Opionions on buying a trailer that has sat on lot since '06

[ABFam]

Hi there, our family has just sold our '97 Jayco and we are looking at buying a trailer with quad bunks/bunk house with one slide. We want to keep it under 6600lbs as we do quite a bit of hauling, some into BC over the mountains with our 2013 F150.

We found exactly what we are looking for (2006 30" Puma) at a really great price our only hesitation is that it is a 2006 travel trailer that was driven from the lot new to the campsite and has not moved since. Any knowledgable RV guys/gals out there that can give us any advice on this scenario as it has not moved in quite a few years?

Here is all of the info the owner has provided so far:
-Rubber roof never a leak.
-Everything works great.
-Hauled from dealer to campground thats it.
-One jack is bent a little but there cheap
-6600 gvw is 9600 bumper weight is 800lbs
-100% tread on tires but two that i can see do have some sidewall cracks from the weather.
-Selling cause kids are all grown up and dont need the bunks.
-It's been there since the dealership.
-I'am the only owner since new

[spoon059]

Too bad, hopefully you find another one that fits your needs!

[ABFam]

Update ** when we walked in the trailer there were two ash trays and the whole thing stunk of stale smoke. I only got 1 foot in the door then turned around. Hubby was a bit more polite and lasted 30 more seconds. Lesson learned, Ask if it has been smoked in..

Thanks again for all of the help, until next time!!

[ABFam]

We are going to view it Friday night and then if we are still interested we will have someone experienced take a look at it. Thanks again for all of your posts.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Do not take the seller's word about ANYTHING! Have this unit examined by someone (a third neutral) who knows what they are doing......even if you have to pay someone. Could be money well spent.

[Oaklevel]

Puma's are in general well built campers we have had two an 06 and a 13. If the DW had her way we would still have the 06......... But I wanted a TH for the golf car & talked her into the new one.

[Tin_Pusher]

ABFam, I mentioned the PDI threads just as reading material for you, but if you can also hire it done by someone experienced, so much the better.

Good luck with it 🙂

[ABFam]

More great info, thank you! We will be sticking in and around Alberta at that weight. (Dry 6600) We are being picky and wanting the bigger (heavier) trailer with the bunkhouse as we are hauling around twin 3 year old boys and 2 big labs. We would rather go for an ultralight under 6,000lbs but that will be the next trailer and isn't in the cards at the moment. The PDI inspection is something we will look into, thank you! Hopefully we will find somebody in the Calgary/Okotoks area for this. Very much agree Tin Pusher and if it is sloppy looking inside we will just move on.

I have asked the seller if any maintainance has been done to the shoes, drums or bearings.
We would put new tires on it before moving it.

Thanks again all!

[dodge_guy]

Quote...."-6600 gvw is 9600 bumper weight is 800lbs"

Is that 6600 lbs dry weight, 9600lbs GVWR and 800lb tongue weight?

If so that 6600lbs dry will end up being 8000lbs loaded for a trip. if that`s the case that is a lot for an F150!

Otherwise, obviously new tires, grease the bearings and clean up the rust on the drums and shoes. I would also go over every inch for water damage. look closely in the corners near the floor. and under the windows near the floor. check to see how the roof looks, is the trailer setup under a lot of trees, sap and bird droppings can ruin a EPDM roof, I have seen berries start eating at the roof material. We had our trailer as a seasonal for a year and I was constantly cleaning the roof. I even found an egg from a nest on the roof and it had just started to eat into the roof. fortunately I caught all these potential issues before they caused any problems!

Otherwise good luck!

[Tin_Pusher]

ABFam, (If you) Do go see it, pay attention to how it LOOKS, can tell you a lot, has it been taken care of? Maybe search the site for "PDI" threads (pre-delivery inspections).

If it has been in regular use, probably better than if it has just sat since '06

[ABFam]

Fantastic, I am so happy I joined this forum, thank you for all of the great help!
We will chat some more about it, go and have a look and see if we like it enough for the extra work.

[wannavolunteerF]

I would plan to replace tires, but would also be concerned if bearings were ever greased or repacked. I have pulled a trailer (rental) with bad wheel bearings and it was TERRIBLE. horrible sway over 40 miles an hour and impossible to back.

[Randu]

I would lift trailer and pull wheels to get replacement tires before moving. Too long in one place to trust tires. 1 blow out can rip apart the side of trailer and cost $$$. I would also pull drums and make sure brakes are not rusted up and pack the bearings. That may be able to wait until you get home but why not as long as wheels are off for the tire replacement. Randu

[christopherglen]

I would repack the bearings, hit the shoes and drums with sandpaper, and put new tires under it. Replace the bent jack and pring for an electric tongue jack if it doesn't already have one.

[JJ_Spectre]

Agreed with oldman, I would replace the tires. Also, you can be pretty sure that the wheel bearings will need to be repacked since it hasn't moved for 8 years. The lights will probably need to be replaced, so make sure you bring extras and check them before you roll out. Bulbs are cheap, but if the wiring has rotted out or been eaten by pests, you could be in for a hefty repair bill. And make sure you test the brakes before you hit the road. They will need to be serviced, but you'll want to know if they work at all before you start towing on public roads.

I am confused on the point of 6600 gvw is 9600... 6600 dry weight? As long as your payload and GCVWR are up to the task then you should be fine towing in the foothills, but driving the Coquihalla you might want more braking if you are up to 9600 loaded. YMMV.

Good luck with your choice!