Annual Maintenance

[g2fender]

Hi,
The wife and I are looking to buy a motorhome (our first), and I'd appreciate some help deciding what numbers to put in my budget for annual routine maintenance.
All I can think of is an oil change and a generator service, but I have no idea how much that will cost for a motorhome. Also, I'm sure there are a lot of other things that I am overlooking.
We haven't settled on a particular coach yet, but we have pretty much narrowed it down to an Alpine, Country Coach or Travel Supreme in the 36-40 ft. range.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Garry

[Doggy Daddy]

Cost of maintenance depends a lot on what you buy and what maintenance you are willing to do yourself to save money. There are books and YouTube videos to guide you DIY and help save you money..
Big diesel engines carry more oil but only need to be changed annually and diesel fuel filters more often. Gas engines need oil changed every 3-5K miles or annually which ever is first. If you run your generator monthly under load, changing the oil and filter every 150 hrs or annually and fuel filter as prescribed. Tires age out 5-7 years on average. Roof inspections are done every 6 months and repairs as needed.

There are those with the ability to have people do everything CampingWord offers. Inspect Electrical, water, LPG, AC's, Lube oil and filter, clean and treat rubber roofs, wash and wax the coach, winterizing, flushing water systems and heaters, heaters, RV Storage, Elec surge protector, etc.

My personal heavy expenses are more toward leisure, comfort and toys. RV additions like solar system, big flag pole, tire pressure monitoring system, satellite, WD TV, WIFI antenna booster, changing lite bulbs to LED, better camera system, upgrading for large flat screen TVs, upgrading BBQ and outdoor chairs and mats, adding better water filtration, and the list never ends.

The RV is a down payment for what you add to it.

[tedgard01]

IMHO, for the first year of RVing, the coach maintenance cost should be minimal. It sounds like you are going to buy a new coach, but even a good used coach, maintenance should not be the big concern.

You will spend far more on other stuff for that second home. Bedding, dishes, silverware, pots & pans, towels, wash cloths, vacuum, coffee pot, etc., etc.... You will end up having to buy a new household of stuff... Your wife will be in heaven....

Enjoy the ride, don't worry too much about the small stuff, and just know that the cost of RVing is far more than the purchase price of the RV.

HAVE FUN!

[Dutch Star Don]

Realistically, you need to look over a five year period to get a fair view of what costs will be.

Every Year

[pumper9x9]

First off go to rv.org and buy their product. It will be the best money you spend on your coach!!!!!! Then go to oodle.com and plug in what you're looking for check the right boxes and it will send you daily updates. Consider the advantages of buying used vs buying new. But most off all spend time to educate yourself and don't fall in love with the first coach you look at.

You got me wondering about what I was spending. I just checked and with repairs, replacements,parts, and service over the last 4 yrs I've spent about $10,670/yr. I bought a used 2002 coach and have had to replace tires, radiator, starter, inverter, batteries, annual engine service, annual maintenance on coach components, service on generator, and misc parts. I'm sure there's a lot of folks out there that spend a lot less and some may spend more. If you look all our full time expenses just related to the coach and not including the toad it works out to $23k/yr. Note this does not include cost of that your normally have for just living like food, dentist, docs, alcohol, meals out, entertainment etc. As an example of maintenance cost I just had annual service done on the engine at Rocky Mnt Cummins in Vegas and 150 hr generator service with parts replacement it cost $883.
So bottom line to live full time it's running us about $24k a year. It can be done cheaper for sure but if you're in the travel mode like we are, 2 weeks someplace is a long time, I have found these cost to be representative.

If I haven't scared you off and you're still interested feel free to go check our out blog. It pretty much documents our life on the road these last 4 yrs.
http://pamperedpenguin.blogspot.com/

[AFChap]

After a few years of fullriming we settled into budgeting $300 per month for maintenance. That was intended to cover the cost of routine chassis maintenance each year and tire replacement every 7 years. In "normal" years that is adequate, but in some years that has not been enough to cover the non-routine stuff that pops up, like the year we had to replace both the water heater and the refrigerator cooling unit, or the year we had to replace the ball joints.

[bobandshaz]

WoW. Good question.

[fkloster]

1991 Beaver Marquis Upgrades & New Components….: (purchased 8/1/2009)
(not including maintenance of $1,200/year)

· 2006 (New rear 13,500 Dometic Duo-Therm AC unit upgraded) = $755.20

· 2008 (New Xantrex Prosine 2.0 2000 wattInverter) = $1,423.00

· 2009 (New upgraded control board for Norcold 3way refrigerator) = $189.20

· 2009 (New 6 gallon Attwood hot water heater 2way upgraded) = $554.00

· 2009 (22 New exterior bay door Suspa struts) = $649.22

· 2009 (New ceramic Sealand Traveller Toilet) = $412.68

· 2009 (4 New 12V deep cycle house batteries) = $340.00

· 2009 (2 New Fantastic 12V Power Vents for roof) = $439.08

· 2009 (New 19’ Zip Dee patio awning & 3 new6’ Zip Dee awnings) = $3,673.24

· 2009 (Rebuilt & reinforced battery traycompartment) = $356.19

· 2010 (6 New Toyo M-154 16 ply tires) = $2,400.00

· 2010 (2 New front wind shields) = $650.00

· 2010 (New rebuild dash AC & convert to moderncoolant + new comp) = $750.00

· 2010 (New Sureflo High GPM Water Pump) = $182.00

· 2010 (New Onan generator electric fuel pump) = $267.98

· 2014 (6 new Koni HD adjustable shocks) = $2.090.00

· 2014 (2 New Caterpillar 8D 1500 CCA chassisbatteries) = $612.00

[g2fender]

Originally Posted by tedgard01

It sounds like you are going to buy a new coach, but even a good used coach, maintenance should not be the big concern.

Enjoy the ride, don't worry too much about the small stuff, and just know that the cost of RVing is far more than the purchase price of the RV.

HAVE FUN!

Thanks Tedgard and THANKS to all. This is definitely going to be a used coach as I would prefer to purchase an older high quality motorhome over a newer, less expensive brand.

I am planning to escrow $10K for major repairs, but the PM and servicing costs are an unknown to me. Not sure how much to budget, but the responses so far have been quite helpful. Didn't know about fuel filters - how much do those things cost?

So far it looks like recurring annual maintenance costs are at least $1K a year - probably best to budget 1,200 to $1,500.

Are there more things to be aware of?

[Barbaraok]

Originally Posted by pumper9x9

First off go to rv.org and buy their product……..

Why would you send money to people WHO DON'T RV? Of course lots of people do, which is why these people stay in business.


We're like AFChap - budget ~$300/month to cover maintenance and included in that are tires/batteries which have to be replaced. Some years relatively little, other years more.

Barb

[g2fender]

I was actually budgeting separately for tire replacement (I figured $4,000). I deliberately chose a shorter period - 4 yrs. - so I would always have enough in the kitty to cover a set of good tires. Can't skimp there

And again, thanks for the responses.

This is GREAT information. And I'm still..............


not scared yet!!!!!!!!!

[g2fender]

I've got to go to the barber shop before I have to pick my wife back up from the doctor at 12 o'clock, so I'm going to drop off the net for a while. I'll check back in this after lunch.

Garry

[Ray,IN]

FWIW, we bought a 2000 DP last April from Camping World, and at time of sale an extended service contract through Good Sam. The 3 yr. contract cost $4,800, which is a lot; however, to date the ESC has paid-out just over $4,000 for covered repairs to the MH. Just the rearview mirrors (adjustment motors quit) were $1,300 ea. Remote door lock unit+key fobs were $750. We still have 2 years to go, you get the point.
Our thinking was/is, if things broke or failed, they would do so within the first 3 years of traveling since the MH had been unused and in inside storage for 6 years.
We had all maintenance service performed at purchase to establish a baseline. That was nearly $1,200.

As for filters-fuel,oil, air, hyd. system, Allison trans, etc. Check out Amazon.com while comparing prices.

[lanerd]

Ok, I'll add my two cents here...

If you are just talking about "annual routine maintenance" on a DP and not repairs or loan payments...then you will have the following.

Different sized engines take different amounts of oil...typically 19 to 32 qts is normal. Shell Rotella at Walmart is normally about $13 per gal or $32 for a 2.5 gal container.

One oil filter that can run anywhere from $15 to $35 bucks.

Two fuel filters that can also be purchased for about the same amount as the oil filter.

Air filter normally can go two or three years between change but can set you back for up to $150 or as less as $35....again depending up the engine and coach mfg.

The Allison transmission require a filter change (2 ea) every four years and fluid change (19 qts) every three years.....l do both every three years. Transynd synthetic trans fluid (only fluid Allison recommends) will run about $35 to $40 per gallon and the filters about $25 each.

The generator only takes a few quarts of oil...3 to 5, a fuel filter, oil filter and air filter. Maybe $50 for all.

Then there are items that may not be annual, but possibly ever other year or so....Hyd oil filter, air drier filter, and probably a couple of others again depending upon the enging and coach mfg.

I normally spend about $300 per year (on average) just for oil and filters for both the engine and generator. Add another $200 when I do the transmission.

Now this is only for the cost of the oil/filters....labor (I do my own) will run about $100 per hour and you can figure on about 4 hours normally.

All $$ figures are what I have experience here in Southern California...others may pay less or more depending upon where you purchase them.

So, I hope this gives you at least a ball park figure..

Ron