RV life expectancy

Redsky wrote:
Personally I know of no one who has kept their RV for more than 5 years and most have made changes in less time. Going first to a larger trailer from a smaller one and then from the larger trailer to a motorhome or from a class A to a class B.

Go to nearby RV parks and campgrounds and talk to the people there about how long they have owned their present RV and how long they had the prior RV and when they plan to change what they now have for something else.

Well then, you do not know me!

We have had our /93 class C for twelve years and have
no plans or need to change.

We have seen most all of North America
and will leave in a week for yet another tour
of the Canadian maritime provinces.

John & Angela wrote:
Properly maintained 25 to 30 years. You will be replacing appliances and components along the way. Possibky recovering furniture rtc. No different than a normal house.

I agree our last trailer was a run of the mill 1981 Prowler that we owned from 1982 to 2007. The only appliance I had to replace was the refer after around 15 years. I also replaced the WH at around 20 not because it was bad, but I just thought it was prudent as a preventative measure. I did completely re plumb the water system back in the 90's mainly because of leaks and it had the banned PB lines. I also replaced the water pump at the same time again mostly from a preventative standpoint and kept the old working one as a spare. We stayed in that trailer for well past 1,000 (probably closer to 2,000) nights and I did have to replace the carpet once and we had all the seats and cushions redone again around 2000 just to give it a face lift. I also towed it for over 100,000 mile and it made three coast to coast trips and traveled all over the U.S. while I was on active duty in the US NAVY. The trailer was still in great shape with no leaks, and the only reason we let it go was it went thru the HUGE Virgina Hail Storm back in 1999 and looked like a golf ball from all the dimples, but the hail did not break the skin. That trailer sit out all it's life, but did have a one piece aluminum roof so the rubber roof maintenance and replacement was not a factor and it was the standard wood frame and aluminum skin trailer. The cost to reskin it was astronomical so we bit the bullet and bought a new trailer which we have now had 7+ years. That old 81 was still in mechanical great shape and could have went another 20 years, but I like Barney am to the point of being fanatical about maintenance which is the biggest factor in longivity IMO.

Larry

Depends how much work you want to do. I figure 10 years of being in good shape if you take good care of it, after that it's a battle, at least here in the north. Inside storage would better that. Where you live and play as well as the starting quality of the unit have a lot to do with it too. High end units tend to last longer unless neglected.

Our MH will be 11 years old this December. It has no issues, everything works as it should, it still looks great inside and out but that's because I maintain it on a regular basis and have a preventative maintenance attitude. And it's been parked in our garage from day one when not in use and that makes a huge difference in the looks and upkeep.

Personally I know of no one who has kept their RV for more than 5 years and most have made changes in less time. Going first to a larger trailer from a smaller one and then from the larger trailer to a motorhome or from a class A to a class B.

Go to nearby RV parks and campgrounds and talk to the people there about how long they have owned their present RV and how long they had the prior RV and when they plan to change what they now have for something else.

colliehauler wrote:
I do not see any problem getting 20 years out of a RV that is maintained well. That said after 20 years the interior is so out of date it's time for another rv.

Might be the owners getting out of date also. Speaking for my wife and myself of course.

chevman

As noted by many, maintenance is the key, but I'm as much concerned about keeping the sun off our rig than the rain when stored and I don't live in the southern sunny States. We keep ours stored away from our home and pay about $30 extra per month for covered storage. Well worth the money in helping reduce the maintence of keeping the roof clean and rig polished up. Ours is an 2005 and would pass a 10 year rule if needed.

MitchF150 wrote:
Not full time by any means, but it's always outside year round and it's a 2003 model year Fleetwood Prowler, but I bought it in July of 2002 and it's still dry, solid and all mechanical's functional..

Maintenance is ongoing and keeping it clean, serviced and happy makes me happy.. :)

Mine specifically said in it's manual that it's not meant to be a "full time" use RV, so there you go there... But, it's only a $14,000, 22', #5000 RV too, so there you go right there... I'll bet your 5ver cost a bit more, is bigger and heavier.. ;)

Good luck!

X2 on the fulltime use fine print, if you plan to fulltime you may want to look for a unit that the manufacturer will warranty for full time use at least it may last longer, not to say an entry level unit with proper care could also last many years but odds are you get more years out of unit made for fulltime use if it is going to be used that way. It will cost more at original purchase and weight more to tow. The more options such as leveling systems and heat pumps ,power awnings, remote entry and all the newer items that you can get all will need maintenance and repairs over the years so for me simple is better not as many upscale options .

I do not see any problem getting 20 years out of a RV that is maintained well. That said after 20 years the interior is so out of date it's time for another rv.

Our HR Navigator is now 21 years old (1993) and in great shape. It has always been stored outside, but I've been religious in my preventive maintenance.

I would suppose with proper care it could go another 20 years.