How old does it have to be to be too old?

Matt_Colie wrote:
Boy am I going to provide an out-lier here.....

First, your basic assumption of the fiber glass shell is good. Water leaks that cause frame rot in the stick and staple coaches is a well known and understood killer.

Next, age is most important if the required maintenance has not been taken care off as it should.

No matter how good they look, get the ages of the tires and plan to replace the set if they are over eight years old. (You will get some "discussion" about this, and there are always exceptions. The damage a failing tire can do far exceeds the cost to replace them.)

At 12~15 years early problems start to show up. These will largely be related to elastomers (rubber parts) that age out. This is not just tires, but it is all the hoses (coolant, fuel and brake) belts and door seals. If these are dealt with in a timely fashion, the cost can be minimal as you can combine it with routine maintenance like the brake and cooling system flushes that should be done at that vehicle age (has little to do with miles).

Can this all be handled? It can be done by almost any literate person with a mechanical aptitude above yellow canary. Do I know about this? The coach in the picture is a '73 with 170K on it crossing the Mississippi about a thousand miles from home and I was more worried about the boat sinking.

Matt

Hi Matt,

I am definitely a fan of molded fiberglass even though all RVs can leak. I agree that solid maintenance can slow down age. I had to replace the tires on our Casita after our first trip in April, 2016 due to a blister the size of a baseball on the inside sidewall. I got tire religion and immediately replaced them. I am very mindful of proper air pressure, tire age, etc. My aptitude for good beer is better than my mechanical aptitude, but I think I can still beat a yellow canary (at least on a good day)! ;) Love your picture.

Thanks,

Dean