How To Inspect Any Used RV. (Used RV Inspection Guide w/ Video)

Used RV Inspection Tips. (Never Buy A Lemon Again)

If you're buying a Used RV, then you want to make sure you know how to inspect RVs so that you don't buy a lemon. Below are interior and exterior RV inspection tips so that you know what to look for when buying a used RV.

Let's get started with the exterior.

How To Inspect Vacuum Bonded & Hung Exterior Fiberglass RV Walls.

Inspecting any exterior RV wall is extremely easy when you know what to look for. So what you want to do is take a quarter, coin, or small metal object that you can tap against the exterior of the RV. Once you have your metal object you want to tap on the exterior of the RV in order to inspect if it is damaged or not. When you tap your metal against the exterior of a RV you want to here a snap sound. A crisp snap sound means that location of the RV wall is in good condition. If you hear a thud sound when you hit the exterior wall that mean's you have water damage in that location.

how to inspect any used rv picture of the exterior of a fifth wheel with delamination, picture of chris using the quarter tapping trip to inspect the exterior of a used rv

The only time a thud sound DOES NOT mean you have damage to the RV wall is when you're hitting a hung RV wall. Having a Hung RV Wall instead of a vacuum bonded wall means that your RV wall is "free hanging" instead of bonded onto a hard wood backer. When you tap your metal object against a Hung RV Wall the entire wall will thud.

Make Sure To Inspect All

Window Seams
Door Seams

How To Inspect Aluminum Sided RVs For Damage.

When you're inspecting any aluminum sided RV for water damage the quarter trick we used above will not work. In fact, you will not be able to tell if the RV has water damage from the exterior of the RV at all. What you're going to do is inspect the interior of the RV. Look at all of the RV walls, look for a ripple effect, or a drip look. The ripple effect/drip look indicates that you have water damage in that location.

how to inspect any used rv picture of water damage on the interior of a rv, picture of a rippled rv interior wall that indicates water damage

Also you want to open all of the doors/cabinets and push on the wall. If the wall is hard then it has no water damage. But if the wall gives, and feels a little squishy than you know that RV has water damage in that location. It's very important to inspect the entire inside of any aluminum sided RV before you buy it. Make sure to check under windows, and locations that water would be attracted to.

Save The Headache and Inspect Any Used RV Properly Before You Buy.

Before you buy any used RV you can use these tips to ensure you dont end up with a lemon for a RV. We hope these tips will assist you next time you go searching for a Used RV, and feel free to message us any questions you may have.