Buying a used RV... heed this advice...

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Humanaquarian

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Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Posts
98
I was all set after looking hard at a 2011 Coachmen (in pic), I?m pretty mechanically inclined and have a good construction background, my wife is an architect and so... we felt pretty confident that our multiple inspections were good enough. 
Then I read some advice on this forum about getting it inspected by a certified inspector, so I decided that was good advice. We were anxious to camp, but we could wait a bit longer. Glad we did! He found multiple items I missed and tested all the systems .  It gave us peace of mind and ensured we wouldn?t be returning immediately back to the dealer after our shakedown run. Sure, we may have some things pop up,      abut overall, the major things are being addressed.
Good advice, spend the $$$ on an inspection. Get everything fixed before you drive off the lot- you?ll be glad you did! We sure are
 
It is nice that someone is taking our advice. We have been telling people to get their RV inspected and fixed before they buy it.  8)
 
Mainly plumbing leaks. Also a body seal that needs repair. Not much, but would?ve been a real pain to find out on he road. He helped determine the age of the tires as the DOT code was hard to find. The dealer is hot footing to get it done because it?s technically not sold yet. Had we taken it out and found this stuff out, I?m not so sure we?d be top priority.
All in all money well spent.
 
I'm glad that worked out well for you. I have no qualms about my Coachmen, and I hope you guys enjoy yours.
 
Do you mind telling us what the inspector charged you?

Were you able to negotiate these repairs in the final sale price?

I bought a used 5th wheel super bargain from a private seller as it was a distress sale. I wanted to hire an inspector but there wasn't time. It was make an offer now or walk away and forget about it. They had people backed up silly trying to see it and they basically wanted to sell it to the first person that showed up with a cash offer. I had to finalize the deal (with the rest of the cash) within 24 hours and there wasn't an inspector available on that short notice, so I took a leap of faith and plowed forward with the purchase.

The next morning (before I had showed up with the rest of the cash) they called and  offered to let me out of the deal because they had received higher offers and still had their phone ringing off the hook and I couldn't find an inspector that quickly. Not sure if they regretted making such a hasty deal with me but they were in a big bodacious rush at the time I made an offer and wouldn't wait more than 24 hours for me to find an inspector.

The owner was dying and had moved out, his grown kids were anxious to sell it as they were completely clueless about it and were footing the bill for lot rent and utilities until it sold. None of them lived nearby so they decided to just let it go fast and cheap and be done with it. The only thing I was able to negotiate was that they give me a few weeks to move it since I didn't own a tow vehicle and I bought it about two hours away from where I proposed to move it. This at least gave me some time to sort things out before towing it away.

Of course I found a few surprises, things I had overlooked in my own hasty inspection. But *PHEW* even with the cost of repairs I've made, it's still a huge bargain. Lady luck was with me on this one. I had owned a used RV for 8 years and had done a lot of work myself on it, so I sort of knew what to look for in my own hasty inspection.

 
Humanaquarian said:
The dealer is hot footing to get it done because it?s technically not sold yet. Had we taken it out and found this stuff out, I?m not so sure we?d be top priority.
All in all money well spent.


Terrific to hear of someone taking their time and doing their due diligence. So often people come to the forum and their first post is a tale of woe regarding issues they found on their first trip because they didn?t get the unit inspected.


:))
 
Great news and obviously it was money well spent! Looking forward to your updates once you have it.
 
Is there a directory of "certified Inspectors" to help locate one?  We boondock every day (live in the middle of nowhere) and I doubt there would be one within 100 miles of us.  How can I find out?
 
Hi

https://nrvia.org/locate/

I got this from Humanaquarian's other post where Scott provided info above:


http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,112109.msg1011876.html#msg1011876
 
jackiemac said:

When I checked that link it does seem as if there aren't a lot of inspectors in some areas. Another great idea a member had was calling mobile RV repair companies in the area (trying to find one that's as reputable as possible) and asking if they would do a pre-purchase inspection. They already do "house calls" and same as anyone else they'll charge by the hour, and they should be well qualified to do the inspection.
 
Yeah, we got a mobile guy to do it. He?s a fellow camper so he really knew what to look for. Do a google search-they?re out there! I started thinking that, this is like buying a house and a car and I got my house inspected so... treat it the same way as when you buy a house and negotiate like you?r  buying a car. Most of all -b patient!
 
Humanaquarian said:
treat it the same way as when you buy a house and negotiate like you?r  buying a car. Most of all -b patient!

You're going to do well with this new RV hobby!  :))
 
If all else fails at finding an inspector you can always go to an RV garage and talk to one of the mechanics directly or go to an RV park and ask the manager if they know of an RV inspector.
 
jackiemac said:
Hi
https://nrvia.org/locate/
I got this from Humanitarian's other post where Scott provided info above:
http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,112109.msg1011876.html#msg1011876

I opened up the top link and I noticed that there wasn't a scroll button over on the right to scroll up or down to read the entire write-up. I have to minimize the view by clicking CTRL (-).  When I do that, it's hard to read because of the small print. Is it just me?
 
Rene T said:
I opened up the top link and I noticed that there wasn't a scroll button over on the right to scroll up or down to read the entire write-up. I have to minimize the view by clicking CTRL (-).  When I do that, it's hard to read because of the small print. Is it just me?

It's there, at least for me. Very narrow and hard to see, just looks like a page border rather than a scroll bar. The mouse wheel also works, or you can move right over to the right, bottom edge and click. I'm using Firefox
 
Sun2Retire said:
It's there, at least for me. Very narrow and hard to see, just looks like a page border rather than a scroll bar. The mouse wheel also works, or you can move right over to the right, bottom edge and click. I'm using Firefox

I found the bar Scott. Yes it was narrow. Thanks.
 
Humanaquarian said:
Then I read some advice on this forum about getting it inspected by a certified inspector, so I decided that was good advice.

Same here. As I'm not much of a handyman myself I was leaning toward a new RV even though budget-wise a relatively new used model might make more sense. Realizing that there were certified/qualified inspectors out there that one could hire prior to purchase-- as I read on this forum--  has me feeling much more comfortable about searching the pre-owned market.

Definitely worth the price of admission!  ;D
 
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