What to look for when buying used TT

You have a good list of what to look for; the only thing I would add is that a 20 year old trailer might be a bit heavy compaired to the more recent ones.

Gsragtop wrote:
BOTTOM LINE- I need our first camping experience (for which I have next to zero) to be a good one or my wife will be soured to the idea forever.

I can tell you that this won't happen in a 1995 camper. Not sure what your budget is but try to get something newer. Sounds like you know what you;re looking for in terms of utility and also investigating wear/tear. Only thing I can add is bring a flashlight and look into the backs of cabinets, under the bed, every nook and cranny for signs of wetness, mold or water staining. Most anything else is easily fixable.

The hunt for the perfect RV is part of the fun...like waiting 9 months for a baby to be born....LOL.... :)

Along with looking for the signs of a defect - run and test every appliance and system. i.e. furnace, frig,/freezer, water pump, city water, TV,water heater, stove, fans. If there is a defect you cannot live with or afford to fix - walk.

Well a quick update, drove 3hrs to see this unit.. And.... It's still parked 3hrs away.. It was not a total mess, but had just enough wrong for me to walk away.. Way over called roof and roof vents, some cracked windows, unit smelled like propane after testing the stove and shutting off the valve (and triple checking them) for 15 min afterwords. All the equipment was original, it all worked, but looked there age.. We just were not I love with it so we walked.

Thanks for the advice, the search goes on.

I wouldn't spend $4500 for a 20 year old trailer

a TT that is 20 years old for $4500 may be over priced. look it up on the web at NADA web site I'm not even sure they go aback that far.

I think hooking up to your TV and taking the TT out on the road would be high on my list. Check brake operation, see how it tracks (bent axle).

One way to make that first camping experience a really positive deal would be to rent an RV, a brand new shiny one so the Missus can be impressed.

Don't know if you're aware of the Sealtech system leak check, it basically pressurizes the cabin air space and then soapy water is sprayed all over the exterior of the RV. Any leaks will be found, even pinhole leaks. I do the same test but use a furnace blower through a window. IMO, everyone buying a used RV should do this test. I think Sealtech charges about $100 for the test.

A pinhole leak:

Check:

1. Signs / smells of water damage

2. Systems (plumbung, lighting - inside and out, furnace, air conditioner, refridgerator)

3. Tires (they fail more from age and weather damage than from miles)

4. Condition of caulking around windows, doors, and roof seams.

5. Rust -- There will be plenty, but, is it surface rust, or rusted through?

Take the seller up on the offer for full systems check.

Ask about any owners manuals that may still be with the unit. Sometimes they get forgotten.

Bring a bright flashlight, a few common hand tools (plier and screwdrivers), maybe a ladder, and something to lay on. Look in every cabinet, closet, storage compartment, inside any access panels, on the roof, and underneath.

When I bought my barely-used TT earlier this year, the dealer I worked with hired a mobile RV Tech to do a pre-delivery check-out of all the systems. Because of some late-process scheduling changes that same tech also did our walk-through upon purchase.

Now that I've lived with my purchase for a couple of months, here are my regrets:
1) I should have been there while the tech was checking things out.
2) I should have been the one hiring the tech, so he'd be my advocate (not the seller's)

There was some roof damage that was missed. I don't think there will be long-term issues tied to this, but we do have some signs water made it's way into the front wardrobe and caused minor cosmetic damage.

We also had a problem with a broken valve in the shower that I had to pay to have repaired.

That said, I have a lot of respect for the tech and have used him to do our final personalizing of our trailer.

In hindsight, I should have treated it more like a home purchase. If you can hire a mobile RV tech to be there and assist with an inspection, it might be money well spent. However if this TT is in pretty good shape, it sounds like you're getting a real nice value. Good luck!