So, you have went back in fourth in your mind and know for a fact that you want to live the RV life. Maybe you considered buying a brand new RV, or you want to purchase a used RV. This article will discuss purchasing a very used or gently used RV. From my personal experience and research I will give my best advice before purchasing a used RV. So lets dive right in!
What is your purpose
First you must decide what your purpose is. Do you want to live in your RV full time, seasonal, or vacation only? Also you must consider if you plan to tow other vessels or not. Some people race cars or drive atvs and utilize their rig for that, others just want adventure. There are a variety of options, including toy haulers, campers, motor homes, buses, vans, pop ups, 5th wheel, and much much more. There are also those RVs with side slide outs; I immediately opted for no slide outs because I did not want to deal with that extra maintenance. Picking the best option for you will start with your intentions. One reason I chose an older rig is because, in my opinion, they are tough and resilient by their ability to still be standing after all these years. Also older RVs have so much character and back story. It is easy to make an older RV your own by putting your own special touches on it. I wanted a class A or class C RV. I wanted something that could sleep at least 4 people. I also wanted something that had a permanent table, because I do many projects that require a sturdy table. I wanted a full to queen size bedroom, as well as space for a couch. I have a lot of supplies which required me to need a lot of space. I opted for a 1990 Chevy Mallard, A Class.
Budget and Renovations
Next you must determine your budget. I’m not going to lie to you, my budget changed so many times. I started with a budget of $2000, but finally settled on a budget of $5000 maximum. I picked this number because I hoped it would be enough to purchase something that was at least mobile and livable while I worked on it. I also wanted to be able to have money left over for any immediate repairs that may need to be completed. Of course your budget will vary according to your wants and needs. But keep in mind how much money you would want to put into your RV overall. For me, I was able to negotiate from $6500 down to $4000 (we will discuss that later on). This left me with an extra $1000, from my $5000 budget. I also planned to put at least an additional $10,000-$14,000 into renovations and mechanical fixes. For some this may not be worth it due to the fact that you could build a small tiny home for $19,000 or save up $19,000 for something newer and nicer. I did not have time to do a complete build at the time and I also wanted to ensure that I would actually like RV life before completely committing. So $4000 was a small price to pay especially because I was throwing away $1400 monthly in rent before my RV.
Driving comfort
Now, you have to decide how big of a rig you are willing to tow or drive, or learn to maneuver. Personally, I have never been afraid of a large or long vehicle, which is why length did not really matter to me. For some 35 feet may be intimidating, which would mean finding something a little smaller. Class B and class C RVs tend to be a tad bit shorter and more maneuverable. I’d like to think smaller RVs are better for those who want to go off the path or camp in more secluded areas, that may not be so easy to reach with a larger RV.
Age of Rig
Age of rig is very important to consider depending on some factors. Just for the sake of maintenance, older RVs are harder and more expensive to fix. For example, my RV needed some work done on the power steering and because some parts are not available anymore it had to essentially be rebuilt, which turned a few 100 dollar repair into $1,400. Granted if I knew how to fix it myself it would not cost as much, but this is not the case. Also if you plan to exclusively stay at RV parks keep in mind that some do not accept rigs over a certain age. Some will accept 10 years or younger and other may go back 20 years or younger. There are also some RV parks that will accept older RVs if it has been fully restored. There are plenty of RV parks that accept any age RV as long as it is in decent shape.
Major Problems and Inspections
There are some major problems to avoid when purchasing an RV. Depending on your budget, some of these problems may be unavoidable. Water damage is a big one to look out for, this includes making sure the roof does not leak. Roof repairs can get very expensive very fast. Also roof leaks can create bigger problems, such as mold. Keep in mind that water damage can reach the walls of the RV. If you do not plan to have the RV professionally inspected, one way to check for roof leaks is to ask the seller to spray a water hose on the roof for at least 10 minutes. I say 10 minutes because sometimes the leak may take time to show itself. I’ll give an example. When I purchased my RV the seller insured me that it did not leak, foolishly I believed him. One night it started to rain and every thing was fine for a while, but in the middle of the night I woke up soaked in water from my roof leaking. Also to check walls for water damage, press all the walls to ensure there are no soft spots. Soft spots in the walls are usually the result if water damage. I did my best to check my walls of water damage before purchasing and so far so good. Also you would probably want something that at least cranks up and drives, this should ensure that you do not need immediate repairs. Overall, if you can afford to pay to have the RV professionally inspected before purchase, I strongly advise it.
Where to look
There are many places to search for a used RV. The ideal place would be a certified used RV dealer. With this you may spend a bit more but it will likely be in better shape than buying from a private seller. Going through a certified dealer will most likely come with some sort of warranty in the event that something does go wrong. There are other platforms to utilize, including apps like Offer up, but I found Facebook marketplace to be the best. There was consistently people selling RVs of all kinds on FB marketplace. FB marketplace is very popular and usually sellers have ratings of reliability, unfortunately my seller did not!
Negotiate
So random, relevant story. When I saw the RV I wanted on Facebook marketplace, I noticed the seller did not include any pictures of the bathroom. So I asked the seller if it had a shower or a tub. (Personally I wanted a tub but it was not a deal breaker if it did not have one). He messaged me back and told me it had a shower. When I went to pick up the RV I looked in the bathroom and I asked him where the toilet was and where the spigot for the shower was. Apparently he had pushed the spigot into the wall and they were not utilizing the shower to bathe at all. He also said they had been using a portable toilet. Now, I was upset at him for not disclosing this when I initially asked about the shower. But at the end of the day it was my fault for not inquiring further. On another note, this was helpful in negotiating. Always remember you can negotiate but people take you more serious if you negotiate in person. When I attempted to negotiate with people online, it did not go so well and some refused to negotiate unless I came to look at the RV first, which is understandable. Sellers want to know that you are serious about buying before wasting their time. Initially the seller wanted $6,500 for the RV, but he came down to $5000 while chatting online. Once I was in person with him and confronted him about all that was wrong he gladly accepted $4000 for me to take it off his hands. Now this won’t always be the case, but it is worth the try to get it at a cheaper price, especially if the seller is eager to get rid of it.
Miscellanous
Make sure the AC units, heaters, and other appliances work or are a cheap fix. One fix that is not cheap is a generator, therefore it is important to know that it works if you plan to utilize it. If you plan to only stay at RV parks with hook ups , then a generator many not be as important but in my opinion having a working generator is always a good back up.
Overall buying the right used RV for you will usually take some significant level of research unless you are not picky and know how to conduct most repairs yourself. One thing I have noticed is that most people who own RVs, know or learn how to repair them themselves. Many repairs are indeed fixable, if you have the right tools, but most people do not possess those tools. Make sure to buy an RV that you are comfortable with, and has most of the amenities that you desire. I would not suggest buying an RV you like nothing about hoping that you can get used to it. Buying an RV that you flat out do not like could deter you from continuing your RV journey/renovations. After all you will need something to motivate you. Trust me, I have almost given up many times but I thought about all the things I liked about my RV and RV living and used that as my motivation to keep going. YOU GOT THIS!i