Concerns for too few miles?

[Owinsmom]

We are seriously considering a 2011 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN 300 FWS. There are a hiccups, but generally speaking, it seems to be a good coach. It only has 14, 010 miles on it and 110 hrs on the generator. Now I'm crazy about the fact that it has so few miles, but is that cause for concern?...what do possible things do we have to look for? BTW they want $39,999, they just dropped the price from $49,999 - Thank you in advance!

[midnightsadie]

find a rv inspector in your area worth there fee, a good one will find things you never though of.

[mike_brez]

Owinsmom wrote:
Great points and we will check the under carriage. Unfortunately this was a trade-in and so it is at the dealer. No maintenance records.

I purchased mine at 17 years old with no service records with 67,000 miles on it.
Checked out everything on my own and so far so good.

[DrewE]

Low mileage in itself is not a concern to me, and indeed I would always prefer it to high mileage.

If the low mileage is because the unit sat without proper maintenance for a long period of time, that is a problem. It's not the low mileage, but the lack of maintenance. I would check any used unit as carefully as I could, particularly with regards to caulking and water intrusion.

Do be aware that some parts (particularly rubber things like hoses and bushings and tires) degrade over time as well as with use. Don't be surprised if you need some repairs at "only" low mileage due to the age of the parts. There are those who assert that use is better for mechanical systems than moderate periods of disuse, but I don't see how that works out in practice--it just sometimes seems that way because the parts wear out (due to age) "sooner" than expected, but not actually sooner than if they were used more. That's my impression/opinion.

Do plan on getting new tires quite soon, perhaps immediately, unless they have been replaced already.

[rgatijnet1]

Sometimes people buy things and their expectations exceeds the reality. There can be many reason why it has low mileage. Just do a complete inspection and don't worry about the mileage unless something is found to be wrong during an inspection.

[USAFBILL]

You can contact previous owners if the dealer provides that information... If they do not provide that information it would be a flag to me. A lot of water damaged units in the Southeast now.

[Owinsmom]

Great points and we will check the under carriage. Unfortunately this was a trade-in and so it is at the dealer. No maintenance records.

[SidecarFlip]

Always remember, rust never sleeps and most motorhomes sit on unpaved dirt or gravel pads and the moisture aspirates up and attacks the metal under side and gets into electrical connections. That may or may not be an issue.

[WAFlowers]

Some people put on a lot of miles and some people don't. We used to drag the 5th wheel we recently sold on a 5100+ mile trip every year plus weekends away and often another week somewhere. Others just park them, trailers or coaches, and use them as vacation homes for the most part.

I would be much more concerned about how well it has been maintained than how much it was used. Whether driven or sitting maintenance is crucial! Ask to see the records.

[10forty2]

I wouldn't consider that a problem at all. RV's sit more than they travel down the road. In 6 years, that unit traveled an average of just over 2,300 miles/year. That's more than I get to use mine, and as much or more as many others here use their coaches. And it seems like they may have only used the genset when driving down the road to keep the A/Cs running. If the coach looks in good shape, fits your camping style, and they have good maintenance records, you may just have found a gem!