By Cheri Sicard
Are you shopping for a used RV? Watch the video below first. In it, Jacob Rigor, of Rigor RV Repair, shows five signs that an RV might be a lemon RV.
Jacob emphasizes the utmost importance of getting a third-party RV inspection before you sign on the dotted line. But what if you could avoid paying for an inspection on an RV that’s clearly not worth it? That’s where this guide comes in. Jacob shares five easy-to-spot problems that can help you determine if an RV is even worth the cost of a full inspection. These checks can save you time, money, and a whole lot of headaches.
Honorable mention: Furniture condition
Before the top five, Jacob starts with an honorable mention: the condition of the furniture. Why isn’t this in the top five? Because beat-up furniture doesn’t automatically make an RV a lemon. However, it’s still something to consider, as replacing RV furniture can be surprisingly expensive and difficult.
For instance, replacing a sectional couch can easily cost $1,000 to $2,000. Plus, RVs aren’t always designed with easy furniture replacement in mind. Sometimes, the furniture won’t fit through the door, and you might have to remove a window just to get it in or out! So, if you care about the furniture’s condition, be aware that it’s not always a cheap or easy fix.
The top 5 signs of a lemon RV
#1: Slide-out wood rot
Slide-out wood rot is a major concern. It’s a common problem that can happen quickly. Jacob once worked on a 3-year-old RV where the bedroom slide was 80% mush!
With all the slides extended, go outside and look underneath at the bottom of the slide.
• Look for any staining or discoloration from water.
• If there’s a plastic film covering the bottom, press upwards to check for movement. A good slide-out should feel firm. If you can move that plastic surface up and down, it can indicate wood rot behind the plastic. What you want to feel is a nice firm surface that, when you knock on it or thump it with your fist, doesn’t have any movement to it.
Can this kind of damage be repaired? Yes, but it’s labor-intensive. Due to the construction of some slide-outs, you may have to remove the entire slide from the RV. This can easily be a $5,000 to $10,000 job.
#2: Salvaged titles
It’s important to check for salvaged titles. While it’s often a sign of bigger problems, it’s not always an issue.
For example, Jacob looked at a motorhome that was priced about $30,000 less than the typical value. The reason? It had been in a storm where a tree branch damaged the side. The body shop’s quote for restoring it to its original condition was greater than the value of the RV. So, it had been salvaged.
But, for people who don’t care about that kind of cosmetic defect, this is an RV that would actually serve them really well and save them a lot of money.
However, why an RV has been salvaged matters tremendously. A flooded RV is an automatic pass. Even if it’s been dried out and looks okay, there are going to be ghost issues with that RV for years to come, not to mention a very real possibility of health hazards due to mold infestations.
Mattress mold
Speaking of mold, let’s address a topic that’s actually a big issue for many RVs: mattress mold. If you’re shopping for RVs, do yourself a favor and lift up the mattress and look underneath for signs of mold.
Most bed frames in your house will have slats underneath the mattress to allow it to breathe, but with RVs, they typically put a perfectly flat sheet of wood down. Humidity stays trapped underneath there because it can’t ventilate, often causing mold.
The reason this can happen with RVs in particular is that the walls are much thinner and more prone to sweating or having condensate. If you’re camping in cold environments, depending on the floor plan of the RV, water may run down the walls and get trapped under the mattress, which promotes mold growth. No RV is necessarily immune to this, so always check under the bed.
#3: Frame damage (travel trailers and fifth wheels)
Frame damage is a serious safety concern that typically applies to travel trailers and fifth wheels. If an RV frame has obvious cracks around the axle attachment points, it means a couple of things. First, it wasn’t very well designed from the factory. Second, it probably has a lot of miles on it.
You can always have a welder reinforce the frame and fix these issues, but keep in mind it’s going to be costly, and it’s not really going to be safe to travel with if you have cracks that are actively growing.
Never ignore frame damage! It’s a major safety hazard.
#4: Internal water damage
Spotting signs of water damage inside the RV is crucial, as it can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs.
Key areas to inspect:
• Corners of skylights and vents
• Areas at window corners and underneath windows
Signs to look for:
• Vinyl wrap on the paneling coming loose and waving
• Tiny bumps popping up under the vinyl film (mold growth)
• Soft spots in the floor
• Cabinet face frames that are swollen or splitting vinyl wrap
Replacing paneling can cost thousands and thousands of dollars.
#5: Body separation
Body separation, where the RV body detaches from the frame, is a major structural concern. While this can happen to any RV, some brands have a greater history of it than others, like Airstream, for example.
On Airstreams, if the metal body starts to pull away from the frame at the bottom, you’ll see the rounded wrapper starting to tear loose. But this can also happen on other types of RVs, such as Class A motorhomes.
Jacob had a client who purchased a motorhome and noticed the whole front end shaking up and down while driving. It wasn’t structurally attached to the frame anymore. On this particular motorhome, this was only visible during a test drive.
With Class C motorhomes, check the connection between the chassis cab and the RV body to make sure that it isn’t pulling away and showing signs of water coming in.
Why aren’t appliances on the list?
You might be wondering why appliances aren’t included in this list. Jacob doesn’t think that a non-working appliance, or even several, should be a deal-breaker. Instead, they should be used as negotiating power.
For example, a friend of Jacob’s bought an RV and quickly found out that the refrigerator wasn’t working. If he had known this before purchasing the RV, it would have given him negotiating power. As it was, it was just a slightly expensive headache after the fact.
This list isn’t comprehensive, but it’s a good starting point. If you spot any of these problems, it might be best to move on to another RV rather than paying for an inspection that will only confirm your suspicions.
By keeping an eye out for these five signs, you can significantly increase your chances of finding a reliable RV and hitting the road with confidence. Have fun RV shopping!
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RVDT2882
Low mileage with low wear with low price tells me this critter might have spent more time in the repair bay than in the wild.
If the furniture is flawless, the drawers don’t have can dings and the oven looks like it’s never been lit, there’s a reason. If the plumbing looks unused and there’s not a single limb scratch anywhere to be found, the RV might have spent its life as a bay squatter.
Buybacks don’t disappear, they get sold to the next victim.