How to buy a used RV

How to buy a used RV - we share insider tips and tricks from our years at an RV dealership to help you get the best used RV possible.

Buying a used RV can be a great experience but it can also be loaded with pitfalls. A smart buy on a used RV can save thousands of dollars. But there are pitfalls to avoid as well. 

Find a great RV tech first

No matter who you are or what you know, the first thing you should do before ever dipping your toes into the world of used RVs is to create a relationship with a great RV tech. Someone who spends their days repairing all the things that can and do go wrong with an RV is just the person who might be able to spot the signs of danger before they become something you’re paying for. 

One of the things that’s very, very common with RVs are water leaks. While a properly maintained RV is not likely to leak, my experience in the RV business says that very, very few people ever do the proper maintenance on their RVs. 

We would get people who swore up and down that they had done all the maintenance on the RV that they were trading in and, more often than not, these RVs would expose this as not being true. 

RVs do require regular inspections for water intrusion. All of them do. While some can go years without needing any form of mitigation for water intrusion in the form of maintenance, others might need regular touch-ups to the seals in various places. The only way to know is to do routine inspections and this is where most people fall down on the job. 

A great RV tech will know what to look for and where to look and hiring them to inspect the RV you’re considering buying could save you a lot of money down the road. 

By the same token, if the seller doesn’t allow you to inspect the RV, run. Don’t walk. This is true whether it’s a private party or a dealership - they absolutely should let you have a qualified independent RV technician go over the rig before the sale is final. 

Of course most dealers will tell you that their techs have gone over the rig and that should be good enough, but it’s not. Some dealers truly are diligent in this, but not all are. This is why your relationship with a great RV tech comes in handy here. 

Furthermore, if you’re buying a motorized rig (motorhome) you should also establish a relationship with someone who’s familiar with the running gear of the rig. Sometimes the individual or company who works on the RV portion of the machine will be a different person than the one who works on the mechanical portions. 

Motorhomes are generally built by two companies - one that builds the chassis and another that builds the rest of the rig. So if you have some routine engine maintenance that you need done you might find yourself taking the rig to a different individual than you would if the refrigerator were acting up. 

One of the best ways to find a terrific RV tech is to ask around from friends with RVs. There are also lists of certified RV technicians but a local recommendation from people who have experienced their work has been the best resource that I have come across. 

Try everything

When you’re in the courting phase of the transaction, you should be sure to try every system in the RV. Like a house, an RV has a lot of intricate systems. But, unlike a house, those systems rattle and shake and rumble down the road. Some have said that an RV going down the road is equivalent to a magnitude 4.5 earthquake. 

When you’re doing your initial inspection don’t just take the word of the seller that everything works, you will likely have to have access to a 30- or 50-amp plug and city water and plug the RV in and test all the systems. 

Likewise, the off-grid functionality should be evaluated as well so the water pump, refrigerator, 12volt electrical system and all the other components should be tested when the rig is not plugged in. 

Your initial inspection could be quite lengthy but, again, finding out that the refrigerator doesn’t keep things cold is better to know before this becomes your expensive problem. 

This is also the time to open every door and look at every surface. Before you even take the RV to the technician whom you’ve developed a relationship with, you can give the rig a thorough inspection yourself. By looking in cabinets and below windows you can keep a sharp eye out for water damage. 

A little bit of visible water damage can be a very, very expensive repair down the road not to mention possibly resulting mold in the walls. 

Have your finances in order

Many credit unions are great sources for the money for an RV, offering loans for used RVs that have very favorable terms. If you have to borrow money to make this transaction happen, it’s good to have all that started in advance rather than waiting until you’re staring down the seller. 

While no lending institution is going to guarantee how much they’ll lend you without knowing what the asset is that they’re lending on, many credit unions and other lenders will work with you to offer a tentative approval based on the transaction. 

Lending institutions base the amount they are willing to lend on a number of factors including the value of the rig itself. This is generally based on what is called the NADA guide. 

The people who create this guide follow the transactions across the country for all sorts of RVs and then report those values in the NADA guide. Dealers and lenders have up-to-the-minute values that they have access to, but you can find usable guidelines right on the NADA website. 

The reason this is important is that, if someone is asking way more than a vehicle tends to sell for based on previous transactions, the lender will find themselves in a tough spot if they have to resell that RV. So the NADA guide essentially gives them a range they can work with. 

Thus, if the seller is asking much more than these types of rigs sell for, you might have difficulty getting a loan for the amount being asked. Unfortunately RVs depreciate quickly, partially because people don’t maintain them well, so someone wanting to recover what they owe on their RV might be a difficult task if they bought new and have a long loan, especially one with zero down. That person is “upside down” in their loan meaning they owe more than the RV is worth. 

While they might wish that they could get all the money back that they owe on it, this isn’t your problem and the bank likely won’t lend on their dreams of getting out of their problems. Unfortunately, the NADA guide is your point of reference no matter what the seller’s circumstances are. 

A few more things

Never buy an RV sight unseen. You may find exactly what you’re looking for on the other side of the country, especially if you’re pretty decided on a specific RV, but that’s the time to establish a relationship with an RV tech near the seller and set-up an escrow account. 

The escrow account will guarantee the seller that the money’s there but won’t pay them until all the conditions are met in the transaction. And, of course, one of those conditions is that you see the RV and make sure they are the actual owners. 

I’ve also found in having bought lots and lots of vintage cars that, the seller’s cream puff is the buyer’s sour tart. As written above, sellers will swear up and down that they’ve been doing all the maintenance required on an RV but, when it comes down to it, few ever do so and this is just one reason why it’s good to lay eyes on the rig yourself. 

In Summary

You can find a great value and save a lot of money on an RV purchase by buying a used rig. But it’s good to know if that rig needs any repairs or maintenance before you sign the papers on it. Best of all that used RV can be the gateway to years of happy camping. With just a little bit of due diligence you can save a lot of money on an RV purchase and enjoy some StressLess Camping. 

Podcast

Check out our podcast episode about used RV Shopping.