still went there with a flat-bed tow truck and did not risk an expensive breakdown. As for the hyper-realism bit, I suppose it comes from my years in the US Army, so many decades ago... In the military, anything that can go wrong usually does go wrong. :D
I count on things going wrong, I just figure ill be able to fix it!
My last motorhome was definitely a fixer upper. I bought a 1999 Damon Daybreak with 34,000 miles for $3000. It ran but it had issues with the parking brake and tires. I bought 2 new tires and drove it 3 hours to get home. It had no power and stalled a lot so I checked the fuel pressure and it barely moved the gauge. Instead of the 50 psi minimum it allegedly needed to run it had about 4 psi. I installed a new pump and it ran like new. After doing some routine maintenance and a few minor upgrades we took it on a 500 mile trip and it did really well.
those are nice units
@@LifeofLind
I forgot that I actually paid less than that. $3000 was the asking price but the storage lot rent was coming due again and he knocked it down to $2000. We moved to a different state and lived in it several months before we closed on a house. It served us well and we sold it for a good bit more than we had in it.
My first one was a 38 foot diesel pusher which was super fun to drive but the gasser was way cheaper to travel in and parts were also way cheaper. Just an air filter for the diesel was $180
Awe man! SO close! Bummer. Love the interior. Hope you get it on the road soon, you'll love it
check out pt.2
Congratulations on your purchase,,that is a really nice motor home ,inside and out,,it's really clean as well and the price WOW,, that's a hell of a deal,,,thanks for shearing,,
It's coming along. Thanks!
Enjoyed the Vid...I was thinking 'what a great deal' when you stated what you purchased the motorhome for...then at the end when you stated that you spent thousands, I was like, 'OUCH'. It will make a great motorhome when you renovate/restore....hope you get it home my friend.
Even with everything it's still worth way more than i paid
And a great coach. I lived in my Country Coach that was in bad mechanical shape for two years. That is good. Hills are a tuff go slow and don't blow the engine. Getting them in and out thakes a monster effort.
Sorry for your loss Brother.
May the Great Spirit watch over you. 🙏
check out the other videos, i had an epic road trip getting it home!
Oh boy. Better you than me brother. Been there, done that. Hope it works out for you. Love to see it brought back to life.
Good luck!
You and me both!
Wow, this is so super cool I know it's somewhat of an older video now, but I still enjoyed it. I know RVs pretty well, always wanted a Trek, similar, never got one, but did own a Silver Streak for a long time, very high-end like the Barth. Towed it with a GMC 1 ton, 454. The reason I mention this is these are really great engines. Mine was so smooth you couldn't even feel it running. And what a workhorse, never had one problem with it on the road. That said, I couldn't believe your Barth started right up, wow, blown away. Such good shape when you found it, what a buy, whoever had it took good care of it and obviously it was not abused before you got it? Also, keep in mind it wasn't a squirrel or rat condo! Of course as I watch this crawling around underneath it in the middle of cold windy weather, oh my god. And the Truck Stop towing it, how rude! One wonders why the drive line was disconnected, I might have missed it but I don't think you mentioned that. Either way I hope you manage to reconcile all the issues by now. Good luck with everything and all your future finds. P.S. my 454 got between 5-7 mpg towing (combined 16k pounds) just sayin' LOL
Dam what a helluva endeavor my friend I think your hard works gonna pay off thanks sharing it👍👍man how time flies
Yes it will! gonna be posting a new video soon with it
You are a cool guy very patient sure a great dad too.good luck and the family will love the old bus holidays 😀steve in uk.near Chester
Just went on our first trip in it! Thanks!
Awesome, its a beautiful RV. Very classy.
It really is!
I am in the same boat brother. I bought a 93 Georgie boy 4 hours away, 3 months ago and still haven't got it home. First was the alternator, then the tires, then the fuel pump and filter because the gas tank had not been filled in 3 years and it rusted and ruined the pump so it had to be dropped and cleaned out. The last thing was a hole in the radiator that can't be fixed but can only be replaced. So far I am into over $2k in repairs and I am not done yet, I'm sure, aaaahhhhhh
hope you got a good deal on it! this thing is starting to come around now that i got it home!
I think I woulda parked at the truck stop, then got the Denali, parked it next to the Barth and spent the night in the RV. Start fresh on a new day.
Exactly what I thought he would have done, and at the very pop into the truck to ask if it was ok to leave a big RV there a day or so.
Denali is a trim package. Not a vehicle
@@genejackson4261 Yukon then Captain Pedantic.
People will pay big bucks for ORIGINAL vintage RVs. Maybe new flooring, reupholstery the benches and chairs. But leave the rest original after a good cleaning.
yeah mostly gonna clean it up
What a shame, everything started so well including the engine then things went downhill from there. I wish you all the best and look forward to your next video on this motorhome.
Fingers crossed!
This is very interesting. I don't know why I clicked on this video but I thought it might be interesting. Guess what it is interesting. Now I can;t wait to see part two!
Dude, why couldn't I get that lucky. Congratulations!! I wish I could run into a deal like that! Even in the condition that it's in, you got a good deal. I can't believe the turn that took at the end....
part 2. is better haha.
Congratulations for won him. good luck with restoring. he or her )) was waiting for you for revival. 🚌
"will it start?"
*engine starts quicker than my daily*
Surprised the heck out of me too!
Sounds really good to
your lucky it was still there what with those bags on the doghouse
That's because it's a mighty Chevy 454 big block :)
What a fantastic looking vintage motor coach.. love it
Thank you very much!
This my first time seeing the motor housing, the battery port, ect.
Dummy me just never thought to ask and no one offered. Thanks.
2 fuel pumps in that unit. one in the tank and the front one. Had the one in the tank go on me. It wouldn't go over 45 mph. went 1800 miles that way. A long ride home but a fun memory for the family. the 454 is a great engine and never gave me any trouble. We had no Air while driving and the cab was always hot in the summer with the engine right there. It also didn't like high elevation and over heated climbing in the Rockies. You should have fun with this.
Apart from feeling dizzy from your phone camera waving about like hell. You have picked a winner at 600 bucks. Please charge the go pro for the next one, I don't think my stomach will handle this again. stay safe J.
Yes! I do agree, need the good camera otherwise it's all over the place!
DO NOT REMODEL!
I'm not a big RV guy...but I know "classy" when I see it...and this is Classy! It looks so nice! It doesn't have that "Look at me! I'm so pretintious! I have all the fancy wireless high-def jig wigglers!" that the newer RV's have. I see this and I think... "Ahhh.... nice and quiet. Disconnected. Relaxing. Sit down, warm lighting, read a book". I see newer RV's and I think "Oh, great, anther email just dinged. I got 9 notifications on the smart TV too. The cold LED lighting is giving me a head ache. I just want to get out of here to relax a bit!" ;)
Hope you manage to get that beast back!
In the process right now!
My parents had one in the early 90's ,rear diesel pusher!!
my lady worked at barth in the 90's. they were the most amazing, luxurious motorhomes on they road. rolling mansions is what they were. real marble countertops, solid brass faucets like you would find in your home, basically, the best of everything. if you had a barth motorhome, you were special in the rv park.
I think it agred really well, kinda like an Airstream
I wish we had R.V's like this in the UK
me too! haha
Nice find Bud.... all the luck in fixin her back
Thanks! I hope to get her fixed up soon, and I will post more videos too!
You ae so Blessed!!!love the origional bud!!we ad a 67 with a bad in back..had all thr windows along side..i loved it! Excellent tthe the jerk soid it..ugh
WoW!!! What bunghole at the truck stop had it towed?? ONE NIGHT!?? Jesus... thumbed up, subscribed, hope that helps.
Thanks! and yes I agree about the bunghole LOL
Across a copart, probably no plates, im sure they get a-lot of that, like shooting fish in a barrel for the truck-stop.
But yea it sucks i hate when a good deal goes backward fast.
She fired right up! You’re so lucky!!
Looks like a rolling Nevada brothel. When you get done with it, it should be pretty damn good.
Beautiful in a old fashioned kinda way!
where r the chicks.
So did you get it home. I picked up a 1987 Hawkins motorcoach with 7 new tires All new upholstery done by a shop. Professional layer carpet 2 new ac units. New furnace. New fridge. New water pump.
New diesel fired furnace and only has 24k miles on it. Runs great. Built in vacume. Blender. Water filter. Ice maker onan 7kw gen set with 127 hours. 50 amp service.. auto switch over . none of the new items had been used since installed. I have done rv repair for many years and this is amazing. This is one of the best built motorhomes available in the day.
I drove it 4 hours home and ran great. I got it for $2000. The new furnace and and fridge cost more than what I paid for it. Everything on the inside is the same as your rv except I have a queen bed. All cabinets are hardwood. Floor is 2 layers of 1 inch ply with 2 inch foam core. Heats and cools easy.
Probably sell it this spring and get a 5th wheel.
check out the channel for the other videos. took me almost a year haha
She started right up. It's gonna be a nice one when restored. Hello from New Mexico! Those freaking truck stops are brutal!! Subbed your channel brother. God bless you!
I don't know if y'all saw the movie "The Money Pit" with Tom Hanks. Premise was they found a (seemingly) great house and they expected to put some money in it for repairs. End result was the house ended up completely collapsed, fortunes spent and lost, relationships killed ... well, ya know what I mean. I was getting a "deja vu" alert when I saw the end news and after a year, the RV is still in Nebraska. I do applaud your attempt and hope there's a good future in it for all that you do. Me? I respect anyone who is mechanically inclined. My wife bought me a t-shirt one time. "I'm mechanically inclined. I screw everything up."
hahah thats a good one! yes, hopefully the next attempt will go better
WOW, a 454 Big Block. I've got one in my 88 Winnebago. It sounds like a Corvette. 😺
All the torque, wish it reved past 3400
Actually, the reason it doesn't is because it was designed as a tractor motor. It really doesn't like to be revved high. I never take it past 60 mph. 😺
Loving the Gongs etc hanging in the background
How long has this been sitting w/o running? I am truly amazed you got it started without pulling and changing plugs, draining gas tank and no pumps etc. seized up.
Happy trails
looks like it was parked in 2008. i was surprised as well
Man, as someone who lives in an old junky 1984 motorhome with no generator, I would kill for that thing. Wow, so lucky.
deals are out there my friend!
Was doing "research" on front drive shaft repair for my Jeep Liberty Renegade....then your video distracted me...in a good way...Subbed for more updates!
thanks!
i am about to pick up an abandoned Fleetwood bounder and will be gutitng and totally re-doing it as it had ZERO tlc. still, I am so excited,
Best of luck to you! The harder something is to accomplish, the more you appreciate it! 😉
Yes! Thank you!
She's looking more like a Barf in this condition, but still a damn fine vehicle. I actually dig the classic interior!
it's coming along nowadays!
For sitting so long and after a short jump charge and now running, holy moly you’ve doubled your money
If I can get it home! lol that will come in the next episode
Holy fuck I hate spoilers in the top comment.
Good on ya mate, it's totally worth getting that home and fixing her up. Plus it's got a mighty 454 in it which is very cool. Watching from New Zealand, time to watch the follow-up vid now. God bless.
Thanks 👍
10:32 Nice!!! And didn't need any starting fluid 💪
Shocking it fired up like that!
@@LifeofLind shows that whoever used to own it took great care of it
wow.....some have all the luck. proficiat
Hi from Australia
I have a 2004 cub cadet gt2550 by the looks of it I have many more years left in it when I look at the quality workmanship in the cadets
Never new they were made by international harvester 👌
many more moons left!
Great deal. I hauled a custom Barth for NASA valued at 2.6 million bucks. Why people spend so much for Go Pro cameras I dont see the value in something that fails that much.
it's amazing to find these in good condition now a days
Barth to a go pro....I got lost along the way??
The only thing I’d change would be ripping out the carpet and laying vinyl flooring. Love❤️💕 from 🇨🇦
yeah i think i can save everything except the carpet
Love RVs and glad you posted this one. I smiled myself when it started Hope you get it back home. I assume you didn't get permission to leave it at the truck stop, the owner must have been a jerk because it appear to have bee plenty of space for it. Good Luck
What a deal. Old school to the max. Can’t wait to see more.
Big thumbs up on the start .. it’s like Domino’s one thing leads to another 😎
got a little lucky
@@LifeofLind God’s grace or dumb luck 😎 thank you for taking us along 👍🏼
Thanks , love the Barth.
The home Depot soundtrack you've gained my respey
Don't change a thing , i love it ! Keep the stock look , please .
It’s beautiful just the way it is ❤️🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Totally agree
WOW!! So sorry to hear that
Can't wait to see it all restored!
That beauty belongs in a rv museum!!😍
We agree!
It is... It's called an impound lot
Man she fired instantly, what a beauty. And listen to it, sounds like a real beast. Good score mate
just stumbled across this,good luck to ya buddy. I liked and subscribed like you asked,keep us informed on the process,I love the older motor homes.
You are brave with a set of balls to buy a Barth Motorhome..lol. Its very cool. Old school tech.
I love it!
Hopefully there will be a part 3 of the Barth motor-home saga, not for us, for you!
coming this weekend!!!
For us, too
Had one with that old 454 in it; they were notorious for getting hot and vaporizing the fuel. Run like a scalded dog in the cool of night, but come sun up down she went!
Aww, it's like a pug, so funky it's cute. Good luck with it.
OMG 😂🤦🥰
What a score, dude.
What a crazy video! Can't believe the risk U took. As soon as I heard Ur plan, I knew I'd have to watch the whole video to see if it worked. Have U got it home yet?
Glad you enjoyed it! ua-cam.com/video/n2NQqFPXZlg/v-deo.html
I just discovered your channel, and it is great. Keep up the good work.
You deserve all of the luck in the world . Such optimism 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Thanks! about to try take two and see if we can actually get it home now
@@LifeofLind perhaps a slightly less tight time scale is required . Look forward to seeing if you can . Subscribed and ready 👊🏻
Amazing. That thing is a monster I love it and only thing I would do with the interior is change out cushions other that leave it be...its a great way to get back to the 80's.
might do carpet
@@LifeofLind I would definitely do the carpet :)....Hope to see a video of it once you have fancied it up. .
the interior is already perfect I wouldn't change anything
it pretty nice for age
@@LifeofLind remember New actually means never ever worked.
Cool Barth. Too bad the truck stop towed it. I would have stolen a couple bolts, and caps from another Chevy HD truck in the yard, and ran the fuel pump leaking. Would also have brought a buddy to help drive your truck back. Would not have risked towing that heavy of a truck behind an unproven turbo 400.
Next time! haha two would be ideal
Just park that gas guzzling behemoth and use it as a "man cave" when the old lady starts giving you grief!
hahah
They don’t build things like they use to. Damn thing fired right up lol. Bad ass dude!! Your a lucky man.
Heck id take that thing. Man thats a reeeeaaallly good price too
pretty much a steal!
🥺 so sorry you had such bad luck with the motorhome. Hopefully things will be better. I’m praying for you 🙏❤️🇺🇸
Love it! Classic BARTH. Them were solid built custom coaches back then! I knew the co-founder. Great product that is def a time capsule! I think I still have the brochures!
Yes they are! I can't believe it has three furnaces!
KEWL...Winnebago sure failed...
i would not waste the time nor money remodeling it just upgrade the TV's and use it. when ever i buy anything that has a carb i always take a boat gas can with the squeeze ball on it a little $20 Napa 12 volt elect fuel pump and 20ft hose has never failed me yet for the fuel side of things. The RV looks like it was like my old 86 holiday rambler alumalite it looked dated but it was built much nicer and a hell of a lot more comfortable then the newer rvs iv had. and good luck getting it back
good advice for next time