What to look for during road test

The roadworthiness of a used coach is determined by a check of the components first before a drive. The tires; you don't want worn or old ones. Age can be determined by the codes shown on the tires, as it decodes to age, with the manufactures name. Any tires 7 years or older need replacement. New tires are around $325 each. Brakes then need to be looked at for smooth no blue spots on rotors and good pad depth on disc brakes, shoes and drums need checking if present too. Then shocks, sway bar bushings, wheel bearings, and control arm play. Then A/C, heater, belts and wires need a visual. Oil should be full and look clean, and transmission fluid should be it's proper color not burnt brown and smelling burnt. This is why you need a mechanic that knows trucks, and an RV repair person for the house systems. If all that's good it should handle fine. The drive will tell you about 10% of the real story that the specialist will tell you. They then will give you the cost to cure any problems found. Better a few hundred for the professional checkup than a thousands for finding out later on the side of the road, waiting for a tow and $100 per hour labor bill plus parts. The tow alone is somewhere around $500 on average. That's why many buy new, and keep it in shape or trade in before trouble starts.