How long will your TT last?

I own 2 trailers, a 40 year old Compact Jr and a 34 year old Bigfoot. Both are molded fiberglass and both in great shape. I'm sure my grand kids will be able to use either if they chose to keep them. The Texas sun has had no effect on them. And, they have not been damaged by several Texas hail storms; unlike the roof of my house.

When it comes to lasting a long time, I doubt that any of the non-aluminum skinned trailers will last as long as the Avion, Airstream, Silver Streak, etc., type trailers. Those old style trailers were expensive and labor intensive to build, but the shells would last for many generations, even if they were left out in the elements. It is the wood floors that you have to worry about, and most of those can be fixed, if there were problems. Some of them had better frames than others so the ones with the long lasting shell with the strongest frames should last the longest.

As long as you keep it maintained 20 years or more is common.

:) Hi, should last me at least 21 more years. (9 years old now) And two more generations of family.

Just traded in my 2001 Shasta because we outgrew it. Was still a great, well maintained camper with no issues. Had a few problems along the way but nothing that couldn't be repaired.

Take care of your coach and it will last.

Just traded up for 2 sets of bunk beds, went with a coachmen freedom express- hopefully will last as long as the Shasta!

I plan on keeping our 2013 Wildwood 31BKIS for about 10 years, I see no reason why it can't last that long with proper maintenance pending any accidents or unexpected serious flaws in the unit. Our last unit was a 2011 model we got in 2010, it was used for 3 full summers, drove about 20000km's and was still like new and showing no real wear - 10 years should be easy enough.

Obviously with enough repairs it can last forever. However I think a RV that is maintained should last a minimum of 15 years without any catastrophic failures.
I cannot stress enough that preventive maintenance is the key to longevity.

I presently own a 21 year old TT. I've owned it for about 3 years. It's holding up purty well. My last one was 29 years old and the friends I sold it too are still using it. But, the fridge no longer works. Then one I had before that is 33 years old and is still in use but, I had to replace the floor. The one I had before that is 45 years old. It still setting in a friends back yard but, he no longer tows it he uses it as a outdoor gazebo sort of thing.

Water infiltration can be the kiss of death for a TT. If you want to maximize it's life, you need to keep on top of caulking the roof and other places as it's needed. Regular inspection is important. An RV cover helps in the off-season, especially in wetter locations. If you use a TT a lot in the winter, moisture from the inside (from lack of ventilating it out) can cause problems and even damage. Don't leave tree droppings on the roof and awning.

I would say frames are another weak point. Some frames flex a lot and can eventually develop cracks and failed welds. If you do a lot of long distance travelling with a weaker type frame, it won't last as long.

Fiberglass is great but it can delaminate. I'm not sure of all the exact reasons but I think it can be due to poor construction at the factory and I think also from moisture build-up in the walls from continual high moisture levels on the inside (moisture migrating to exterior wall surface).

Keeping up on repairs and maintenance is really important. Exterior moving parts should be regularly lubed (with correct stuff) and use slideout seal treatment. Waxing the exterior with a good wax helps. If something fails, replace it with the same or similar product and do it correctly. Some components are destined to wear out or fail regardless of what you do but you can do things to extend their life.

I think a slide topper is a good idea and we plan to get one.

Simple preventative action can help. I read recently where someone had a toilet valve fail while they were out shopping. It flooded the floor and did extensive damage. IIRC, the entire unit was a write-off. Maybe it's a good idea to replace the valve every few years? I think we will shut the water off now when we go out somewhere for a while.

Otherwise, stay away from RV shows. ;) One day you may see something you just have to have, even if you don't really need it.

doxiluvr made a very important mention - don't loan it to someone else. That is how most damage can occur. If we break something and fix it, we know not to break it again. Others don't know that it broke, and do what we did that broke it the first time.

A buddy loaned his TT to his friend. Friend rolled it, and the friend's truck.

Never loan it out.