Buying a used motorhome

[Crad09]

I am almost ready to purchase a 2013 Thor Freedom Elite 21c motorhome. It has 55,000 miles and seems to be in really good condition. Since it is from a personal owner I can't get a pdi. I looked for some obvious problems and it didn't seem to have any, but what do you guys recommend I make sure to check thoroughly before purchasing it. I am a newbie in the rv world and need some advice. Thanks!

[Denrclif]

We were hunting for a while and found that a lot of used rvs sellers were pricing their RVs like they were still new! Glad you scored that Arctic Fox—$17,000 for a 2013 is pretty solid, especially since it didn’t leak or have any delamination issues. We also had to pass on a few that looked fine but had hidden problems like soft floors. The winter camping aspect is great, and I’m sure it’ll hold up nicely with the Fox’s insulation. 

[way2roll]

Wasn't sure if you were aware that you're responding to a post that's 7 years old.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Trackrig wrote:


I would. If it's cold there, then rewinterize it and have the owner show you how to - it will be a good learning experience and test things in the process. You'll learn where the hot water tank bypass is and if it has a hose on the water pump to suck RV anitfreeze directly from the bottle.

Bill

ESPECIALLY this^ My experience has been that Thor (and some others) put their water pumps in some fairly inaccessible areas on the smaller RVs, and winterizing could be a lot more work than it *should* be? So watch this process closely. Since you live where temps can get quite cold, easy winterization is critical.

[ol__yeller]

I fancy myself a pretty fair wrench and good judge of automobiles but the best money I have ever spent was paying an expert to inspect our RV before we bought it. Despite owning 2 RVs prior, I felt I needed an expert opinion. They (should)have a complete checklist so nothing is overlooked and their eyes are not clouded with visions of camping alongside a river in the early summer. It cost me $250 for a chassis and house/systems inspection. It was worth every penny.

Of course I used a checklist as suggested here previously to weed out the problematic RVs first before spending any money on one.

[DrewE]

Bordercollie wrote:
Have the seller run the fridge overnight and have it cold when you get there with or without a paid inspector. Try the fridge on both propane and electric and "automatic" power modes. A fridge replacement costs over $1000. Run the RV generator, let it warm up, then turn on the roof AC, make sure it is cooling then heat a cup of water in the microwave oven. RV Generator should operate roof AC and microwave at the same time. Run the engine and make sure that the dash AC is cooling. Run the furnace and make sure it is heating. Run the fresh water to make sure the electric pump is working. Make sure that the converter/charger is working and charging the house batteries when rig is plugged into shore power or when RV generator is running. Have inspector test charging with voltmeter. Set up awning and look for any damage or holes in awning fabric. Test drive rig as best you can listening for strange noises, and watch for handling problems or brake problems. Check date codes on all tires don't take seller's word for age of tires. Look for sidewall cracks on tires.
Get a list of items that need repair or replacement with estimate for parts and labor.

That's a pretty good list. I'd add the water heater (making sure it's filled first) and stove and gas oven if you have one. Sometimes the gas oven gets overlooked by some sellers because they never use it themselves, and honestly couldn't say if it worked or not. Sometimes these days there is no gas oven to get overlooked.

[Bordercollie]

Have the seller run the fridge overnight and have it cold when you get there with or without a paid inspector. Try the fridge on both propane and electric and "automatic" power modes. A fridge replacement costs over $1000. Run the RV generator, let it warm up, then turn on the roof AC, make sure it is cooling then heat a cup of water in the microwave oven. RV Generator should operate roof AC and microwave at the same time. Run the engine and make sure that the dash AC is cooling. Run the furnace and make sure it is heating. Run the fresh water to make sure the electric pump is working. Make sure that the converter/charger is working and charging the house batteries when rig is plugged into shore power or when RV generator is running. Have inspector test charging with voltmeter. Set up awning and look for any damage or holes in awning fabric. Test drive rig as best you can listening for strange noises, and watch for handling problems or brake problems. Check date codes on all tires don't take seller's word for age of tires. Look for sidewall cracks on tires.
Get a list of items that need repair or replacement with estimate for parts and labor.

[Trackrig]

Crad09 wrote:
Thanks for it all the input and help. Because we don't know a lot about rvs yet we feel most comfortable with hiring a pro to do it. For $75 it is worth it for peace of mind. Thank you for the suggestion to do that.

$75 isn't going to buy you much more than someone's travel time to get to the rig. Most labor rates are $100/hr. If hiring an inspector, for them to do a thorough job, it's going to take four hours. Someone can give it a "once-over" in less time, but not a thorough inspection.

I hired someone to inspect an RV once for me and I never did figure out if they just didn't see things, or just didn't bother noting them because it was a used rig and figured they were normal. I'm talking things like badly corroded battery connections, mismatched old batteries, badly weathered spare tire and a few other things.

Bill

[cgmartine]

Go with gbopps's suggestion, and you will not go wrong.

[Crad09]

Thanks for it all the input and help. Because we don't know a lot about rvs yet we feel most comfortable with hiring a pro to do it. For $75 it is worth it for peace of mind. Thank you for the suggestion to do that.

[Desert_Captain]

Do yourself a huge favor and thoroughly test drive it. I'm talking at least and hour, preferably 2, on as many different roads as you can {ideally on a very windy day}. Get out on the interstate and see what it is like to have an 18 wheeler blow by you at 80.

Find a 6 per cent or more grade and put your foot to the floor. Can you live with the engine noise at 4,000+ rpm {some can-some cannot}. Most owners have had their rigs weighed at a CAT Scale and should have the weight ticket for you to review. Check the tire pressures based upon the scale weight and the tire manufacturers inflation table {easily found on the internet}.

Does it have the 55 gallon tank or the 40... most folks find the 40 is not enough. As noted check the DOT codes to determine the age of the tires {does it have a spare?}, even if they look good any over 4 years old are suspect. With 55K miles however it may very well have newer tires but keep in mind that if needed a new set is between $1,200 - $1,500.

Thor is an entry level unit so inspect thoroughly with that in mind. Look for any signs of water intrusion/leaks and if you find any... Run Forrest Run! It probably has the Ford V-10 with the 5 speed torque Shift transmission, both are nearly bulletproof and hopefully the seller has complete service records. Expect 9 mpg and be happy when you occasionally beat that number.

These are just a few things to check BEFORE you sign anything much less hand over any money. if the seller balks See RFR above. If you know anyone with RV experience take them along and then buy them lunch afterwards where you can discuss what you found. Good luck!

:C

[Trackrig]

Crad09 wrote:
Thank you I will for sure do that. It is in Utah and has been winterized. Could I still hook it up to water?

I would. If it's cold there, then rewinterize it and have the owner show you how to - it will be a good learning experience and test things in the process. You'll learn where the hot water tank bypass is and if it has a hose on the water pump to suck RV anitfreeze directly from the bottle.

Bill

[Crad09]

Thank you I will for sure do that. It is in Utah and has been winterized. Could I still hook it up to water?

[Trackrig]

Turn on everything on, operate everything to make sure it works. Start with the big ticket items and work down:
1. Generator, does it start and does everything work off of it
2. Air conditioners, are they cold
3. Dash air - is it cold
4. When was the last time the radiator & cooling system were flushed
5. When was the last time the transmission was flushed and looked at
6. Does the 12V water system work
7. Does the refer and freezer work well on 110VAC and 12V/propane
8. Does the TV antenna and system work
9. Look for water leaks
10. How old are the tires
11. Run the furnace
12. How old are the starting batteries
13. How old are the house batteries, what's the water level and are the terminals clean. If the battery water level is down to the plate or the terminals have lot of corrosion, then the owner didn't take very good care of it. There could well be other things wrong, but this is a good quick simple test.
14. Unless they could be frozen, run the awnings in and out to make sure they work and to see what condition they're in.

After that there's still a million little things, but the above are the high dollar items.

Bill

[sch911]

The PDI is something you have to do. Go there and test every RV system, hook it up to shore power, hook it up to city water make sure everything works. Then take it and do a test drive. Spend a couple of hours. All before any money changes hands...