Buying a used motorhome can be a stressful experience as there is always the fear that you are buying someone else's problems. And that may be true. But buying a used RV also has a lot of advantages, chief among which is that you can save the huge depreciation drop that happens when you buy a new motorhome and drive it off the lot for the first time. And buying a used coach does not have to be fraught with peril if you just follow some simple procedures. Here are some tips on how to inspect a used motorhome thoroughly before the the sale: * Ask for all maintenance records that the previous owner has in order to verify how well and how often the motorhome has been serviced, and by who. Service maintenance records are a good thing to consider for any vehicle that you purchase but they can be absolutely invaluable for an RV purchase. Don't let the owner tell you how often they have had it in for maintenance and accept it at face value. Make sure that they have the records to back it up. * Plan on getting down and dirty to make a thorough physical examination yourself. If you are not a very experienced RVer, it's also a good idea to ask someone who is to accompany you and help you as you inspect the rig. An experienced set of eyes can find things that you would never see and if trouble areas are spotted it can be a great bargaining tool to use with the current owner if repairs will need to be done. * Have an experienced RV mechanic inspect the motorhome if it has passed all of your previous tests. He will be looking specifically for engine, drivetrain and mechanical problems that could be coming up. You may actually have to pay someone for this step, but when you are talking about spending many thousands of dollars for the motorhome, it will be the best money that you could spend before the sale. * Make sure that you know for sure what the motorhome is worth. You can go consult the Kelly Blue Book or nadaguides.com to get a general idea of what the true value is of the coach you are looking at. With this information in hand you don't have to wonder whether or not you are paying too much for that RV. Armed with the knowledge that you can gather by putting these ideas into practice, you should be very familiar with any used motorhome that you want to buy. It will help you know about all of it's possible weaknesses as well as it's positive points. It can help you plan in advance for the maintenance and service that you will have to do when it becomes yours. And it will help you know how much the coach is truly worth when bringing all of those factors into consideration. |
