Buying a high mileage used trailer. Advice please

I just looked at a 1999 Fleetwood Terry 825V in good shape.  An older guy owned it and took very good care of it.
It is priced around 10,000 but he is very eager to move it.
It is a high mileage trailer as it is used all year round. 
My plan is to get a unit that will suit my young family for 10 + years. 
My question is how do travel trailers age?  Am I better off to buy a nearly new one for $5000 more or do i get the cheaper well cared for older one.
Can this '99 last me 10 years or will I have to start sinking cash into it.

How do you tell a trailer is high mileage except to look at the tires? And if they have been replaced...?  Condition is everything in an RV, especially in trailers.

Is this a fifth wheel or a travel trailer? I couldn't find an 825V in the NADA Guide (it's not perfect) but found an 825B, 825Y, 825W, 825Z and a an 825-5X fifth wheel. The fifth wheel is worth $6-7k but the travel trailers are in the $4-6K range, depending on the exact model. I'd offer maybe $4.5-$5K and see what happens.

An older trailer in good shape is sound. The main thing to watch for is signs of water leaks, e.g. stains on the ceiling or walls  or soft spots on the floor or roof. If properly maintained there won't be any.  There is a Used RV Checklist in the Forum library to tell you all the things to check out BEFORE buying.

RV Roamer said:

How do you tell a trailer is high mileage except to look at the tires? And if they have been replaced...?  Condition is everything in an RV, especially in trailers.

Is this a fifth wheel or a travel trailer? I couldn't find an 825V in the NADA Guide (it's not perfect) but found an 825B, 825Y, 825W, 825Z and a an 825-5X fifth wheel. The fifth wheel is worth $6-7k but the travel trailers are in the $4-6K range, depending on the exact model. I'd offer maybe $4.5-$5K and see what happens.

An older trailer in good shape is sound. The main thing to watch for is signs of water leaks, e.g. stains on the ceiling or walls  or soft spots on the floor or roof. If properly maintained there won't be any.  There is a Used RV Checklist in the Forum library to tell you all the things to check out BEFORE buying.

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The gentlemen mentioned a few of his trips and the trailer has seen alot of North America.  It is a TT and it is an 825Y ( I mistyped).
I am up in the air as to whether to go for an older model or step into a newer model for 4-5000 more.
My wife and I are into camping and have done a week in a TT.  We were both hooked on the trailer.
I have the tow vehicle already so I just have to decide which way to go.
Thanks for the info.

Trailers depreciate based more on condition than mileage.

To me, a nine year old trailer at, lets say 60% of the cost of a new one is not a great deal but at 25% of the cost of a comparable new one, I might take the risk. So if this is a $20k trailer new that you can buy for $5k, that seems OK to me.

Any trailer that you buy, new or used, will require some tinkering on your part. It's just the nature of RV's. Things deteriorate, fall off, get lost or busted or wore out all the time.

On a 1999 trailer, things you might expect to need replacement soon are the a/c, the water heater, the fridge, the house battery, the brakes & the wheel bearings.

In my experience, buying a warranty extension out to 4 years coverage on a new airconditioner for, let's say $90, is money well spent. I consider a/c's to be service intensive.

BTW, I'd wager that between now and 10 years from now, you'll sell this trailer to buy something you like better. Just human nature. A lot changes in ten years!

John Alldredge, towing a Terry Dakota 722F, full time, with a Ford E250 van

I would be sure of the trailer first.  Know that you like it.  Know that it is sound. 

With the market suffering a little right now because of high gas prices I would sure look a NEW. 

Ken is right about buying new now.

Dealers are hurting now.

If you buy new, you stand a better chance of getting exactly the right trailer for your family. The new trailer warranty is a good thing to have as well. I think you will have warranty claims.

To me, a used trailer would have to be pretty close to right for me to be tempted to buy one as my first RV purchase.

Now that I've been doing this for a while, I'm more confident about buying used. Especially now that there are a lot of good used trailers out there with plenty of very motivated sellers.

I'll give vou one example that I am familiar with. A retired couple we know have been full timing for 9 years. They have a big fifth wheel and an F350 dually pickup to pull it. They have just bought a new house in a gated community. They have no use for the 5th wheel & pickup any more and more importantly, no place to put them. They really must sell before this fall, latest, unless they want to pay for a seasonal campground spot or winter storage. I think there is a lot of this going on. This is a nice rig but 9 years old. No dealer wants this except for a giveaway price.

John Alldredge

I couldn't help notice this thread so in my opinion, two very important things to try to determine are roof leaks (and what is required to fix them) and ant infestation. Ants love foam insulation and damp areas (possibly the roof?). They will build massive colonies in the walls especially if it is foam insulated. If you see ants (dead or alive) stay away.

BobCat

519sledr said:

I just looked at a 1999 Fleetwood Terry 825V in good shape.  An older guy owned it and took very good care of it.
It is priced around 10,000 but he is very eager to move it.
It is a high mileage trailer as it is used all year round. 
My plan is to get a unit that will suit my young family for 10 + years. 
My question is how do travel trailers age?  Am I better off to buy a nearly new one for $5000 more or do i get the cheaper well cared for older one.
Can this '99 last me 10 years or will I have to start sinking cash into it.

Click to expand...

We have had similar topics on buying used TTs in the past on the forum.   For one such topic that gives a pretty good rundown on what to look for click HERE.