I did not know this fact about 'odometer readings' on used motorhomes !

looking at a motorhome listing on Ebay from a very reputable RV dealer  ....it's a nice 1998 45 foot Newell with 129k miles at a very good price...(but I'm still just dreaming).

Here is what it says in the fine print of the contract...Odometer Mile: Please be aware that FEDERAL LAW says that ALL motorhome sales of vehicles that are over 16,000 lbs are considered MILES EXEMPT. This means that the miles that read on the odometer are not guaranteed.

I did not know that.

???

Also exempt (49 CFR Part 580.17) "A vehicle that was manufactured in a model year beginning at least ten years before January 1 of the calendar year in which the transfer occurs;"

That may be but Lazy Days deducted almost $10,000 from a friend's trade in 2004 Vectra because the Freightliner computer had been replaced that reset the mileage to zero.

Federal law on cars states that the odometer reading needs to be honest.. If not then a waiver needs to be signed.

However this does not mean dealers can't "Dial them back" and get away with it... They just have to be careful to destroy any oil change stickers and the like tha tmight give away the REAL millage.  I mean how you gonna prove it?

So.....all of the 2007 and newer pushers I am looking at are suspect? This even further complicates matters!
Maybe I go back to 5'er and new truck which is where this all started.
My problem, not yours. I have been on this site almost daily for a few years now. I learn something new every day. Thanks to all who contribute.
Jeff

So.....all of the 2007 and newer pushers I am looking at are suspect?

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I suppose so, if paranoia leads you to such suspicions. Odometer tampering on a Class A motorhome is very rare, simple because most of them are low mileage anyway. Typically less than half a car or light truck of similar age.  I suppose it might be worth the expense to alter the odo on a pristine but very high mileage coach, but that has to be an unusual combination. It's difficult to use a coach for 200k miles without the signs of interior wear & tear that would give it away.

Gary RV_Wizard said:

I suppose so, if paranoia leads you to such suspicions. Odometer tampering on a Class A motorhome is very rare, simple because most of them are low mileage anyway. Typically less than half a car or light truck of similar age.  I suppose it might be worth the expense to alter the odo on a pristine but very high mileage coach, but that has to be an unusual combination. It's difficult to use a coach for 200k miles without the signs of interior wear & tear that would give it away.

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Full service records would set my mind at ease.

A CarFax Report can help spot such things. Of course it relies on proper reporting processes, as well.
When we were looking for our unit, we found a couple that had very questionable mileage and title records.

John From Detroit said:

Federal law on cars states that the odometer reading needs to be honest.. If not then a waiver needs to be signed.

However this does not mean dealers can't "Dial them back" and get away with it... They just have to be careful to destroy any oil change stickers and the like tha tmight give away the REAL millage.  I mean how you gonna prove it?

Click to expand...

There used to be a huge car dealer in Langhorne, PA (Reedman Chevrolet, now Reedman-Toll Auto World), that made no secret of the fact that they turned all used car odometers back to zero as part of their pre-sales prep. They had their own test track on site, and one of the service shops it went past was clearly labeled "Speedometer Shop". It's still legal to reset an odometer as long as prospective purchasers are advised of it. Their explanation was that mileage is not a good indicator of condition, which is true, at least to an extent.

I don't mean to claim it can't be done, but with the advent of electronic speedo/odo, combined with tamper-resistant devices and ECM recording of actual mileage, odo tampering has declined substantially. Besides, with vehicles routinely lasting 200k miles or more, what's the point?

These days, if the odo is incorrect, odds are it was replaced as a repair rather than any malfeasance on the part of the seller. Getting a modern replacement speedo re-programmed to the ECM-stored mileage is not a simple task - some have to be sent to the factory to do that, along with legal documentation as to what & why. Few people or shops bother.

Sorry, I didn't mean to freak out any potential motorhome buyers.

IMO  ...Millage is less important than condition is anyway.  if the speedo or ECU was replaced...It would not be a deal killer.

Engines and transmissions are just one part of a motorhome. Every engine made today can go 200k ( the better the maintenance the better it gets)

Higher end coaches usually have more miles on them, but they last longer so the 'home' part is in still in great condition.

Mid grade coaches start to get expensive around 20 year mark no matter how low the millage because of systems failures,  (I.E.  radiator/fan assy.,  air suspension. etc. )

Entry level coaches usually die around 200K just because the 'home' part falls apart. They may still run,  but by now the roof leaks are showing up on the inside.

out of curiosity...  I would like to know the reason behind that Federal weight limit odometer exemption law.  I know about the "10 year= you can't trust it" rule.

Sometimes they wear out more just sitting there.  I don't mind seeing some miles on them now that I am finally understanding that some people don't drive them but live in them and some people use them for a cross country trip a year.  I'll take the cross country trip and a couple tailgates anyday!

Re: odometer reading on Winnebago. We bought A 2004 Vectra AD in 2015
I have posted in our Manual the following page which explains how to get the proper mileage from the ECU on board.
We bought the MH with 776462.0 Klms. Sept 15, 2015
The last known mileage was  84582 in Iowa, Sept. 26, 2016
I had work done on the generator and mileage was written as 4326 in Hammond, Louisianna, February 21, 2017
I noticed that the  mileage was 5404.1 in Wasleco, Texas, March 15, 2017.
so....something went amuk.
I tried to research how to re-set to proper odometer reading. I could find no answer.
I called Freightliner support and spoke to Steve who instructed me on how to find the true odometer reading from the ECU on board.
Info is available in the Information Centre.
With the ignition key on to the right.
Press E until date shows
Press H to Service, then E (enter)
Go to Diagnostics, press E
Password is 8127 (use arrow keys and E after each digit to enter)
You will see sender, press up arrow twice to ECU vs IP
You can now see proper odometer reading below and also what is currently seen on the odometer
Our true Total mileage = 173410.9

Total mileage - what she shows now should equal last known mileage (84582),
but it equals 168006.8

So if we take the 168006.8 - 84582 (last known mileage) it gives us 83424.8 (mileage not shown on odometer.
We can extrapolate from this information that this re-set to zero has happened before at approx.. 83424.8 Kms,?. prior to us or the previous owner having any knowledge of this.
That is my guess anyway.  Hope this helps others.

I don't know if the FTL method is doing the same but VMSPC will show the total mileage the Cummins engine has since installation.