Used Motorhome

How to buy a used Motorhome

This article will cover some of things you need to look out for when buying a used motorhome. (see also Campers For Sale)

Depending on where you plan on purchasing your vehicle you need to take different precautions. If you are buying in from a private seller through a RV magazine, local press or the Internet then you need to thoroughly check out the vehicle and the paperwork. ask to see all of the pertaining paperwork the seller has available including the bills for any recent repairs or work undertaken. If certain work has been done on the engine or any of the mechanical side then it may give you a clue as to the general condition of the vehicle, you may be able to hazard a guess as to what will be the next thing to need attention. Check out as much of the service history as possible and have your mechanic take a good look over the vehicle with you.

It is very important to check out the VIN number and any other serial numbers that appear on the registration documents. It is imperative that these match or the paperwork doesn't mean a thing.

When you are checking out a vehicle take your time. Warn the seller that you need to take a while in looking over the motorhome. Get your mechanic to look at the mechanical side of things, They should especially test the braking system, the batteries and the house batteries. Whatever the condition the batteries should have sufficient power to start the vehicle first time. Battery replacement can be extremely expensive and should be taken into account at the time of negotiating a price.

You should go over the living space of the vehicle in great detail. First look for any obvious structural defects. Look for damp patches which will appear in the corners of the ceiling  or at the back of the lockers . If these are detected then there may be a leak in the roof. This is repairable but can be extremely costly. Check the carpets for damp or moldy patches too. This could mean a leaky water system. This is less obvious bu can be more serious as any leaks here will inevitably be rotting away at the wooden underfloor structure of the motorhome.

Take a good look at the toilet and make sure that it is holding water, if not you will get the smell of the black water tank rising up into the vehicle. Give all of the electro-domestic items such as the stove, the air conditioning, the microwave oven, the heating system (in all rooms) and the gas lines. Make sure that you turn on and off every single switch and make sure that you check every single light bulb both inside and outside the vehicle. Open and close every locker, cupboard and door once again, inside and outside the vehicle.

During your checking out of the vehicle you should be taking notes as to everything that doesn't work. Estimate the price of repairing or replacing non functioning items and use this in your final negotiation of the price.

These have been only a few general tips on how to choose your motorhome. There is a good guide available at our website called the RV Buyer's Guide which covers in detail all aspects of choosing a motorhome without getting ripped off.

For more information and ideas on how to find used campers for sale and how to value them see visit web site http://americanmotorhome.net
You can find a complete list of police auctions and seized auctions near to you at the Seized Vehicle Auctions web site or the Auction Pass site. Vehicles with bid prices starting as low as $100.