Forum Discussion

jhaldeman's avatar
jhaldeman
Explorer
May 13, 2013

Buying Used, a guide of what to look for.

Hello everyone!

I'm going to purchase an camper on Wednesday. A 2001 Dutchmen Lite travel trailer from Holiday RV in Iowa. Although we camp a lot, this will be our first camper. A descrpition and images can be found on their website, http://www.holidayrvusa.com/inventorydetails.php?id=376.

The trailer is fairly inexpensive but we are a young couple and I personally don't want my wife to be scared off of camping by buying a bad unit. I expect there to be some initial repair costs but is there anything major i should be checking?

My list so far includes-
-Plumbing
-A/C and Heater
-Kitchen Appliances
-Electronics
-Axels for signs of leaking or not being properly lubed
-Any cracks in the welds of the frame underneath
-Sun/Hail damage to the roof and rooftop A/C unit

Anything added to this would be great.

Thanks a bunch!
Jordan

7 Replies

  • boosTT's avatar
    boosTT
    Explorer
    May 16, 2013
    Main this is to check for leaks. Leaks rot the wood frame and the trailer is then basically junk. Check the roof any recaulk or apply eternabond tape over any hairline cracks in the old caulking. After leaks, the next biggest thing is AC and fridge. Other issues can be fixed fairly cheaply.
  • jhaldeman's avatar
    jhaldeman
    Explorer
    May 16, 2013
    Everything looked good, thanks for the advice. The floors and roof had no soft spots or cracks. The fridge had no funky smell of ammonia. All the appliances are in working order. We will be going out for the first time next weekend.

    It was a 311 mile drive back home from the dealership and it rode well. I'm going to have an extra leaf spring added to my rear suspension to beef it up a little bit. My truck seems to be squating a bit.
  • jhaldeman's avatar
    jhaldeman
    Explorer
    May 13, 2013
    midnightsadie wrote:
    look for leaks on the inside walls ,on the sidewalls and corners your looking for brown spots, or warpped tile. if its on a dealer lot,they don,t realy know much more than you do.


    If there are spots or raised tiles, what issues can this bring up? In the photos under the table the flooring looks slightly raised along the wall. I will be sure to check that out on Wednesday.
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    May 13, 2013
    look for leaks on the inside walls ,on the sidewalls and corners your looking for brown spots, or warpped tile. if its on a dealer lot,they don,t realy know much more than you do.
  • jhaldeman's avatar
    jhaldeman
    Explorer
    May 13, 2013
    Im assuming thats bad? What would you recommend doing to a 12 year old rubber roof? I know i should be looking for and dents or cracks. In response to the roof is there anything else?
  • handye9's avatar
    handye9
    Explorer II
    May 13, 2013
    Hopefully, previous ownwer left some owners manuals for all the appliances.

    You'll want to know date / milage since last wheel bearing repack. If unknown, do it ASAP.

    You'll want to know age of the tires.

    If propane tanks are 12 years or older, they may need to be recertified.

    Any signs of leaks.

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