'99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? November 13, 2014, 02:40:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149499While camping down in San Antonio this past month I overheard a couple of campers talking about the brand new Class A one of the campers had just purchased. The owner commented that he realized "there was no way I was going to go cross country in my '99 Class C..." (I presume that he spent $75-$100 on a modest new Class A MH). I've crossed much of the country 3 times already since acquiring my '99 LD in Oct '12 and find it to be reliable and more than comfortable.I hope to run well over 150K with regular maintenance. Naive?Todd '99 RB and '02 CRV 109K and 75K respectively
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #1 – November 13, 2014, 03:15:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149500"I hope to run well over 150K with regular maintenance. Naive?"Todd'Not at all. there are many that have reached and exceeded the 150K mark. I know of several that age that have towed most of the miles. Keep up on the maintenance and you should be good. Of course, things happen. Most major repairs have been transmission related.Overheating takes out many older rigs. As the cooling system ages, it slowly looses capacity to cool due to scale build up in the block and radiator, as well as the water pump slowly rotting away. Service it regularly and run a ScanGauge and keep an eye on the temps. The oil transmission cooler was switched this year to a much larger cooler to add capacity, making up for what has been lost over 12 years.Many years ago, changing hoses and belts every three to four years was the norm. Now they last much longer, to the point where many stop worrying about them. Our 2003 LD has had the belt replaced but the 12-year-old hoses are original and still look and feel good. Replacing them will be the next major maintenance item as I would rather change them at home, at my leisure, instead of on the side of the road.Larry
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #2 – November 14, 2014, 12:07:29 am Yahoo Message Number: 149508Lazy Daze ought do 150K miles standing on its head. They're one of the best-built type Cs on the market. Keep the water out, drive carefully, and she should go for years and years. I don't have a Lazy Daze, but I know of several GMC Classic FWD type A motorhomes that are up in the millions of miles, and are still going strong.
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #3 – November 14, 2014, 12:14:11 am Yahoo Message Number: 149509Todd, I have personally seen 2 LD's with the Ford V10 over 150K running great. One had over 190K and was running fine. They said it used a little oil between changes. I don't know the towing history of the rigs.I think maintenance, using quality replacement parts and fluids, not doing any engine mods, etc. are key to longevity in the V10. I like Mobile One or Castrol oil and high quality stock type filters. My LD has over 80K and runs great. Probably be even better after spark plug change.Bob
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #4 – November 14, 2014, 05:10:47 am Yahoo Message Number: 149510Appreciate the feedback and maintenance tips. One decision I've made is to stay out of the mountains. Larry confirmed my thought that overheating (especially with an older rig) could be a major problem and mountain climbing is not in my future. With the CRV behind the rig and a fully loaded home, I don't want to take the risk and I don't enjoy climbing and then braking on the trip down. The West will have to wait until I get a new LD or DP - something to look forward to when I retire. For now, there is plenty to explore East of the Rockies.MH is stored away and in hibernation (inside thankfully) for the winter. We've already been hit with snow and temps in the teens. My trip to Texas was aborted due to a work issue but I hope to return next year for Oct and Nov.Have a great winter all... I envy you snowbirds.Todd
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #5 – November 14, 2014, 10:20:34 am Yahoo Message Number: 149513"I don't enjoy climbing and then braking on the trip down."Todd, I don't mean to pick on one phrase taken out of context, but "braking on the way down" is not the safest way to handle mountains. This Eureka article on mountain driving explains how to use your transmission to keep your speed under control on downgrades.Happy trails, wherever you go!Andy BairdTravels with Andy
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #6 – November 14, 2014, 10:45:40 am Yahoo Message Number: 149514Todd: We live near Denver and frequently travel to CA via I70 over the Rockies, and tow a CRV behind our 2002 30' IB. Certainly we slow down going up some of the higher passes but, as Andy says, use the transmission to help with the downside. As the LD approached 100,000 miles we had never experienced any overheating or transmission problems and were very comfortable with the V10/transmission performance. We did trade up to a 2008 IB and expect similar results. The Rocky Mountains are beautiful, give them a try! Gale
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #7 – November 14, 2014, 11:00:11 am Yahoo Message Number: 149515"Larry confirmed my thought that overheating (especially with an older rig) could be a major problem and mountain climbing is not in my future. With the CRV behind the rig and a fully loaded home, I don't want to take the risk and I don't enjoy climbing and then braking on the trip down"ToddIf your LD shows any sign of age related overheating, take care of it. Better to spend a few hundred having a new radiator installed than damaging the engine. As long as the engine stays within it normal operating temps, climbing mountain grades isn't that hard on it, it is what it was designed for.As for downgrades, as everyone as mentioned, using the lower gears it the safe way of doing it. Many here have gone over every major grade in the Rockies or Sierras, with their toads in tow. If you are really concerned, have your passenger drive the toad up or down the feared grade.Larry
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #8 – November 14, 2014, 12:03:34 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149519Thanks for the encouragement to try the Rockies. Retirement is a long way off. My only experience driving the rig through the mountains was when I picked her up in LA and headed back to MN via I-40 - a "walk in the park" compared to what we're really talking about here. Nonetheless, the experience convinced me I wasn't a mountain climber. We shall see what the future brings... Todd (flatlander) Fogelberg
Re: '99 Lazy Daze headed for 150K? Reply #9 – November 14, 2014, 01:31:10 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149522I have climbed and descended many grades with a toad and fully loaded rig. I usually just put it in 2nd gear and keep speed while descending under 45 mph. Slow and safe is the game here. It doesn't hurt to pull off at scenic viewpoints/rest stops to let the brakes cool down. A brake assist system in the toad such as SMI or similar is a real asset and provides more safety. Ceramic brake pads on the rig have worked well so far.Bob
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