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10-11-2024, 06:13 PM
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#1
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Member
Thor Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Mars Pennsylvania
Posts: 87
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Blue Ox RV Inspection
Any experience with having Blue Ox inspect a new RV to purchase?
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10-11-2024, 06:26 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Prescott, Az
Posts: 423
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Other than watching almost all of their You Tube videos and learning that I thought I knew what to look for in inspecting a rv for purchase, I think they are the best out there. They inspect things i never thought of, and seeing what they find on brand new units, I would say for peace of mind I would hire them on the next purchase we make.
__________________
2016 Allegro Bus 40 AP
2025 Lincoln Nautilus as the towed
1991 Avanti Convertible/2019 Tesla Model X
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10-11-2024, 10:39 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6,909
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I'm having a bit of a problem reconciling these two paragraphs in their FAQ:
This is the most thorough inspection we provide which includes an average of 800 inspection points that address the safety, operability, functionality, and integrity of the RV. The report will have narratives regarding each inspection point as well as 300 to 600 photos and 20 to 30 videos, to document the condition of the RV.
Through this level of inspection, we provide the buyer with in-depth information to make the most informed purchase decision. The inspection can take anywhere from 5 to 10 hours or more.
Unless they have a team of ten inspectors on an RV, two inspectors would be taking 1 pic every two minutes for 10 hours straight. 800 inspection points in 10 hours? Color me a bit skeptical.
I do like their use of a thermal imager. That can find a LOT of hidden problems. My kids had their inspector use one on a new build home and in a heartbeat it found missing insulation. I'm renting one next month to use on our house to check all of the windows before winter to assure none of them have lost their inert gas. If so, we've got a warranty on the windows. A thermal imager also can find water damage after a rain due to the temperature differences.
Have you also looked at NRVIA? See: https://nrvia.org/
Kudos to you for considering an inspection. Way too few people do that.
As an aside, if this is a used unit consider getting an appraisal on what that model year and model have actually sold for throughout the country: https://rvpricingandappraisals.com/
A $150 report on what people have actually paid can be a great negotiating point. RV Trader and similar sites? Those are asking prices. You never know what they finally sold for.
EDIT: I just watched their video on a 2024 Georgetown, which I am very familiar with. They talked about some SlimRack slide mechanism "problems" that simply are dead wrong. They do not know how the system actually works and called it defective.
That's one caveat with inspectors. There are way too many different systems they need to know, systems that can be two decades old or brand new. In another video he seemed to think that a problem with the touchscreen showing three A/Cs were installed instead of two A/Cs was a major defect. It's not. All touchscreen systems have a way to select the proper floorplan and selecting the proper floorplan sets up things like that. That being said, I still am an advocate for professional inspection simply because an experienced inspector can notice things an owner may not. But do not expect them to find everything and do not expect them to be able to gauge the seriousness of every finding accurately. Their final report is just a starting point for the owner.
Good luck,
Ray
__________________
2020 Forest River Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
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10-12-2024, 06:34 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 826
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What could they possibly take 300 to 600 photos of?
Would you allow them to be in your RV for 5 to 10 hourd picking it apart?
And they must charge a fortune to the buyer!
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2018 Tracer 255RB
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10-12-2024, 06:40 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 384
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mokurt
What could they possibly take 300 to 600 photos of?
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I'd like to see one of their inspection reports. I want something I can easily get through that separates out what matters and what doesn't. I don't need hundreds of pictures and dozens of videos - I need a good rundown of the major systems and a prioritized list of issues. I don't have any interest in a 1000 page novel. I want it well summarized so that I can make a purchasing decision.
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10-12-2024, 07:01 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: on the road / Frostproof
Posts: 370
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I have had homes inspections and boat inspections thru out the years . Things still broke after the inspections that they said were ok . I go by my inspections now .
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Jim 2016 Forza 34 T 2014 Honda CRV
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10-12-2024, 07:49 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 439
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Nope. They want you to fly them to the RV, a free vacation + inspection fee's, good little hustle they got going
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2016 Winnebago Aspect 27K
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10-12-2024, 03:39 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6,909
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RV_Lee
Nope. They want you to fly them to the RV, a free vacation + inspection fee's, good little hustle they got going
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I wonder why they publish the states where they will be during which months then...
They have a sample report on their web site under Services. This is the direct link: https://www.blueoxrvinspection.com/_...f0c81ea123.pdf
One thing to remember is that all inspection services will write up everything, no matter how minor, because they do not want to be accused of missing something and also so they can prove their value. It's still on the customer to evaluate every finding and decide whether it matters to them.
For new units, it seems most manufacturers are limiting their written warranty to "substantial" defects, defects that would prohibit you from using the RV.
That doesn't mean they will but if someone drops a 600-page report on them and says "I want everything fixed before I'll buy the RV" the dealer probably will pull the warranty out. And so would I.
If nothing else, on a used unit, an inspection should give you a "go no-go" decision point for the purchase and also let you know what you may be in for.
But these are static inspections and some things only break when they've been used for a while.
Ray
__________________
2020 Forest River Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
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10-12-2024, 03:46 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6,909
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mokurt
Would you allow them to be in your RV for 5 to 10 hours picking it apart?
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I agree. They should be taking longer. We took three days to do the PDI when our motorhome was new and then left it for a month because of all the problems my wife and I found.
Our dealer was very accommodating because we told them in advance what we were going to do. My wife started at the back while I started at the front and we each worked to the other end.
The first day was on shore power and city water at the dealer. A major issue we found was that the bed slide was binding a bit. It would stick on one side briefly and then jump to catch up. The more we ran it, the more it bound up. That's unacceptable, even though the dealer said it was "normal". We later found where multiple screws and staples were sticking up too far from the bed platform's carpeting and causing the binding.
The second day was on generator, propane, and tank water at the dealer. Our first Onan generator oil change is at 20 hours and yes, running it for six to eight hours during this day of the PDI will get you close to your first generator oil and filter change.
The third day was to scrutinize the exterior, from the undercarriage to the roof, very, very closely. Remember, any dings, scratches, cracks, etc. that you report after you drive off the lot may be deemed to have occurred after you took delivery. Don't go there.
I probably spent a half-hour underneath and found wires hanging loose, a broken screw on a propane bracket, and hydraulic lines rubbing. I took a lot of pictures so I'll know how things looked when new. Climbing up the ladder I saw a large jagged gouge in the rear cap. It appeared someone had come down the ladder with a tool in their pocket or something.
Yes, we found many things the dealer missed and they were OK with that because we did their job for them.
And that's the point; get it fixed before you accept delivery and the warranty starts.
Ray
__________________
2020 Forest River Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
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01-13-2025, 06:50 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6,909
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I just got an email from NIRVC where they discuss whether third party inspections are a good thing or not. They think it's a good thing. They also pointed to a page on their web site where their video is along with a list of which third-party inspectors are allowed on NIRVC property and which are not.
** Remember, at the time of a third-party inspection, the coach is either the property of National Indoor RV Centers OR a consignor trusting NIRVC with their property.
In order to protect both NIRVC, our customers, and our consignors, please find a list of third-party inspectors permitted on NIRVC property (as well as those who are not) below.
That page: https://www.nirvc.com/ThirdPartyInspections
FWIW,
Ray
__________________
2020 Forest River Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
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01-14-2025, 06:42 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Commercial Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: behind the steering wheel
Posts: 2,907
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800 points to inspect in 10 hours? 80 things looked in 1 hour. why does this concern me?
because, my home is for sale, and i had a professional home inspector come to my house. spent 4 hours inspecting. said my garbage disposal worked as designed. i dont have a garbage disposal.
he said the ice maker on my refrig was in working condition. its broke. i disclosed that on the sellers disclosure.
said an 18 year old ac conditioner was defective because it was more than 10 years old. works great.
i could go on, but i will say this.
i want a good inspection, but it needs to be relevant, and thorough. 800 points in 10 hours isnt thorough. nor realistic. unless its a team of people.
just my opinion.
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01-14-2025, 12:34 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2022
Location: Whitney, TX
Posts: 2,030
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mokurt
What could they possibly take 300 to 600 photos of?
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One loose connection to the water pump - 10-15 photos from several different angles. 2-4 photos of almost every cap for a liquid tank, etc. With today's smart phones and cameras, 600 photos in 30 minutes is easy to do. They probably take three times as many photos as they use, or more.
Yes, most are repetitive, but getting the right angle takes a bit of time.
Remember you are paying the inspector's time. Not only their time actually looking at the RV, but their time building the report.
__________________
US Navy 1972 - 1992 - SCPO Retired
Sometimes I wonder what happened to folks after I give them directions.
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01-14-2025, 12:55 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 8,306
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NXR
I just got an email from NIRVC where they discuss whether third party inspections are a good thing or not. They think it's a good thing. They also pointed to a page on their web site where their video is along with a list of which third-party inspectors are allowed on NIRVC property and which are not.
** Remember, at the time of a third-party inspection, the coach is either the property of National Indoor RV Centers OR a consignor trusting NIRVC with their property.
In order to protect both NIRVC, our customers, and our consignors, please find a list of third-party inspectors permitted on NIRVC property (as well as those who are not) below.
That page: https://www.nirvc.com/ThirdPartyInspections
FWIW,
Ray
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That link took me not to a list of inspectors, but to a sales lookup page.
__________________
Marc and Jill, Wellington FL
2013 Entegra Anthem 44SL
2018 Lincoln MKX
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01-14-2025, 12:59 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 598
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MRUSA14
That link took me not to a list of inspectors, but to a sales lookup page.
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Worked for me. Quite a surprise to see who was on the "naughty list".
__________________
Patrick - Atlanta GA
2023 Renegade Vienna & 2017 Jeep Cherokee Overland
2000 Itasca Horizon 1973 GMC CanyonLands
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