Buying Used Trailers

Is the roof in good shape and is there any sign of water damage.

Secondarily run all the system.

If there is no leaks and everything runs...odds are it will be good.

If you aren't familiar consider paying a mobile RV tech a couple hundred to do an inspection.

We bought a three year old Dutchmen that had no signs of wear. The biggest issues turned out to be the brakes. We have towed it across the country several times. We bought it for about half the original price.

Just like buying a used vehicle, it is the luck of the draw.

We decided on a five year plan, with a year to go we still have not found a floor plan we like better.

midnightsadie wrote:
a lot of good advice. you can even have these issue,s with a new rv. look and check things over, if you find just the right one,you could hire a mobil tech to do an inspection. its your money spend it wisely. p.s and sales people will tell you anything to get you to sign.

Yes, a lot of great advice, and I love the mobile tech idea. Thanks!

a lot of good advice. you can even have these issue,s with a new rv. look and check things over, if you find just the right one,you could hire a mobil tech to do an inspection. its your money spend it wisely. p.s and sales people will tell you anything to get you to sign.

Interior.
Use a flashlight in those dark places and notice if anything has been painted to cover up something.
Use your nose and get your head inside cabinets. You can usually smell mold.

In/out:
Feel things, tap things, anything that feels soft (wet) that should be hard (dry) waves a flag.
Check for Delamination. Delamination of the exterior skin is when the glue holding the filon (smooth walls) to the underlayment lets go. Its expensive to repair and usually more than the used TT is worth.
Your choice would be to cut and patch an area and add seams or replace the entire side of the TT.

In addition to all the above:

When you schedule an appointment to go look at the trailer, ask the owner to chill the fridge in advance so you can see it works. You won't be able to tell if it works on both electrical and propane, but at least you'll know it works on one or the other and isn't completely dead.

Also, if they will not let you test any appliance for any reason, walk away. "We put away the hoses for the winter so we can't connect water to it" is a sign that there is something wrong with the water system (in my case, I found out the prior owner had split the hot water tank wide open and covered it all up with insulation so I couldn't see it).

Run the propane and check the stove, oven, water heater.

Attach the water and check the city water connection and the fresh water tank. Run the water through the faucets and check for leaks. Flush the toilet. Make sure the hot water tank is not bypassed so you can check that for leaks. Then look under the trailer for any signs of leaks.

Connect to shore power and check the outlets all work, the water pump works, the water heater runs on electric (if an option), the AC works, the furnace works (you need both the electric and the propane on to check that), the lights all work.

Unconnect from shore power and check the lights all work, the water pump works.

Again, if the owner will not work with you to check all these things, walk away.

After sanitizing the water tank send a sample out for testing before drinking, showering, etc. You never know what source was used to fill the tank in the past and bleach does not kill everything and almost never gets to every corner of the tank/system. A one time analysis will tell you if it is safe to drink or needs additional treatment.

I agree about water damage. It is too expensive to fix. Avoid at all costs.
Trailers don't have much that wears out. You can see the tires. Ask about wheel bearings. Look for signs of an accident. Look at the frame and check for rust.

I like to make sure everthing works. The refrigerator is really the only expensive thing to replace.

I would avoid a trailer that may have been lived in. You can tell by wear on the floor and the upholstery. Ask about it.

If you find something that doesn't work uses it as a negotiation point.

As Scott said, any form of leak,
Water damage is what kills most units, be it mildew, mold, rot, or delamination. Water is the enemy.
Open every cabinet and look for any indications, wear hard soled shoes so you can better "feel" the changes in the floor.
Along with the threads mentioned above , watch some Youtube video's on spotting delamination, and RV inspections, Some are great, most are decent, and a few are insane, but after 3 or 4, you'll see patterns develop and be on the right track.

You can also hire someone to do an inspection for you, mobile service techs can be a great help on that.

ChristyFord wrote:
What are some things I need to pay particular attention to when looking at a used TT?

Everything, whether a private sale or from a dealer the owner is unlikely to disclose any serious issues they know of.

What things can I expect to/should replace (aside from tires)?

Certainly you'd want to have the bearings repacked and replaced if necessary. Again though, anything in a used trailer is fair game for failure and because there are no guarantees despite what the owner may claim you have to be prepared to deal with any failure.

How do I clean out the fresh water tank (I'm assuming it doesn't detach)?

Same as we all do - maybe 1/4 to 1/3 cup of bleach in a gallon of water, pour that mix into the fresh water tank, fill the tank with water, turn the pump on to run water throughout the system, let it sit overnight, then drain & flush with fresh water. Many do drink water from the tank, we don't and instead use tank water for washing, showering, and flushing the toilet - any water we ingest we bring from home in a separate container.