Some of these things might seem obvious; however, when the RV market is very hot, you may be in a hurry to seal a deal and it is possible to miss some of these important things. When we purchased a new-to-us fifth wheel last year, there were several things that we missed. It was one week before we were hitting the road again from Wisconsin, and we were in a bit of a hurry.  We ended up with a leaking faucet that had to be replaced, an electrical problem with the awning light, and a missing valve handle for the gray tank (the salesman told us that the gray and the galley came together and had only one valve handle, which was not true). These aren’t the worst issues, but they caused extra time and stress and some precious extra dollars! 

So please enjoy this cautionary tale, part 2 of our “How to Get the RV that You Want” article. See Part 1 here.

Before going to look at an RV that you’re interested in, make sure the dealership knows that you’re coming and ask them to have everything ready to inspect. Electrical should be available to test appliances and slide outs, fresh water tank should be full so you can ensure that the water pump works and there aren’t any plumbing leaks, and the RV should be in an area where you can get underneath and all around it, including room for operating the slide outs.

1. Tires

This falls under “things I have learned since RVing”.   Besides checking the condition of the tires, also check the age. Date codes indicating the manufacture date of the tires are stamped on the sidewall. The 4-digit number indicates the week and the year of manufacture. Tires that are 5 years old, even if they aren’t in bad condition, should be replaced.  Exposure to the sun can cause the rubber to become brittle, so replacement may be necessary even before the tires appear to be too worn.  Some people replace tires every 3 years. We replace them about every 5 years.  Some go as long as 7 years; I would rather replace sooner and have peace of mind while traveling the country.
This tire was manufactured in the first week of 2022:

2. Water damage

If you’re a homeowner, you kind of know where to look for water damage; look at the ceiling and walls for water stains, and at the floors for bowing.  We looked at one unit which had bubbled-up flooring from the kitchen all the way to the door/entryway, so I would suspect that there was a kitchen plumbing leak at some point. Check inside cabinets, also.  When inspecting the outside, check for signs of delamination, which -in short – is a separation of the outside fiberglass layer and the inside wood layer, causing that wavy or bubbled look on the outside of the camper. This can be a sign that water has seeped in through a window or the roof somewhere.

3. Delamination

Inspect the entire outside of the RV for waves or bubbles in the surface of the fiberglass. As mentioned above, delamination can be caused by water seeping in and getting between the layers of fiberglass and wood, causing the bond to break and allowing further damage to occur now that moisture is trapped inside possibly causing mold issues as well. 

4. Rust

Just like when purchasing a car, get underneath there and check the frame for rust. Surface rust will most likely be present on used RVs and is not a big issue. Look for rust that is significant and eating through metal.  I have been told that lower end fifth wheels and travel trailers are more likely to have rust issues than motorhomes due to the process and materials used to paint them. Also, smaller manufacturers of fifth wheels and trailers do not have facilities to apply a full-chassis e-coating or powder-coating. On the first fifth wheel we owned, the metal straps that support the water tank rusted out and had to be replaced not too long after we purchased it.  Not as bad as a rusty frame, but still something to look at.

5. Electrical issues

Make sure that you turn on all of the lights, check all of the switches, electrical appliances, electrically operated vents, etc. When we purchased our current fifth wheel we tried everything but blew a fuse. Once the tech replaced the fuse, everything seemed to be working again; however, we discovered later than the awning light was blowing the fuse.  We have not found the problem and cannot use the awning light yet!

6. Propane leaks

When running gas appliances such as the oven or furnace, make sure there is no propane odor. Also locate the propane leak detector, which should be mounted low on a wall somewhere. There should be an indicator light that the detector is on, and a test button. 

7. Faucet leaks

We had a bad kitchen faucet in our current fifth wheel, and didn’t discover it until a day after taking it home. After hooking up to water, we had quite a bit of water pour out into the cabinet and onto the floor.  Run all of the faucets and check for plumbing leaks while the water is running.  Even though we had run all faucets, we did not see this leak before purchasing.

8. Slide outs

Operate all slide outs.  They will operate off the RV battery – ensure that the battery switch is on – check with your salesman. I try them all several times just to be sure there are no worrisome noises, hesitations or power issues while operating them.

9. Awnings

Do extend awnings and check for damage. Our salesman didn’t want to check the awning, insisting that he had already checked and it was fine, but we checked it anyway.  

10. Roof damage or crumbling calk

If the RV roof is walkable, go up and check the roof membrane for cracks or tears. Check the sealant around vents for deep cracks or crumbling.  If the roof is non-walkable, it must be inspected from a ladder. 

11. Appliances

Your salesman should have had everything hooked up and ready for your inspection, so the refrigerator should be on and cold (note that it may take a significant amount of time for the refrigerator to become cold, so plan ahead). If the refrigerator can be run on either propane or electric, switch between them to ensure both are working, if possible. Our RV does not have a manual switch to change over to propane, but changes over automatically when we disconnect from shore power.  Run the stovetop and oven, making sure that you do not smell propane. If there’s a microwave, try heating a cup of water.

12. Furnace

Run the furnace for a long enough period of time to ensure it runs continuously without any issues. We had a furnace issue in our current RV in which the gas valve was faulty, and the furnace would only run a few minutes before shutting off again. 

13. Air Conditioning

As with the furnace above, run the air conditioning long enough to ensure it will run continuously and bring the temperature down inside the RV. 

14. Water Pump

Run the water from the fresh water tank to ensure that the pump is operating. Note that the pump may make a humming sound while in use- that is normal. We also hear a vibration when we use ours. That’s due to the mounting of the pump and if it’s bothersome you can put some foam underneath the pump so it doesn’t rattle.  It doesn’t indicate an issue, however.  Noises should only be present when water is running. If you can hear water pump noises when the water is not running, it may indicate a leak somewhere in the system.

15. Water Heater

Check water heater operation on both electric and propane. Allow sufficient time for the water heater to run before testing the water temperature, as this can take some time as well.

16. Batteries

What type of battery or batteries are included in the sale? How old are they? Lead acid batteries will last from 3-5 years, possibly 6 if well-maintained. Lithium-ion batteries will last 8-12 years.  Check battery dates and also look for corrosion.

17. Mold

Check inside cabinets, behind furniture and in corners for signs of water damage and mold. 

18. Engine / Motorhome Specific Issues

I have never owned a motorhome. If I were going to purchase a motorized unit, I would definitely have a mechanic check it out first.  This may not be cheap but it is definitely worth it. A mechanic will typically check fluid levels: engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, power steering. They should also road test it, checking for engine issues (i.e. smoking, idle, temperature, etc.); transmission issues (hot, cold, slippage, vibrations, etc.); suspension and brake system.
Other things to check in a motorhome:
Cruise control operation
Dash Air Conditioning
Gauges

19. Miscellaneous Optional Equipment

Auto leveling system – learn how to operate it and make sure it is calibrated and works properly.
Audio/Video equipment
Fireplace

Your salesman should not be opposed to a complete and thorough inspection. Don’t let anyone talk you out of checking out every single thing – this is a big purchase.  And don’t be in a hurry to buy something, else you may miss something. And.. ALWAYS negotiate pricing! There’s always a little wiggle room on the advertised prices.