Welcome to Coachella, the story of a 2013 Jayco Greyhawk 31 DS. This vintage of Greyhawk’s were built on a Ford e450 chassis with the Triton V10 gasoline engine. This version of the Greyhawk is built on a 2012 e450, is 32.5 feet long, weighs in the 14,500 lbs. We’ve affectionately name this Greyhawk “Coachella” or “Coach Ella” and started it’s life on the road in Stratford Connecticut. Everyone is aware of the Pandemic, and so Coachella morphed into a home away for a family from Brooklyn New York in 2020 and toured a bit of America. By now Coachella had had some repairs and was getting some miles on it’s feet. The Pandemic ‘ended’ and ownership went to folks in Burlington Connecticut in the summer of 2023. Coachella turned out to be a bit too small for the new owners (they had down sized from a Class A) and so Coachella was back on the market just a few months later. Coachella nearly found a new home in July but that deal fell though and so Coachella found it’s way to our ownership late in 2023 after spotting an ad on RVTraders.com
Coachella has had some repairs through the years. The instant hot water heater installed from the factory was removed for a conventional 6 gallon water heater around 2015 (instant water heater heat of water depends on flow rate and I guess the owners had enough) While in South Dakota in 2022 Coachella developed some fuel delivery issues, chassis A/C issues, and windshield wiper issues.. Stuck in SD for a couple days I presume, the fuel issue ended up being wiring harnesses that were chewed by rodents and the fuse panel under the hood. The panel was replaced and the wiring was repaired. [These I found via all the maintenance receipts.] In early 2023 the stock couch was replaced by a leather reclining love seat. Obviously during that upgrade some flooring was found to be weak and a 3 x 3 foot section where the love seat is located was replaced. This perhaps was perhaps the biggest repair in Coachella’s life although I did hear from the third owner that the rear and front slides had some issues and were repaired.
Fast forward to the present. Coachella made it’s way into our lives mostly because we want to see America while we are mobile enough to enjoy life on the road. My wife and I are both retirees and the Pandemic felt like we missed nearly 4 years of our lives. Aches & pains that come with aging really forced us into thinking about traveling especially with pets, so purchasing a motorhome seemed to make sense especially since we want to bring our pets along with us.
The cost of a new Class C motorhome is fast approaching $200k and beyond, while purchasing a used motorhome has it’s risks if done right many of the risks can be avoided. A used Class C made financial sense for us, and now we will have enough room to travel with our two miniature long-haired Dachshunds and three “candy” cats.
With any big purchase used item, much like a house, you should have it professionally inspected before deciding to purchase. We decided on using a local husband-wife team who are retired and have a small side business as trained RV inspectors. We believe having the inspection done was money wisely spent. The six hour inspection was followed up with a 115 page status report on Coachella. No major issues were found however a multitude of minor issues were found which were detailed in the report. The report has proved to be an excellent reminder to us on what needs to address today rather than tomorrow. Some items have already been addressed;
- Repair Onan 4000 RV QG generator air filter bracket
- Use self leveling sealant (Dicor) on cracking sealant on roof area
- Wire brush and repaint propane tank
- Align valve stems on dual rear wheels
- Winterize Coachella
Of course, once initially set up in our driveway, Thelma and Louise really liked the new addition.
Starting in the spring ’24 we will get our feet wet with Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome. These groups are affordable and really look enjoyable. Once we get acclimated to allowing Coachella proving us the comforts of home we will venture further away from our home. The goal is Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc.
Coachella 