How organize offer to include independent inspection?

Hi everyone, my husband and I are newbies and will be getting an RV for full-time living We've never had one before so a bit lost on the process. We are considering a used  2016 Montana and wondering how you organize an offer with a dealer as far as getting an independent inspection. Do you make an offer contingent on a good inspection? Also, any suggestions on finding a quality inspector? We appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

Welcome to the forum.

Most RV's deprecate quite a bit for the first 5 years or so and then start leveling off.
Having never done this before you might look at an older unit which is still in very good condition and get a lot more for your money.
There are people out there that thought they would use it more then they did and kept it in a garage when not in use and it looks almost new.

Be very careful in that MOST dealers will tell you what you want to hear even if it's not the truth.
One of the more common is (because you didn't say what truck you have) "Oh your F150 truck will tow that just fine" when you
really need a F250 and many times even a F350 to tow a big 5th wheel.  I only mention this because you both are newbies.
There is a learning curve - especially going from zero to full-time.

If you post your City and State there might be someone here that knows of a good inspector near you.

Good luck with what ever you end up with.

Thank you for the info.  We are in Calif Central Coast-near San Luis Obispo. We don't have a truck and will use professional tow; we still work locally so going to just park and live in it locally. The more we research, the more we realize there is to learn. It's definitely a bit daunting. Thanks for the help

Welcome to the Forum!

I am glad you are here. You really can get a good education about RVing here.  I have!

Rule #1  Get a FLOOR PLAN you both love!  All FW are relatively small compared to an apartment, so do not compromise on the floor plan.

Rule #2  No camper is really comfortable in winter in a cold climate.  Since you are in central CA, you should be okay.

You are wise having it professionally moved.  If the campground is local for the dealer, ask if he will deliver.

As Red said, why so new?  I would suggest looking at a bit older - 2011 - 2014 models and save some money.  With ANY preowned camper, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, after Floor Plan, is CONDITION!  Some campers have really been pampered, others abused. Forget age or manufacturer.  it is all about condition.  Careful inspection will let you know the condition of the one you are interested in.

I would do your own inspection, looking at some of the items on the Library PDI list here.    http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php/15-checklists/69-pre-delivery-checklist-for-trailers     If it passes your inspection, call the independent inspector.  If it passes his check, then make an offer, using his findings to either get things fixed or get a better price.

Thanks so much! We are learning so much from the forum. What a great support
As far as why so new...we thought we may have better luck with it lasting longer.  But, we are open to learning as much as we can and making a good decision.  Thanks again for the suggestions!

I'll chime in one more time.

Another reason for buying a older RV is many times a newbie doesn't get it right the first time.  So the newer you buy the more money
you lose when upgrading to a bigger/better unit.
It's pretty common for new RV'ers to buy something smaller thinking it's only the 2 of us (or a single person) and we don't need a lot of
space or room for just us.  Full timing is way different from weekend camping or even a 2 week vacation.
I have not heard of anyone buying an RV and saying we bought too big of a unit and need to downgrade.  Most of the time someone
will only downgrade because of health problems or maybe losing interest because their new mate doesn't want this lifestyle etc.

In my case I bought a 40' MH and I wouldn't want anything smaller and I'm alone.  It is the first RV that I have ever owned, and I didn't
want to end up upgrading like so many other have done.  I bought a 15 year old unit and it was in good shape (not perfect) but good.
I doubt that I will have to upgrade for a long time, if ever, unless maybe I found someone to share it with.
My point is (IMO) buy the biggest unit you can find and afford which might be an older unit. In an older unit I would look at the very top end
of whatever manufacturer you look at and look at only the upper end as the build quality will be much better in most cases.

If your not in a hurry (which I hope your not) take your time - ask lots of questions.  Many people take between 6 and 18 months to find
the right unit for them.
If you find a unit that looks like it's in the running - take pictures of it and then post them on this forum (in a new thread) and there is a good chance that someone else has or had that unit and can tell you the pros and cons or what to check for before buying it etc.

Organizing a pre-sale inspection...

You need to discuss with the dealer your need for an independent inspection (at your expense, of course). Some may not be cooperative at all, perhaps claiming it's not needed because they "inspect everything" themselves.  I would advise walking away from those.  If they insist on a sale contract before allowing an inspector onsite, definitely have the agreement stipulate that the sale is contingent on your satisfaction with the inspection report. Not just a "good inspection" or similar words - YOU are the only one who must be satisfied and it is soley up to you to cancel or proceed.  And make sure any deposit is 100% refundable if you decline.

Do not assume that buying an RV at a dealership is like car-shopping at a dealer.  In some ways it's similar to buying at a used car lot (and RV dealer ethics are often much like the proverbial used car sales guy) , but the whole process is more analogous to buying a furnished house. The condition of the roof, appliances, plumbing and electric systems are all as much or more important than any vehicle concerns.

You should assume an inspection will find some problems, or at least some items that need attention.  After all, it's not a new house/vehicle. Whether any of them will be show stoppers is a more difficult problem. You should also be prepared to negotiate with the dealer on any items the inspector reports, either asking that the item be repaired or replaced, or accepting an additional discount in lieu of repair, or even just taking the item "as is" and getting your own repair later.

There are RV buyer Checklists in the RVForum Library - a whole section devoted to them in fact. A couple of the lists are very comprehensive, but do not assume that every inspector will do all the items. Discuss with the inspector what he will actually do,  i.e. does he just "eyeball" on item for working condition or does he actually test & verify.  For example, will he actually operate the fridge long enough to see if it gets to operating temperature, or does he just turn it on to see if it begins to run & cool? Are the batteries tested under load, or does he just turn the lights on to see if they light up?  You get the idea...

http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php/15-checklists