Purchasing rv without seeing in person

time2roll has a great idea. Camp by the dealer. I would at least fly to the location and drive it home if it checks out. A MH is an expensive RV with a lot of moving parts. They are like boats, in that sit around. Some get neglected and some get maintained. You cannot tell by looking at pictures and talking to a saleman.

A couple of years ago I spotted a nice Motorhome from a business that gets a ton of good reviews from members on this forum. From the pictures it looked like there was some delam on it. When I e-mailed the salesmen he said no, it was just how the pictures were taken.

Well I made the effort to swing by the place on our way down south. Yes, it was a huge spot of delam. Pictures don't lie, but I guess some salesmen do. :S

jarata1 wrote:
I have been looking on line for a class a and found one we liked in fla.The salesman of course seems real nice and says it will all be gone through and anything broken fixed.
I received the contract today and there is odd wording about they cant be held liable for any misrepresntation or ommisions in talking about the motorhome
We are planning on having it shipped to mass.
Even though its a huge rv dealership would you still have it inspected by a certified rv inspector down there,or should i fly down to look at it

You are putting way too much faith in the sales process where the selling facility's fiduciary responsible is to themselves, not you.

Buying anything that large, sight unseen, especially a used product is asking to be taken advantage of and is downright foolish.

I live in Minnesota and bought my current rig from a dealer in Florida on the Gulf Coast...1600 miles away. First....I negotiated the contract language. The contract I was offered had all kinds of things in it like you are describing and I simply did a mark-up of what I wanted out or in and this dealer (a smaller one...not one of the big guys) was very accommodating to make all the changes I wanted exactly as I wanted them. That, in itself, gave me some comfort. After we negotiated all the price and terms, my wife and I drove our current RV there and per the contract terms, each party had right of rejection or renegotiation after reviewing the other's RV.

While you are negotiating, get rid of those stupid $699 fees a number of the big dealers try to charge for all the paperwork. The dealer I bought from provided a complete itemized list of all the costs from the State of Florida to transfer everything so I can tell you the actual cost was less than $100. These other dealers are making $500+ just on paperwork.

This dealership provided a CARFAX on the unit. While CARFAX does not tell you a whole lot, it should at least tell you if the unit was ever totalled and under a Salvage Title, which would be a huge problem. In my case, there actually was a very good history which clearly showed it was a one-owner rig. I knew exactly where it was purchased, when it was originally titled to the first owner, there were some recall maintenance items completed that were listed. Overall, the CARFAX, while not a complete history of the unit, was comforting.

I have to tell you that I was as nervous as a longtailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I did find a couple of things that were immediately taken care of by the dealership. They found no issues with mine and the deal was done. I was still nervous about actually receiving the title. Legally the unit was mine, but having that paper in your hand makes the whole process of registering in your state possible. Mine did arrive within 30 days, as promised by the dealership, so in the end all was well and we've had no material issues with the RV.

Net, I would have NEVER purchased this RV unseen or under the terms originally offered. Too much money at stake. Personally, I don't trust anyone else doing my review either. I take my multi-page checklist and a pair of coveralls and spend hours checking everything from getting on the roof to crawling under the unit and inspecting every inch.

Now,if it's impossible to get there to see it, or if you have a disability such that you cannot do a thorough inspection yourself, then you'll have to do whatever you can to give yourself some protection. That would come through contractual guarantees and an independent inspection at a minimum.

Best wishes.

Branson N Tucson wrote:
Would you buy a house with out looking at It??? Think again, this is a big purchase. Do not regret your decision. Go look at it.

Come to think of it I've bought quite a few things without looking at them. My first house was one of those things. I still own that house and rent it out. It pays for itself every 2 1/2 years.

Another thing that I paid for without seeing first was a tandem gooseneck hydraulic dovetail equipment trailer. That was almost 8 years ago and I still haven't seen it.

NRVIA.org and find an inspector.


For what these guys charge for a complete inspection, you could probably pay for 2 round trip tickets to view any Motorhome you are looking at. Very few Dealerships do a complete inspection and PDI on used units before the sale. If the unit is a consignment, then the Inspection and PDI is NEVER done until the buy contract is signed. Those costs on a consignment will depend on what the deal is between the Dealer and the Consignee. This is a major cost(It is NOT an investment) and to not have a hands on inspection is not the best way to go. Doug

thanks

If I understand correctly from your other posts, this RV will be what you live in full time? I can't imagine buying without seeing the rig, but especially NOT when you are planning on full timing in it. Do you own an RV now or have you ever owned an RV?

never EVER beleave what a sales person says ,do two things hire a inspector and you fly down and meet him. no other way.

If you read the fine print on an inspectors report, you will find that they also ARE NOT liable for any omissions or things that they may have misrepresented. In other words, you are paying for their OPINION as to the condition of the RV. What they see as "good" you may actually see as BAD. I am sure that you will also find that the only recourse that you have against an inspector is the return of the cost you paid for that inspection.
Spend the money and go look at it yourself. If you are not qualified to check the systems, at least have it inspected while you are there seeing everything with your own eyes.