Honestly, what is a reasonable figure for low mileage?

[SweetMarie1965]

There's a 1990 Dodge Ram Class B at a small dealership near me. I went over after hours last week to look at it in the parking lot. The inside is clean, the paint is a bit dull from the years, but otherwise it looks good. I checked their website; the advert says, low mileage. It has 151,734 on the odometer. Low mileage to me would be under 100,000. Do vehicles like this really last over 200,000 miles? It seems they'd have to if 151k is considered low. What do you think?

Mpg is probably quite low. I'd probably lighten something like this up quite a bit; remove all the stuff I really don't need because it looks a bit cramped, too much dark hallway and too much wood. All of that has got to be heavy.

http://www.anythingonwheelsinc.com/1990_Dodge_RAM250_Deland_FL_232978865.veh

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

That's a lot of miles, and a lot of years. Next year it will qualify for antique license plates.

What about this one:
http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/4776720087.html

Less miles, 10 years newer.

 

[SweetMarie1965]

LOL... that's what I thought Bruce. The other one looks good; I'll see what Ken thinks. Maybe go see it this week. Thanks!

 

[SweetMarie1965]

The first post was a bit in jest... I mean they actually thought 151,000 miles was low? But the van reminded me of one bought by a lady I've been following a long time. She's been a great inspiration. Hers is a 95 Coachman. She bought it late in the year and moved into it in winter in New England. Looks almost like the Dodge I mentioned, except hers is 5 years newer. She's been all over the US already and had a few problems associated with an older vehicle, but nothing like you'd expect.

https://mochagypsy.wordpress.com/2012/10/

 

[cyndi]

A van has a truck engine and, for the most part, they're built to last; if they've been well maintained. I expect a truck engine to last upwards of 250,000 miles. There are exceptions. So find out what kind of engine it has and report back here, or google.

I'm van shopping, too. Looking for a 1996 or newer and hoping to keep it under 100,000 miles. I have looked at vans with more mileage but my druthers would be under a 100,000.

I've been van shopping for over a year and it took me 5 years to find the class c I wanted.

 

[SweetMarie1965]

Thanks Cyndi... it's a Dodge Ram 250. Under 100,000 is my goal as well.

Looking all the time; I figure I'll just do it as long as it takes and learn as much as I can through the experience. Everyone here has been very helpful.

Automatic transmissions make me nervous - keep hoping I'll find a manual. There's been a few on Craigslist that looked good, but they were gone in a flash.

 

[Nemo]

my initial thought would be it depends on the engine.. if it's a diesel setup, then 151k is considered low mileage on the engine at least they last a long time.. thats not saying anything for the rest of the drivetrain.

 

[BamaDuke]

I think there are a couple of different ideas at work here. Typically, a new car warranty is for "5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first". Or maybe "Ten years or 100,000 miles". A typical annual car usage would then be something between 10,000 and 12,000 miles. So a 1990 car is 24 years old. Anything under 240,000 miles would then be "LOW MILAGE" to the dealer.

I would prefer a vehicle with under 100 or 125k miles, but I would likely (in very similar condition) take a 20 year old car with 150k over one with only 30k. A 20 year old car with that few miles either was not used often or was used for very, very short trips. The condensation in the oil and the interior wouldn't have time to get evaporated.

An RV that is this old would draw very critical looks from me, as there is (always) a leak somewhere in the roof. It may be small, and inconsequential, but I am going to look very hard for it. Mold, mildew, and their odors are tough to remove.

All that being said I really like this one, and would not be too scared. It's not a Sportsmobile, but the conversion looks pretty well done. Look at the AC condensate line, from the firewall. If it drips directly on the catalytic converter, plan on replacing the cat very soon. Don't ask me how I know this

Bama

 

[user 423]

This is a good a example of how older Class B's hold their value. If it only has had one or two owners and the servicing/mileage were documented, I wouldn't be afraid of this one. One thing about the late '80s and early '90s Dodges is that many of them have faulty speedometers, so the mileage on many of them will be inaccurate. You'd want to see service receipts that show the mileage through the years to be reasonably sure it's accurate.

You're right, all that equipment adds a lot of weight but as long as it has the 360 V8 and not the 318 it would be OK. Gas mileage is going to be 11-13 on the highway.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Also remember that a Class B is used mainly for cruising down the Interstates, which is the easiest miles you could put on any vehicle (not stop-n-go so easy on all components, easy uphill grades, lots of air in radiator to keep things cool, etc). 150k of Interstate is a breeze compared to 50k of commuting to and from work.

I have heard many great things about the Dodge 318ci but have never experienced one myself. They can give you 17-18mpg in a Class-B but you won't be able to tow and you will need to be very careful of the weight in the van. The Dodge 360ci has been used by Dodge for a very long time now in all their trucks (and vans) and is really bullet proof. Parts are cheap... heck an entirely new engine is cheap... and easy to come by. My Dodge with the 360 has 140k and is purring right along. The only problem I have is an oil leak at the rear main. On any other engine this is a huge task to fix... on the 360, it is $23 in parts, and an afternoon's labor (it does not require removal of the transmission... woot!).

Don't be too afraid of 150k. Those are likely very easy miles. It would be worth having it gone through by a mechanic to make sure it is not spitting fluids out, but otherwise that would be "middle-aged" to me. You can easily get 250k+ out of a well maintained engine, and replacing that one in 5-10 years will cost you significantly less ($1000-1500 if you do it yourself, maybe $2500 at a shop) then buying a newer Class-B with less miles.

BTW - that price is good. Have it checked out though.

 

[LeeRevell]

The Dodge 318 and 360 are the same basic motor, just different bore. I had a 1971 Dodge Polara with the 318. It was a gas hog but ultra reliable. My 1985 Dodge Ramcharger 4X4 has the 318 also. It's not running now but got better mileage. A buddy had the same vehicle but swapped a 360 into it easily. Good motors but my experience says they aren't great on gas mileage.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

the days when engines only lasted 100,000 miles are long gone, even twenty years ago most engines, if well maintained could last half a million miles, especially if driven in temperate climates. A poorly maintained vehicle with 80,000 could cost you more then a well maintained vehicle with 150,000 on it. The trick is to figure out how well maitained it is at time of purchase, especially when all the service records are not always available. happy hunting