Buying used 5 th wheel
Looking at buying a used 5th wheel. Was looking at a 2004 Carriage, Carrie lite 38 ft. Is this a decent brand and model? What to watch out for on this brand. Would they be considered a low end or hig...
Forum Discussion
Greetings QC,
I am new at this but would like to share what I have recently learned. Painfully learned I might add. The already posted points do not need repeating but here is a couple more I have learned about.
1. Flashlight in hand, ready to get on your hands and knees, inspect every nook and cranny. Checking for any soft spots in the flooring. Inspect along the walls at floor level especially behind the kitchen cabinets. Pull out drawers, open doors, and be meticulous about your inspection.
2.Do not only check the quality of seal on the roof, but walk around the outside looking at every point a receptacle or any other place where the sheet metal skin has been penetrated allowing a possible entry point for water. Is the seal tight or has the caulking pulled away from the skin over time? If it has that does not mean there has been a leak but calls for closer inspection in that area.
3. Look for any place that the interior skin of the walls may have ripples where the facing of the paneling has pulled away from the wall. This may indicate water intrusion.
4. Inspect the connection points between the cabinets and the ceiling looking for sagging or anything other than a straight consistent joint between the cabinets and the surface they are attached to.
To be honest the list goes on and others may point out key areas. But the most important thing is your common sense, do NOT be in a rush, do NOT be enamored with how nice it looks as you approach the unit. Stay objective and inspect every surface you can. Especially those that are not in direct sight, behind cabinets, behind drawers, in storage areas like the basement.
What recently happened to me:
I had a professional look at the trailer for me this time. He spotted a small (so he thought) soft spot in the floor in the area of the outside shower attachment. However everything else looked great from the roof to the basement. But when I was looking for the power converter to see what was actually in the 5er I noticed a place the plywood surround of the storage area for the electrical cord for shore power had signs of water stains. Well as you can guess the “small area” of water damage turned out to be a much larger problem. When I followed the trail of water stains I found that the caulking between the exterior door for the shore power cord had shrunk, pulled away from the sheet metal, and allowed water penetration. The rest is history =/
The lessoned learned:
You cannot be too meticulous, you will not spend too much time inspecting, and if the seller gets impatient with your efforts that is your first sign to keep looking. Now these are blanket statements and need to be balanced with commonsense, but valid nonetheless. You may decide to purchase anyway but especially with water damage, the repair costs can mount up quickly and can easily exceed the value of the older units.
Not doom and gloom but with a wise approach you can find yourself a very nice older unit. One other point of advice given to me on these forums that is worth repeating. With the age of the vehicle you are looking at, the care with which it has been maintained is most often more important that the reputation of the manufacturer.
Success to you on your future purchase,
GHG
I am new at this but would like to share what I have recently learned. Painfully learned I might add. The already posted points do not need repeating but here is a couple more I have learned about.
1. Flashlight in hand, ready to get on your hands and knees, inspect every nook and cranny. Checking for any soft spots in the flooring. Inspect along the walls at floor level especially behind the kitchen cabinets. Pull out drawers, open doors, and be meticulous about your inspection.
2.Do not only check the quality of seal on the roof, but walk around the outside looking at every point a receptacle or any other place where the sheet metal skin has been penetrated allowing a possible entry point for water. Is the seal tight or has the caulking pulled away from the skin over time? If it has that does not mean there has been a leak but calls for closer inspection in that area.
3. Look for any place that the interior skin of the walls may have ripples where the facing of the paneling has pulled away from the wall. This may indicate water intrusion.
4. Inspect the connection points between the cabinets and the ceiling looking for sagging or anything other than a straight consistent joint between the cabinets and the surface they are attached to.
To be honest the list goes on and others may point out key areas. But the most important thing is your common sense, do NOT be in a rush, do NOT be enamored with how nice it looks as you approach the unit. Stay objective and inspect every surface you can. Especially those that are not in direct sight, behind cabinets, behind drawers, in storage areas like the basement.
What recently happened to me:
I had a professional look at the trailer for me this time. He spotted a small (so he thought) soft spot in the floor in the area of the outside shower attachment. However everything else looked great from the roof to the basement. But when I was looking for the power converter to see what was actually in the 5er I noticed a place the plywood surround of the storage area for the electrical cord for shore power had signs of water stains. Well as you can guess the “small area” of water damage turned out to be a much larger problem. When I followed the trail of water stains I found that the caulking between the exterior door for the shore power cord had shrunk, pulled away from the sheet metal, and allowed water penetration. The rest is history =/
The lessoned learned:
You cannot be too meticulous, you will not spend too much time inspecting, and if the seller gets impatient with your efforts that is your first sign to keep looking. Now these are blanket statements and need to be balanced with commonsense, but valid nonetheless. You may decide to purchase anyway but especially with water damage, the repair costs can mount up quickly and can easily exceed the value of the older units.
Not doom and gloom but with a wise approach you can find yourself a very nice older unit. One other point of advice given to me on these forums that is worth repeating. With the age of the vehicle you are looking at, the care with which it has been maintained is most often more important that the reputation of the manufacturer.
Success to you on your future purchase,
GHG
