used RV - carfax shows driven 50,000 miles in one year

Hi everyone!
I hope this message gets to everyone who shared advice with my husband and I last fall. We ended up purchasing the RV for $12,000. We have taken it on a few short trips and couldn't be happier!

This RV is perfect judging from the pics on RVusa.com. I'm surprised they fit a side bed in 22'. Usually these are 24'. We don't have the side bed in our 22' RV and I would seriously consider going to 24' to get one, so having one in 22' is great--looks like the shower is pretty small, maybe the bath is a bit smaller than a 24' model.
This looks like a nice RV and the mileage is mostly not good for resale which is why you should get the biggest discount now on the purchase. If it has been maintained the engine is good for several more miles. We have 150,000 on a 2005 Ford F250 and it will probably see many more.
The NADA value for Travelaire only runs to 2003 not 2004. The mileage would take about $1000 off the regular resale value. None of the other Travelaire manufacturers (including Canadian) have a 2004 model listed on NADA. Where is the model year documented? Are you getting a manual? Is there a spec sheet posted inside somewhere?
NADA 2003 Travelaire Values
Assuming that you get a set of new Load Range E tires--i.e. heavier duty truck type tires and a 30 day written warranty, you are paying about $2000 for those items over the NADA average retail of $11,750. But $13,995 is a reasonable dealer deal--since they usually get a premium for any RV they sell.
Will be interested to learn the outcome of this purchase. Good luck.

rochillmanor..we Canucks don't put on miles. We put on kilometers. In 5 years, I have put on 100,000 on my C. I am not a snowbird, in the understood meaning, but I do get around, some.


Gary Haupt

klutchdust wrote:
Refrigerators, stoves, water heaters are not thousands of dollars to replace unless you have a dealer do it. Most can be done by someone who is a DIY kind

of a person. I installed living quarters in a cargo trailer myself. There are so many willing to offer help when you need it, go to the tech section of this forum.

You are right...I was thinking of Canadian costs and here...oh man, they ARE $$'s.


Gary Haupt

Don't take CarFax as gospel....remember that CarFax just pulls data files from state inspection stations, dealer repair facilities, police accident reports etc, and then constructs their "report" based on what kind of data they can find about the VIN. I have seen reporting anomalies in these reports, where the vehicle had lees miles on it that it did the year before, etc. Think of CarFax as a guideline, it's more data than you had before, but it's not a definitive record of everything that happened to the vehicle, only the stuff that they were able to find for you. A 10 year old vehicle with 133k miles is about average for a passenger car, so this rig has traveled extensively. I would agree that a rig that has been exercised regularly is probably in better shape than one that has sat for long periods and has low miles. Of course you will have wear item like suspension parts, etc.

Regarding previous owners, DMV records are considered public information in all 50 states. Dealers typically don't provide that info because they don't want customers to get in the habit of asking where the used car came from. CarFax will tell you where/when it was titled, so you can tell the # of owners and where the vehicle was titled.

On the extended warranty, it is true that dealers make big profit off of these and sell whenever possible. However, they don't offer the warranty services themselves, they typically sell a policy provided by a third party. It's like insurance where they are betting that they won't have to repair tour vehicle after they collect your premium, so very likely that they have guidelines on mileage they are willing to insure. So I wouldn't blame the dealer or think they are purposely not offering an extended warranty because the unit is junk.

I would have a mechanic inspect it BEFORE you buy it, don't think you have any leverage in the 30 days after the sale. Worn out and ready to go is different from broken. If the dealer won't let you drive the rig to a mechanic, pay one to come with you to the dealer's lot.

I wonder if the 50k miles in one year, may just be a change of ownership, when they had to list the miles on the new title. And or they put the miles down wrong at some point in the past

Desert Captain wrote:
Something for the OP to think about...

Probably the single most lucrative, profitable slice of the RV industry are the extended warranties. Dealers push these like an ugly sister at a country dance because they make a huge profit on each and every one. Now consider that they won't sell you one on this RV due to its high mileage and ask yourself "Why?" :h

A very good point, and I like the way you phrased it. I'll have to remember that and try to use it somewhere later. :C

Refrigerators, stoves, water heaters are not thousands of dollars to replace unless you have a dealer do it. Most can be done by someone who is a DIY kind

of a person. I installed living quarters in a cargo trailer myself. There are so many willing to offer help when you need it, go to the tech section of this forum.

The thing about a rental is that by and large they are well treated by users. Often from Europe, they are on a very tight leash as to that they can and cannot do with the unit. Plus, they are well maintained. There are only a few major companies in Canada and they have centres in most major cities and one in Whitehorse.
As an example...they are not permitted to leave the blacktop. Now, they have been sighted in some remote locations, for sure, but for the most part, not.

I am going to come back to rot...and that won't matter as far as mileage. Roof, corners, clearance lights, back wall, take the bed out of the top area and look for stains. Everything else is not a BIG deal, but rot? Unless someone in your group has carpentry skills, that rot will eat your bank account.


Gary Haupt

on edit...I tried to un-mangle a few lines.

mcmfrv wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:
Travelaire...no longer manufacture RV's but when they did, one of Canada's top. They have insulated tanks and lines. I don't know if they had gone to thermal windows. Chances are it WAS a rental. Travelaires were very popular for that and with no mtce records, I'd have to say it was. I had one and I thought it was well built. Think of it as two distinct components. The house and the truck. You have been given really sound advise on the truck part. If I have missed the house part...take it to another RV shop and have them test it. It's just a wise move. Everyone of the gizmos inside that cost over a grand to replace. Furnace, hot water tank, fridge. You need to have the inner walls and bed areas inspected for water ingress..which means rot..which would mean, not this RV. Wood rot is a killer for $'s. So, a seal test is required. The one issue I did have in mine was poorly supported shower area. Which required removal and structural work then new tub. Go stand on the shower base in your bare feet. If it feels all soft and nice under your feet? It's not properly supported. It will crack and leak and then more troubles. Of course, if the RV shop you are buying from would open that up and replace..cool!

X-rental is not a bad thing. These RV's like being used. If they just sit around and look nice...like us..we/they live longer if we exercise. Plus..that is good price. So..do your due diligence. Spend 4-500 for inspections. It really is wise.


Gary Haupt

Thanks Gary. My husband and father-in-law (an avid camper and HVAC repair guy) spent about 2 1/2 hours yesterday inspecting everything on the RV. It was well worth their time. My gut believes that it wasn't a rental. The coach itself doesn't seem to show the same type of wear and tear that I would expect from a rental. The Travelaire does seem solidly built, but it is great to hear from a former owner!

Just a thought. This RV could have been owned by a Canadian Snowbird!
That would account for the high mileage and great shape this RV is in.

Canadian snowbirds travel to Florida each and every year!! :C

How many miles DO you Canadian snowbirds put on your RV's a year?