cost of use

[billy1davis]

What is the average cost of use of a class a? Right now the cost of purchase of a used diesel class a is relatively inexpensive. Like 20 to 25k for one that is 20 years old with sometimes very low miles. I am just afraid that it would be so expensive to maintain and use.

[Dog_Trainer]

I owned a 1993 DP an Airstream. It was a nice coach and we rod over 100,000 miles in it. I sold it in 2015 as it was getting too expensive to maintain. This is a coach that I had for many years and knew the history of everything since it was new. I can't imagine buying a 20 year old unit myself. There are so many different questions and unknowns that it is a complete carp shoot. I myself would think putting the projected 5 year cost into mind and buying a more recent RV with the money you will save.

[hipower]

The outline of costs that Jim posted earlier in the thread is pretty close to spot on. Just a slight addition would be registration and insurance. With those added in the cost would usually increase significantly and obviously how much would depend on annual mileage.

Pre-retirement, I operated a small fleet of 33,000 GVW delivery trucks. Obviously quite similar to a motorhome in size and components. We found our fleet average cost per mile to be right at $3.00 per mile. That would vary slightly from year to year with fluctuations in fuel costs and any significant repairs to any one or more units, but it was a pretty consistent number for the 2008 thru 2011 timeframe. I don't track my coach operating costs close enough to say where those numbers would fall, but it ain't cheap.

[1968mooney]

mama.sylvia wrote:
> But its worth to me and my wife is currently higher that the cost to maintain it

Ditto. I just bought an almost-30-year-old class A for $3500 and have spent another $4000 on repairs and it still isn't running reliably. It needs another couple thousand in repairs and I just discovered the fridge doesn't work. Will I ever get back the money I have put into it? No way Jose. But the enjoyment *I* will get out of it is the motivation to spend the money to get it fixed up.

Great thing about owning something like this is, when it breaks down 3000 miles away from home, you can just throw the keys up and walk away.

[Lwiddis]

“But the enjoyment *I* will get out of it is the motivation to spend the money to get it fixed up.“

That assumes nothing major is lurking in the shadows. Repairing a 30 year old fridge is a gamble. Replacements can be $500 minimum plus installation.

[mama_sylvia]

> But its worth to me and my wife is currently higher that the cost to maintain it

Ditto. I just bought an almost-30-year-old class A for $3500 and have spent another $4000 on repairs and it still isn't running reliably. It needs another couple thousand in repairs and I just discovered the fridge doesn't work. Will I ever get back the money I have put into it? No way Jose. But the enjoyment *I* will get out of it is the motivation to spend the money to get it fixed up.

[dtucker3usa]

We have a 20 year old coach and have put more money into it than we paid for it. With tires, springs, water heater, etc. Just make sure you like the floor plan. You have to remember every thing is 20 years old and with low miles it has probably been sitting for a long time. It is less expensive if you can do the work yourself.

[Bill_Satellite]

$2/mile is likely very close to the cost when you add it all in. I think Jim@HiTek gave a really nice break down.

[jplante4]

Tom/Barb wrote:
Plus you'll be up grading appliances, electronics, so if you are going to buy one, buy one that the manufacturer still supports.

Most appliances and electronics are supplied by companies (Dometic, Atwood, Suburban) that are still around and building the same appliances. PARTS for 20 year old appliances may be a problem (Example: I can't get door seals for my 20 year old Norcold, I need to replace the doors, which are no longer available).

OTOH, a fellow came into the RV parts store last week with a 40 year old furnace and we were able to find a replacement fan motor.

For the stuff that is manufacturer specific, there's always Colaws and Visone salvage outfits.

[mike_brez]

My 20 year old coach has been pretty much trouble free in the three years I have owned it. Only a rear wheel seal that leaked onto the shoes and a air dryer.
I did change out the batteries. Tires were one year old when rv was purchased will keep eye on them and will replace at 7-8 years old. We are running a much less expensive Samson tire and have run Hankooks on other rv with great results.

[10forty2]

Ditto on sinking more money in it that it's market worth. But it's worth to me and my wife is currently higher that the cost to maintain it. So much depends on how much you can do yourself vs having an RV repair place do it for you.

[MrWizard]

my 22.5 Toyo's cost $400 'per' tire

i've sunk more money into this thing in the past 5 years, that it is worth

other people have had better luck, i've had major engine expense every 2 yrs

i'm in the process of replacing it with a Ford driven gas model

tires and brakes, that normal stuff, no complaints, many miles

the engine thats another story, i don't why but my luck has not been good

[Isaac-1]

This really is a hard question to answer on an older coach, a lot depends on how it was maintained, how much deferred maintenance will you have to deal with (hoses, bushings, belts, fluids, roof sealant, ...), how many of the major appliances have already been replaced ($1,500 for an RV refrigerator, $1,000+ for a roof top air conditioner, ...)

Many of these things do not depend on the mileage, the engine and drivetrain if maintained properly on a motorhome almost never wear out, the problem instead if often that 20 year old coach that still has he original nasty transmission fluid in it because it only has 45,000 miles on the odometer that causes a $5,000 transmission to fail.

[Tom_Barb]

billy1davis wrote:
So I am guessing the tires would run 300 each?
I am 69 and would probably use it for 10 years

22.5" X 10:00 Michelins = $750 each. X 6 = $4500.

Plus you'll be up grading appliances, electronics, so if you are going to buy one, buy one that the manufacturer still supports.

[Two_Jayhawks]

If you are handy and you enjoy working on things it COULD be inexpensive. If you have to pay the going rate for RV repairs a 20 year old unit likely will be expensive.