First Travel Trailer - 2001 Four Winds 27'

" Not terribly worried about that."

Those are famous last words for a TT owner. Old tires are the most likely thing to go wrong when pulling. Tires blow in the first twenty, last twenty and middle twenty.

He has not yet winterized it. He mentioned that he would be going through the process with me. I'll check age of tires, I suspect they'd be due for replacement in the near future, though. Not terribly worried about that. Getting her home is only a 20 mile drive.

Have him explain and show you how to winterize the camper. If he uses the blow method, and it's not done, have it do it so you can see how it's done. If he does the antifreeze "pump the pink" method, have him do it, watch and if possible, take a video. You might contact him today and ask how he does it, if it's winterized already, and if not, ask him to do it with you before you take it home.

Just a suggestion that will save you lots of questions later.

Note that trailer tires seldom wear out, instead they age out. If they're more than 6-7 years old, figure on replacing them, even if they still have plenty of tread.

In addition to checking for water intrusion and full systems operation, also inspect the frame for possible rust through, and get information on tire / wheel bearing maintenance.

When were the bearings last packed or replaced?

How old are the tires?

Dry weight about 6,600 to 7,000 pounds with a tongue weight around 850 or so. What is your TV's payload? Shouldn't be too much heavier without any water for the drive home. But once you load it up you'll be 8,000 pounds and 1,000 on the tongue. That's the hitch limit with weight distribution on GM SUVs such as Tahoe and Suburban. Trailer brakes and lights all good for the drive home? Check tire pressure and inflate if necessary...and its rarely unnecessary. BUT...you'll be ok...we are all still learning.

I have noticed some extra caulking around the windows and in the corners outside. Seller picked up the unit off of his neighbor, who upgraded to a newer model. Says the previous owner was very careful with it and took care of everything. It has sat for the past 9 months. We have had some serious rain over the last month or so at times and I did not notice any wet spots inside. I only looked at it briefly yesterday because I had my toddler in tow and could not get down and dirty with it. I've got a few hours tomorrow to look it all over and make sure all is working properly, so I plan on spending as much time as I have available going through it all prior to hooking it up and bringing it home. I peaked up on the roof and notice it is completely coated in some white rubber-like sealant. No water marks on the ceiling that I could see. Since it has been sitting, the fact that there was no noticeable smell when I first walked in was a good sign to me. My nose has a tendency to pick up on the stinky stuff, its sad, but bad smells seem more noticeable to me than say, my wife.

The price is right, under $3k for what appears to be a very solid unit so far that seller states all is working properly with a clean title. I do wish I could run the VIN somewhere for as much history as possible, but when I try searching the standard sites, it comes back with VIN not recognized. Is there another resource I can use to check or decode a travel trailer VIN?

Appliances function and water leaks are your two major items. Check VERY carefully around all windows, doors, vents and especially inside all cupbords. Also carefully look at the entire ceiling. Any signs of recent painting, or water stains should be red flags.

Congrats. Keep in mind it is 16 years old. A faulty appliance replacement could be a large percent of the purchase price, so really make sure everything works. And it sounds like you are already aware- but water leaks are super bad and I would walk away if you find any.