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Geocritter's avatar
Geocritter
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013

Between-overhaul mileage of a well maintained RV gas engine?

I read about people getting huge between-overhaul mileages out of diesel engines, one fellow just wrote about getting 368,500 miles from a Cummins diesel and I’ve heard about truckers running diesels well over 500,000 miles. Some of this is to be expected since diesel fuel is also a cylinder wall lubricant, whereas gasoline is a detergent. Nonetheless, this leads to the question, what kind of between-overhaul mileage can one expect to get from a well-maintained large bore gasoline engine? Years ago, gasoline car engines wouldn’t go much over 100,000 miles without a major overhaul. My last 1998 V6 Caravan engine was still running great at 286,000 miles without ever having been overhauled. I realize that car usage is a lot different from truck and RV usage, but I still have to wonder what kind of between-overhaul mileage these large V8 and V10 RV engines are capable of, assuming that they’re well maintained.

Steve

16 Replies

  • Had a fleet of ford 5.4 E-350 with 480,000-635,000 miles on them. Everyone org. Drive trains.
    JKaz
  • Geocritter wrote:
    What kind of between-overhaul mileage can one expect to get from a well-maintained large bore gasoline engine?
    It's becoming pretty rare to overhaul an RV engine or transmission. Once you start getting usage high enough to consider reworking the power train the costs involved may exceed the value of the coach. The question becomes one of economics.

    Maintenance of the power train is only 1/2 the picture, usage is the other. If the coach is loaded to max GVWR and towing 5K Lbs. daily up and down I70 between Denver and Grand Junction then the expect life of the power train might be a bit less than average.
  • yes the newer motors will last a lot longer. also the newer oils help get more out of a motor . even a older one will last longer .
  • I would differentiate between older vs newer engines.

    The newer Vortec GM engines and Ford V10 engines will go at least 50% longer than the older engines they replace.
  • The definition of "well maintained" is very subjective. If you read these forums on a regular basis you find that ALL owners maintain their vehicles to the highest standards and yet, there are still problems that creep up.
    I think that any of the Ford or GM engines will outlast any coach, if properly maintained and driven. 200,000 miles or more is certainly possible.
  • l know of some 454s that have 200,000 miles on them . thay have not been into