RV Inspector

In all due respect to any Inspectors out there....

Inspectors (Of Anything) are paid to find PROBLEMS. I believe that many think that if they dont have a good list of those that the people paying them will not be happy, whether the problems are real or imagined or whether the problems are truly significant or just o quirk of the builder. Until RV,s have a nationally recognized standard of construction, wiring and plumbing similar to Coast Guard rules for boats inspections are really little more than negotiation tactics. And I would bet that any intelligent person who does the research can accomplish the same thing.

edited for spelling

blangen wrote:

spindrift wrote:
Not necessarily. I would think an inspector would have some kind of sliding scale. He certainly wouldn't charge $1000-2000 to inspect a $5k-10 TT.

There are exceptions to any rule but, generally, the cheaper the rig, the greater the number/scope of deficiencies, the longer the report. Diminishing returns. If it were me, I would develop for and market to the upper end buyer.

I like your thinking. It's difficult for me to understand why lending institutions have not made these inspections mandatory, similar to the marine industry.

spindrift wrote:
Not necessarily. I would think an inspector would have some kind of sliding scale. He certainly wouldn't charge $1000-2000 to inspect a $5k-10 TT.

There are exceptions to any rule but, generally, the cheaper the rig, the greater the number/scope of deficiencies, the longer the report. Diminishing returns. If it were me, I would develop for and market to the upper end buyer.

spindrift wrote:
Not necessarily. I would think an inspector would have some kind of sliding scale. He certainly wouldn't charge $1000-2000 to inspect a $5k-10 TT.

My thought is that you would catch a plane to go where ever the rig is. Just the expenses would scare off the cheaper rigs. No sliding scale in what I'm suggesting. Personally, I wouldn't advise trying to be all inspectors to all clients that call your number. See my first post above for the details of what I'm suggesting.

With motor yachts the surveyors charge by the foot generally. In some parts of the country they may charge $10 per foot, so a 40 foot yacht could run $400 for a complete inspection and written report.

MH systems are similar since they also would have a motor, although most bigger vessels have two. Fivers and TTs wouldn't take as much time since there would be no motor/transmission to inspect.

Just thinking of it that way, I would think a MH or Class C would be a $10 per foot charge, a fiver or TT maybe $6 or $7 per foot charge. Wouldn't it take about the same amount of time to inspect a 40' MH no matter if it was priced at $30,000 or $2,000,000?

Not necessarily. I would think an inspector would have some kind of sliding scale. He certainly wouldn't charge $1000-2000 to inspect a $5k-10 TT.

spindrift wrote:
There is a HUGE difference in the cost of RVs. I often wonder if an inspection will become mandatory at any price point. You could always argue that the same systems are in the $5K bumper pull as the $1.5M Prevost. I think that's the challenge.

Yes, but the lower the price of the unit, the lower the probability you would be called for your published price inspection services. Natural screen.

There is a HUGE difference in the cost of RVs. I often wonder if an inspection will become mandatory at any price point. You could always argue that the same systems are in the $5K bumper pull as the $1.5M Prevost. I think that's the challenge.

Good point blangen, I think the one that did the inspection on our residence just felt like he "needed" to list some stuff. Structure was in perfect condition, only 10 years old, and had zero issues.

C-Bears wrote:
My opinion of home inspection services would have to change drastically before I would ever use an RV inspector.

When we sold our 10 year old house the young buyers had a home inspection completed. What a joke. The 50-some year old "certified" home inspector knew less about home construction that my 5 year old grandson.

I've found there are two kinds of home inspection services (for real estate). These two types are in the category of knowing what they're doing. Of course, there is the dummy category but that's not what I'm talking about here. One is a "soft ball" inspector, often recommended through the real estate agent, who is going through the steps (and looking for major issues) but is known for not being a deal killer. The other kind is there to work for the Buyer and pick it apart so that they know exactly what they're looking at. Frankly, the pick-it-apart guy is best used by the experienced real estate buyer because the average home owner isn't really knowledgeable enough to understand the ins and outs of what they are looking at. And it goes without saying that the inspector just can't spend hours and hours explaining everything there is to know about ramifications, remediations, etc.

Like you, Bears, I don't have much use for the softball or the dummy... but there is great value in the good and thorough home inspector. They will often save way more in price negotiations than they will cost for their services.