50,000 mile purchase.

[Fla904]

Purchasing a 1998 Dutchmaster from camping world. Anyone had experience with them? I keep hearing like a broken record "after 50k a RV is worthless". Is this true??? Can't be.. The rv has 50k on it at the moment, my main concern is the engine blowing while halfway across the country or something else detrimental happening while I'm far away from home. Are these motors reliable? It's the ford gas engine by the way. What should I be looking out for?

[John_Joey]

Fla904 wrote:
Only problem now is getting the loan company to approve on the old year. They want me to get a 09 or up! Pain in the ass :0

This is the main reason you need to buy older coaches cheap. Only those with cash or a home equity loan will be able to buy it from you when you're done with it.

Also, the older engine is nothing compared to the V10. The 460 was designed for cars/trucks and had a set of Ford quality standards. The V10 was for commercial vehicles and trucks never for cars. Those Ford standards were much higher.

FWIW, a FT'er friend of mine pulling a 5'ver just went over 300,000 on his V10. Thinks he should get another 200,000. :h

[Fla904]

Only problem now is getting the loan company to approve on the old year. They want me to get a 09 or up! Pain in the ass :0

[Fla904]

chuckftboy wrote:
Like Valhalla360 said, no reason a ford V-10 won't run for 250,000 miles. I had one and believe me, they're pretty much bullet proof. You'll wear the house out before you wear the engine out.

It might be the v8. Not 100% positive. But from what I've read the v8 is a more reliable engine.

[chuckftboy]

Like Valhalla360 said, no reason a ford V-10 won't run for 250,000 miles. I had one and believe me, they're pretty much bullet proof. You'll wear the house out before you wear the engine out.

[wolfe10]

Bird Freak wrote:
And there I was thinking spark plugs were in the heads.:B

YUP, even in a flathead.

[Bird_Freak]

J-Rooster wrote:
If you have a Ford V-10 engine in that coach, beware Ford had trouble with those engines especially with the spark plugs not staying in the side of the engine block. That's why I got rid of my 1999 V-10. If that coach had one owner who took care of it should be O.K. if CW was renting that coach out I would beware.

And there I was thinking spark plugs were in the heads.:B

[J-Rooster]

If you have a Ford V-10 engine in that coach, beware Ford had trouble with those engines especially with the spark plugs not staying in the side of the engine block. That's why I got rid of my 1999 V-10. If that coach had one owner who took care of it should be O.K. if CW was renting that coach out I would beware.

[dougrainer]

Never heard of a Dutchmaster. Is it possible it is a Newmar Dutch Star? 17 years old and only 50k does NOT mean it is worn out.

[the_bear_II]

I was searching for a truck to tow our 5th wheel with and happened to see one for sale in a grocery store parking lot. I met with the owner, took it for a drive and then inspected it. It had 65,000 miles. The folks were the second owner and claimed the original owner only used it to tow his boat to the river and back. The current owners claimed they only used it to pull a 24ft TT on the highway. I saw the trailer and the other vehicles they had so the story was very likely. It appeared to be well maintained and service records from a local chevy dealer confirmed it.

I bought it and it now has 114,000 miles with no major failures other than a transmission rebuild. It's rated to tow 10,000 lbs and I used it to tow a 15,000lb 5th wheel so trans failure is expected.

Like others have said well maintained will last.

[jerome951]

As suggested, have a competent mechanic assess the drivetrain. Try to find a Ford specialist who will know what issues to look for in these engines (e.g. broken exhaust studs, repaired spark plug holes, etc.)

At that age, too, you should probably set aside some $ for replacing hoses (unless the inspection confirmed these were replaced at some point) and all fluids.

[mfox20]

Fla904 wrote:
Purchasing a 1998 Dutchmaster from camping world. Anyone had experience with them? I keep hearing like a broken record "after 50k a RV is worthless". Is this true??? Can't be.. The rv has 50k on it at the moment, my main concern is the engine blowing while halfway across the country or something else detrimental happening while I'm far away from home. Are these motors reliable? It's the ford gas engine by the way. What should I be looking out for?

On my third motorhome and none of them were purchased with less than 50K miles. My current one is a 2000 with the Ford V-10 that had 52K and I have put about 20K on it the last 5 years with zero drive train issues. 50k is just getting broke on these V-10's. It helps if you can have it inspected and also helps if you could see any of the maintenance history.

I bought my current one at a repo auction in 2010 and only heard it run in the parking lot. Sounded ok and did'nt smoke, was good enough for me.

However, as in any used unit, you need to be sure it's the one you want. Check for any signs of water damage, signs of excessive wear and tear, age of tires. All 3 of mine needed tires right away. All had lots of tread left but were 8-10 years old. Not something I trust traveling long distances. Need to check the condition of your belts and hoses as well.

My V-10 owers manual recommends belts and hoses at 100K but you need to look at the condition due to age. I have not done mine yet and its 15 years old.

Hopes this helps. Will be glad to help with any questions.

[dbates]

Very definitely have someone with good knowledge of motor homes check it out before buying. Also check the age of the tires. It is generally recommended that 7 to 8 year old tires need to be replaced especially of the MH has low mileage and the one you’re looking at would be considered low for its age. If you can find out who owned it before the dealer see if you can contact with them for maintenance records.

I have a 1998 30’ Winnebago Itasca that has 111,117 miles on it. Of those in the 10 years I’ve owned it I’ve driven 58,000 miles. Up until two months ago I’ve only had routine maintenance (tires included).

Dave

[midnightsadie]

X2 never buy with out having an inspection.

[Can-AmDuo]

On any used RV I would hire a mechanic and a mobile rv repair person to check it over. I would want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of such a vehicle BEFORE I purchased. I have heard and read too many tales of people trusting the dealer only to get slammed in the face after purchase.

This is only MHO.