Re: planning for the big plunge
That is one of those questions that really don't have an answer. The quality of maintenance and care of the RV is everything. Some RVs outlive more than one engine and transmission, while others, or the same make and model are junk in only a few years. Generally an RV like the Foretravel should easily last for 15 to 20 years and approach 300K miles, if given the care that they need and if owned by a knowledgeable RVer. The difficult part of buying a used unit such as you are looking at is to know what the true condition is. If you can, it would be wise to have an analysis done on the engine oil and the transmission fluid. Those will tell you a great deal about the condition of those parts. About all that you can do for the RV appliances is to make sure that all of them work and cross your finger. An RV refrigerator or furnace should last somewhere between ten and twenty years as a general rule but the care in use and maintenance can cause the numbers to move in either direction. A water heater will usually last around ten years as well, but flushing and such will make that very from five to perhaps twenty years. Another factor for all appliances is, were they used full-time or just a few weeks per year? RV refrigerators will often last longer when used constantly but a water heater or furnace will in time burn out the fire box so the amount of use for them is bad. It is nearly impossible to assess the condition of the inside of any of those appliances.
Another factor for what you look at is tire age and also belts and hoses. RV tires should be replaced at least every 5-7 years, no matter what the tread-wear condition is. You can determine the tire age by checking the last digits of the DOT code on the side of the tire. Hoses and belts are probably origional and I would expect to replace all of those. Yet another item is the possibility of any leaks in roof or windows. A leak can cause major structural damage if not repaired very quickly.