Do low miles on an old diesel pusher mean anything?

[eddiehop]

I am looking at a 2005 monaco with 12000 miles. Should the low mileage be a warning of something wrong with the coach?

[Roger G]

Probably not something wrong but just lack of travel. Could have been parked in a RV park most of its life or just not used very much. Lack of use is bad on the rubber parts probably most of all. Belts, hoses, and oil seals suffer most from non use. Belts and hoses are easy to fix, oil seals are a different story and sometimes don't reveal themselves until it used normally for a while. If you can't review the coaches history, have a thorough inspection done and factor in some maintenance into the purchase price.

[eddiehop]

Where are oil seals located?

[jimmy braden]

depends on if it was stored inside or not. My secpter was stored inside but hadnt got 10K miles in the last 10 yrs. Total was 25K when I got it. It had been stored on the jacks so the rams were pitted. As far as engine goes, if it starts quick and idles smooth with no smoke its prob ok. Oil leaks are not common regardless of how the motor was used or not.

Id run the motor no more than say 500miles before an oil change and then take a sample for analysis. Check fuel mileage and boost at steady cruise and on hills. If it makes good power and does the job you're golden.

[ray999]

I purchased a 2002 Monaco with 6900 Miles. Owner took out for small trips monthly. I had the belts, tires and hoses replaced without any issues. Runs like a charm. Even if they look new, safer to replace them before a trip. Good luck !!

[Jake21]

I would be concerned that if it sat for long times in between trips that the systems would not have been used enough.

[halfwright]

I am going to go against the popular opinion and take flack for it.

I know from experience that the old leather and rubber seals prior to the 1980's would be badly affected by lack of use. But, I have yet to see a neoprene or other more modern material dry out. I think seal drying is more wrong information that is being handed down because it was common knowledge years ago.

[Sandy Swede]

Not necessarily a bad thing, but an independent inspection ("house" and drive train) and oil analysis will tell the tale. BTW, what is the date code on the tires?

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by halfwright

I am going to go against the popular opinion and take flack for it.

I know from experience that the old leather and rubber seals prior to the 1980's would be badly affected by lack of use. But, I have yet to see a neoprene or other more modern material dry out. I think seal drying is more wrong information that is being handed down because it was common knowledge years ago.

I'm with you 100% on this.
Lynn

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by eddiehop

I am looking at a 2005 monaco with 12000 miles. Should the low mileage be a warning of something wrong with the coach?

eddiehop,
There's absolutely nothing wrong with your potential approach here. Yes, there are some who would shy away from the coach you're thinking of but, most of the folks that have some background in mechanicals, wouldn't. Of course, SITTING is not the best thing for these large rolling beasts. But, it's also not the end of the world either. All it would take is some decent examination, a couple of run-throughs, and, a thorough testing of all on-board equipment and appliances and maybe a qualified engine tech to take care of the technical side of the engine and trans diagnostics.

If the floorplan is what you're interested in, the interior and exterior are in good shape (lots of "crazing" in that era, look it up if you're not sure what it is), check the roof for it's condition. I don't know what was used on that coach in that time, rubber or fiberglass. Check tires for "DOT" dates. If you're not sure how, look for an OVAL on the side wall. Inside that oval, normally, is a 4 number code. It will read something like this:

3410

What that means is, that particular tire was made in the 34th week of 2010. This will give you the info as to exactly how old the tires are. There is of course, a ton more to check and look into. Good luck.
Scott

Originally Posted by halfwright

I am going to go against the popular opinion and take flack for it.

I know from experience that the old leather and rubber seals prior to the 1980's would be badly affected by lack of use. But, I have yet to see a neoprene or other more modern material dry out. I think seal drying is more wrong information that is being handed down because it was common knowledge years ago.

You won't catch any flack here. You're only relaying experience and education as to how things used to be, and the way they are now. But, even today's seals can go bad. Nothing is infallible. Case in point. We purchased a 2015 Jeep JKUR just over a year ago with, 27K miles on it. The Jeep was in flawless condition when we took possession of it. We acquired some left over factory warranty with it too. Well, I've cashed in on some of that warranty to date. The front crank seal, all of a sudden one day, decided to start leaking. And it was a pretty good leak too. We'd park the Jeep in the garage and, within about 2 hours, it had a puddle on the floor, about 1 1/2" in diameter. That's a leak!!

So, into the dealer it went. No issue, they jumped on it and it was done later that day. No charge. But, the point is, yep, even today's seals can go south. No one knows if and or when, something like this will happen. The OP can purchase this intended coach and drive it for 50K miles without a single drop. or, he could purchase it and, it could develope a leak two days later. There's no "Qualified" inspector on the planet that could predict that sort of thing.
Scott

[Outbound]

I do not see a problem with low miles, in fact I think it is a plus. A priority would be to check dates on tires & replace if over 7 years. My only other thought is if coach was lived in full time which means lots of wear & tear on electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling systems, refrigerator etc., these items may be an extra expense if that happened.

[Soppy]

Low mileage is not a problem . If it shows little wear on the inside , even better. Then you know it was not used much. Your way better off buying a coach with 12000 miles than one with 250000 miles. Some parts on a lower mileage coach will be time expired , but nothing should be worn out.

[Dutch Star Don]

If it's in good shape, I would take a serious look at it. My 2005 Monaco Diplomat was the nicest and best built coach I ever owned.

[nehog]

Our low mileage Ambassador came with several problems related to lack of use. The alternator failed after about 200 miles due to rust inside eventually locking it up breaking the belt in the process. Following that the turbo went out, same issue: corrosion caused things to freeze up.

However, since these have been replaced, things have been much more reliable for us.

So yes, there can be problems, hard to predict them however.