Damage to RV due to very rough road.Structural ?

It is much more common for an RV to leak around roof seams and joints. Most manufacturers recommend checking and resealing at least every year. Water will get in and travel throughout the roof and walls causing rot and rust as well as destroying the glue that hold the walls together.

Depends on what he uses to caulk and how he stores the RV. Silicone caulk subject to sun and rain could easily need to be re-caulked ever couple years.

Your best bet is to actually go see the RV and look for signs of leaks. Feel the paneling/walls for soft spots, look in cabinets and under cushions for water stains, etc.

The seller said he caulks the windows every 2 years. Is that common or may there be a problem? He has not actually said they leak.

OP: What road do you think caused this damage. Let us know so others can avoid it. :)

We've had our motorhome on many gravel roads because we like to get in the boonies. We also drove to Alaska. Never any damage to doors or windows.

dahkota wrote:
We drove the Dalton Highway in Alaska in ours and still have all our windows and doors (and they open and close fine with no leaks). We have been down gravel roads, mud roads, potholed roads, I-10 in Louisiana and have no permanent damage or leaks due to roads.

I had to laugh that you put I-10 in Louisiana and gravel, mud and potholed roads in the same sentence. I used to equate driving IH 10 through Baton Rouge to driving down a staircase.

We drove the Dalton Highway in Alaska in ours and still have all our windows and doors (and they open and close fine with no leaks). We have been down gravel roads, mud roads, potholed roads, I-10 in Louisiana and have no permanent damage or leaks due to roads.

We have driven some rigs in the 70's through the 80's that had well over 50 K miles on them with out really having water leak problems.

Is the seller telling you that any damage was caused from a "very rough road"? If so, stay away. The seller is lying to you about the cause - and in that case is lying about everything else.

In general a coach can take the beating it will get going down the road but everything has it's limits. Thermal expansion/contraction causes a lot of movement when you consider the 100+ degree temperature swing from winter to summer.

The common cause of leaks is usually dried out sealant. Its not a difficult weekend project to pull a window to renew the seals. Same with the roof but you have to catch the leaks early. Let it go and a coach will rot from the inside out, aka delamination or RV cancer. A prime reason to walk away from a possible sale. A sticking door could just need the striker plate or hinges reset.

If you're a first time buyer knowing the signs of water damage and delamination is a must. Do an image search via you favorite internet search engine. Just type in "RV Delamination" for hundreds of examples.

Jim, welcome to RV.Net! Get as much history on a coach as possible, most people that keep documents of there RV take care of it. And this gives you a better chance of no or the least problems. After nine years I sprung a 2 small leaks first around the satellite dish and the second around the passenger window. I fixed both easily by applying Dicor self leveling caulk around the area of the leaks. Good Luck in your RV search!