I know preventive maintenance is key, but at what age do campers start giving more trouble? Should I expect to soon start chasing lots of problems with my 8 year old camper? It wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if I'm having to constantly fix stuff.

There is no hard rule! Equipment failures (WH, Furnance, Fridge, AC, etc.) is really based on hours of usage, not age! Preventive maintenance helps, but does not stop failures. We maintain and upgrade our RV monthly as it is a hooby since retiring. Our fridge died when the TT was 10years old, however we purchased used and it was parked at a seasonal site and they left it on all the time during the summer season, so we were expecting this to happen.

While you will probably hear from many who have owned TT s for decade, if I recall correctly, the average TT owner trades for a new model in 6 or 7 years. So, as mentioned, most have not had a lot of wear.The two appliances most likely to fail are the refrigerator and hot water heater. The undercarriage mounts and wheel bearing are occasionally mentioned. Water leaks are probably at the top for problems.I do not think there is any magic age number.

Our TT is 15 years old and had a ton of water damage due to neglecting routing maintenance, but the only major replacement was the AC unit. All other appliances are original and work great. Compared to our home appliance that's nothing since we seem to get 4-7 years out of everything we buy new these days.I think maintenance is key. Keep the water out and you'll like a happy camping life.

I think it's just a constant steady, on-going routine maintenance and replacing things as needs change and the wife demands!We had our pop-up 6 years. It was a constant fix-up from day 1, and it was brand new. we had our Dutchmen 3 years, not an ounce of any thing to do, except what we wanted.Had our Springdale 8 years. Mechanically, never any problems. No mechanical failures, all appliance were still original when sold. We did put in a different mattress, and I added wire shelves for more shelf space, added towel bars. The true break-downs was the bathroom fan blade (plastic) just crumbled to nothing (age-sun-heat). The outside shower started leaking (my fault though, I think it froze over the winter). Current camper going on 3 years now.We (by our choice) changed the air conditioner, removed chairs and table and put in a new couch. When we sell, the couch will come out and the original furniture will go back in.Added more shelf -space with wire shelves, done some modification on the water pump and some electrical, and installed covers over the vents to help protect them. None of this was necessary, but we did it to prolong the life of the camper and to make life more comfortable for us.To answer the OP's question though ... the day after the warranty expires .... you can expect everything to fall apart!

To answer the OP's question though ... the day after the warranty expires .... you can expect everything to fall apart!Respectively disagree with this! :BThere are thousands of RV'ers on the road with older units with original appliances still working on.My first MH I kept for over 8 years. The only thing I had to replace was the water pump. and that was because I did not winterize correctly and the water froze in the pump and split it.If you keep your RV cleaned and maintained from the outside very few if not anyone can tell the age of it.I look at it this way routinely cleaned and maintained RV, if an appliance goes out, replace it! The price of 'any' appliance in any RV is a mere fraction of the cost of buying another RV.Over time I can replace all the appliances and never even come close to the cost of the taxes on a new RV. :WI don't want my money tied up in buying new depreciating RV's. I want the money to travel and party! So popping for an appliance or repairs once in awhile is no problem for me.:B

camper maintenance and age | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

SprinklerMan
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
Man made it , its going to break . Its not if , its when .
K-9_HANDLER
Explorer
Jan 11, 2016
10 years old. One faucet, toilet ball seal, 2 plastic interior hangers, one set of tires, two batteries and general maintenance that required no parts.
Downwindtracke1
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
I would say some are built better. How many of those older RV have chipboard or particle board ? I think the laminated sandwiches are an advancement over stick and tin. Of course they can and do screw that up, too.

BUT RVs leak. If they leak, they rot. Even Airstreams have wood floors.

So if you can reseal them with above water marine grade, they should out last you.
cmcdar
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
I would say proper maintenance is key.

That said, it has been my experience that "they don't build things like they use to". Just because a 30 year old camper is still going strong, does not mean that a new camper built today will have the same longevity. - just sayin'...

Buy good quality or good quality that has been taken care of and continue to take care of it. It is just the same as with your home or your vehicle.
markandkim
Explorer II
Jan 08, 2016
# 1 killer is water. Keep it out. I also believe non-use and storage takes its toll on it also. Bearings, battery and tires are the most common maintenance item.
fitznj
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
10 year old TT, maintained fastidiously, washed after every trip, vacuumed after every trip, still looks brand new as its kept under a large car port.

Only failures:
2 faucets leaked and replaced
Power inverted replaced
Batteries replaced 3? times
Brakes and wheel bearings replaced
Tires replaced

I'd say that is is minimal and some of the items had to be replaced because of age (tires/battery) and others as a result of normal wear (brakes/bearings).

The key for me is to keep the inside/outside clean/maintained and don't let things slide but fix them immediately;

Gerry
nineoaks2004
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
The main thing is how well it was taken care of before you bought it. But the reefer , hot water heater, furnace and the AC.should be cleaned on a regular basis.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Jan 08, 2016
My TT is 22 years old. It's far from perfect but, it does what I need it to do.

Besides how well it is taken care of it also depends on how perfect you want it to be. Some people would say that my TT needs this, or that, fixed.

It works fine for me just the way it is.
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Jan 07, 2016
Mine is 44 yrs. old. When I bought it a few years ago, the original appliances were in and usable. I still have the original water heater, fresh water system, and the stove/vent hood. The bathroom fixtures are all original too.

I have a 1972 Security sitting in my driveway with all the original equipment.We use it mostly for hunting but everything works..Having said that,I have replaced hot refrigerators/water heaters/air conditioners/water pumps etc in other newer units that have failed for whatever reason at no particular age...

Refers scare me the most in used units because so many do not level there refrigerators properly.
westend
Explorer
Jan 07, 2016
Mine is 44 yrs. old. When I bought it a few years ago, the original appliances were in and usable. I still have the original water heater, fresh water system, and the stove/vent hood. The bathroom fixtures are all original too.

I have no clue how old the bearings and brakes are but they are serviced and working. There were water leaks with ineffectual repairs. That was the main selling point in my case (wanted a fixer).

As long as an owner keeps up with typical maintenance and services the running gear, there is no limit on how far you can take it, IMO. Typical maintenance wouldn't be more than a few hours a year if done periodically.