Hi- considering buying a 2007 keystone hornet from an rv dealer, it will be completely checked over and inspected prior by the rv dealer but is it still risky buying something that is 8 years old or is that not a real issue with travel trailers.... grateful for your opinions

I went up to the lake this weekend and saw a 1949 trailer a friend is restoring to use on the weekends.Bill

Yes, it is risky. But if you are getting a great price, and you are handy with tools, it may be a risk worth taking. (Is there any warranty??) We bought a used trailer from a private party for a good price and enjoyed it for several years. We later bought a new one with an extended warranty.

Hee, hee, hee......look how old mine is...I would guess the most risk in the transaction is trusting the dealer to do an adequate job of inspection. If you're new to RV's it may be in your best interest to hire an independent inspector to examine for water damage. Everything else in a used TT pales in comparison to water damage for expensive repair.

We bought a 1984 5er a few years ago. Had less trouble with it than most people have with their new rigs. Still love that rig (too small for full-timing). our friend bought it..I know he'll get lots of use out of it. It isn't the age you should be concerned with......it's the condition of the rig.

It is only risky if;1) You know nothing about the equipment you are buying2) You have no one to check it out for you before you pay for the unit3) You believe the dealer4) YOU BELIEVE THE DEALER.You need to have a thorough predelivery inspection done by someone who knows RV's and is not associated with the dealership.Your purchase will be "as is" regardless of what the salesman says about taking care of you, the contract is the binding agreement and it most likely will say "as is".During the predelivery BEFORE YOU PAY all (REPEAT ALL) systems are proven to function. THE refrigerator is a very expensive item and can take 24 hours on initial cool down. One gambit by a dealer would be to say "Oh we forgot to plug in the rig in yesterday that is why the fridge is not cool. You sign, fridge does not work, you buy new fridge. SO everything must be proven to work no matter what. The tires might look like new and the tread may be great but if the tires are 7-8 years old they have aged out (sitting and sun deteriorates them worse than auto tires cause they are not used much). DO NOT BELIEVE the dealer look for a date code on the inside of all tires. If they are ST tires they may be inferior for the job they must do and some here have gone to LT tires to avoid blowouts.Hidden damage from water leaks could be an issue and you or someone you trust needs to get on the roof and look at the roof. Is it well maintained? Does it need caulking?Interior of all cabinets and closets needs to be inspected for water incursion.Frame needs to be inspected for damage as some Lippert frames seem to be having issues.How are the trailer brakes? they need to be checked for functionLastly what do you have to pull it with. That rig can dry weight out at up to 8000 pounds depending on model. The salesmans assurance is not enough. You need to figure out the weight from your tow vehicles placard. If you post the model of the trailer and the make and model of vehicle along with the ratings off the placard on the tow vehicle people here will tell you if oyu have enough vehicle to SAFELY pull the trailer.There is lots more but these are the basics on buying ANY used RV>REMEMBER the salesman is not your friend. You are the way he feeds his family and the kids are hungry.

is it risky buying a travel trailer that is 8 years old

Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Aug 20, 2015
Doug33 wrote:
Chuck_thehammer wrote:
I purchased a 2012 Ford F 250 ( 130k miles )

someone did a LOT of driving! :E

I got it last month.... Fleet/Lease... in real good condition...
inside is a little beat up...Clean but used inside.
jmcgsd
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
Current rigs '91 F350 drw, '95 Lance 880, '09 Pacific Coachworks Tango TT. All purchased used and happy with all.
Doug33
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
Chuck_thehammer wrote:
I purchased a 2012 Ford F 250 ( 130k miles )

someone did a LOT of driving! :E
Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
Risky,

last month.. I purchased a 2012 Ford F 250 ( 130k miles ) and a 2005 Coachman 30 foot trailer.
different sellers.
to escape Ohio's winter...

Risky... we will see.

been checking and rechecking... did a 2 night stay.(100 miles out) . OK.
a few minor repairs... and lots of adjustments or changes.

September 5,6,7 is final test... (200 miles out)
November... a 1,500 mile trip and 3 months out... maybe 4 months.

Wife retires in November. I am retired.

biggest risk I have done.. since I got married 41 years ago.
hohenwald48
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
Buying any RV is risky. But I guess just about everyone on here has done it at least once. :)
Crabbypatty
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
No its not provided that you check it out yourself as well. The dealer will probably only give you 30 days and who needs the back n forth hassle. We just bought a 2008 Sunnybrook Sunset Creek a year ago. So it was 6 years old. We looked for quite awhile and settled on this make and model. Finding one hundreds of miles away, I placed a credit card deposit subject to my inspection on the phone and went up the following week. They said that they would have it prepped and ready so we could leave with it. Couldn't have been further from he truth. It was filthy. So the salesman had the cleaning crew come back in while I had the technician turn everything on. First he said that he couldn't put water in it and I said then I cant buy it unless we check all the systems. He said they did so I said then it shouldn't be a problem turning it all on again. The picture we looked to buy had a spare but there wasn't one on the trailer so I mentioned that they weren't happy, but then new spare was placed on it. the invoice had a new battery and battery box on it. I told them I didn't want that as I was going to buy two 6 volts for up front. We went round and round with that for a bit and finally the manager came out and said it would cos more to take it off, so its your for free. A good 4-5 hours later. We were satisfied, hitched up and drove off. We went to a cg as it was two far to make it home and wouldn't you know it, toilet leaked. I called the salesman and he had a new toilet shipped tour house. In this instance the sales man at Kingston CW made all the difference in the sale. You cant trust that the dealer will have it all together unless you check it out. If you don't know what to do, bring someone who does. Dont sign the papers or pay until your completely satisfied. If they resist then that's the first sign of trouble go somewhere else.
fallsrider
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
We bought our '95 in 2013. It has been a great trailer so far.

You just need to be sure to inspect a trailer really well before purchasing.
mdprowash
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
There's always some risk with buying used. I prefer it.. The savings is tremendous. I bought a 95 almost 2 months ago and love it. I just made sure all the walls, floor and ceiling were solid. I went into it with expectation of having to put some money into it above the purchase price. Brakes, tires, batteries, converter, WDH, anti-sway, etc... plus all the accessories and modifications of making it my own. At this point.. I have around $6000 invested and anticipate I will put another maybe another $2000 into it.
doxiluvr
Explorer II
Aug 19, 2015
It would be risky. I would say you have to check everything over carefully, ask questions and hopefully get true answers such as how often did they use it, how many miles did they travel in it, where did they take it, what maintenance did they have to do it, how many people actually used it, when did the replace the tires, turn on the refrigerator, heater, air conditioner, stove, etc. Also check the holding tanks, run the water, flush the toilet. Make sure the shades all work, sit on the furniture, check the upholstery and most importantly check for any leaks and even go up on the roof and check under the trailer. We have a 2006 trailer and can truthfully say everything still works perfectly in it, but we usually go for staying at a site for the summer and only tow it to and from and then put in storage. Plus we put new tires on it 2 years ago. So far we have been lucky with the appliances and everything but with an older trailer you will have to do something eventually. Depends on how you use it and how you take care of it.
SprinklerMan
Explorer
Aug 19, 2015
I bought my 2006 used . Had a couple small issues . but with the money I saved , I have paid for the last 10 trips , and my LT tires . ( Had to sneek that in )