If you have never owned, or worked on, a motorhome but want to enjoy the experience without breaking the bank, you can. I have purchased five motorhomes, three from ebay, left another one where it stood upon inspection, and won an auction in which the seller, who was selling for a "friend",  became nervous when I insisted on the Vin prior to sending any money to the seller. When looking seriously at purchasing a motorhome or RV that is from the 80's or so, look carefully at all the details that the seller provides. If you are handy and have access to a wide array of tools, you can definitely make excellent purchases which you can either restore/repair for profit or restore for you and your families enjoyment. My first RV was a 1983 Winnebago cheiftan, 454 engine with 60k on it, no generator, and the origianl interior. I bought this RV almost two years ago, for 4k, put $600 and about 75 hours into it, and we have put almost 20,000 miles on it. (Family of five, about 3000 mile trips and we have had a blast. The "winnie" as we affectionately call her, cliche I know, has served us well. The bottom line is check the basics and ask th right questions! The basics are as follows:

Does it run?     Does it have a working refrigerator, (three way great, two way ok), furnace, and bathroom?     Has it been driven and/or used in the last six to nine months? (If no, disclaim any statements like "runs great, or everything works and stay in the low thousands range for gasoline engine category.)         

RUN THE VIN through a reputable pay service and be aware of multiple inspections, many title state changes in short time periods, and large mileage gaps. (These facts on the vin report can indicate rebuilt wrecks, salvage units with a bogus vin from a junkyard unit, or frankenstein units as I call them, which are basically just that, and ussually dangerous.) Flooded units are often resold without disclosure, and they will rapidly fall apart with regular highway use as the damage is unseen, and ussually much worse than one would think. (rusting structural frame rails, electrical issues with corroding wires, ready to fail brake and steering systems, and harmful mold issues which will thrive in a moist, dark, environment.)

You ideally want a unit that runs and drives, has been registered and inspected recently, and is being sold by the owner of the last couple of years, or by someone who bought it and fixed it up and shares this fact with you. If this is the case, ask the seller for documentation, lots of pictures, and question any item described as "needs tlc, or a little work." Ask the seller if they have "live tested" the unit by going away in it for at least a couple of days, and definitely ask about the mileage. Toilets, converters, batteries, transmissions, wiring harnesses, refrigerators, air conditioners, cracked windsheilds, or severe delamination of the outer shell can be very costly and difficult to repair and/or replace. Very common repairable issues are: manifold leaks on the 454's, small leaks around vents and ac units, inoperable water level sensors for your water tanks, ugly or stained upholstery, or inoperable dash air condtioning. Figure out what you can afford, deduct a couple thousand dollars from your number, (that you probably will need to put in for tires, tune up, brake pads, interior and exterior bulbs, creature comforts, travel expenses to go and get the unit.) BONUS finds in my opinion are: Winnebagos, Ramblers, Revcon, GMC solid body fiberglass units, Travco's, or Alumalite's (holiday rambler), with a generator that have less than 100k miles, being sold by the owners who have traveled in it for at least the last year. (This info is available through a VIN checking, vehicle history report.) BEWARE of: slipping transmissions, over 100k miles without documented drivetrain rebuild or overhaul, no refer, several inoperative electrical accessories, and sellers who have the info that everything works perfectly but they are selling for a "friend". 

Have fun, live the adventure! Our first winnie will be going up on here in the near future, so if you want to see a safe 1983 that runs and drives great and transports my wife and children to adventure filled memorable vacations, keep on the lookout! We are upsizing to a longer unit, as our current unit is 27', which sleeps all five of us, but the kids are getting bigger! Hope this helps in your first purchase, and again, enjoy and good luck!