112,000 miles on a diesel Rv

[KandT]

Ok - Many of you know I am looking for my 3rd RV. 

I always bought low mileage but it turns out they break too

So I came across a 2006 Tiffin with the Cummins 400/Allison and 112,000 miles - 40 feet.  The house looks like they were quite tidy and neat people. 

I am guessing they didn't ignore maintenance based on the condition of the house.  But when do you start getting into major repairs for a 2006 Freightliner/Cummins/Allison RV and what about the suspension etc. 

Quite frankly, I never see RV's with 200,000 miles but I always assumed the house was spent by then.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tom]

Ask to see maintenance records. If, as you suspect, it's been well/regularly maintained, that mileage should not be an issue for that engine/transmission combination. Other moving parts will eventually fail. Air bags can and do eventually give out. Don't forget to check tire age (not just visible condition).

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The popular notion is that big diesel engines last a million miles, but that is only partially true.  The million mile part refers to the time between major rebuilds, i.e. new crankshaft & pistons.  Most of the other components have lifetimes around 100k miles, so you can expect age-related failures in things like the water pump, starter, alternator, fuel pump, turbo,  etc. Radiator and the rest of the cooling system are also at risk.


I'm not trying to scare you off - just want to avoid the popular misconception that mileage doesn't matter if it's diesel.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

I have 126K miles on my 22 year old American coach and nobody is gettin it any time soon.>>>Dan

 

[Roy M]

What Gary said. My Ram ctd has just over 200,000 miles (originally sold in the U.S.) and the engine is just nicely broken in. However I have had to replace the a/c clutch and water pump which was not a fun job, stuff wears out and needs to be updated. It sounds like the previous owner actually drove it which in many cases is easier on the coach than having it sit in an rv park most of its life. Many only get driven south in fall and north in spring.

 

[Tom]

Good maintenance records might show if any of the wear-out components have been replaced.

I've never heard anyone claim a diesel RV will go 1 million miles  ??? ; I'd think a lot of other stuff would be worn out long before then.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The coach as a whole may or may not last a million miles, but "internet wisdom" says you need not worry about miles on a diesel engine cause they are "million mile engines".  Actually, Cummins says 500k miles in a motorhome, but that's academic.  The point is that it applies only to specific components and not even the entire engine, let alone the entire coach.

 

[KandT]

Thanks all - I really hadn't considered things like the water pump going.  The trouble with an RV is it doesn't break in your driveway and it doesn't break 6 miles from your house :-[

So when you do get stuck you are usually far away.  I will stay clear of this one.  Seemed like a good deal.  I will post it here for comments or just interest.

https://www.rvt.com/Tiffin-Allegro-Bus-40tsp-2006-Davenport-FL-ID8705236-UX261501

 

[Tom]

Some years ago, an acquaintance who owned a trucking company told me that he got a 750,000 miles warranty with new big-rig tractors (as in tractor-trailer). Nowadays, it seems that some of the truck manufacturers state an expected life on their powerplant (e.g. 1,000,000 miles), and offer a lower warranty (e.g. 250,000 miles), some including component parts.

Too bad we couldn't get those warranties on new coaches.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Thanks all - I really hadn't considered things like the water pump going.  The trouble with an RV is it doesn't break in your driveway and it doesn't break 6 miles from your house :-[

So when you do get stuck you are usually far away. 

That's why you get a Roadside Assistance plan.  CoachNet is the gold standard, Escapees, FMCA and Good Sam also offer them through affiliates.

Basically, they will tow or transport the RV from where it broke down to a qualified repair shop at no additional charge, regardless of distance.  Including when my 35 ft. motorhome lost a rear axle seal in the middle of Death Valley.  CoachNet transported it on the back of a flatbed semi 85 miles to a repair shop in Pahrump NV at no charge.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I really hadn't considered things like the water pump going.  The trouble with an RV is it doesn't break in your driveway and it doesn't break 6 miles from your house :-[

So when you do get stuck you are usually far away.  I will stay clear of this one.  Seemed like a good deal.

If any sort of mechanical breakdown exceeds your risk threshold, then that's a wise decision. However, you are probably ruling out anything over about 65k-75k miles. Heck, the starter on my last DP got replaced at around 45k miles (age 5). It happens, and it's as much from age (lack of use) as mileage.

Realistically, you need to be prepared for problems on the road, so Lou's advice re road service is excellent. The other half of the story is maintenance and awareness. Pay attention to your engine and tranny and watch for signs of incipient problems, e.g. odd noises or changes in behavior, and get them checked out if you cannot diagnose yourself.  When buying an older diesel coach, plan to spend $1500-$2500 getting the chassis thoroughly checked by a reliable shop and all maintenance brought up to date.

 

[zmotorsports]

Like others have stated that the engine itself will usually go 500k plus but accessories will usually not go that long.  Our 2003 Dynasty just turned over 121k miles and I have rebuilt my alternator about 35k miles ago (due to preventative maintenance) and I recently replaced my turbo while I had my exhaust manifold off of the engine.  The exhaust manifold had cracked and while I was measuring end play and thrust clearances on the turbo, I noticed they were getting close to their upper limits so I opted to do a turbo  while it was already torn apart in my shop.  I had a water pump fail about 25k miles ago which wasn't too bad of a job to replace but it was while I was on vacation so it took me a little longer to round up parts/supplies while out of town compared to if I would have been at home when it let loose.

All that being said, I would still feel much better if the owner had good maintenance records and you could see where they are at on all of them.

Mike