Travel Trailer Inspection: What To Look For When Buying A Used Travel Trailer

Consider that most RVs are NOTORIOUS for having problems. The quality is shoddy, made from cheap materials, and has little to zero warranty.

The seller may NOT be intentionally trying to screw you over. They may just be ignorant. Still, this doesn't help when you make a used camper purchase.

Or, they might know about a big issue and aren't telling you about it. 

Therefore, when you are looking to buy on your own, you must be a salesman, RV inspector, and trustworthiness evaluator. You must know what to look for when buying a used camper.

DO NOT trust if the dealership says they have looked it over and claim all is well. There are nightmare stories about brand-new RVs having leaks and subsequent water damage.

You must do your due diligence (Or get a professional RV trailer inspection). This article will teach you how to inspect an RV when buying a used camper (or a new one).

BEFORE You Start Looking For A Travel Trailer...

There are some things you need to know BEFORE you even start looking to buy a travel trailer. Otherwise, you could still end up with an RV you hate/don't want/regret.

Slide Or Not?

These might look and sound like a wonderful concept. Yet, ask any RV owner who has a trailer slide-out (or two or three), and you're sure to hear about the headaches they bring (unless they just haven't had their 'incidence' yet). Some RVers say never again. Why? How about water intrusion being a problem? And motors break. They also come off of their track. Additionally, they require maintenance. Finally, they add a lot of weight to a trailer. It goes on and on. Therefore, you'll need to decide if the convenience is worth it.

Watch The Travel Trailer Brand Name

As mentioned above, MOST RVs (because of crappy manufacturers) are junk. You will quickly understand this once you have been inside of, say, a Forest River compared to an Outdoors RV (a top RV manufacturer). Materials, solidity, construction, all of it- there's no similarity in quality. The better the brand you start with, the less likely you will have ongoing problems. For your convenience, here is a list of the best-built travel trailers.

NEVER Pay Retail Price!

If you are buying from a dealership, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pay the asking price (or even close to it). They usually price at about 30% over what the actual worth is. It's a game. My Crossroads Slingshot's asking price was $16,000. I paid $10,000. It was ridiculous how often the salesman had to 'talk to his manager' and try to 're-negotiate,' though, from the get-go, I told them I would buy it for ten and no more. Still, the silly game went on for about an hour. I finally got my $10,000 RV.

What To Look For When Buying A Used Travel Trailer

Now that you have a solid grasp of the bigger details, it's time to learn how to inspect a travel trailer with a fine-toothed comb.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND hiring an independent professional inspector to inspect the travel trailer. Especially if you are new to the recreational vehicle world. This will likely cost somewhere between $200 and $450. But some of you are penny pinchers, are on a budget, or simply are a DIY'er.

That's fine. I didn't have a professional inspect mine, and I lucked out. I bought used from a dealer with no inspector. I didn't know what to look for when buying a used RV, it's not a quality brand, yet I have had zero issues with it in over seven years. But luck is just that.

Remember, it's like buying a small house. One with vehicular components and most house systems. Therefore, there's SO MUCH to look for when purchasing a travel trailer.

If you're serious about buying a particular RV, ask the seller to have the camper connected to water, power, and sewer. You also need water in the freshwater reservoir. There should be some propane on board. You're going to use ALL these systems in your testing process.

Let's get started! Here's what to look for when buying a used travel trailer.

The lights are self-explanatory. When you connect the 7-pin connector to your vehicle and turn on the vehicle lights, all the running lights on the trailer should come on.

First, test the brake lights, hazards, and turn signals. Make sure the brake controller inside the truck works.

Next, you should test the emergency disconnect switch.

An emergency breakaway cable connected to a pin on every trailer should be connected to the tow vehicle while towing.

If the trailer disconnects from the vehicle and the emergency chains fail, this cable will pull out the pin and cause your trailer to stop.

Avoid (or just replace)if they are very rusty, those painted a dark color, or ones that don't output enough gas for a good flame on your stove (rare).

Keep in mind maybe the regulator is bad. 

This shouldn't be a deal-breaker. Ensure the gas gets to the furnace, stove, and oven. Also, make sure they can be locked down securely during travel.

Spare Tire

ALL travel trailers should come with a good spare. Check for cracks, check the date, and check the tread. The tire should be the same size as the ones outfitted on the trailer.

If The RV Has An Inverter

Some travel trailers come with factory-installed inverters. Inverters change the 12-volt battery power into 120-volt electricity.

If wired into the system, you can use some of your 120-volt items if the inverter is on without having to connect to external power.

Every RV with an inverter is set up differently. Some will provide 'inverted' power to a single 120-volt outlet (should be marked as such), while others will provide 120-power to pretty much everything.

Also, inverter size/strength varies. Some will only be capable of producing 300 watts of 120-volt power, while other monster systems can produce 3,000+ watts.

It may take some digging around to find out what is powered by the inverter in the RV you are eyeballing. This way, you know what to test (make sure to test when you are not plugged into shore power so that you are only using battery power).

The salesman may be clueless. A private party should know which outlets provide inverted power.

Make sure the bowl flush flap seals. After you flush, a tiny amount of water should remain in the bowl and not drip out.

This is important because that little puddle of water keeps sewer odors from permeating your RV.

Speaking of which, are you smelling sewage (and is any sewage in the tank)? You shouldn't be. But sometimes, the odors are unavoidable in sweltering climates, especially if the owner isn't using any RV septic treatment.

Also, ensure no leaking happens under any part of the RV itself.

By the way, don't worry about the RV holding tank monitor not showing correct fluid levels. They NEVER work right because the sensor probes get buildup, causing them to misread. Even if they read correctly now, they eventually won't.

Knowing this about the sensors is RVing 101—basic stuff. Sensors are worthless. (Unless you are fortunate enough to have SeeLevel™ style sensors outside the tank.)

So, this is not a deal-breaker if the trailer says the black tank is full, but the owner says it's empty. (You will eventually learn how long your black or grey tanks will last before you have to dump them.)

Check the tank outside. There will be a door to it on the outside of the RV. Look for spider webs, animal nests, etc. The area should be free of debris.

When lit, the flame should be blue, not yellow. Check for soot buildup near the pilot light or the outside vent. This is not good and should be cleaned.

It can indicate a problem (incomplete combustion, which means the burner needs adjustment).

Other Things To Check When Buying A Used RV

Floors

This is an essential one. Check ALL around the floor for soft spots. Use your foot, and use something else like a ruler or stick. If you feel soft anywhere, it is a water damage indicator (Which also means there could be hidden mold).

This is not ALWAYS the case. For instance, the floor in the middle of my RV is soft. But it's not rotted. I know this because there's no wood in the floor. 

It's a dense foam (sandwiched between two sheets of aluminum) that has been squished down from dance parties. (Yes, dance parties!)

I was relieved to find out there was no wood, and I didn't have a big problem. But, in MOST RVs, soft areas mean you should be prepared to do much renovation work. If you aren't, walk away. Better yet, run.

Sometimes water damage is visible. So, give the floor a long hard look. Don't forget to look (and poke) at areas under beds, booths, etc.

Ceiling

Again- water damage is your primary concern. If there is ceiling damage, there is also likely wall and floor damage, and water always runs down. Look for watermarks, delamination, and sagging.

They are not very energy efficient. Expect drafts and/or for your ideal temps to escape through the sides. You must keep the tracks lubricated.

Don't forget to check for soft spots and water damage on slides. Inspect the slide awning if it has one. Look at the top. Are there leaves/dirt/mold?

Your slide will have problems at some point. People have been unable to move (until repaired) because theirs wouldn't come in.

Conclusion

RVs cost a lot of money. Expensive as they are, you'd think they would be well-built. But most are not. Even so, the maintenance required to keep water out is a huge issue. Water damage is the number one RV killer. Caulk is constantly deteriorating, inviting new water in.

You must protect yourself with these questions to ask when buying a used travel trailer. Otherwise, you might purchase yourself a pile of constant headaches and misery.

You have to know what to look for when buying a travel trailer, where to look, and what the common issues are before you inspect.

I recommend hiring a professional RV inspector. But if you were going to do that, you probably wouldn't be reading what to look for in a used travel trailer, LOL.

Follow these instructions before buying a used travel trailer, and you will have done everything possible to find hidden problems in any rig you inspect. Bring an RV buying checklist and a flashlight.

Happy camper inspections!