Ford Triton and GM 8.1

My V10 has 422,000 miles. About 220,000 of those are towing miles. My combined weight is usually around 22,000 pounds. I had the timing chain done preventatively last summer because mine gets run hard often.

2000 Tropical V10 132000 miles and going strong. All original hoses, serpentine belt, alternator, fuel pump, water pump. No significant mechanical repairs and never a breakdown (knock on wood). A few house components replaced over the last five years.

Our '04 excursion with V10 pulled a heave TT for a long time be for we got the MH. It has about 180,000 and we kept it when we traded the TT.
I think the V10 or the GMC 8.1 should go 200- 250 thousand.

I've owned motorhomes with both engines and well maintained they should go 250K before a rebuild.

We had over 110,000 on our 2001 Adventurer (Ford F53 chassis, 310 hp V10) when we traded it in It still ran as strong as the day we bought it, and never used oil. We have over 26,000 miles on our 2013 Adventurer (Ford F53 chassis, 362 hp V10) and plan on adding another 100,000 before we trade it off.

In addition to better materials used in the construction I would give credit to the newer oils used in lubrication. I just gave my 2008 Saturn 2.4L to a granddaughter with 116,000 miles and it has never used oil between oil changes every 10,000 miles.

I know of a local towing company that sees 250,000+ miles from V10's and GM 6.0 gas engines in 4500 type tow trucks with regular maintenance, and tune ups at correct intervals.

I worked for a shuttle bus company in Portland OR. They had several of the E-350 vans with 5.4L V8 above 350,000 miles and one at 410,000 that was for sale, but still driven daily, putting on about 200 - 250 miles per shift 2 shifts per day.

Motors tend to last a LOT longer than in the 60's and 70's when at 75,000 miles you where looking for a new car. The current cars must pass the emissions standards at 100,000 miles without a problem, so they have to be built more robust than in years past. It is not uncommon for a car or truck engine to last well into the 250,000 mile range without rebuilding today.

That said, the RV is loading up the engine a lot more than a pickup truck would. They are well known to last to 100,000 miles in RV service too. My hesitation in buying a older unit with 100,000 miles is not the transmission or engine, but the steering box, suspension, and other things starting to show signs of wear, and less attentive to tracking straight down the road after all that wear and tear. The box might show signs of strain from all that rattling down the road, ect.

Good luck on your RV search!

Fred.

I have 90,000+ miles on my 8.1L GM engine and do not have to add oil between oil changes. The GM engine as well as the Ford engines are both designed to exceed 200,000 miles with normal care. Naturally accessory items can fail like an alternator or fuel pump but the engine block will not give you any problems with either engine if you take care of them.

I read somewhere the average annual mileage of a motor home is about 4500 miles.

I agree with Dale Traveling. The engine/chassis will probably outlast the house.

Condition is the important thing when buying a used RV. If the interior/exterior is well maintained, they probably also took care of the engine.

If it's dirty, ripped up seats, etc., my guess would be they didn't maintain the engine.

Take your time and use your search as a learning experience.