Single best resource for how to vet used trailers/5th wheels

[dandandan]

Hey guys!
I'm going to be buying a 5th wheel OR a travel trailer soon. I saw a sticky that had various books mentioned, but what I'm really looking for is some kind of comprehensive go-to for vetting a trailer at the point of purchase. Things like how to look for delamination, and where other problems might exist.

I'm not buying something new, so these sorts of things are pretty important to me! I'd be happy with an awesome YouTube series or a book specifically for this.

What do you guys recommend?

[westend]

I'm pretty well convinced that the only way to completely insure that a used trailer/5th has no leaks is to perform a pressurized leak test.
Sealtech has pretty much cornered the commercial end of the testing but you can do it yourself with a blower and DIY manometer.

Here is a pinhole leak I discovered when testing my own rig:

[wintersun]

I would go to irv2.com and other owners' website forums for a particular make and model year and see what problems have been posted. One particular trailer is know for having the axle mounting brackets separating from the body of the trailer and this is a very expensive repair job. I would go more along the lines of looking for trailers with a good reputation for staying together, watertight, good systems installations and access, and structural integrity.

This is where I would go to a make with a better reputation and better build quality as the difference in cost would be much less than for new trailers.

One advantage of an older trailer is that if it has leaked anywhere the resulting damage is more likely to be visible.

A reputable RV service center is another possible option. Around where I live there are 3 with terrible reputations and one in Santa Cruz that is as good as one can find. Guess which one I would talk to about an RV I wanted to buy? They are more likely to know about possible problems and the actual cost to fix them.

[dandandan]

BubbaChris wrote:

dandandan wrote:

gbopp wrote:
Have you considered hiring an RV Tech to do an inspection?

Yes, it's occurred to me an inspection from a third party is just the sort of thing that would be hugely helpful! How would you find one in an area? Look for repair shops on craigslist and call around? great input, thanks. More, please!

Call a couple of dealers and ask for referrals for mobile RV techs.

And when you call the techs, ask if they're also available to do your new owner walk-through/training (for a fee). And if they can do the walk-through, can they bring a large enough generator so all systems will get tested.

Awesome -- added this to my checklist. Specifics of wanting not only an inspection, but a walkthrough with operating generator, for example, are great. This will insure I get full due diligence and show me what I need at the same time. Thank you!

[BubbaChris]

dandandan wrote:

gbopp wrote:
Have you considered hiring an RV Tech to do an inspection?

Yes, it's occurred to me an inspection from a third party is just the sort of thing that would be hugely helpful! How would you find one in an area? Look for repair shops on craigslist and call around? great input, thanks. More, please!

Call a couple of dealers and ask for referrals for mobile RV techs.

And when you call the techs, ask if they're also available to do your new owner walk-through/training (for a fee). And if they can do the walk-through, can they bring a large enough generator so all systems will get tested.

[n7bsn]

I have a copy, one of the best books I've ever bought

[dandandan]

Judging from the reviews on amazon this looks to be a pretty good one! I'll check it out, thanks. I like that it's focused on the buying/inspection part specifically instead of more broad fulltiming/rving issues which I'm not as focused on at this phase.

[n7bsn]

This what you are looking for?

[dandandan]

gbopp wrote:
Have you considered hiring an RV Tech to do an inspection?

Yes, it's occurred to me an inspection from a third party is just the sort of thing that would be hugely helpful! How would you find one in an area? Look for repair shops on craigslist and call around? great input, thanks. More, please!

Anyone have any links, books, videos that will help me with this process?

I'll give a little more information. Since I'm in California at the moment I'm thinking about a non-4 season trailer/5th wheel. The jayco designers/eagles have caught my eye as an affordable, spacious option. I'm also looking to avoid "lite" versions, I think.

[gbopp]

Here's a inspection Checklist. It will get you started.

Water leaks are a major concern in any RV. A small leak can do a lot of damage if not repaired.

Have you considered hiring an RV Tech to do an inspection?