How old is too old, subjective question but I want opinions

[Rick_Knee]

We own a 1998 Fleetwood Storm with 134,888 miles on it. It has a Chevy 7.4 liter Vortec engine. We bought it new. It runs like a top, doesn't burn but a quart of oil in 4,000 miles. It has been completely repainted and it has every suspension improvement on it I can find. Rides fine.

We just returned from a trip to British Columbia from San Diego and back yesterday, 23 days on the road. On the way back we were wondering if it's too old. It has a retail value of about $15,000, maybe.

We can afford a new one but we love the one we have. The interior is showing signs of wear and tear, and if the engine or tranny blew the resale value probably vanish.

Should we ride this horse until it dies? I realize it is a very subjective question. Has anyone else been here? What did you do.

Rick

[Dog_Trainer]

As you mentioned questions such as you pose are quite subjective. My MH is 22 years old next month. When I bought it I knew the chain of ownership and had a complete history. I have done a lot of maintenance to keep it as best as I can the thing I have fought the most is not being able to keep it inside. I have a diesel so the engine longevity does not figure in much. The coach is on a spartan chassis so I have a lot of trust in it and a direct link to any information I want about the drivetrain and chassis. All of that said it has still been a little nickle and dime me this year. A lot of small things and some not so small have added up to over 5,000.00 in repair and maint. this year alone. I suspect that to keep it up that the repairs will continue to mount a little more than in the past. The big concern for me if I owned your MH would be the 134,000 miles on the drivetrain and gas engine then again only you can be the judge of that.

[John_Joey]

Remember your rig should have a rubber roof on it. It should be warranty for 10 years, and the lifespan should be around 20. To have someone replace that roof will be $3-6,000 depending. Your roof is currently 16 years old. If you're OK with that then keep it, if not then move on.

The last thing you want is a leak which goes undetected. That will kill a RV at that age.

[sailor_lou]

We recently asked ourselves the same question when we considered an upgrade to an Entegra. However, other than the use of carpet in the living room area, there is nothing we dislike about our current rig. Therefore, we decided to keep what we have.

Based on your statement:

We can afford a new one but we love the one we have.

I think you already answered your question and would recommend you hang on to it until you no longer feel you love the RV you have. Good luck in whatever direction you go.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy

[John_Joey]

jplante4 wrote:
...snip...Sometimes it's hard to define the point of no return. Something breaks, you fix it, now you have more skin in the game so it's easier to justify spending more. Go out on top.

I use to see this all the time when I was young and a mechanic. The customer would pay their bill and say "boy that car is like new with all the stuff I've done." Then in two weeks they would be back with some other issue.

What will kill your RV is water. Is your roof new? If not then consider replacing it, if too expensive of an investment then sell it.

[jplante4]

I guess I'm less sentimental than the responders so far. I know it's possible to become emotionally involved in a piece of equipment, but why wait until things start to break? Let someone else deal with that. Take the money you'll spend $300-$400 at a time fixing stuff in you old rig and put it into a case of good wine to drink in your new rig.

Sometimes it's hard to define the point of no return. Something breaks, you fix it, now you have more skin in the game so it's easier to justify spending more. Go out on top.

[PortWentworthSa]

Our's is a 2002 Fleetwood. We know every inch of that coach. We know how she drives, sounds, rides and how everything works. I spoil that coach and treat her gently. When we get inside and start a trip we are relaxed knowing we are going to have a great trip. I don't worry about breaking down.

Obviously you have maintained your coach well. It's part of your family so to speak. Keep enjoying her and the memories you have with her. Once you sell the coach, it will be gone. No turning back

[stugpanzer]

From the sound of your description it seems you really like your coach. If you feel confident of the mechanical side of things then an interior remodel might be kind of fun for you. New furniture, new flooring, maybe some paint or wall treatments.

When we bought our first coach five years ago, we bought a used 2004 Damon Intruder and it was a good coach for us. The thing that bothered me though is there were features that came out in 2005 and later such as the Allison Transmission Grade Brake. I also would have liked for the AC units to have the capability to heat. And there was more on my list of wish-to-haves. We recently traded our 2004 Damon Intruder for our 2006 Fleetwood Pace Arrow which has every single wish-to-haves in it. I really feel this one will be the last for us. It will be babied and spoiled rotten!

I guess my point is if you are happy and not yearning for some new feature or a different floorplan, etc then why give it up?

As far as nickel and diming, probably not a big deal for you when you consider the price of a new or newer coach. Heck, even if the engine and/or tranny go, you will still save over what you might spend on a newer coach!

[Dale_Traveling]

Enjoy it until as long as you want. Even when it starts to 'nickel and dime' you a bit with a chassis or house repair from time to time is still less than a monthly payment on something newer or starting over with a new to you coach and a slew of new problems. Interior updates are not that difficult or costly. Recover the couch is a good winter project and pulling up the carpet and replacing with laminate always makes a bit of a tired coach come alive.

My daily driver is a 14 year old Honda that I also tow behind the coach. It's long past showroom fresh but it's paid for, insurance is next to nothing and it does what I want. Gets me from point A to B so why replace it?

[JimM68]

If you want something bigger and better and you can afford it, there is no better time than the present.

If you don't or can't or this coach really really fits your needs, then keep it rolling.
most likely, the house or appliances will wear out long before the drivetrain

[loulou57]

Look at it this way....you love it. You have had it since new, you know the history. Have you enjoyed your time with it? Has it cost you much in repair?
I would think that if it has not cost you a lot of money extra and it runs fine then you likely have got your money out of it. It owes you nothing. I would keep it until it dies. You may very well get quite a few years out of it yet.
Now, if you are set on buying a new one then the obvious is sell it now. How many years do you think you will be RV ing? Will you get your money out of a new one?

[timmac]

But you must also consider if you wait till motor dies than its worthless, if you want something newer this is the time to sell while its still running good and you can get some cash out of her..

[pianotuna]

Hi,

As you said the house part is showing signs of wear. If it starts to nickel and dime you then I'd replace it. If it is still giving good service--keep on driving it.

[J-Rooster]

I might think of trading it in at 250,000 miles

[352]

(How old is too old?) When the rear end starts sagging and the front end has major issues.

[jmcgsd]

Well how old are you? Will you be around for a while? If you're getting to the end of your RVing maybe you should get a new one now while you can enjoy all the new goodies.

If you're younger and have more years to travel then ride your current horse til you must replace it, after all every year there's something new to look forward to in an RV.