Sweet Spot for DP Odometer Mileage

crasster wrote:
I think the best thing people can do with a DP that is not being used a lot is keep it covered somehow (shelter, cover, etc.) and to drive it every two weeks. Put some fresh fuel in it once a month, even if just a gallon. Drive it (not just run it) until full warm up.

covered? all MH gas or diesel fair better covered?
Drive it ever 2 weeks. Rediculous
Fresh fuel? diesel last,s indefinitely .just have to make sure you put anti algicide if its sitting too long(over 6 months roughly)
Should be driven every 4 months or so just to keep tires from flat spotting and seals lubed up etc.I go 6 months and never had a problem ever

I think the best thing people can do with a DP that is not being used a lot is keep it covered somehow (shelter, cover, etc.) and to drive it every two weeks. Put some fresh fuel in it once a month, even if just a gallon. Drive it (not just run it) until full warm up.

J-Rooster wrote:
100,000 miles on a diesel engine is near new to anyone who has experience with them. I've drove them most of my adult life everyday!

maybe so but the 100K on the MH itself usually means excessive use = excessive wear

The engine is one thing, but there can be other expensive parts that can fail because of the way the coach was maintained or where it was used. An acquaintance of ours with a 4 slide Monaco coach with 70,000+ miles just got hit with a $7000+ bill to remove and replace his radiator. He bought the coach with the expectation of the engine running forever. The engine may very well run forever but if the coach was used in a salty environment, either from road salt or shoreline salt, and the aluminum radiator was not properly rinsed, things like that can get expensive to deal with.
As with any coach, the engine is just one small part of the total package.

DKeppner wrote:
Its not the mileage, its what happens in between. Was the rig taken care of properly? Are the maintenance records accurate and up to date?

X2

The large diesel in a motor home is the same engine in many semi's and at 100,000 miles we consider it "just broken in".

Its not the mileage, its what happens in between. Was the rig taken care of properly? Are the maintenance records accurate and up to date?

100,000 miles on a diesel engine is near new to anyone who has experience with them. I've drove them most of my adult life everyday!

deandec wrote:
I have been reading this forum for nearly 13 years.

When it comes to DP purchase targets the common advise from posters is:


If it has too few miles, beware its lack of use.

- OR -

If it has too many miles (100,000+) beware the high mileage wear.


So, how does one determine the mileage that is a safe buy on a Used DP?

I would sooner buy a (eg) 2009 DPMH with 25K miles than one with 80K miles anyday of the week.
A low mileage motorhome that is serviced and excersied correctly
is going to be in a lot better shape than one used everyday and has high mileage.

This is my experience. I bought a DP several years ago with 70,000 miles on it. It ran perfectly with no problems, except replacing the alternator at about 95,000 miles.

I went to trade it in with 140,000 miles on it. Even though the dealer said that this mileage is nothing for a DP, most of his customers still want a DP with less than 100,000 miles.

I ended up getting my current DP about a year ago with 38,000 miles. It runs fine, but within a month I had to have both fuel pumps replaced because they were both leaking. I was told that it was because the rig had been sitting a lot, instead of being used, and the gaskets had dried out.

So, I guess a DP in the mid 2000's with mileage around 70,000 would be the most ideal. Just my thoughts, based on my scenarios.