RV Mileage

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Question: My wife and I are planning on buying a Class C motorhome. I would like to know what is the maximum as far as total mileage that we should consider looking at? Also, what’s the average accumulated mileage on a Class C?

Answer: There is no way we can say what mileage is too much for a prospective RV. A low mileage RV can be just as bad or good as a high mileage RV. Conversely, a high mileage RV that has been well maintained can be a bargain.

A lot depends on the condition and care that has been given to the RV. The good news is that many RVs accumulate mileage slowly. While they may be driven long distances, it may not happen often. For instance, our Class A motorhome has accumulated less than 60 thousand miles in almost 10 years of service. We think this is about the norm, but remember that each RVer has their own way of living their RV lifestyle.

What is most important is to know everything about the RV that you can. When buying used – and especially when looking at a high mileage RV (maybe over 10K miles per year as a benchmark?) – is that you know everything possible about how the RV was used and maintained. If you know the previous owner personally and can learn it’s history, great. If there are detailed maintenance records, great. If buying used, remember that you are buying “as is”. Heed the warning “buyer beware” and be sure to get a complete RV inspection before you buy.

And of course, mileage is just one of many factors to consider when buying an RV. Be sure to check out our RV buying tips.

There are also books available that can be a big help in knowing what to look for, so you can negotiate a reasonable deal. See some of these publications on our pages about Used RVs, RV Books and RV Videos.

You want to be an informed consumer making the best choice to accommodate your own personal preferences and needs.

Comments for RV Mileage
Nov 09, 2014 Used Class -C buyer
by: desertrek


As far as average mileage for a used C ? That really depends on the previous owner’s use. Full timer? Expect higher mileage. If they were weekenders like myself? I average between 4 to 7k a year on my class-C which I would say is about average for a part timer. The main aspect I looked at when buying my RV was how many miles am I going to put on it moving forward and How long do I plan to keep it? Our rig, we ended up buying a new, year old model from a dealer with virtually no miles except the trip from the mfg. plant which was about 1800 miles. Any maintenance logs from a previous owner you can find is a good thing. It will not only tell you about the rig itself but also what issues the chassis and coach may have had repairs on in its past life. One word of advice, We downsized from a diesel pusher to a Class-C for several reasons but one being looking for better fuel mileage. Not so! We were getting 7.5 mpg on the big rig 38′ Our 27′ C V-10 gets about the same on gas and less on big hills. True, gas is cheaper than fuel but I was surprised. We tow a Grand Cherokee with both rigs. Hope this helps you with your decision.