What befits a single man, versus a family, or a couple with dependent, elderly relatives -- all the while needing an RV to produce income -- have a major bearing on the use and lifespan of an RV. A conventional one, sitting, with a single person, receives little wear. A family of four, on the road 20k annually, is quite different. A good choice will stand up. An ordinary choice means an early loss of capital investment. Etc.
I have rarely seen a stationary full-timer with an RV less than 10 years old. Mine (at 14 years old) is the newest one in the park I live in. There are a few from the 60s here, at least
Plenty of parks now with ten year rule. Not a huge number, but it will grow. And
stationary is not an RV in a manner of speaking. An RV has to be roadworthy. Few conventionally-framed RV's
are after a too-soon reached point in time or miles. The average life is expected to be 15-years, but this also assumes less than 60k miles in total. A good one will go in excess of 200k.
RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) says, ”Statistics indicate that the average life of an RV tire is five to seven years.“
This also assumes 5k miles annually, not sitting. Tires not rotated (vehicle moving) deteriorate that much faster (beyond ozone, geography, climate, etc). After five years tires are a crapshoot. MICHELIN will tell you that after five years they need inspection by a qualified dealer (who should remove and inspect interior, not just exterior). A big mistake to treat this casually. One good blowout and it's bye-bye RV (in too many instances; being totaled by insurance). Etc.
While some people use their RVs to chase work while seeing America, others simply live in their RVs and commute to their regular job. Some travel from place to place trading their work for a free campsite. But how many there are is anyone’s guess. Anywhere from 25,000 to 250,000 working Americans travel around in RVs, motoring from state-to-state and job-to-job to earn a paycheck, according to Arkansas-based Workamper News, a website that caters to RV migrants.
“We definitely know that work camping is alive, well and growing in numbers,” Workamper News owner Steve Anderson said. “I know that because our subscriber base continues to grow.”
The biggest national RV trade organization, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) in Reston, Va., does not keep statistics on RV owners who travel from job-to-job. Spokesman Kevin Broom estimated that 400,000-800,000 people live full time on the road in an RV. “Many are also working,” he said.
Full Time in RV
Those are pre-crash numbers.
Temp jobs now a permanent part of economy; no family wage jobs created since 2000
There aren't many RV's worthy of the definition long-lasting, low operational cost, and good road performance. Even understanding limitations -- which are a result of being mobile -- one should be careful, and diligent, in searching out the right one. Start homework early. With structural economic changes, an RV
may be a good choice. But the wrong one, or the wrong plan, can break you (if times are tight) and one has placed this bet.
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