Community Forums

BillG1952 · 06-30-2020, 03:04 PM

Does anyone have suggestions for having a privately owned motorhome inspected before buying? Most sellers seem to want to provide maintenance history documentation, but I'd feel better getting a third party opinion.

I have seen ads for mobile inspectors, but I'm wondering if a shop that does motorhome repairs might be a better choice.

Also, does anyone have experience running the VIN through any of the online websites. Is the information you pay for worth it?

Thanks in advance for any and all ideas.

**TonyDi** · 06-30-2020, 09:16 PM

When you consider the cost of an RV having it checked is very important. Run the VIN through Car-Fax. I would make sure a certified RV inspector, with experience, does the inspection. You could get anyone to do the inspection, but they may not know what to look for. That could be costly. Maintenance documents can also tell you how well it was cared for. The cost of these checks is minimal compared to some problems that could be missed.

**NLOVNIT** · 06-30-2020, 09:36 PM

I used NRVIA, https://nrvia.org/locate/, twice. Saved us from buying a problem coach. Depending on where you are, you might be able to find a local RV mechanic willing to do it too.

Lori-

Sonic · 06-30-2020, 09:38 PM

Hire a level II NRVIA inspector, and have the fluids (oil, trans, coolant) sent to a lab for testing.
https://nrvia.org/locate/

You may want to get a mechanical inspection as well, especially on an older coach.

Our inspector spent around 5 hours doing the inspection and issued a 100+ page report with pictures and an action item list of the issues he found. If those issues are significant (ours weren’t), you can use those to renegotiate the price.

Domo · 07-01-2020, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillG1952

Does anyone have suggestions for having a privately owned motorhome inspected before buying? Most sellers seem to want to provide maintenance history documentation, but I'd feel better getting a third party opinion.

I have seen ads for mobile inspectors, but I'm wondering if a shop that does motorhome repairs might be a better choice.

Also, does anyone have experience running the VIN through any of the online websites. Is the information you pay for worth it?

Thanks in advance for any and all ideas.

I'm pretty sure a local mobile RV tech or shop would LOVE to do your inspection as they'd find a TON of things that they'd want you to bring to them to repair. With that list, you could prioritize reality vs. their profits and negotiate with the seller from a firmer stance.

okcnewbie · 07-01-2020, 07:11 AM

I personally would prefer the mechanical inspection (Motor/Tran/Chassis) over the NRVIA level 2 inspection with fluids checked. The problem is that it could be difficult to find someone competent and have the owner agree to get it there.

If you go the inspection route please let us know how it goes.

Gary RVRoamer · 07-01-2020, 09:20 AM

Two types of inspections apply, basically house and chassis (mechanical). I would NOT select an RV dealer shop for either one.

For the house, I'd use either NRVIA inspector or a mobile RV tech, but you have to be able to tell the mobile tech what you want him to do and what sort of report/result you want. The NRVIA person will have one or more pre-planned and pre-priced inspection grades and can explain to you what he does or doesn't do.

For the chassis, a thorough inspection involves a trip to a truck chassis shop to put it on a lift, run tests, etc. It's a significant extra expense but worth it if engine & driveline problems are a worry for you.

Some RVIA inspectors will do a high level chassis check, maybe including fluid analysis. This is often sufficient to spot potential problems that a novice might not notice, but falls well short of what a trained mechanic would do in a 1-2 hour chassis inspection & test drive,

MSHappyCampers · 07-01-2020, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyDi

When you consider the cost of an RV having it checked is very important. Run the VIN through Car-Fax. I would make sure a certified RV inspector, with experience, does the inspection. You could get anyone to do the inspection, but they may not know what to look for. That could be costly. Maintenance documents can also tell you how well it was cared for. The cost of these checks is minimal compared to some problems that could be missed.

Totally agree!

Isaac-1 · 07-01-2020, 01:35 PM

In my opinion you need both an RV inspection and a chassis inspection by a qualified mechanic familiar with the specific chassis and any of its known weak points. I say this having been through the NRVIA level 2 inspector course, a proper NRVIA inspection covers lots of details that would likely be skipped by the average mobile RV tech, and has a strong emphasis on life safety issues, as well as searching for signs of water penetration and wood rot. This includes such things as checking the build/expiration dates on smoke, CO and LPG detectors, DOT dates on tires, leak testing the propane system, as well as up close and detailed inspection of the roof, and all window tops, sealant, etc. This does not mean a peak at the roof to look at its overall condition, instead this means 30-60 minutes on hands and knees checking every inch of the sealant and seams on the roof, followed by the equivalent interior search for signs of leaks, wood rot, etc. It also means all sorts of other stuff, doing hot skin test for electrical leakage, checking the wires in the breaker box for signs of overheating, checking all the electrical outlets for good function and to see if they have loose prongs, .....

The problem is NRVIA inspectors by the most part are not chassis experts, they have not spent years working as a mechanic and more importantly even if they are reasonably mechanically inclined, and have some experience with one chassis, the chances are they will not be familiar with all of them, and will not have access to a full service shop in which to do a proper chassis inspection.

So in the end if you opt to buy a motorhome and only have an NRVIA inspection, even with the help of fluid sample analysis, you may still be looking at substantial chassis related repairs that such techniques can not spot. Conversely if you only get a chassis inspection from a mechanic you may have many life safety issues, and expensive rot in the coach, as these mechanics are not trained in what to inspect on the house side of an RV.