Discussion on average RV life mileage

[Kraken]

Its hard to improve on what the guys have said so far. One suggestion, which I believe critical, is if you can put your rig under a metal carport it's well worth it. Keeps it dry, and if a crack in the roof caulking develops, it's out of the rain and you can catch it before any damage is done. Plus a cover preserves the finish. You'll see folks say they don't want to spend 6K for a nice cover, then a year or two down the road they spend 8K for a whole new roof. Inspect/maintain repeat at regular intervals.

[TexasJeff]

I'm not familiar with DPs, but for gas engine models, drive it regularly, at least every 3-6 months. Seals dry and crack and things happen. Fire up the generator once a month and let it run under load for 15 minutes. If you can keep it under shelter and out of the hot sun, it will continue to look nice on the outside and the interior won't degrade under summer hot temps. As others have said, stay on top of your routine maintenance.

While home, I keep soft water in it to flush it clean of calcium build up and sanitize periodically with a cup of bleach. Drain your hot water tank when not in use afterwards to save your heating element. If you're in colder climates, you'll definitely want to winterize.

The part that I've experienced that breaks the most is the water pump. Those usually are fairly easy to replace. Have never had any other component break on me yet so far.