Common Repairs I Should Expect?

[Waiter21]

Thoughts:


The cost of a 5er and a tow vehicle (TV) are probably the same as a Class A.

If you already have a TV, that's good.

Operating costs will be similar.

Finding service will be easier for the 5er/TV combination than a Class A.

Class A allows you to tow a car with your home. not so with 5er and TV..

I think the "truck" portion, the chassis, are good quality and dependable, regardless of TV or Class A.

The House portion and its corresponding systems will be similar, Quality may vary depending on the builder.

Resale value is probably similar, I'd say the TV will probably hold value a little better than a Class A.

Getting stuck from a breakdown would be similar,, booth would require special equipment / handling / towing.

Probably an advantage a Class A would have would be an alternate form of transportation if the chassis took a dump. That is of course if you have a toad.

But then if the TV took a dump, you could have the 5er towed to a campground so at least you'd have someplace to stay ..

We went through all this.. Our final decision was based on. "We don't currently own a TV, so we opted for the Class A."

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by mobilemike

You are being too simplistic..... (suggesting to mostly be concerned with the roof, slides)

I consider the minimum inspection should be those four items. Roof, Slides, plumbing, electrical.

Are you saying you have paid to have those items inspected? If so, I'd love to see the invoice so in the future I can tell people how much they can expect to pay.

[chaps2018]

First let me say that the maintenance/repairs is nothing relative to the experiences and destinations you can enjoy with a trailer. We were so enamored with this realization that we started a rental company to encourage folks to get out and camp. All of our customers had very little TT experience and in many cases their first camping trip with with our trailers.

Like many of the above, we have had several new and used trailers. Of the 6 trailers we have had over the past 10 yrs, I used a shop only twice (1 significant body damage, 1 odd slide operation). youtube and forums like this are your friend. 90% of the subsystems are the same so someone has already had the problem you are currently experiencing. I also agree as mentioned above Class A are a step function higher in maintenance cost mainly due to the chassis.

As noted above, we also bought trailers for rentals so I have had my share of maintenance and repairs. As mentioned above, I lean towards more maintenance to prevent repairs. That said, you could expect:

Normal maintenance stuff: Tires, bearings, brakes, sealing the roof, changing batteries, propane hoses replacement (short ones from regulator to tank), Jacks (electric and manual), hot water heater anode, misc screws need tightening, Day/night accordion blinds will needs strings replaced, bug screens on all gas appliances, light bulb replacements, clean coils on AC unit,

Repairs to expect:
-If you are rough on stuff then you could expect minor wood repairs to the furniture, faucets, door handles, cabinet dings, hinges,
-If you tend to ignore maintenance stuff above you will likely get water damage (Sealing roof), be stranded on the side of the road (Bearings), have more than your share of blowouts (tire maintenance), Repairs to bodywork (from blowouts)

Most of these items can be done with normal hand tools and some mechanical/electrical experience. With the help of this forum, i have really stretched my abilities to keep up with maintenance items and complete repairs.

[chaps2018]

Originally Posted by benandjen

Did you guys get inspections? I was planning on getting one....

The best experience ever with a used rig--the dealer added in a 90 day warranty. It was through a 3rd party company.

My check list for a used trailer-
-verify operation of all subsystems
-does it smell like mold (water damage)
-does it smell like sewage? (Previous owner didn't care for it to use black tank chemicals... What else didn't get done???
-water stains on Walls/ceiling?

[mobilemike]

Originally Posted by okcnewbie

Are you saying you have paid to have those items inspected? If so, I'd love to see the invoice so in the future I can tell people how much they can expect to pay.

You are free to contact any RV inspector you wish and ask them their prices.