A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

There is movement on selling my house, and that brings me closer to my RV living. Having sold two of my homes in under 3 days, I might really need to move on this. Over the upcoming weekend I plan to visit yet another RV dealer. What are the most important questions I should ask, and what should I look for? Not that I trust sales people in general, but I do learn a lot by getting some serious looking in. I know what my space/layout needs are, and that I want a great engine and a well built model that doesn't leak or have mold issues. I'm amazed when I looked at some of the interior construction that was quite flimsy. This woman thing again, I have difficulty getting sales people to discuss the technical stuff, but to me that's essential.

I'd say to write down every question you can think of. Bring a large notebook or pad and keep jotting down notes. I made a check-off list by zones (mechanical, exterior, kitchen, bathroom, etc.) and printed off copies that I filled out for any rig that interested me. I discovered right away those salespeople who didn't want to bother with me. Actually, when they gave up shadowing me and went on to greener pastures it allowed me to putter around in the RVs at my leisure. Look into, onto, around everything. If looking at a used rig, check the license plate to be sure it's current. In many states you might be responsible for paying back taxes or fees on a vehicle that wasn't currently registered. See a strange lever, knob, switch - ask what it's for. If you're seriously considering the rig, and it has slides, make them put the slide out (or in if it's displayed with slide out). You want to know you can walk down the aisle, get to bathroom, closet, etc. with slide(s) all the way in. Besides, you want to be sure the slide mechanism works ok.

After the initial stars leave your eyes, carefully look for clues everywhere. Low mileage on a car is totally different than an RV. A motorized RV can have very low mileage because it was kept permanently in a park someplace, but could have been roughly used by a large family and not maintained. Check for broken drawer glides, catches, worn or sagging beds/sofas, in addition to the usual scratches, etc. Water stains on ceilings/walls indicate leaks and leaks are very common in RVs. Probably because most of us don't reseal all the seams, windows, vents, etc. often enough. Once you're really serious about a rig and if you're agile enough, climb up on the ladder (or have someone do it for you) and see what the roof looks like.

Besides all the usual questions, ask if maintenance records are available. Ask if they went over the rig to fix anything or just parked it on the lot.

There are pages and pages of questions and suggestions we could offer. But the best ideas stem from your own intuition. Listen to it. And good luck!

Pooker

Evie's advice is great. I think you'll know when a rig has that potential "it" factor and you should persue it.

Beyond that, if you feel like you're being talked down to, as if you don't know what you're doing and this is really a guy thing, ask the salesman how long he's owned his rig. Often that will stop them cold, as many of them have never slept a single night in a motorhome or even tried to pull a trailer. I was actually cussed at by a young man who thought he was going to BS his way through an "easy sale" with me and I asked him how many years he'd been towing. Needless to say, his company didn't get my business that day.

The only thing I'd add to what Evie said is about generators. Most motorhomes have them built in. Trailers, unless it's a larger fith wheel, don't. Ask about how many hours there are on a generator. If it's an older rig, then there should be a fair amount of hours showing on the genny. You DON'T want one that's "just like new" on a 10 year-old rig. They're meant to be run regularly with a load, and if they're not you could be in for some expensive repairs when you begin to use it.

Trust your gut, don't be afraid to ask too many questions OR to walk away from a salesman if you don't like how you're being treated. If you really like a rig but can't stand the salesman, go find the sales manager. See if you get a different reception. If you don't walk away. The salespeople are often a reflection of how the whole dealership is run, and you plan to have your rig serviced at the same place you buy from, you need to feel good about the whole experience.

Have fun!

Laura

I feel like Laura, I don't think some of the salesmen have ever RVed. I find that the way women are treated at dealers is getting better. I went through years of being ignored and calls not being returned. See if you can find reviews about the dealership, service and the rv you are interested in. The internet makes it so much easier to research now. I am really interested in where I can get service. Around here if you buy a motorhome the dealers will work on the coach part but not the engine. Only one Ford dealer in my area will service my small motorhome. I don't know where the people with the big Class A's can get service.

Martha

Along with that pad of paper with your questions, take a bright flashlight so you can look into the backs of cupboards and underneath storage areas. Take a camera also. They might not like your taking photos, but tough.

And get everything in writing, especially promises to fix stuff or claims about something being checked and being fixed.

Make sure everything is reachable and workable for you. Sit on the furniture, lie down on the bed. If there is a slide make sure everything is usable when it's in. if not, what isn't. Check everything. I looked at the pulls for the black and gray tanks on one rig and would literally have had to lay on the ground to open them.

And the bathroom - check the tub/shower and sit on the toilet. Will you have enough room to turn around with the door closed. I found out the hard way I really don't, or at least feel more comfortable with the door open. And getting dressed in the bathroom after a shower - ain't gonna happen... ok, when I'm solo, not so good when there are others around.

And even if you happen to get a "nice" polite sales person....remember they are not you new best friend.....you are a customer and this is a big business deal.

Many many thank yous to all who answered, and so thoroughly. I definitely should write everything down. I do find that people find it harder to be dismissive of a piece of paper, and it keeps the questions in your court, not just what a sales person thinks you want to hear and will influence you. I'll let you know how it goes.

PS I'm also thinking I should ask about dealer warranty for used rigs, yes?

Just remember the dealers make HUGE profits on their warranties. You need to read the warranties very, very carefully cause most of them stop covering things as the rig gets older, around five years old. You'd be better off to put the money you'd spend on a warranty in a savings account to cover things that need to be replaced. So many things on the engine are NOT covered and you need to almost be a mechanic to understand the warranty.