Tips for Shopping for an RV
- RV Inspection Orange County
- Jan 12, 2016
- 4 min read
Determine your budget. If you have 10,000 dollars to spend, then limit your final purchase price to about 8,500 dollars, keep 10% to 15% in reserve for misc. expenses (registration, smog, un-foreseen expenses).
Establish a price range. Now lets take the same amount to spend 8,500 dollars, make your search parameters higher. Maybe go up to 10,500 dollars, (most sellers will negotiate) but just because someone is asking 10k, doesn't mean the RV is worth that.
Determine what type of RV is best for you, a motor home or travel trailer.
Motor homes come in 3 classes:
Class A is a complete RV coach built on a truck chassis and has a blunt or sloped nose.
Class C is a RV coach built on a van chassis and still has the van front end.
Class B primarily uses a van body and van chassis and from outward appearances these still look like a van and the coach portion is built within the van.
Travel trailers come in different designs as well. The most common is simply called a travel trailer and is pulled from a truck with bumper or under-bumper-hitch.
Another type of travel trailer is called a 5th Wheel it is towed by a truck with the hitch in the middle of the bed.
Then there is the toy hauler, this a travel trailer that has a fold down ramp in the rear to haul dirt bikes and atv etc. The front part of the trailer is the coach and the rear could also convert to sleeping and dinning area when it is unloaded.
Once you have an idea of what type of RV and your price range, the next step is determine the type of layout or floor plan, for example, All class C motor homes come with the master bed above the drivers area and is a very efficient use of space, however this may not be suitable for elderly or physically challenged people because of the low ceiling and using a small ladder to enter and exit the bed.
Once you see a layout you like then I suggest visiting a RV dealer to tour different sizes and layouts, but don't buy one just yet.
Another important factor is where the RV be parked when not in use, if you plan on using your driveway, consult with your local community and or HOA, and size is going to be an important factor here.
Searching:
Okay, we are narrowing it down, it's time to start your search, I prefer to search online and deal with private sellers, but If you prefer to shop at dealer that is fine too. Talk to the owner of the RV or the salesman (if dealership) talking to the owners brother or mother can very much limit the answers to your questions.
Before you go and look at the RV ask questions, lots of questions, I will come back to this later.
On each RV you like, do some research online, Google the year make and model and search for problems for example " 2004 Fleetwoood problems" or " 2002 Winnebago Brave reviews". Find out what people are saying about the unit, good and bad. Also Google the sellers phone number, use this format, 555-555-5555 what you are looking for here, is this person selling or sold more that a few vehicles in a short time? if he has ads all over the web for various cars, boats, RVs and so on, then this is a big red flag for me, now maybe he’s just a guy who buys low and sells high trying to make an honest buck, but more often then not this person is motivated only in profit, and not only not be truthful in his statements, but may have altered or hidden some faults with this RV.
Questions to ask over the phone:
How long have you owned the RV?
Are you the original owner?
Is it currently smogged and registered?
Is it on PNO (planned no-op status)?
Do you have the pink slip or title?
How much are you asking? (even though you saw the asking price in the ad, ask again you would be surprised how this changes)
Do you have the manuals? A good RV owner will keep manuals on all items and maintenance records.
Why are you selling it?
And ask any questions that you may have to meet your own concerns.
Now you are ready to start viewing RVs. As a professional RV inspector I have noticed that a buyer that does the above mentioned research can focus in on a quality RV faster, an un-educated buyer may have me inspect 3 or 4 RVs before buying, while this is good for my business it ads over all costs for the buyer. The RV inspection should be the final stage in the shopping process.
Things to look for when you viewing a RV:
As you approach the RV check to see if it is leaning to one side, look underneath for puddles or oil spots (its not unusual for older RVs to drip fluids) puddles of fluid(a spot that is wet to the touch) is a cause for concern, but an oil spot(fluid that has been absorbed into the surface) may not.
Check the inside layout if it meets your needs.
Check for water damage on ceiling and walls (these are brown spots).
Drive The RV.
If at this point you feel good about the RV, then it is time to have a pro inspection.
Four things that I label as deal-breakers are:
Check for signs of infestation, storage compartments and cupboards.
Bad refrigerator, RV refrigerators contain ammonia and are not serviceable, even though they have a long life, replacement costs are upwards of 2,000.00
Bad Generators, new ones cost 2,000.00 to 6,000.00
Roof top A/C units. this is debatable but replacement costs start at 1,000.00
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