Are we being unreasonable asking for an inspection?

[smiller]

Trying to view it from the seller's side... inspections always find something and an inspector will sometimes call out anything that might possibly ever become a problem... except on a complex RV there are always things that might possibly become a problem. You see it all the time in home sales, the home inspection always finds something, important or not, and experienced buyers tend to know the drill and take it in stride while first-time buyers often freak out on every little thing. Since you are first-time buyers he may be concerned about the latter and figure that an inspection can only result in complications for the sale (and an unknown somebody going through the unit, hopelessly without harm but that's not guaranteed) for what he sees as more negotiations on a price he won't lower anyway. So he may truly just be worried about a waste of time and not wanting to do the inspection may not be any more nefarious than that.

Or, he could be trying to screw you.

Seriously, I would take into account your gut feel and how much you like the unit and the price. You are somewhat protected by the extended warranty but as others have noted not absolutely. Buying a used unit always entails some level of risk, inspection or not.

[Fastcar]

Originally Posted by Theberrys

Don't buy without an inspection, NOW FOR SURE!

Dick

Yup, at this point I'd insist on it.

[JC2]

Originally Posted by Nonno

Your OP didn't indicate the model. Could this be a chassis with OEM trailing arms still on it? If so, that's a big ticket item. If not, things may be fine but I agree with others. No inspection, no deal!

As Nonno stated, could be an expensive fix if it falls into the category of possible trailing arm issues for the 4 airbag roadmaster chassis. Here is a link with information on the problem.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f24/trail...ter-54838.html

I've owned to many RV's and have read to many horror stories about "after purchase sales" that have had big ticket things crop up that might have been caught with a pre-purchase inspection. Think with your head and not with your heart.

[hippy]

I wouldnt think you are being unreasonable, as many posters have stated. 1- there may be issues he is unaware of, 2- many things may not be warranty eligable expenses ( fluids, diagnostics, subsequential damage to other parts, prior damage, deductables, loss of use, etc.) 3- inspection may show other things like maintenance issues,or condition of brakes etc not covered by warranty. Good luck

[Fastcar]

Originally Posted by smiller

Trying to view it from the seller's side... inspections always find something and an inspector will sometimes call out anything that might possibly ever become a problem... except on a complex RV there are always things that might possibly become a problem. You see it all the time in home sales, the home inspection always finds something, important or not, and experienced buyers tend to know the drill and take it in stride while first-time buyers often freak out on every little thing. Since you are first-time buyers he may be concerned about the latter and figure that an inspection can only result in complications for the sale (and an unknown somebody going through the unit, hopelessly without harm but that's not guaranteed) for what he sees as more negotiations on a price he won't lower anyway. So he may truly just be worried about a waste of time and not wanting to do the inspection may not be any more nefarious than that.

Or, he could be trying to screw you.

Seriously, I would take into account your gut feel and how much you like the unit and the price. You are somewhat protected by the extended warranty but as others have noted not absolutely. Buying a used unit always entails some level of risk, inspection or not.

The sellers side???

The buyer wants a pre sale inspection. There is no seller side to this one imo.
Unless of course there is something hidden.

Given the market the seller should be more than a little accommodating in this inspection. Heck he should be serving coffee and donuts to get a deal done.

[USMCRET]

It wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker for me. You could just be dealing with a curmudgeon who doesn't have to sell right now. You have to weigh the total package you are looking at, including your read of the seller's character. How extensive are the maintenance records? How clean is the vehicle? How knowledgeable is the seller? You can usually tell if you are buying from someone who meticulously maintains his beast or someone whose idea of maintenance is limited to refilling the fuel tank. Run a carfax. Have your insurer check the vehicle out through the resources they have.

There is risk involved in any purchase, but it can be managed without throwing away a deal unnecessarily.

[bluepill]

Speaking as a retired mechanic with 45 years of experience: NO INSPECTION = NO SALE. Period.


If you have a few days, I could tell you some stories........................

[toneumanns]

The seller is not being reasonable in not allowing a pre-inspection. There are a lot of used RV's on the market. Don't buy!

[BigV]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "I wish I hadn't wasted the money on an inspection".

[Road Ranger]

I went without the inspection for reasons not related to the owner and it cost me beaucoup bucks for the front brake drums, complete exhaust system, and the trailer arms, all within a month of buying it. I would strongly recommend the inspection. It may seem expensive at a few hundred dollars to have someone come in for an inspection, and it'll take a few hours, but compare that to the cost of the several thousand dollars I just described.

[daveshan]

In an RV laden state like Florida there are several mobile inspectors. Well worth the money, we used on in Texas to save us a trip down.

This pretty much takes away any excuse he may have.

one example

another one


Those are the result of a quick Google search, may not service your area and I've never used either so do due diligence.

[Steve N Sal]

I don't see where you are out of line. In my opinion I would just keep looking. Six months of warranty is not that long either. Now if were two or three years of warranty then I might just take a chance on it.

[CapnMorgan]

I'm in the process of purchase and I am insisting on a inspection and a fluid analysis.

[Just Because]

Originally Posted by johnsong3

We are hunting for our first motorhome. We have extensive experience with purchasing large boats and find ourselves stymied with our first negotiations with a motorhome owner.
We found a 2007 Monaco we liked and after a test drive we came to an agreement on the sales price. We told the owner we wanted to have a local dealer do a pre-purchase inspection on it at our expense. He states he does not see the need for the inspection since he still has six months left on a transferable extended warranty. He says it will take care of any problems and no matter what it finds he won't go any lower on his price. We assured him we are not looking for a lower price but He will not budge on allowing the inspection. He also says he is too busy.
Are we being unreasonable making this a deal breaker? Should we see red flags?

We have extensive experience with purchasing large boats

And would you buy another boat without a survey? and sea trial?