5 Hot Tips For Buying A Recreational Vehicle

By: Kevin Woodward

Your dream RV is your home on wheels. You will undoubtedly want it to be as comfortable and is as good condition as your regular home. Yes? Of course!!

Any home will have a few niggles like a squeaky door, occasional problems with the aircon or heating and so on. In other words, not perfect but pretty damn close. It will be the same with your motorhome, your dream RV. There are some pretty simple things that you can look for when buying your used RV that can get you close to the ideal (and save money). Here are our 5 hot RV buyers tips ...

Soft Spots

Check the flooring thoroughly for any soft spots. You are most likely to find these in the kitchen area and bathroom. If there is rotting of the flooring it probably indicates a long term water leak, as likely as not from the plumbing. To get the floor fixed and the leaks traced and fixed could be expensive.

Engine

Your dream RV will be doing a whole lotta miles - find out all you can about the engine history. Ask for the maintenance records, repair receipts and so on. Listen to the engine running with the hood up, see how it sounds, are there any strange rattles or other noises that should not be there? Did it start easily from cold. Is the exhaust at all smoky, especially when revved? Is it quiet inside the cab. Having someone with some engine know-how would be useful if you don't have much mechanical experience.

Open and Shut

Open and close everything inside and outside of the recreational vehicle you are interested in. Poke around and look for signs of water leakage in cupboards, around the toilet and so on. Do all of the RV doors and cupboard doors open and close properly (include the water, gas etc flaps as well)? Does everything switch on and off correctly?

Propane system

You may want to hire a specialist for these checks as they could make the difference between life and death. Look at the regulator and the propane lines, do they look in good condition or are they past there best? Is the tank storage area showing any signs of corrosion?

Warranties

Check with the RV dealer to find out what parts, if any are under warranty still and also that the warranty cards are still available.

There are of course many more checks that you could and need to do before satisfying yourself that this is a good used recreational vehicle to buy. This is not intended as a comprehensive checklist that will turn you into an expert buyer of RVs. This is for information only and we cannot accept any liability for your decision to buy and RV - you make your own mind up. It is up to you to decide whether the used recreational vehicle is both roadworthy and worth what you pay for it. The responsibility for buying lies with you and any experts that you might employ on your behalf.

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Don't buy a lemon! Buy your dream RV with confidence - the recreational vehicle buyer's guide on DVD from http//www.ourdreamrv.com will show you what to look for and what to avoid.