Buying used trailer: couple of questions

[kokotg]

We're hoping to buy our first travel trailer in the very near future and have been making the rounds of dealerships and obsessively checking Craigslist for a few weeks now. The frontrunner at the moment is a used (2011) Shamrock hybrid that we looked at today at a dealership. A couple of questions if we decide to move forward with it:

1. Is it typical/expected/accepted/essential to have trailers checked out by an independent service place before buying (when buying from a dealer)? The sales guy acted like he had no idea what I was talking about, but he also admitted he had just started there a few weeks ago.

2. Three of the tires looked to be in decent shape, but one of them was way more worn than the others--like it looked like it should have been replaced a long time ago. I expect we should replace all the tires right away anyway; I'm assuming they're probably the original, now 4-5 year old, tires....but what would cause one of them to wear differently than the others?

Aside from that, everything appeared to be in good shape and well taken care of, as far as we could tell. We're really hoping to buy used....I don't want to find out we've guessed wrong about what we want and don't want in a trailer and feel stuck because we've paid for a brand new one and its lost a ton of value. I feel like if we buy used and get a decent deal, we'll be able to sell it and buy something different in a year or two if we want to without taking too much of a hit. But, of course, I also don't want whatever we buy to be a constant headache that makes us wish we'd never bought a trailer to start with.

Thanks in advance!

[westend]

Slow down on the purchasing process. Take your time and keep looking. One of the best things that could happen, a missed purchase of a trailer with a bent axle, has already come your way.

Do some reading on this Forum of problems with trailers, post purchase. It will show you what to look for and what could happen. If you and hubby are mechanically challenged, hire a mobile RV tech to meet you at the dealer's lot before final papers have been signed.

Also, what will you be using for a tow vehicle? There are hundreds of posters just on this Forum that have tried to pull a trailer that is beyond their tow vehicle's capabilities.

[All_I_could_aff]

My hybrid is now 16 years old and still no leaks, I got it three years ago from original owner and it was In amazing condition. I'd love to find one about 2 feet longer body in as good of condition, but they few and far between.

[kvangil]

kokotg wrote:
....and it sold already. Oh well. Back to searching.

Sorry to hear...There are others out there though.

[kokotg]

....and it sold already. Oh well. Back to searching.

[kokotg]

Great to hear about a hybrid that's lasted that long and is still going strong, kvangil! Our only camping experience is (limited) tent camping, so it's really hard to say until we try it whether we'll like a hybrid. But what we don't like about tent camping has nothing to do with the tent part, but with the sleeping on the ground, right on top of everyone else, and trekking to the bathroom in the middle of the night parts....

Thanks for the advice, all--We have a guy who works at a service place close to the dealer lined up to come look at it for us today. They're supposed to have it set up with the fridge on for us. so we'll see!

[kvangil]

kokotg wrote:


Plan is for weekend trips and then long road trips in summer. My husband's a teacher, so we're hoping to do multi-week trips every summer and then sometimes make it out west and take most of the summer.

Our real limiting factor is that we have 4 kids (from 2-14....so the oldest one is already adult sized and the next one will be soon). We like the idea of a hybrid because it gives us some room to stretch out without needing to tow something 30+ feet long.

That's exactly how we use our hybrid camper. We also have 4 kids age 2 through 12. In the middle of a thunderstorm, our tent-sleeping grandparents and uncle would squeeze into the camper with us and we'd have 9 sleeping inside! 🙂 IMHO, the main drawback of a hybrid is that, like pop-ups and tents, you will have to deal with condensation on the bunk ends; ambient, outside noises are also more intrusive. There are ways to minimize both, but it's just a part of hybrid camping--we're used to it. Otherwise, we've never had any leak issues, whether camping or on the road in a driving rain...And ours is an 11-year-old hybrid now.

Look for any bubbles in the sidewalls, and for any rotted wood, soft floor, etc--basically any signs of water leaks. Otherwise, definitely get that tire taken care of, and if you can swing it, replace all 4. Good luck.

[ol__yeller]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Although folks talk about having an independent 3rd party (mechanic) examine the RV, I have seldom (if ever) actually heard of anyone doing it. Mostly, the inspectors are a friend of a friend of a friend who knows just a little more about RV's that you do.

Meet Ol Yeller. I paid $250 to have my last RV inspected prior to my purchase and it was money well spent. I had 2 TTs before that so it wasn't inexperience on my part. I just wanted someone whose eyes weren't clouded with the bling that might not see any problems to look it over. Also at my age and with my issues, I didnt want to be crawling under or on top of the rig. The inspection included all house systems as well as a chassis inspection complete with a written report.

You don't want to hire an "Inspector". Any good Independent RV repair place or mobile RV mechanic with a good reputation should be able to provide this service. It is good to first check as much as you can yourself AND reach a price agreement before you pay to have it inspected. That way you don't waste your inspection money on units that you can't afford or have obvious issues. My inspection uncovered a couple of small issues that I elected to fix myself. It was money very well spent.

[GMandJM]

Inspector = Mobile RV Tech

[bikendan]

Hybrid TTs are not for everyone.
Most hybrid owners are former popup owners.
they want to still continue the sleeping under canvas experience but want more amenities and less setup/takedown hassle.

But we are very familiar with the pros and cons of the canvas tent ends.
but we're willing to put up with the cons, to continue having more of a "camping" feel that the canvas ends give you.

Look EXTREMELY closely around the bunk end frame, seals, hinge area and bunk door condition.

Suggest you browse through the Hybrid forum here and educate yourself about them and possible issues to look for.

[darsben]

Not an inspector get a good mobile RV mechanic to accompany you.

[DutchmenSport]

Although folks talk about having an independent 3rd party (mechanic) examine the RV, I have seldom (if ever) actually heard of anyone doing it. Mostly, the inspectors are a friend of a friend of a friend who knows just a little more about RV's that you do. If RV inspectors are anything like home inspectors, you're probably better off just guessing yourself. (Home inspectors are a real joke ... we tried selling our home, and our son tried selling his... we both went to 3 different inspections and no 2 of them returned the same issues. So beware IF you are able to find someone).

About the 4th tire... More than likely the RV dealership needed a tire for another trailer so the potential client would buy it, so swapped it to save a buck. I would insist the 4 tires match ... used, new or whatever ... all 4 tires should match when you drive off the lot.

About your inspector? I did an Internet search and looks like they are far and few apart. One in California charges $495. I found this one in Atlanta Georgia. Not sure where you live, but a phone call might be worth it. Looks like they are independent of any RV dealership.... but I could be wrong ... you want an inspector that has no interest in the dealership you are looking to buy from, or a competitor. Other wsie you WILL get a skewed report (Good or bad, depending upon their advantage... Make sure they are independents). Click here.

[kokotg]

Artum Snowbird wrote:

So, tell us your reasons and what you expect to do with it.

Plan is for weekend trips and then long road trips in summer. My husband's a teacher, so we're hoping to do multi-week trips every summer and then sometimes make it out west and take most of the summer.

Our real limiting factor is that we have 4 kids (from 2-14....so the oldest one is already adult sized and the next one will be soon). We like the idea of a hybrid because it gives us some room to stretch out without needing to tow something 30+ feet long. And we have looked at and considered a nice 33ish foot bunkhouse trailer, but, ultimately, I'm just not sure we're comfortable with that yet (and it's a bigger investment). We'd also have some concerns about limitations with something that long and going to some of the national and state park campgrounds.

[Artum_Snowbird]

There are certainly lots of Forest River owners out there.. so many people having fun, some having nightmares.

I guess the best help we can offer can only come if you tell us how you intend to use your first camper. If you are a weekend sunny weather camper and run from the weather, it's one thing to own a hybrid, but if you want to explore fringe seasons and hope to stay dry even though it's raining, well then shop carefully.

So, tell us your reasons and what you expect to do with it. Some of us have been around rigs for 30 or 40 years and can make some good recommendations.

[donn0128]

Never hurts to have an independent inspect it. Hybrids because of their nature have a tendency to be built light with water inteusion more the norm than the exception.