explain to me

Nobody mentioned the Gen hour meter ! I've come across a few really low mileage ones, but with anywhere from 300-800 hours on the Gen hr meter !
Which that could be interpreted a couple different ways.

Sometimes the ol saying does ring true "its better on the vehicle that's be driven with miles on it then sitting with very few"
If its been driven, usually maintenance, etc have been done instead of it sitting and slowly getting deteriorated by the elements !

We have lived here now for 5 years , down the street sitting in the driveway was a older Mini probably a 23-24 ft. Never once saw it moved.
Then one day about a month ago drove by and it was gone , a couple days later a brand new 28ft Mini setting in its spot. ???
Absolutely no answer for that one ???

My father bought a TT in 1983. Used to pull it from home to a COE campground - about 130 miles - he would leave it at a storage lot in the marina all summer - then tow it home.

After mom went to the nursing home with Alzheimer's in 1994 - he only took it up for a couple trips - and it sat in the back yard.

In 2010 my brother took it out to the lake near home and set it up as a fishing cabin.

It still had the original tires on the TT - and there were no signs of tire wear. Probably less than 5,000 miles on the TT in 27 years - but over 1,000 nights of use.

Neighbors bought a super duper DP with all the bells and whistles 9 years ago and they claim that they cant afford the fuel to go anywhere. I am sure that after making the payments for the RV the insurance and the tags there is not much left over for fuel but IMHO I think that he is not comfortable driving the size of RV that they have. However it is BIGGER,FANCIER and NEWER than any other RV in the neighbor hood and you do know that those with the biggest and best toys "win" even if the toys just sit.

Middle age family here: We have driven our Class C approximately 6K since fall of 2011. Living in Maine it is stored and snowed in Nov thru April. It feels like we get sufficient use- average of 6 trips within New England plus a trip to Orlando. I would guess our usage is about average. Good luck in your search--- we love our Class C!!

Jopopsy, I felt the same way about towing. Cheap Chinese tires, cheap suspension that breaks if you look at it funny, cracking frames... let them have the TT's and fivers. We had two fivers and it is such a lower stress situation all the way around to be taking the Class C.

I bought my MH because I don't like to tow. Pure and simple as that. I didn't like the feeling of towing, I didn't like having to do the whole weight balance, tongue weight, this weight that weight, weight weight weight thing. I didn't want to deal with trailer sway, or jack knifing in a emergency situation. I didn't want to deal with WDH's and spring bars and all that nonsense.

I just didn't want to deal with it.

My MH has 2900+ pounds of OCCC in it. I don't pack it heavy by any means. I load the fridge the night before and do my tire pressures the morning before. The day we leave I turn the key, put it in gear, and smile.

I bought my MH b/c its easy. If I put 1500 miles a year on it it'll be a lot. The memories we've made are priceless. I'd like to drive it more and use it more, but as others have pointed out DW and I both work full time. We only have so much time.

I think that many of us buy a motorhome and enjoy touring and camping with our families often the first year unless job, health, family, or other issues intervene. If the effort to wash and maintain the RV and pack and unpack the rig falls mostly on one person, and others lose enthusiasm, RV usage may become less frequent. Look at all those sailboats, cabin cruisers and motoryachts bobbing in marinas, and airplanes lined up rows all baking in the sun. Same thing.

As a 'boomer' with a full time job I get out more than most. I also have enjoyed certain routines with friends, CGs and time frames. I've had my MH 4 years and 11,000 miles. Unfortunately (or a blessing), my favorite monthly CG adventure is only 50 miles away. I am retiring in May and expect my mileage will increase exponentially even though I do not expect a cross country excursion for some time. My mileage totals were about the same with my ROO. The running joke at work has been, I work at camping. I would agree that too many folks buy a RV and seldom get out more than a month a year.

Rich&Mar wrote:
I am shocked with the low miles on alot of these c's. It's not uncommon to see a 8 to 10 year old with 10 to 20 k miles. What goes?? Are they just to expensive to drive especially when gas was $4 a gal?? If you paid 80k for a new rig and only drove it 15k in 10 years plus ins, tabs and etc, wow!!

If you think about it, it's not much different than someone who owns a comparably sized travel trailer or fifth wheel and drives a 3500 series pickup as a daily driver when they really only need it a few times a year to pull the trailer. To each their own.

I would guess that the larger the MH, the more mileage it will have on it - just doesn't seem logical to spend $100K+ on a MH only to drive it 1,000 miles or less a year. Folks who want big and aren't driving far, are probably more likely to buy a TT or 5er and get a second use out of the TV. Class B's are probably driven more because they are used as a second vehicle, to run errands, day trips, holidays at the relatives driving, etc. Class Cs are in between. Their cost is justifiable to use specifically for weekend and vacation trips only, and they are less likely to be driven around for errands, etc.

pnichols wrote:
It would be more informative if Class C's had a "camping-hours" meter built in.

Some folks drive a lot and camp a little ... other folks drive a little and camp a lot. The latter group will have used Class C motorhomes with low miles, but well-used interiors and appliances.

If house usage is the goal, then ALL RVs should have "camping-hours" meters built in. Whether it's a Class A, B, or C, a PUP, TT, or 5er, there is no way to tell how much the house has been used, regardless of whether there is a mileage meter.