First TT Purchase, buying used?

[gunterm]

Being one who likes to pinch pennies, I found a used Jayco SLX 184BH for sale that was only used about 5 times (I believe the owner, it's pretty spotless). Since the asking price is only $8,000 this seems like a great deal on a TT.

Now since the Jayco warranty only covers the first buyer, is this a good idea? Is there an extended warranty I could buy like Good Sam that will cover me in case I find things wrong that 5 trips didn't uncover...

[gunterm]

Got it! Doesn't look like the A/C was fixed, drips on the window. Wonder if Jayco will send me the parts...

Fridge doesn't cool but the freezer got down to 11, must not be level.

[NCKZ_Camper]

My last 3 RVs have been used. Go for it it you feel comfortable. Get on the roof and inpsect caulking. Tells alot about the owner. And yes an aftermaket extended warranty may make you sleep better at night.

[gunterm]

Going to look and probably buy tomorrow.

I've got no 12V coming off the 7 way so that'll need to be fixed later for running the fridge.

I fully intend to install brake control, except I broke my hand this week and cannot do much until the cast is off. But I will be driving slow and careful to bring it home.

[campinia]

gunterm wrote:
The only thing that gave me pause is the 2012 Jayco SLX models did have some minor issues with the A/C leaking or the fridge not being cooled properly but given the price I can probably do these dealer fixes myself. Given that it was only used a few times he might not have run into the inherent problems and had the dealer fix them.

We had to sell our 2012 184BH as that model year only had a 5000BTU A/C in it that will not cool enough when outside temps get around 90. I was told by Jayco customer service that I could not put a 8000BTU A/C in it like the current models have because the wall would have to be reframed and that would compromise the structure. Also, we had to use a cooler for our food storage if the outside temps got over 80 degrees as the fridge would get over 40 degrees inside. We liked the camper otherwise, I was just very disappointed that we could really not be comfortable in it in the middle of summer. These are not problems that were only reported by me. Search for Jayco Owners forum and fridge problems. The A/C leaking problem was covered under a recall and they fixed the drip pan under it.

[oughtsix]

Electric trailer brakes are non-functional if you do not have a brake controller.

You should never tow a trailer without all the proper safety gear including a brake controller... An 18' trailer on a Ram 1500, I would do it. Just stay at a safe speed and don't push it!

Let us know if you get the trailer?

Pretty much all of my large purchases; cars, trucks, houses, travel trailers have been used. I like buying used from owners rather than dealers. Dealers can tell you there is nothing wrong with a trailer and actually believe it. If I get a bad feeling from a seller or don't like the seller I won't buy from them. I pay attention to how a seller answers questions more than the answers themselves. A used trailer will show signs of problems... a new trailer won't. All the used trailers I looked at dealers were 50% to 100% higher priced than comparable trailers from owners. If a trailer at a dealer isn't atleast 50% higher than a comparable one from a private party.... RED FLAG!!!! There is something wrong with it so they are unloading it!

[gunterm]

Dodge Ram 1500 which is overkill for this, but gives me headroom. The previous owners were idiots and appear to have hard wired the 7 way by splicing so I don't think there's a way for me to just plug and play the controller.

Will trailer brakes operate in a fixed mode if they don't see a controller?

[boosTT]

Make sure you can tow the trailer, if you haven't ran the numbers yet. Beside the brake controller, you will need a WDH.

[fx2tom]

gunterm wrote:
Going to inspect this weekend and buy if all is good. Don't have a brake controller but I'm hoping with the light weight it can't hurt for the short trip home.

Get the brake controller prior to. Not worth the danger

[gunterm]

Going to inspect this weekend and buy if all is good. Don't have a brake controller but I'm hoping with the light weight it can't hurt for the short trip home.

[bigcitypopo]

My first 2 rigs were used... They were great. I paid 9k for a 2007 aljo 2680... And 9100 for a 2011 jayco... My that time I knew what I wanted and bought my Springdale...

Make sure you run all of the systems... I filled all the tanks to capacity and looked everywhere for leaks... Then pressure tested the plumbing... Opened the interior of the vents and looked for leaks... Tested all the 12v... Took me a better part of 6hrs to run through each rig...

If you can find an rv tech that is reasonable and takes his time.. It's worth it..

[campinia]

I just sold my 2012 jayco 184bh two weeks ago on craigslist, still looked and smelled like new. I got $7500 for it, very happy.

[profdant139]

Our first TT purchase was similar -- an almost-unused used trailer. Great bargain, lots of fun, and yes I had to fix a lot of things myself -- that was part of the fun!

The next trailer was a new one because we wanted to have the dealer make various modifications (flipped axle, shock absorbers, and some other items). And we bought the extended warranty, just because I am an overly-cautious person.

But if you are handy, and if you are an experienced RVer, I would not hesitate to buy used, if the price is right, which it certainly is in this case!

[BubbaChris]

Used is definitely an excellent way to start. None of our current vehicles nor TT were brand new when we purchased.

I concur with the suggestion of hiring an RV tech to do an inspection for you.

And a 2012 model year could have been built pretty early in 2011, so I'd likely budget for new tires almost immediately (age is more important than mileage on TT tires)

Good luck!

[boosTT]

Sounds like a great deal.