2003 vs. 110,000 miles February 28, 2015, 02:17:34 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151396Hi All:I'm always so thankful (and a little amazed) for all the wonderful information shared in this forum. Thank you everyone who shares their knowledge and experiences.We're looking at a 2003 with just a little over 110,000 miles and frankly we're wondering about how much more life/miles on this engine. It is a 26.5' MB (2003) and the ad says "horsepower 300" and "chassis model - Ford super duty" Reading Andy's "changes by year" this should be a Ford E450.So, what do you think about the mileage on it? If we find that they really did take good care of it with regular oil changes and maintenance etc. then realistically how many more miles could we hope to get out of it?Anything in particular we should ask regarding this one thing?Thank you very much. Barbara
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #1 – February 28, 2015, 03:41:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151397:...realistically how many more miles could we hope to get out of it?"---- There are too many unknowns to attempt to project the amount of potential "life" remaining in this rig; the mileage is only one factor in the overall assessment of whether this LD is a good deal.How was the rig used? (And, how do *you* intend to use a rig?) Did the owner tow? Has the rig been overloaded? Ever been damaged or involved in an accident? Are the service records available? If so, have the recommended (and beyond) maintenance, repairs, and parts replacements on the engine and all systems been done at proper intervals by qualified mechanics? Have all the appliances been regularly maintained and serviced? Has the "box" been re-sealed? If so, how? Is there evidence of any leaks inside or out? What is the age(s) and condition of the tires?There are more considerations, but you get the idea! ;-) Some 100k Ford E450s are good for another 50k, and some are "trashed beaters" well before that; which one this is depends largely on how diligently and consistently the entire rig has been maintained (*way* beyond oil changes) over its life. At the least, it should be thoroughly examined by a mechanic and an RV service tech; even if it checks out well, I suggest you budget for maintenance jobs (for example, Ford recommends a spark plug change at 100k (or sooner); not cheap!) and the inevitable repairs/replacements.As ever, YMMV.Joan
For Sale Ad Reply #2 – February 28, 2015, 03:50:48 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151398We have decided to keep our Lazy Daze for a while. How do I delete my ad?Sandy
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #3 – February 28, 2015, 03:58:52 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151399"I suggest you budget for maintenance jobs (for example, Ford recommends a spark plug change at 100k (or sooner); not cheap!) and the inevitable repairs/replacements. "Also keep in mind that just about everything on a LD cost twice a much, or more, than a similar repair on your car. And few mechanics are willing to work on them. At 110,000 miles, anything part of it could be worn out or it could be in great shape, if owned by a conscientious owner(s).Potentially save yourself a bunch of money by having the coach and chassis checked out by professionals. This is much more like buying a house than a car, a lot more to consider including many problems that are not easily identifiable with a quick examination. At 110,000 miles, anything part of it could be worn out or it could be in great shape, if owned by a conscientious owner. It cost a bit of money and time to keep a 12-year old LD in great shape and many did not make the continued investment.The forum's achieves are full of sad stories of buyers who did not find out what they were buying before plunking down their cash. Please, don't be one of them.Larry
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #4 – February 28, 2015, 06:36:58 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151401As others have said a detailed inspection should precede your purchase. Water damage is IMO the most important thing to watch for. Plan to spend a whole day firing up all the appliances and testing everything. Make sure the refrigerator works on A.C. and propane, as it is one of the most expensive appliances to have replaced. Check out the Air Conditioner both on city power as well as generator. See if service was performed on generator and Ford Chassis. There are many things to check. It helps to bring an expert in or another pair of eyes to help. This should be a logical purchase, and not an emotional one. I recommend leaving friends at home during the inspection. It is also an advantage if you can stay the night in the rig. This will probably raise questions for you not thought of.I looked at several LD's before purchasing mine. If you can get one from the original owner with all paperwork that is a big plus. In my case that is what happened. Looking at the way their property and other possessions were kept up convinced me. I got it with 62K miles (2001 TK). Has 84K now and runs like a champ. Best RV investment I ever made.Bob
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #5 – February 28, 2015, 06:50:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151402We just had Ric,(blownoutsparkplugs.com) do the conversion on all the cylinders on our V-10, and Ric has worked on a bunch of these engines. I was also concerned about the mileage issue,(we have 98K on our 97 23.5 TK), and he assured me with regular service and oil changes, many of his commercial customers running these engines in ambulances and busses have 500K + on these engines. I'll keep changing the oil like the previous owner did, and no worry about the mileage anymore.Don
Identity Reply #6 – February 28, 2015, 08:05:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151403Bob: This is from Bob in Florida, SE 5 asking that you add something to just "Bob" so we know which Bob is sending.Thanks, Bob in Florida SE 5 30IB AE
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #7 – February 28, 2015, 08:07:54 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151404We considered two LDs before we purchased our '89 26' RB. It was our first-ever RV purchase and we wanted to 'try out' RV'ing with an older and less expensive model to confirm it's something we'd like to do longer term. In several years, we may upgrade to a newer vehicle but we've not been disappointed so far with our decision. Anyway, I remember something the RV pre-inspection guy told us. His advice was that towing can really put wear and tear on a vehicle. If you're buying an RV, be sure to ask if it has towed another vehicle or boat on any regular basis, and if so, think about the mileage as double the odometer reading. That was just one person's advice, but passing it along in case it's helpful.
Re: For Sale Ad Reply #8 – February 28, 2015, 08:38:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151406Go to the For Sale Ads and click on it, you will see all the for sale LD, yours is the 2nd one,.. with your arrow go to the right and you will see something that looks like a pencil, edit and a trash can, click on the trash can and it will delete your Ad.JoWe have decided to keep our Lazy Daze for a while. How do I delete my ad?Sandy
Re: Identity Reply #9 – February 28, 2015, 10:33:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151407Okay, Bob. I will go by bobmoore14 from now on. Maybe that will fix the identity problem.bobmoore14 Somewhere in Oregon where it's snowing. Supposed to be 12 inches tonight. It's pretty, but it's cold.
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #10 – March 01, 2015, 06:55:53 am Yahoo Message Number: 151408Hi Bob:Lots of great info. - when you say you looked at several were they all easy for you to get to them? In other words did you have to travel long distance to see them? We're finding that pretty much all the ones for sale are long distance (as in we would have to fly there) and trying to first work out some questions with the seller before we commit the money to spend to fly there....well, it is difficult and then before we know it the unit has sold before we can get there. No easy solution to that, I guess??
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #11 – March 01, 2015, 07:03:57 am Yahoo Message Number: 151409Larry - as always lots of good advice. When dealing with all of this long distance how do we deal with finding a reliable professional (in all the different areas they come up for sale in) to do some pre-checking on the LD for us?
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #12 – March 01, 2015, 07:13:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 151410Joan:Thank you....I'm a pretty detailed person (just ask my husband) so most of your questions are ones I had thought of but an important one I hadn't thought of was if the prior owner had been towing with their LD (Thank you Don for ALSO mentioning this!!!). It sure makes sense to me that that does create extra wear-n-tear on the LD.So thank you for your suggestions. We're struggling with buying it long distance just because LD's seem to sell quick before we can get all our questions answered and then schedule a time to fly to the location.P.S. what does YMMV stand for
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #13 – March 01, 2015, 08:27:30 am Yahoo Message Number: 151412YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary (What is true or which works for one person may not for another.)Joan
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #14 – March 01, 2015, 06:48:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151419I put over 1700 miles on my Toyota Tundra looking at LD's. 3 long distance trips and 1 local. The local one was a good deal but it was an older 26.5 with the 460 motor. Very overloaded on an E-350 chassis. My 23.5 is overloaded enough. Sometime in the future I hope to upgrade to the E-450 chassis, but considering all the upgrades done (and the money spent) I may just keep it. For some reason I seem to have less appliance and general maint. problems than many that full time. Probably has something to do with Larry going over it shortly after I purchased.Bob 01 23.5 TK with toys...
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #16 – March 02, 2015, 10:32:08 am Yahoo Message Number: 151426Yes towing does put an extra strain on the motorhome. However, if you maintain the coach on the basis that it tows, IMHO it does not impact the "life span" of the chassis. We had a 2005 MB that we owned for 8 years and drove over 128K miles, most of that towing a Jeep Cherokee that weighed about 4K lbs. We probably "over maintained" the coach. For the most part we followed Ford's "Schedule B" recommendations except for the transmission. The transmission got "reviewed" every 6K miles (adjustments, shift points, etc.) and it was flushed and new fluid installed every 12K miles. We replaced the coach with an SOB in the fall of 2013 primarily because of the decreasing market value with higher mileage. Also because the chassis was starting to have "nickel & dime" problems; none were very significant but they were becoming quite frequent. An important thing to remember that when a coach approaches the 10-year mark, a number of parts on the chassis & coach will "age out" and create problems. On the chassis I would make sure that the A/C system (compressor, filter, etc.) has been maintained regularly. On the E-450 when this system goes, it can cascade and cause other very significant issues. For "second owners" how the coach is to be used is important. My LD was in very good condition when I last saw it. It eventually ended up with a fellow in Indianapolis who was going to use it for "tailgating and 2-week summer vacations." This is much less strenuous than the constant cross country driving that we were doing.Doug Baker
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #17 – March 02, 2015, 11:12:57 am Yahoo Message Number: 151427This is the link to Ford's maintenance schedule pages; drill through the model, year, engine, "tow or no", etc. options, then move the slider to bring up the scheduled maintenance services for the relevant mileage.https://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/MaintCalProcessPageVehicleLookup&level=vehicle&BackToLogin=Owner/Page/MaintCalProcessPageJoan
Re: 2003 vs. 110,000 miles Reply #18 – March 02, 2015, 07:17:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 151439I've been wondering the same thing. How best to find a professional to look over a used unit? Susie
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