Recreational Vehicles - Be a Smart RV Buyer
Provided By: CarInsurance.com
Last Updated: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Recreational vehicles (RV) are becoming not only bigger in size but also bigger in terms of popularity. If you are looking to buy a RV you will need to make sure you check it out properly from stem to stern before handing over your hard earned money. RVs have a lot of parts and thus a lot to check over so that you can be a smart buyer.
For the purpose of this article we are using the term recreational vehicle to mean a motor home and not a camper. By definition a RV motor home is used for traveling and leisure activities though there are those that decide to make their RV their home. RVs are becoming more popular with the retired segment of the US population for this purpose.
Some retired Americans have decided to give up their homes completely or at least for several months a year and hit the road with their RV. Whether this is your main home or your second home, only used for travel, you will want it to be as reliable as possible. You do not want your home on wheels to leave you stranded on a freeway or back road. To give you better odds that this does not happen you need to thoroughly check out the RV before purchasing it.
RVs should be built to run many miles. The reason most people buy them is to drive long distances. When you are shopping for a motor home you need to like the style, size and comfort level of it but most importantly you need to find one that is dependable.
Whether you are buying from a lot or a private party if the RV you are looking at has been previously used first check out its service records. You will want complete records that list where the motor home was serviced if it is feasible. This will allow you to find and speak to the mechanic that worked on it possibly.
The service records should show what problems there have been and perhaps point to problem areas that might reappear. Ask yourself if the former repairs were minor or major. Look at the areas fixed to make sure it was quality work done for repairs.
If you are comfortable with the service records next verify the mileage. You will want a RV that was used but not driven to death. If you plan on driving cross country you will want a motor home that has a lot of life left in it.
Low mileage can be a good thing but not if the RV sat for a long time after being used. Find out how often it was driven. Ask in what conditions it was driven. If it has been in snow then you will want to look for rust more than if it was only driven in the warmer southern states. More importantly ask where it was when it was not being used.
Find out how the vehicle was stored. Was maintenance done during the storage time? Was it started up every now and then to make sure everything was still in good running order? Were the tanks full or empty during the storage period? These things will show you how well the previous owners took car of the RV.
Take a good look around the vehicle. Look for leaks of any kind anywhere. Windows that leak will ruin your inside living space and can be hard to change out. Look for leaks of the various holding tanks. You do not want to find a crack in one that will mean the tank will need to be repaired or replaced.
If there is a generator find out how often it was serviced and how much power it gives out. Was it run independently from the motor home? Find out if there were load limitations while the previous owners were running the generator.
Look for body damage. A few small dents or scratches would be normal wear and tear. Large dents or body damage could show you that the previous owner did not know how to properly drive the vehicle. Do not forget to look up at the roof. See if it looks like the top of the RV has hit a gas station or some other item that shows the RV was driven where it would not fit.
Start up the engine and listen to it. Does it sound strong? Did smoke come out of the pipes? Check over the transmission. Some RVs are known to have leaky transmissions, which becomes quite pricey to fix or replace. Make sure the engine and transmission combination is a good one for the vehicle. You do not want to find yourself in an underpowered motor home while driving mountainous roads.
Inside of the motor home, check out all the controls. Make certain the air conditioning and heat work. Do the appliances in the kitchen work? Are there slide-outs or pop-ups? If so make sure they move in and out as they should. Also make sure that the bathroom is big enough for your needs.
If you plan to make this your home on wheels the sleeping space will need to allow you to actually sleep. If you have a family then you will need to make certain that there is space for everyone to sleep and eat and “live” as you travel down the road. Pull out any beds and make sure they would actually fit a person or two as you are told that they should.
Once you have looked over the RV inside and out you should never make a decision until you go out on a test drive. The size might seem just right on a lot but on the open road you might learn you are unable to hand something so large. Go out and make turns, change lanes and drive like you would on your road trip.
Make sure as you drive the recreational vehicle on the roadways that you can see properly. It can be so large that you will have more blind spots than one is normally used to. Figure out if the RV would drive as well when it would be on a trip. This means it would be loaded up with all of your personal items and family in it and thus weighing it down. Could you pull a vehicle if you needed to and still drive the RV without a problem?
When deciding on if a RV is right for you, you will need to check it over inside and out and from front to back. Take it for a drive and depending on age and mileage perhaps even take it to a mechanic to get it checked out. Once you have done this and are still impressed by the motor home remember to make sure you can afford it. This includes finding out such factors as insurance rates. If everything checks out and is affordable to you, get in the driver’s seat and enjoy the ride.
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