Advise on used, lived in camper.

[eundercoffler]

Hello all,
So the wife and I are thinking about upgrading from our current travel trailer to a larger 5th wheel. We found a used unit we like and while talking to the current owner I found out that they have owned it a year and have been living in it full time for that year between selling a house and buying a new one. Before that it was owned by the original owner who apparently took good care of it but didn't use it much.

The unit is a 2008 Raptor, garage model toy hauler. Looks nice in the photos but you never know until you see it in person. Apparently most of the last year it has been sitting in one spot with a couple short trips.

So my question is, would you consider buying a used rig that someone has lived in? On the one hand if there are any issues they should know about it and all the systems should be in good working order. On the other hand, living in it for a year probably gives it more use than most campers get in a lifetime.

Thoughts?

Eric

[eundercoffler]

All good advise. On the cleanliness issue, I suppose it is subjective. When I bought my last Toy Hauler I looked at one that was spotless but the floor was completely rotted through. The only thing holding us up was the carpet. When I asked the seller about it he said, "oh it's always been like that". Obviously I didn't buy that one despite the fact that it looked great.

I can assess the level of cleanliness myself and for my own comfort level. However, as a sign of the overall condition of the camper it is a good indicator I believe. Really my question was weather or not I should be aware of any additional issues from continual use. I think that has been answered thanks to the great resources (i.e. people) on this forum.

Eric

[eundercoffler]

rockhillmanor wrote:
The first thing I would ask or if it is still parked where they lived in it is......""did they leave the black tank valve open during the time they lived in it""?

If they 'did' leave the black tank valve open, there will be a mountain of poop in the black tank.

Waste needs water to move. No water and it just sits in the bottom of the black tank. And in this case a full year of poop sitting on the bottom of the tank.

Correct way is to leave valve closed and let tank fill up and then dump as needed. You can leave the sewer hose attached to it but CLOSE the valve.

Just saying check it out. Good luck I hope you find just the right RV for your needs! :C

I believe this is what is referred to as "pyramiding".

Eric

[eundercoffler]

Deb and Ed M wrote:

shelbyfv wrote:
Be sure they didn't keep animals or smoke in it, unless you plan to do the same. You won't get the smells out.

Amen to that - my truck camper was owned by someone who was into "earthy, alternative lifestyles". She lived in it full time, in her mother's driveway. My camper STILL smells of lavender and cinnamon - I think their purpose was to mask other "herbal" smells 😉

That's funny, but yes, I see your point. My sister uses patchouli oil and every time she comes to visit, my house smells like it for a month.

Eric

[eundercoffler]

Mike& Rose wrote:
A 2008 RV would need new tires due to age. My 2008 motor home needed new tires and I had only 13,450 miles. You will also have to check out the unit and see how it looks and smells. Did the previous owners smoke or have pets? Check the undercarriage for rust or salt damage.

Not much salt here in CA but good advise none the less.

Thanks,
Eric

[ctilsie242]

Hotels are one thing, but at least someone changes the bed sheets and cleans the toilet. When I was shopping for my TT, I came across a lot of -very- nasty looking trailers. Yes, they were in good shape with no leaks or rot... but they stank horribly, the bathroom looked horrific, the kitchens were soiled, and the mattresses and other surfaces had stains of an unknown nature.

As stated above, there are tons of slobs out there. RVs don't have much space in them and are not built to building standards, so a mess which wouldn't be a big issue in a S&B house is magnified many times.

One reason I bought my TT new is that I know who slept in it (barring someone who broke in undetected, however unlikely.) AFAIK, there are no bedbugs or other creepy crawlies, other than the occasional small spider in a corner while the rig is in storage.

It is less about actual germs as opposed to making the RV my space.

[shelbyfv]

It's a consciousness issue. Once you become aware of these things, ignorance is no longer bliss. Think for example of folks who think it's cute to kiss their dog or let the dog lick their face. In essence they are kissing their dog's butt and the butt of every other dog it has been around. Dogs lick their butts, no way around it. One reason lots of us like our RVs is that we don't have to use hotels as often.

[Grit_dog]

^lol. I know right?
A lot of germophobes AND a lot of slobs in the world, so case by case on the Decontamination level required.

Difference between full time and little use is like most other purchases. You could get a 2 year old car with 100kmi that should be way cheaper than one with 20k but looks almost as good and runs well or you could buy a 10year old with 30k that is like new or suffering from neglect.
This is another hopelessly subjective question by the OP that WE cannot even begin to answer with the info provided on our iPhones!

[rhagfo]

ctilsie242 wrote:
If it is lived in like that, I'd not just replace the tires, but I'd also replace the mattress, have the other upholstery steam cleaned/sterilized, then have the rig ozonated (the real ozone generators are not ones you want to be in the same room with) which does a good job at getting rid of all the residual odors the previous person left behind. For the plumbing system, I'd definitely sanitize things.

Wow, you ever stay in a Hotel???
First of all the poo pryamid I would be a no. Issue, as if the valve was open the whole year the pyramid would be through the roof!!
Mattress if OEM would likely replace anyway.
Smells if it had any bad ones I just would not buy it.
If well cared for and clean, just go through and do a good house cleaning yourselves and enjoy!

[ctilsie242]

If it is lived in like that, I'd not just replace the tires, but I'd also replace the mattress, have the other upholstery steam cleaned/sterilized, then have the rig ozonated (the real ozone generators are not ones you want to be in the same room with) which does a good job at getting rid of all the residual odors the previous person left behind. For the plumbing system, I'd definitely sanitize things.

[shelbyfv]

rockhillmanor wrote:
The first thing I would ask or if it is still parked where they lived in it is......""did they leave the black tank valve open during the time they lived in it""?

If they 'did' leave the black tank valve open, there will be a mountain of poop in the black tank.

Waste needs water to move. No water and it just sits in the bottom of the black tank. And in this case a full year of poop sitting on the bottom of the tank.

Correct way is to leave valve closed and let tank fill up and then dump as needed. You can leave the sewer hose attached to it but CLOSE the valve.

Just saying check it out. Good luck I hope you find just the right RV for your needs! :C

That is an excellent point. If the black tank is directly under the toilet, you could shine a flashlight down and look. Would take some fortitude but might save $ and aggravation down the line.

[prichardson]

As others have said; inspect and if condition is to your liking go for it. I would expect it would need a new set of tires.

[rockhillmanor]

The first thing I would ask or if it is still parked where they lived in it is......""did they leave the black tank valve open during the time they lived in it""?

If they 'did' leave the black tank valve open, there will be a mountain of poop in the black tank.

Waste needs water to move. No water and it just sits in the bottom of the black tank. And in this case a full year of poop sitting on the bottom of the tank.

Correct way is to leave valve closed and let tank fill up and then dump as needed. You can leave the sewer hose attached to it but CLOSE the valve.

Just saying check it out. Good luck I hope you find just the right RV for your needs! :C

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

shelbyfv wrote:
Be sure they didn't keep animals or smoke in it, unless you plan to do the same. You won't get the smells out.

Amen to that - my truck camper was owned by someone who was into "earthy, alternative lifestyles". She lived in it full time, in her mother's driveway. My camper STILL smells of lavender and cinnamon - I think their purpose was to mask other "herbal" smells 😉

[shelbyfv]

Be sure they didn't keep animals or smoke in it, unless you plan to do the same. You won't get the smells out.