What’s high mileage for an automatic engine?

[Lynne Roy]

I agree about rental but why people think less than 10k a year is high mileage I don't understand. Most people I know do around 10k a year in their Motorhomes, perhaps it's because we are all retired running A Class's. 10k a year is fairly normal for an A Class.

Ours is a year old and 16,000 miles, our Dethleffs 4 years old 48,000 miles, never missed a beat

 

[poppycamper]

Whilst ever my limbs are capable of changing gear on a manual gearbox that is the way I will go.
Unless I have a win on the lottery. When I can't change gear it's time to give up as my pension just will not keep up with technology.

Yes I agree, absolutely.... I am a manual sort of guy.
However I must mention I do love cruise control and that is much more ammiable with an auto.
IE hit a hill.. need to change down
Manual.. cruise kicks out when you hit clutch then you have to hit resume when lower gear selected... however not really a big deal.
Auto..auto selected lower gear but cruise still engaged.
So to summarise... I would personally have Manual even with the constraints of limited cruise functions.

 

[Lenny HB]

Ours is a year old and 16,000 miles, our Dethleffs 4 years old 48,000 miles, never missed a beat

Thought your current one was the 9 speed ZF box.

 

[poppycamper]

Thought your current one was the 9 speed ZF box.

OoHh Dear looks like the Lenny HB polis is watching you.

 

[Lenny HB]

OoHh Dear looks like the Lenny HB polis is watching you.

Girls aren't very good on technical stuff you have keep then in their place..

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[Dazzola]

The base vans are designed to cover upto 100k miles a year for 3 years, then be classed as end of life, they are built for a tough but short lifespan.
Converting them from new means the cab and running gear are good for a long life under normal service, however, the auto box's were hardly ever fitted to the standard vans, they will be car derived and are being asked to move upwards of 3.5 tonne.
Also the cab and running gear are pulling their maximum weights "from birth" they wouldn't do that in a standard van.

 

[poppycamper]

Girls aren't very good on technical stuff you have keep then in their place..

OO My god Lenny HB . I hope the sexist polis is asleep!
PS I agree so will stay stumm..

 

[dunnah01]

From past experience anything more than 7000 miles on a comfortmatic requires a significant outlay for clutch and hydraulic bits.

Never touch another one.

New 9 speed auto (touch wood) is so so much better to drive.

The TCU never had a specific map for the geriatrics that drive motorhomes. This means that the clutch transmissibility index and clutch degradation index calculated by the TCU is biased towards high mileage, high activity, white van man rather than low mileage, low activity, Captain Slow motorhome drivers. A 10 minute KISS Point reset operation ever 20-30k is all that is normally required and if the garage insist on changing anything then walk away before you bank account is emptied.

 

[poppycamper]

The TCU never had a specific map for the geriatrics that drive motorhomes. This means that the clutch transmissibility index and clutch degradation index calculated by the TCU is biased towards high mileage, high activity, white van man rather than low mileage, low activity, Captain Slow motorhome drivers. A 10 minute KISS Point reset operation ever 20-30k is all that is normally required and if the garage insist on changing anything then walk away before you bank account is emptied.

Oki doki... I don't understand much of that but what I do get is:---'
A van is designed to be driven "gung-ho " by Mr White van man/woman and get thousands of miles on the clock will.last.. but if you take same van and give it to a geriatric it will be scrap in the first year.
My van was purchased at 3 yrs old from local dealer with 12000 miles on it. ( if you must know, cause you will ask, exdemonstrator so not abused.)
Another gentle 40000miles no problems.

 

[barsteward]

OO My god Lenny HB . I hope the sexist polis is asleep!
PS I agree so will stay stumm..

No! No! give him some stick, he deserves it.

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[dunnah01]

Oki doki... I don't understand much of that but what I do get is:---'
A van is designed to be driven "gung-ho " by Mr White van man/woman and get thousands of miles on the clock will.last.. but if you take same van and give it to a geriatric it will be scrap in the first year.
My van was purchased at 3 yrs old from local dealer with 12000 miles on it. ( if you must know, cause you will ask, exdemonstrator so not abused.)
Another gentle 40000miles no problems.

Not scrap - the geriatrics van just needs a 5 minute adjustment to the electronics every 20 odd k to make it good as new.

 

[poppycamper]

Not scrap - the geriatrics van just needs a 5 minute adjustment to the electronics every 20 odd k to make it good as new.

Sorry still blank. Is your geriatrics meaning same as mine.
My geriatric means old poeple,
Confused ??? And sorry

 

[dunnah01]

Sorry still blank. Is your geriatrics meaning same as mine.
My geriatric means old poeple,
Confused ??? And sorry

For 'geriatrics' read careful, safe and mechanically sympathetic drivers of any age (although more often us geriatric oldies), or the opposite of white van man's reputation.

 

[Basildog]

For 'geriatrics' read careful, safe and mechanically sympathetic drivers of any age (although more often us geriatric oldies), or the opposite of white van man's reputation.

So you are saying that the right pedal isn’t actually an on or off switch then
That’s probably why I haven’t ever had any trouble with DPF filters but do get crap mpg .
Bring back some decent petrol engines these Euro diesel things are over tuned sewing machine engines and are offensive to the ears

 

[forestfern]

That’s interesting barsteward, have you had bad experiences of automatics?

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[jongood]

The base vehicles are more than capable of coping with high mileages but the habitation side are definitely not designed for anything other than occasional leisure use , full timers vans can normally be spotted from a mile away , even the appliances aren’t designed for continuous use.
Most manufacturers actually specifically exclude anything other than short term leisure use in their warranty.
It r

It really does depend what you buy, standards vary massively

Mileage wouldnt bother me as much as servicing and condition.

 

[Mike Rivers]

58k is still quite young. My company run a fleet of Mercedes Vito minibuses, all automatic which eventually get changed with over 300,000 mls of hard driving. Not one has had an engine or gearbox problem. Testament to modern engines I guess, so when you say 58k I think “Blimey is that all!”.

 

[VXman]

Do you mean 7000 miles per annum or 7000 miles full stop.
Either way that to me equals "not fit for purpose"
How many more disgruntled comfortmatic posts are we going to get.
Seems to me the ones with no issues are getting fewer or have been very lucky or don't want to admit they got a useless not fit for purpose gearbox.

People tend not to post - 'my gearbox hasn't broken'.

Just to let you know - I've done 18000 miles and had not issues with the indicators on my Fiat based motorhome

 

[Lynne Roy]

Thought your current one was the 9 speed ZF box.

Yes it is Lenny, I forgot the post was about the comformatic, Roy loves the new box

 

[Rozzer]

My Comfortmatic gearbox was stiff and slow when new but improved a lot after 1000miles. Not the nicest auto box to use but adequate. It’s a motorised manual and Fiat say they outlast conventional automatics. New (if we ever get it Swift??) van has 9 speed, expecting better mpg. My estate with same returns average 45mpg, 55 on a run but stepping up from 3.5t to 4.5t. We’ll see…

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[Lenny HB]

slow when new but improved a lot after 1000miles.

You were lucky normally takes about, 10,000 miles. The software is set up for a fully run in engine which Fiat consider to be 15,000 miles.

 

[SteveRallye]

Had the 3ltr Comfomatic and considered it nicely running in at almost 50k and 6 years,the only reason we changed was for larger M/H so had no beds to make up.

 

[RandallC]

The TCU never had a specific map for the geriatrics that drive motorhomes. This means that the clutch transmissibility index and clutch degradation index calculated by the TCU is biased towards high mileage, high activity, white van man rather than low mileage, low activity, Captain Slow motorhome drivers. A 10 minute KISS Point reset operation ever 20-30k is all that is normally required and if the garage insist on changing anything then walk away before you bank account is emptied.

Ok, BUt!
When your stuck in St Faggins at closing time in a typical Welsh downpour and the box says your going no where cus it cant engage a gear.
And
No amount of software tickling helps,
Guess it's a couple of £K to find out why.

Just saying having been bitten, never go near another comfortmatic.

Driving a manual is a joy . ... till in slow traffic. The your leg says different

 

[Lynne Roy]

My Comfortmatic gearbox was stiff and slow when new but improved a lot after 1000miles. Not the nicest auto box to use but adequate. It’s a motorised manual and Fiat say they outlast conventional automatics. New (if we ever get it Swift??) van has 9 speed, expecting better mpg. My estate with same returns average 45mpg, 55 on a run but stepping up from 3.5t to 4.5t. We’ll see…

Well we don’t get good mpg, but after 16,000 miles it has changed 25 to 27 on a good day x

 

[Lenny HB]

Well we don’t get good mpg, but after 16,000 miles it has changed 25 to 27 on a good day x

Sounds good to me we only 24.

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[SteveRallye]

We seem to get around 25 towing on Aframe and around 28/30 solo as long as we stay 55/60mph

 

[Wack]

Some of the most reliable vehicles I've owned have been high mileage, I put 330,000 on a 3.0 iveco pickup over 6 years with no breakdowns, just servicing and 2 diffs, still on the original clutch when I sold it.

My 2007 37,000 motorhome in the 2 years I've had it has needed a clutch and an alternator

If the price is right go for it, you have to bear in mind selling it on though so there may be no saving in the long run, a low mileage van will cost more but be worth more come sale time

Ownership cost isn't just about the upfront money, it's the difference between buying and selling that matters

 

[Dazzola]

It's slightly off the original question, but the camper I just sold, a 2008 vauxhall vivaro had 174k miles when I bought it, and sold at 180k miles, not one problem in 10 months of ownership, no dash lights, nothing.
Servicing is the key.

 

[Augusta08]

Just had my manual clutch done on 130,000 engine still purrs along and gearbox is fine. The clutch has had some stick I tow about 2000kg trailer a lot. It was expensive though £3,400 engine out job on the 3ltr Boxer. As Dazzola says it's all in the servicing, I've changed the oil & filters every 6000 miles, using Castrol Edge Turbo D . From new.

 

[gus-lopez]

It was expensive though £3,400 engine out job on the 3ltr Boxer.

You're not kidding!! Even taking engine & box out I can't see how they can get to a proce like that?

Top wack @ main dealer £1800 ,independent £1100 & that includes complete parts @£450

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