Used tt

[campingthemidwe]

Hello everybody. I just have a couple of question. Looking at buying our first tt. Have the opportunity to go and look at a 2001 salem lite 26bh(no slide) Just wondering what i should be looking for when i look at it? What kind of options does it have? Would it work to get our family out camping to see if we would enjoy it? It would be used mostly for short weekend trips around the house. Would it have a water heater that runs on both electric and gas? Would the fridge also run on gas or electric? Any help would be great. Thank you I got an inside tract on this tt that could make it a great buy.

[dadmomh]

A couple of additional things that you may or may not know...re the tires: ignore the date they went into service. You need to look for a 4 digit number right along the edge of the tire and wheel. Will look something like 2605..meaning that the tire was manufactured the 26th week of 2005. Sometimes they make it tough on you and it will be on the inside and you'll have to crawl under, but that's the real date you use. Close to the 5 year time, you need to replace. Also, has the trailer been used recently or stored for some time. It's not unheard of for tires to sit in a warehouse for a long time before they are put into service. Don't want that.

Since it hasn't been asked and likely will, I'll go ahead and ask about your tow vehicle, the trailer weight, towing capacity....all things you need to know to make sure you can safely tow what you're looking at. Agree that asking the current owner to include the WDH.

If you haven't done so, suggest you go online to NADA and list the make, model and year of the unit. Do not list any extras like A/C or anything else. Just the trailer. This will give you an idea of what the price should be.

Personal suggestion is to look, also, for 15 minute jobs that were taken care of or just left....is the upholstery in good condition or stains that could be cleaned very easily. The stove, as mentioned, if it's clean and looks well maintained - that at least shows that the owner handled small day to day things and may give you a clue about their overall maintenance. When we sold our HTT, the new owners bought it sight unseen other than pictures. They asked for some pictures of the frig, inside and out. I thought it seemed strange, but we sent them. Their feeling was that if the frig was nasty, we likely didn't take care of other things. Maybe some logic there. Good luck, take the checklist and if you have a really picky friend or family member, ask them to go along for another set of eyes. Hope it works out and that you'll enjoy family camping.

[boosTT]

First, figure out what you can tow. IMO, this is why most people buy new. It's a lot easier to find a new trailer that you can tow, vs. a used trailers.

Old heavy trailers that require a 1-ton truck are near impossible to sell. The market of people looking for an RV that already have a 1-ton truck is very small. No one is going to buy an $15k truck and then buy an $4k RV.

Otherwise check for leaks and soft spots. A leak on a 2001 unit would be fairly typical.

Remember to budget another $400-1000 for an WD hitch and trailer brake controller.

[Camper_G]

wr's post is Spot on and excellent!
Read/Re-read, print a copy and take it with you. I wouldn't necessarily condemn a unit if it had some of those issues however, but you can use them in your negoiataion with the owner.

The main thing I look for when I buy another TT is signs of water damage. That is extremely hard and expensive to repair if you can't do it yourself and I'm not a carpenter by any means so while I Could repair it, it would not look the best!

Make sure the walls, ceiling and floor is solid. My layton has some slight discoloration of the ceiling from a prior A/C unit leak and when a tree branch punctured the aluminum roof, but the ceiling is still SOLID so I'm not worried about it.

Regarding slides - to each their own, I disagree completly with the poster who said to pass on a unit with no slides. When I look for an TT in the price range I buy them in (older/not expensive) I DO NOT want any slides. The one poster who commented that's just one more thing to go wrong, I agree with, ESPECIALLY in an older unit.

Think of it this way, to install a slide the Manufactuer has to put a HUGE hole in the side of the TT and that's just one more area for water to leak over time.

Sure, it's a lot nicer and more spacious with a slide, but for the few times per year we go camping I don't need or want the headaches of an older unit with a slide. Just my .02. In fact, if i ever buy a new unit, I'll also buy on without a slide for the same reasons.

The ammonia/gas absorbtion refridgerator is a BIGGIE. Those cost upwards of 1200+ to replace, some folks just put in a "dorm style" A/C only refridgerator when they fail, but I don't care for that. Make sure the Gas/Electric refridgerator works AND when you set up camp ensure your trailer is very close to level front to back, left to right or you can ruin that gas/ammonia refridgerator.

An A/C unit, water heater, furnace are expensive, but typically $5-600 units if you have someone else put one in.....so I don't worry so much about those not working, but prefer that they do.

I would plan on replacing the tires if they have any age on them at all, figure around $400 for new tires, plus a spare (get one if the trailer does not have one or if it's not in good shape).

Good luck! I'm sure you will enjoy camping, just don't get frustrated the first few times out, you'll figure out what you need and don't need after a few trips. Try to stay close to home the first couple of times out in case you have to run back to the house for things.

-Greg

[wrvond]

campingthemidwest wrote:
Hello everybody. I just have a couple of question. Looking at buying our first tt. Have the opportunity to go and look at a 2001 salem lite 26bh(no slide) Just wondering what i should be looking for when i look at it? What kind of options does it have? Would it work to get our family out camping to see if we would enjoy it? It would be used mostly for short weekend trips around the house. Would it have a water heater that runs on both electric and gas? Would the fridge also run on gas or electric? Any help would be great. Thank you I got an inside tract on this tt that could make it a great buy.

Start at the top and work down. The roof is likely EPDM rubber. You're going to want to climb up there and ensure it is in good shape. Likely it is the original roof, and nearing the end of it's useful life (it's 13 years old). Look for tears/patches. Make sure all roof penetrations are well caulked and the caulking is not hard and cracked. Check all seams. Ideally, the PO has sealed all the seams with Eternabond. If that's the case, then you are in pretty good shape right away.
Check all the exterior seams and seals. Make sure caulking around marker lights is in good shape. This is usually butyl rubber - same as around the windows, etc.
Make sure all external screws are caulked. Exposed, rusty screws are a sure sign of water entry.
Open the pass through storage and stick your head inside. Check for visual signs of water leaks. Smell for mold/mildew. Look for signs of repair to the wood.
Underneath, you are going to have some rust, but it shouldn't be excessive. Look for hangers that are badly rusted or broken. If the belly is enclosed (not likely) that wouldn't be a bad thing.
Don't forget to check tires for age. If they are 5 years old, plan on buying new ones, figure into your negotiating price. If wheels are badly rusted, you can buy tire/wheel assemblies for about $120.00 per wheel.
Inside, check ceiling for discoloration caused by leaks. Remove light lenses and check for rust. Check ceiling and walls for soft spots. Check floor for soft spots. Check inside cabinets, under and behind furniture.
Test all appliances. Make sure heater actually blows hot air, not just air. Let A/C run a while as well. Heater is probably ducted, A/C is likely 13.5K BTU without ducting. Remove A/C cover inside and check filter material. Usually a green scratch pad kind of material, is probably grey colored with dust :E
Ensure all faucets are closed and water is in holding tank; turn on pump. If the pump cycles on and off, you have a leak somewhere. Don't worry about the tank level sensors working, they're rarely right even in the best maintained camper. Check stove and oven. Lift stove top and check for nastiness. While you can clean it yourself, it's a good indicator of the level of care given by PO. Check backside of water heater. In a unit this old, it's probably gas only, but it should have a bypass kit installed by now. If not, I'd pull the plug and check for rust coming out. Refrigerator - It might still be tri-power at this age. Meaning it could run on 12vdc, 110vac, or propane. Make sure it is clean and running. There is probably a test button on the front control panel. This panel will also let you know what the unit can run on. If the original has been replaced with a residential unit, be aware that you are going to be limited to shore power if you want refrigerator (as well as air conditioning). This model is not going to have an invertor.
Roll out the awning, too. Make sure the springs are broken inside the tube and that the "canvas" isn't torn.
You are looking at a basic "no frills" level camper. It doesn't have a slide, which, for you, is probably a good thing. On less thing to go wrong. The television is probably gone, just as well, it was a tiny CRT type anyway. You can get a suitable replacement from Wal-Mart for dirt cheap anyway. If the water tight integrity of this unit has been maintained, it should be a solid performer for you. The PO probably had a WD hitch installed. Make sure he includes that in the price too. A WD hitch with sway control can run you 5 or 6 hundred dollars.
Prices are low because of the lack of slide, and because they made a blue million of these units. I wouldn't worry about resale value. This isn't a financial investment for monetary return. Just get the absolute best price you can, and enjoy it until it wears out or you buy a bigger, fancier unit.
At the end of it's life, you can donate it to Carangel.com and get a big old tax deduction.
Good luck!

[schlep1967]

If you are not sure you are going to like it and you may end up trying to sell it next year, buy one with a slide on it. Non-slide trailers are very hard sells anymore. Which is why you are seeing it with a low price and as a "good deal". The extra 1 or 2 grand for one with a slide will be worth it if you try to resell.

[westend]

The other side of the coin is that not all things are going to break and need replacement. Just make sure the appliances operate and there are no leaks.

[sail2liv]

Used is just that....$1000 for each after you buy...fridge, a/c, heater...$500 for each after you buy hot water heater, tires, propane system....course some folks don t mind replacing ..... and are fixers.... I wanted a bumper to bumper one year....and FR still fixes some items out of warranty..if you plan on using it regular....who wants the headache of things not working...good luck