How many miles?

[Kevin D Pem]

Recent topics have brought me to this quarry!
When you're a commercial truck driver owner/operator you know how much each mile will cost you, barring an increase in expendable.

My question is do owners of RVs have a clue!!! Have you replaced tires because they were worn, or because of age?
The real question is does it matter? Did you buy to see the country, or occasionally vacation. I would say that it makes a difference due entirely to intent whether cost of ownership is worth it!!! Most toys, the cost is secondary, but still, do you know how much each mile is costing you???

Once again not really the question here, but it Has lead up to my question!
How many miles do you plan, or put on a MH before you sell it?
Will that number translate to wearing out a set of tires, or will they get replaced because of age?

If that answer is you will wear them out then much of the concern about maintenance is valid. However if you're thinking you may be replacing your tread due to wear then maintenance is of great concern! The bottom line will become largely affected if you don't take care of them.

So how many miles will make the difference with your efforts?

How Long Do Truck Tires Last?

Many drivers want to know how long their semi-truck tires will last. These key factors will help you determine how often to get replacements.

www.lubezone.com

 

[Rich W.]

I can quantify my cost per mile and for me its fairly low but I drive around 15000 miles/year. For most RV owners though maintenance and repairs are more an annual expense because they drive fewer miles. They may change oil and have the chassis lubed annually while only driving a couple thousand miles increasing the cost per mile. Likewise with tires if you change them every six years and drive 75000 miles over that period, the cost per mile is low, but if you only drive 15000 miles over that period the cost per mile is five times higher, while the cost per year is the same.

I didn’t buy my coach to preserve its low milage and so far have put a little over 15,000/year on it so my cost per mile, excluding fuel is around .26. That accounts for tires, oil changes that I do myself every 7500 miles, and $1,500/year for “other maintenance” that I don’t feel like doing myself. That last figure only represents chassis maintenance and does not include repairs and maintenance to the house because they are not milage dependent. Howerver a $4,000 windshield, or a $2,000 air conditioner, or God forbid an emissions system failure, combined with all the small parts that fail over the span of ownership can really throw a wrench into the works, pun intended!

If I added up the total cost of ownership, including the purchase cost, insurance, and upgrades and improvements, and divided it by the number of miles driven…..well I don’t even want to know. I don’t have any plans or a milage trigger point to sell my coach, and also no desire to upgrade, and I imagine that I’ll keep it until I can no longer drive it, so for me milage is irrelevant as long as I keep up with maintenance and repairs. If I were trying to keep the milage low for re-sale value, my cost per mile (CPM) would, as stated above, be much higher, and my coach enjoyment level (CEL) would be much lower.

 

[AbdRahim]

Regardless of mikes, I am obsessive about maintenance. An ounce of prevention……. Easier to maintain than replace.

At today’s prices, and the industry’s obsession with computer controlled everything, I hope to hold on to mine for another 10 years minimum. Then the next one will be my likely be my last - may take the rest of my life to pay it off. Don’t think I will be buying another at 85 yrs old, although, who knows.