Buying an RV?: Five Things Professional Inspectors Look for Before Going Inside
About
Before you fall in love with the floor plan, take a closer look outside.
An inviting interior can make it easy to overlook conditions that deserve attention before buying an RV. Professional inspectors begin gathering information before they step through the entry door—and understanding those first observations can help you become a better-informed buyer.
In Buying an RV? Five Things Professional Inspectors Look for Before Going Inside, RV inspector and instructor Bill Riggs explains five areas that can shape the evaluation of a new or used recreational vehicle:
• How the RV is positioned and prepared—and what limited access or unavailable utilities may prevent you from checking.
• What its overall stance, tires, wheels, and visible running gear can reveal.
• Exterior clues that warrant investigation for possible water intrusion.
• Signs of previous repairs, collision damage, or movement that deserve closer evaluation.
• Evidence of maintenance and modifications, including house battery condition, mounting, connections, and charging-system questions.
Written in plain language, this practical guide helps you distinguish an observation from a diagnosis, ask specific questions, request useful records, and recognize when additional professional evaluation is needed. It also explains why fresh sealant, new tires, clean batteries, or an attractive exterior cannot establish the condition of the entire vehicle.
Three practical appendices provide a seller preparation checklist, a five-point arrival worksheet, and questions to ask before committing to the purchase.
Whether you are considering a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome, this book will help you approach the buying process with clearer expectations and a more organized plan.
You do not need to become an inspector to make a more informed purchase. You need to know where to look, what to ask, which unanswered questions matter, and when to call a professional RV inspector.
Published by the Professional Association of RV Inspectors.