What year MH models are too old to consider buying?

[janegowest]

I see some low prices on some of the MHs, but they are from the 1990's and even older. I was wondering if I should stay away from older models like these?

Do they give worse gas mileage than the newer ones? Are the rides stiffer on the older ones? I know that technology has improved many things, but I do not know in what ways the newer RVs have improved.

[subford]

By the way the 1988 and newer Ford F53 chassis all had fuel injection.

[crasster]

Really it is about the same as buying an older vehicle. They are cheaper and often uglier and may even need more mechanical work. But in the end, you usually will end up with something good that functions.

[rdthompson1]

It's a little difficult getting loan on a rv over 10 years old.

[RV_daytrader]

It depends on if the MH was driven in snow. My class C was never driven in snow and there is NO RUST anywhere on it!...my 1 year older caddy cimarron was driven in snow and had rust everywhere!!

[Gjac]

I would start with how much money do you want to spend? Will you do most of the repair work yourself? Will you use the MH for extended trips or just local camp outs? Older MHs will require a lot of work if the PO has not up graded or maintained the MH. If you have $40k or more to spend look for a 2006 or newer gas MH Ford or Chevy. These will have the best drive trains(eng & trans). There were no chassis improvement after that year. Delaminations seem to be less of a problem with the newer MH's also. If buying older it is all about the condition as others have said.

[Dale_Traveling]

There really isn't a hard line not to cross with age. You need to judge each coach individually. Care and feeding by current and former owners is probably the key to the decision to buy or not. Also your skills and ability to perform maintenance should also be a driving factor. Older rigs take a bit more care and feeding to ensure continuous service. Taking a coach in to a RV Service Center for maintenance such as a roof seam reseal will get very expensive very quickly.

[JumboJet]

In 2013 I purchased a 2000 Thor Hurricane with 15,000 original miles and the generator showing 7 hours for a very good price. I have now over 18,000 miles and have had to fix some very small problems.

I have spent less than $100 on the small issues. Oil filter and oil for the V-10 engine and oil filter and oil for the generator.

The carburetor on the generator just needed a cleaning.

The heater had dirt dauber nests that needed to be removed (I installed the screen covers to prevent that re-occurrence).

The drain valve for the fresh water tank needed to be replaced (old plastic crumbles).

The LP gas regulator was replaced due to a small leak.

The larger things that you will eventually have to cover, I did those also. New engine battery ($120) and new tires ($3,000).

I bought new house batteries for my Truck Camper and moved the 3 year old batteries to the motor home where they have been working just fine. I don't dry camp in the motor home but do in the truck camper.

Things I have done that were extras: replaced interior and exterior bulbs with LED bulbs. Added backup camera system. Swapped tube type TV for flat panel TV. Added a Blue OX track bar. Replaced differential fluid. Added K&N air filter.

Be prepared to spend some money even if you get that once in a lifetime buy on an older motor home.

[racer99]

2000 Fleetwood Flair/30'/V-10//F-53 Ford chassis
Everyone's situation is different but the way we looked at it was if we found something older but decent we could fix it up a little at a time,so we paid cash and use the money that would go for payments on gas & campground fees-As it turned out the Flair is perfect for our use ,no slide, no leaks, & no problems Our goal now is two trips to Fla, one in spring & one in fall, each a month to 6 weeks.I prefer Ford over Chevy because the brake issues-Rich
pauperspride.blogspot.com

[bsinmich]

Water leaks will probably be the biggest, most expensive problem. Rubber hoses can be replaced fairly easy. Delamination is probably the biggest killer of MHs. Water gets into the sidewalls and dissolves the glue holding it together. That can also be caused by excess heat but it is usually more expensive to repair than a MH is worth. Get one that does not have laminated walls but hung walls like Newmar, some Monacos, and other more expensive coaches to avoid that problem.

[jplante4]

The Green Machine (1995) has a carb'd 454 with a 4 speed overdrive tranny and I get around 10 mpg. As Daveinet stated, the real problem with older MHs is rust. My bus has just 40,000 miles on it but most everything on the underside has rust. The previous owner replaced the exhaust system, yet the tailpipe has rusted through again. The genny muffler is patched now and will be replaced this winter. Most of the basements leak, and if I were going to keep this rig, I'd be replacing the genny, re-sealing all the storage compartments and rust treating or replacing the propane tank.

[okgc]

janegowest wrote:
I see some low prices on some of the MHs, but they are from the 1990's and even older. I was wondering if I should stay away from older models like these?

Do they give worse gas mileage than the newer ones? Are the rides stiffer on the older ones? I know that technology has improved many things, but I do not know in what ways the newer RVs have improved.

As far as MH age, ask your self if you want to travel &/or camp with the RV or have a new project.

[Kidoo]

What about getting parts, how old is too old? For example, I have a 2003 DP with the 300 cummins. Trying to find a turbo for it, there is no aftermarket since Cummins produced the HE341VE turbo only for a very short periode making it very hard to find at a good price.

Just scared they will stop producing those turbo or other special parts after a while.

[rockhillmanor]

If you live in a state that requires emission testing stay away from carburated engines.

Also I found that everyone I know that has bought a Dodge engine MH with a carb has nothing but problems. I would stay way away from older Dodge MH's.

A MH with the Ford V10 is a good bet to look at.

So that all said. I have never had any problems buying an older MH. Just like buying a car you need to make sure the engine is running good and in a MH that all the appliances etc 'inside' the coach are all working and in good condition.

[Effy]

There is no "good" answer here. It depends. Depends on the particular MH in question, your skill with repairs, budget, and what you want. No one can tell you what to buy. MH's change over the years like anything else. There is no set timeframe when any particular MH will start having parts fail. Really depends on the MH and how it was cared for and maintained. I can look at 2 69 Camaros. one will be a heap of junk and one might be totally restored and updated.