RV Inspection Cost

[HamboneTHW]

Just had a NRVIA Level 2 guy quote me $975 for an inspection. That seems really high. What should an inspection cost? If that is right, is that absolutely necessary? That seems a little bit obsessive for 3-4 hours of work...

Thanks in advance.

[Gary RVRoamer]

The range for inspections is roughly $200-$1400, depending on what is covered and regional cost factors. It's pretty much "you get what you pay for". If you want a level 2 inspection, the guy is going to spend most of a day at it and then produce a lengthy formal report to you. For which he has some legal liability, by the way. Then you can call him and ask questions, so more of his time & effort.

If you just want somebody to give it a quick look over and give you a brief phone call, hire a mobile RV tech and pay him for 1-2 hours of his time (about $200 with travel). Or ask for a "Level One" inspection instead. It's really up to you what you want to have inspected. If the answer is "everything", then expect to pay well for it.

You didn't mention the RV type either. Motorhomes typically cost more, simply because there are more things to inspect. This inspectors site offers more details on what is covered in each inspection type that he does:
https://alrvinspection.com/inspection-type

[TonyMac]

So, you pay me to inspect this rig. Do I bring it to my big air conditioned shop or crawl around on the ground at the rv lot -- different price for those. Your tire blows on your first trip, am I liable or not -- different price for those. Do I have years of experience with this type of rv or not -- different price for those. Do I remove the valve cover(s) or not -- different price for those. Do I scope the differential or not -- i think you know where I'm going.


And yes, this is money you pay before you agree on a price.

[Bob_C]

Why do you need to have someone else look your rig over?

[KenZ71]

Each stick home I've bought iver past 20+ years we hired an inspector. Couple times they have said stuff like your boiler works but keep some cash ready to replace soon. Or, windows are ok but if you plan to stay for many years you might save on heating costs by replacing.

Always good to have that impartial opinion.

Do any of the RV inspection outfits offer a warranty? That is after they look over the coach offer to sell an extended warranty plan? Seems like a good upsell.

[TonyMac]

You don't have to hire an inspector for your s/b home, unless you finance any part of it. The finance company wants to make sure they have a sellable house to recover their investment in case of default. If you know your stuff, you could do your own inspection if you are paying cash.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Just had a NRVIA Level 2 guy quote me $975 for an inspection. That seems really high. What should an inspection cost? If that is right, is that absolutely necessary? That seems a little bit obsessive for 3-4 hours of work...

Thanks in advance.

Hambone,

I've been watching your posts the past few days so I know you are in full speed ahead mode right now in looking for and buying an older used DP somewhere in the 45K range or so. And, you've also been working on total operationaL costs too. This is all good.

When we were buying our gas coach we $425 for our inspection + fluids lab work. Total cost for everything was around $600 or so. The company I scheduled the inspection with sent out a husband & wife team. She did all the inside stuff & he did the outside and under the chassis. I was there during the inspection. They started promptly @ 9am and finished at 2:30pm. The next day I received an emailed PDF multi-page report along with with recommendations if the applied. During the inspection itself, both periodically pointed out things to me they felt I needed to know. They also were available for to ask questions along the way too.

When you are looking to buy a used car, it's always good practice to have a local trusted mechanic give it the once over...right? Of course it is. And you're going to pay him their going rate for that. What would you expect to pay for that...$75, $125 bucks? NOW....you're going out and buying a house on wheels. Many, many more things to check. And because of your budget you're looking to get a DP that will at least 10yrs. old. Things that could cost you many $1,000's of dollars to fix or replace that may be overlooked by an unexperienced trained eye would be caught and noted by someone who does this everyday. It's not that they are there for 3 or 4 hrs. They have a methodical way they check and document everything. They have pages and pages of check lists that they go through. Item by item, 1-by-1, it's not just your standard hourly rate your paying them for, it's their skill set. And because of the this cost, that's why you wait to order an inspection until you think you have finally found THE coach that's right for you.

I'm the person that attached that PDF on engine my notes for a few days ago...remember me? Did you read that PDF? Some real things to think about in that doc. Just in the engine bay alone—in a DP—and the different kinds of diesels there is, there's a lot of stuff in there that—if it hasn't been cared for properly—could cost you a small fortune to get up to snuff.

So getting a thorough, professional inspection of everything—especially in your situation—because you're not a seasoned RVer nor a well informed, experienced DP owner that would know a lot of what took for, it is a necessity for you IMO. It's just part of that overall cost you've been putting together.

You can shop around for different inspectors and labs for cost comparison. Here's who we used for our inspection.
https://rvinspection.com

Good luck as you continue your journey.

[HamboneTHW]

Originally Posted by marjoa

Hambone,

I've been watching your posts the past few days so I know you are in full speed ahead mode right now in looking for and buying an older used DP somewhere in the 45K range or so. And, you've also been working on total operationaL costs too. This is all good.

When we were buying our gas coach we $425 for our inspection + fluids lab work. Total cost for everything was around $600 or so. The company I scheduled the inspection with sent out a husband & wife team. She did all the inside stuff & he did the outside and under the chassis. I was there during the inspection. They started promptly @ 9am and finished at 2:30pm. The next day I received an emailed PDF multi-page report along with with recommendations if the applied. During the inspection itself, both periodically pointed out things to me they felt I needed to know. They also were available for to ask questions along the way too.

When you are looking to buy a used car, it's always good practice to have a local trusted mechanic give it the once over...right? Of course it is. And you're going to pay him their going rate for that. What would you expect to pay for that...$75, $125 bucks? NOW....you're going out and buying a house on wheels. Many, many more things to check. And because of your budget you're looking to get a DP that will at least 10yrs. old. Things that could cost you many $1,000's of dollars to fix or replace that may be overlooked by an unexperienced trained eye would be caught and noted by someone who does this everyday. It's not that they are there for 3 or 4 hrs. They have a methodical way they check and document everything. They have pages and pages of check lists that they go through. Item by item, 1-by-1, it's not just your standard hourly rate your paying them for, it's their skill set. And because of the this cost, that's why you wait to order an inspection until you think you have finally found THE coach that's right for you.

I'm the person that attached that PDF on engine my notes for a few days ago...remember me? Did you read that PDF? Some real things to think about in that doc. Just in the engine bay alone—in a DP—and the different kinds of diesels there is, there's a lot of stuff in there that—if it hasn't been cared for properly—could cost you a small fortune to get up to snuff.

So getting a thorough, professional inspection of everything—especially in your situation—because you're not a seasoned RVer nor a well informed, experienced DP owner that would know a lot of what took for, it is a necessity for you IMO. It's just part of that overall cost you've been putting together.

You can shop around for different inspectors and labs for cost comparison. Here's who we used for our inspection.
https://rvinspection.com

Good luck as you continue your journey.

Marjoa,

Thanks for the reply and insight. Once again, irv2 never disappoints. I wholeheartedly agree with the necessity. After hearing from two guys in the area where the RV we are interested in, I went with the cheaper of the two. Both are NRVIA Level 2 certified. I'm not running fluid analysis on everything, as I am going to have the oil changed when I get it home. I am having the lab run coolant and transmission fluid (recommendation of the inspector). His total cost for inspection and fluid analysis was right at $750.

While that price hurts to think about, nothing substitutes piece of mind. This is especially true in my circumstances. I think it will be money well spent. Hopefully it confirms what the pictures and conversations with the owner (very candid) show.

I'm alright with having to possibly flush one of those systems. I don't necessarily feel that is a deal breaker to me (unless the inspector says the either of those systems is on the brink of total failure). Now if multiple systems are inoperable, water leaks, poor maintenance practices noted, etc.; that will be a different story.

The inspector is a RV owner himself and has been very knowledgeable and friendly on the phone. I'm hoping for an honest report from him with a recommendation of whether the buy is a good one or not.

Thanks again!

[Sonic]

Keep in mind that an inspection can potentially pay for itself (or at least partially) in that if the inspector finds issues, you can use his report to try to renegotiate the price.
The inspector I used produced a 150 page report that included a lot of pictures and a prioritized action item list of issues he found. In my case the issues were really minor and not worth haggling over but had he found something of concern, I wouldn't have hesitated to go back to the seller to work on price.