How many miles is to many for an early '90's B

[beave]

We are down sizing from a DP, and also downsizing price wise, so we are looking at early to mid 90's class B's.

All other things being equal, such as floor plan and maintenance, would you be concerned at over 100,000 miles? How do these things hold up?What would be your concerns if purchasing a B of this age?

Thanks

[Rex_Roamer]

My 1998 Dodge Ram 318 engine has 79,000 original miles on it. Bought it when it had 29,000 and my husband (yes, my nickname's "Rex" but I'm a woman) has maintained it religiously mechanically, and me cosmetically.

We used to tow a pop-up, which graduated to a 27' camper, with our Yukon (which now has 120,000 miles on it - also well-maintained) but once our son got to the age of independence (and moved out with our Bishi, 140,000 miles and running perfectly), we couldn't justify the work that went into setting up a towable just for the two of us.

We'd always done "overnights" in my van - so it's a natural for me now to do a full conversion on it. SO much easier for my husband and I to travel anywhere we want, and best of all - I can keep it in the driveway.

We could buy a "real" camper van, but I've worked hard to get what little I have saved for retirement (LOL!) and I'm not ABOUT to spend $65,000 of it on a Class B. Does my van need repairs on occasion...? Of COURSE! Will those repairs EVER total 40, 50, or 60 thousand bucks...? Never.

Don't be afraid of mileage. Just invest in repair and maintenance and there's no reason you should have less confidence than if you bought a new vehicle because, let's face it, vehicles break down when THEY want to - regardless of whether you've owned them for years or just drove them off the lot.

[TMcArthur]

I've got nearly 130,000 on mine, but it is nearing a lower-engine rebuild (which I can do myself for under $200 in a single day). After that, it will be ready to roll another 100,000 miles or more.

100,000 miles is not a problem anymore for modern vehicles as long as it is maintained during that time (mine was not). There are many gas vehicles out there with 300,000 miles or more. Highway driving is significantly less wear on an engine then city driving, and where does an RV drive most of it's miles? Keep in mind, it is worse to park a vehicle for a year than to keep driving it. They are meant to be driven (oil doesnt circulate when parked) so I'd be more afraid of a 90's RV with no miles on it than one with high miles.

Obviously, getting it checked out is key... and be willing to drop a few more dollars to get it caught up on maintenance and set more aside for those rainy days.

My last though on the issue; There are more than enough other RVs being sold that do not have 100,000 miles on it. Unless that one with 100,000+ is a REAL good deal (with documented maintenance records), it is still worth looking around

[charles]

I've never owned a car or truck with anywhere near 100,000 miles. Last year however, I missed not having a Class B so I bought a 95 Pleasure-way SLR with 99,000 miles on it. I knew it needed tires, $800.00, I found that it needed a new chassis battery and later the ABS light came on and would stay on, it needed a new sensor at a cost of $205.00 installed. The unit is a 318 Dodge and it runs smooth, quiet, and strong. My mechanic inspected the suspension and undercarriage and advised that all of it is in amazingly good condition. I found that the original owner was a single lady school teacher who knew nothing about maintaining vehicles so it was regularly at the Dodge garage for service, the second owner was a back yard mechanic that kept everything in good working order and many parts had been replaced over the last several years including a remanufactured transmission, generator, fridge, roof air, hot water heater, and radio. To date I feel lucky but in the back of my mind I keep thinking that something has to go wrong with now having over 100,000 miles on it. I'll keep knocking on wood.

Nick

[steveh27]

My 1997 Xplorer (Dodge 360) has 143,000 miles & I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere. Very reliable. But I do pay attention to regular maintenance, with oil changes every 3,000 miles.

My previous car I bought with 80,000 miles & sold it 10 years later with over 150,000 and almost broke even.

[stan909]

I bought my 97 Dodge with 94,000 miles and would not hesitate to drive it anywhere. I have had only one minor fix that all Dodge vans of this era will go through. The throttle control valve became fouled and causes the vehicle to run rough until the engine warms up easy fix. Takes a few minutes. I went ahead and changed plugs and airfilter. I would not however buy a big class A or class C with that high a miles due to much greater stress on the chassis.

[Bumpyroad]

ernie1 wrote:
How many miles is too many is a function of how much tolerance you have for vehicle problems and breakdowns. My tolerance is very low. Others have an endless amount of patience. How about you?

Peace of mind, priceless.
bumpy

[jjrai]

IMHO, it depends on use and maintenance. Are you mechanical and/or do you have a mechanic you can trust? That's the big factor. If you buy a high mileage unit, but stay local to work the bugs out, you should be OK. If you can get the oil pressure checked, do it as that will tell a lot about how well the engine has been maintained. As has been stated, budget for repairs. In many cases, these will be upgrade opportunities.

[senf]

We sold our 1996 Roadtrek Dodge Versatile in 2007 with 218756km (136722mi) on the clock when we moved to a fiver. The oil gauge sensor (x2) and the fuel pump filter were the most serious items that occurred during the eleven years - BUT maintenance is the KEY!!! You really need to get hold of the complete service and repair history, which should be available from any caring owner.

As qjane and others say, budget for additional expenses, they will occur!!

[qjane]

I wouldn't be afraid of a Class B with over 100,000 miles. Just know you will need to do some repairs sooner rather than later. Very few people completely fix-up a vehicle before they sell it. Anything over 10 years old is going to need something.

A good idea IMO would be to set aside a repair budget of at least a couple thousand before you even start looking. For example: Van is a "deal" at $8,000. Ask yourself if you still want it for $10,000 or $11,000, knowing you'll be spending more money to get it up to snuff.

A favorite trick of used car dealers in my area in to put a brand new set of tires on a vehicle that has a suspension problem. Front end and alignment problems don't typically start eating tires (irregular wear) for at least 500 miles. So you're thinking, "Wow, new tires," then 6 months later, one of your new front tires is completely bald on one edge, because the underlying problem was never repaired in the first place.

Not trying to scare you ... just know that there will be issues, and as ernie1 writes, it all depends on your tolerance (and budget) in dealing with them.

[ernie1]

How many miles is too many is a function of how much tolerance you have for vehicle problems and breakdowns. My tolerance is very low. Others have an endless amount of patience. How about you?

[bobman]

I wouldn't worry a bit about it... just know some things will need replacement

mines a 92 van and a 93 coachman B run great and I go anywhere I please with it

about 90K miles on a chevy based 350 engine....I wouldn't hesitate to take it to Alaska and I live In Georgia

I have had several vehicles with way over 300K on them when I sold them still running fine

[GizmosMom]

OUr Xplorer Class B has 88,000 miles on it. I drive about 2-3 miles almost every day.
The refrigerator went out in October and we have used coolers for some weekend trips since then.
Replaced the 7 year old tires (6) and brakes in April. Then the computer died and we had to replace that. Now it is leaking oil and it is a blown seal and that is more $$$.

Have spent about $5,000 on it in 2013. But it is much cheaper than a new one since it is paid for and ours.

I would think twice now before I purchased one with as many miles on it as the one you are looking at.

[Bumpyroad]

I think 60,000 is about the max I would ever buy for a gasser.
bumpy

[midnightsadie]

I just looked in the auction section of our local paper theres a 1999 class A has 10,788 miles ..keep looking you find one.