Buying a vehicle is an important decision to make. If you’re buying a car, there will be a lot of factors to consider before you make up your mind. When it comes to getting an RV in particular, this is evidently the case. In most cases, first time RV buyers won’t get their money’s worth and will be disappointed with the new vehicle. To ensure that you don’t make a rookie mistake, here are some important things you need to consider before buying an RV.
Proper Inspection
When you choose an RV, you have to inspect part of it first. Don’t take its state and appeal at a face value, as there might be some issues inside or outside the RV without you being aware of them. Ask the seller to show you the inside of the vehicle and look for any damages or problems that might lead to further issues in the future. For example, the fixtures in the bathroom, the plumbing system, and the cabinets must be in a prime state so that your vehicle remains repair-free for a long time.
Check for Floor Damage
One of the costliest repairs that you’ll have to deal with in the future is floor damage. Water can seep to the floor and cause underlying damage that is hard to see, especially under the floor lining. You may think that examining the flooring of your choice RV is ridiculous, but it’s an important part of your examination, nonetheless. Make sure that you examine the floors carefully around areas where the water is used most, like the bathroom or the kitchen. Try to stand on the floors in these areas. The floors must be stable and sturdy. If they’re not, this could be an indication of rotting floors.
Inspect the Tires
Checking the tires is one of the easiest steps to take while conducting an RV inspection. It is also crucial to avoiding car accidents, as blown out tires can lead to catastrophic accidents. Sometimes, even the near-perfect tires can blowout, so you must be careful as you inspect them. To know how efficient the tires are, you must ask for their age, as that will determine their durability. If you want an accurate estimate of the tires’ age, make sure to look out for a DOT label which will be on the sidewall. This label will contain a four-number code, which contains the week and year in which the tire was made. For example, 4519 means that the tires were made in the 45th week of 2019.
Know-How Old the RV Is
If you’re buying a used RV, then you want to know how old it is to determine its life expectancy. When someone buys a new RV, 25% of its value is immediately cut out, but that doesn’t mean that it loses a large portion of its durability. Thus, you should buy one that is a few years old and see its records which the owners will provide you with. These records contain information on how well this vehicle was maintained. You should also know how old of an RV can you finance before making that decision. Make sure to check out the price range for RVs of different ages and decide which one you can afford.
Consider the Repairs
One of the main factors that you’ll need to pay attention to is the number of repairs you’ll have to deal with. When you decide to buy an RV that needs repairs, you may be facing problems later, as there aren’t many places that will do RV repairs. Even if you do find an RV repair shop, the repairs are going to be ridiculously expensive. For example, a front-wall rebuild may cost about $3,000, while roof replacements can cost from $4,000 to $7,000. Some RV dealerships won’t do the repairs you require unless that RV was bought from them. If the RV is particularly old, you won’t be able to find spare parts for it, which will make it even harder for you to do the necessary repairs for it.
Annual Maintenance
If the previous owner of the RV did maintenance for the RV on a regular basis, then you won’t have to worry about the durability of the RV, because that will increase the chances of it lasting up to 15 years. However, you should bear in mind that annual maintenance isn’t exactly cheap either. Every year, you’ll have to have a couple of thousands of dollars to do maintenance and repairs. You must also do inspections for windows, moldings, doors, and sealant work. There are other maintenance costs, like brakes, bushings, propane gas, and bearings. Replacing the tires is going to be also pricey, as you may have to pay $500 for every tire for a regular Winnebago.
Don’t Rush
You may be excited to go on a camping trip with your RVs or tread new areas in your country with a fully equipped RV, but that doesn’t mean that you should rush your decision. There is a large number of good RVs and bad RVs out there, so you must evaluate the RVs correctly in order to make the right purchasing decisions. Some buyers will research RVs for a year or even more before choosing one that appeals to them, so make sure that you always take your time to get the best deal.
Test Drive
A great way to get the best feel of an RV is to take it for a test drive. Thus, you must ask to take the RV for a test drive, but make sure that the seller is in there too so that he could answer your questions. You must also inspect the vehicle while driving. For example, listen to any noises or problems that might indicate a problem with the motor or other internal components.
Now that you know these factors, you can use this information to buy your next RV. Owning an RV is a long-term commitment, which means that you’ll need to provide it with the necessary maintenance and protect it from harmful environmental elements. If an RV is stored in direct sunlight, it will age significantly. In that case, you may want to rent a storage space to keep it safe.
