Welcome to another RV community-focused video from RV Miles! What are some items you believe are overlooked, but are incredibly important when it comes to purchasing an RV? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, we ask that you keep comments kind and on topic. We look forward to chatting with you! - Abby and Jason
The position of the bed is also very important to us, especially since we reached our sixties. Once we had a camper with the bed tucked away into a corner and one of us always had to climb over the other to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. After that we bought a motorhome that had a spacious bedroom with a walk-around bed. Never went back to a corner bed.
Agree! This was a major obstacle in our recent search for a Class C under 30 ft. So many models have the bed tucked in a corner, not a good feature for the over 50 crowd!
But..if one is single/traveling solo..its not going to matter if the bed is positioned in the corner. However..you did make a valid point..concerning being a part of a couple!
That garbage can point is so important, when we were shopping we made sure a small trash can would fit somewhere practical. My grandpa told me to make sure everything is accessible when the camper's slides are in and I am glad I took his advice. Thanks for the helpful video.
Yes! When shopping for an RV, it is important if the floorplan allows you to walk the length of the RV interior when the slides are not deployed. If you want to have a quick lunch break inside your RV when stopped in a parking lot or at a rest stop, you do not want to have to deploy those slides. If you are boondocking overnight in a parking lot, you do not want to deploy those slides either. If you want to use your own clean bathroom instead of a sketchy public bathroom when stopped somewhere, make sure you can get to that bathroom when the slides are in.
We attended an Escapees rv boot camp before purchasing a new motorhome. The tips saved us thousands of dollars. One tip was to campout near the dealer after purchase. Test everything that night and make a list. Bring unit back next day for dealer to correct. We did. It worked.
I did not even know they even existed. I think a great idea maybe for you would be make a video and explain or maybe one day an adventure of an inspector. Makes me wonder why so many of us dont even know they were out there.
I just found your channel and I watch a lot of RV channels. This video was concise and to the point, without a lot of filler “fluff”. I really enjoyed it, thank you!
Great thought’s and tips, thanks! About the only thing I can think to add is to get a unit with a 4 season, extended season, polar package, etc… a well insulated rig is so much more comfortable both for noise and temperature!
With a Warrenty, make sure you double check what they require for the warranty to be valid. We had a $5000 warranty voided because we did not have the oil changed within 30 days of purchase of our new rig! Course it did not say that til page 37 of the Warrenty docs!
I love this video. These are things I have thought about as we are looking to buy a 5th wheel to go full time. It amazes me how people don't think about how they will live in it or use it before they buy it (like being too tall to stand upright in the bedroom). I even look for the proper amount of space around the sink for a large dish drain, where I can store 3 cases of water for dry camping, that my 6' tall husband has plenty of space in the shower and were the pet food and water dishes will go so they are not in a pathway :) And having an accessible bathroom when the slides are in is a must have for us (as I have IBS-D and we are getting a 5th wheel)- but that is something that is not usually mentioned in "what to look for when buying an RV" videos. Excellent short video :)
We have a Cougar 25RES with one air conditioner and just finished a 5 day camp in St. Augustine Florida and had absolutely no problem whatsoever keeping the camper comfortably cool the entire time we were there.
Wow! I've watched a LOT of RV videos, but this is the first one of yours. Your content and production far surpass just about all of the rest. Most impressive and worthwhile. I subscribed!
This was great! The kind of plain simple easy to understand!! Thank you so much, I retire soon and have been watching nomads for years. I appreciate All you guys do for wannabes/gonnabes!! lol of course I had to subscribe💖🙏 xoxo
I am restoring from bare walls, an older, well built rv, your tips in this vid point out several things I am still deciding. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Good advice and as usual, clearly spoken. Things to LOOK for before one buys an RV. I had to do maintenance on my 2020 AS Flying Cloud water pump filter because the pressure was very poor. Dealer told me what to look for, a wire mesh filter that was clogged & where it's located. I had to disassemble (just a minor inconvenience) the furnace tube & vent on the access panel to the water pump. I could not imagine I'd have to deal with this on such a new unit, but I did. I couldn't imagine the access area would be so tight & poorly designed. Nothing is perfect even in an AS trailer, even a New one. Got it opened up, cleaned out the clog, put it back per specs, and all's well now. SO, though retired & mechanically inclined, I decided to tackle this myself instead of tying the unit up for who knows how long or driving hours to the dealer in another state. Storage issues & access for repairs are my concerns, which I honestly did not foresee. The bright side of my story is, the unit is worth more today (and we all know why) than on the day I bought it back in 3/2020. Keep those vids coming. The silver Conestoga Wagon driver from the East.
We picked up our new 5th wheel in April. When I was installing an EMS surge protector, I pulled one cable out of the 50 amp hook up receptacle. The screw wasn't tightened properly as the other 3 connectors were marginally snug. You made good points on what can and shouldn't be done by the owner.
As someone just getting into RVing this is a VERY informative video. Thank you! I've already been doing a ton of research and this video has stated things I haven't heard yet.
Great Information! Thanks for Sharing! I never would have thought to hire a RV Inspector BEFORE I purchased a New RV! However after our purchase of our "1st" RV - we will be getting an Official Inspection when we buy another RV! Love your teaching spirit! Thanks!
Yes that knowledge is CRITICAL! I swear, I believe every RV owner should have to complete some kind of schooling/orientation explaining thoroughly GVWR and especially as it pertains to their particular RV. Poor weight distribution/overweighted RV's is huge problem in many RV accidents. Education could eliminate so many tragedies.
We are on are third Beaver class A. They are older units, 97, 99 and 2003. These have all the quality and features you mentioned. They were made when companies still relied on quality to sell units.
Great video. You would think when you buy a brand new rig you wouldn’t need an inspection but unfortunately that’s not the case. We were lucky with ours but IF there is a new one in our future, will definitely have an inspection done for peace of mind.
Same goes for anything new...who wants to pay for an inspection? Nobody, but it is a must because after all "humans" are building these things. And...sadly, the RV industry has little or no oversight/watchdogs. No legislation to protect the buyer is a huge problem. There are those who are aiming to change that. We need strong laws to protect us from the cheaters.
One of Random RV dealer site hopping was for Used Unit Rentals Class C Models That Had Been Modified to Sleep More Passengers "Kind Like a HP Knight Bus" One Found Removing the Bed and Building 2 set of Bunks in rear adding couch and table bed an front over cab bed/ Slide's are one the DIY thing You can't do because If the Chains slip or jump a Cog Or Hydraulic leaks are messy
My husband & I loved this video. Great production, especially the audio. What microphone did you use? We heard no ambient noise, which made it very clear. Great tips!
Good advice on what to look for. Although, if you have sleep problems you will not want to put any electronics in your bedroom or next to your bed. Also, the newer RVs have these mattresses that are split into two or at least the base platform does. So, you need to figure out if a new mattress will work with it. As a solo person, I don't care about slides, but it is hard to find RVs without them. I know I am late to the conversation here.
For us, one of the most important features is bathroom access with the slide outs closed. In our RVs over the years we had one travel trailer that you had to open a slide to be able to open the bathroom door. Never again! Our 5th wheel you can easily access the bathroom and bedroom when traveling. You do have to open the main slide about a foot to get to the kitchen and fridge which has been no problem. We just added a good 4 Battle Born battery bank and 1200 watts of solar to keep them charged. On our way back from getting the installation done we found we could not find any camping or RV parks available! The second weekend in June! We wound up dry camping at Rest Stops and one Harvest Host, also dry camping. We were very happy to have the new system and glad we had it from the first day on!
Good tips! The only thing I’m a bit iffy with is fiberglass siding. Yes they usually have metal framing but if water damage occurs it’s not a DIY and very expensive to repair! If however it’s metal those are much easier to work with although the wood frame could have mold or rotting to contend with. Sigh….
Access to water connections!! We bought a brand new 2021 Grand Design Transcend Explor (GD supposed to be good build quality). Every time we took it out for the first half dozen times there were NEW water leaks. Two were a pain in the rear, but were at least somewhat accessible the rest were in totally inaccessible areas and we had to punch out parts of walls and panels to get to them (two were perfectly ready made to have had like a cabinet door over them for access, but didn't). 🤬 Had customer cabinet doors made to cover those spots. In all cases it was just loose fittings, really you can't even take the time to tighten all the water fittings properly? Where the garbage can is going to go... that's a GOOD ONE!
Most use a microphone muffler, did you use that? It worked flawless what ever you used, no wind at all. We could all see the trees and your hair blow around but zero sound.
Another item to check out is the shower size and how the shower head is connected. After a year our showerhead fell off the wall. We also hate the queen beds put up in a corner of the RV. It is difficult to get on the bed for 5' person and hard change the bedding when you can't walk around the bed at all.
Good basic advice. Remember to check for water spots in corners of ceiling, soft floors, and ensure the walls of the RV itself are not bowed. The roof. Check the roof. Suggest having a FSBO rig checked out by an experienced RV business. Serious here. Just do that and save yourself a headache and waste of money. Something may look very awesome to the untrained eye.
Wow! I’m on the road now for a 2 month trip and I wish I had watched this a month ago! Thankfully I’m in a Skoolie so I still get a chance to move stuff
Axles, suspension, type of brakes, and tires are another huge consideration. Our Redwood with drum brakes pushed the tow vehicle badly. Changing to disc brakes made all the difference in the world. And cheaper quality tires are used on many new RVs consider upgrading or at the very least a TPM system.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System is a must!! Everybody think for a second...Ask yourself this question...What is riding on these tires? Your family, your pets, and your investment. I know it depreciates quickly but you still had to work for that money to purchase your RV. Yes, the cargo (family/friends) is the most important, that is why you MUST know at all times what is going on with your tires. One blow out could spell big trouble and loss of life. Not worth not knowing.
If your trailer was pushing your tow vehicle at all there was a Problem with the System. Could have been something as simple as a weak grounding point in the electrical system. Drum systems when working properly are a very adequate system.
@@jamesglenn520 Mr Glenn, the brakes were fine. Just running at max load. Disc brakes have better heat dissipation in general and have shorter stopping distance. Properly set up disc brakes will out perform drums in over 75% of the brake applications. I’m not saying drums are bad however given the choice of a trailer brake disc option it would be a worthwhile investment. What say you?
Peggy and I just toured a bunch of RV factories and there is a HUGE difference from brand to brand. For example, there are laminated (fiberglass wall) trailers that have “hung” walls in the back. Some of these trailers have aluminum structures but use wood inside. Suspensions, in particular, vary from really cheap basic leaf springs to advanced torsion axles or included suspensions with wet boots and shock absorbers.
Totally, but at the same price point? I think my point was more about how someone can say that an entry level X-brand isn't built well, but that doesn't necessarily carry over to their flagship fifth wheel. I should have been more specific. -J
Your correct but roof , roof how many do you see black . Also I have 30 amp 2 ac's and they work and cool in 113 degrees that as hot that it's been in 31 ft A class also the new RV's slide outs now are all electric no hydraulic which is not good when problems arise . Good information you guys give
Thanks for tip on the slides, I always wondered if one type was better than another. Will RV Dealers allow a independent RV Inspector to come and do an inspection on their property?
If they don't, go to a different dealership. In any sales, the customer is always right. Anyplace that doesn't have that mindset won't get any of my money. I know how and when to walk away, and have done it many times. Stay safe and take care of yourself and your family.
Many good points. Saw a RU-vidr that added a water softener and filtration system to his unit. What do you think? I heard that Florida and Texas have hard water.
Definitely. Campground water varies so much. That said, Reverse Osmosis water filtration systems waste extra water, so if you won't be on full-hookups, I'd only use something like that for drinking water. You can go as simple as one of those filters you add to a faucet, or a whole-house system.
@@RVMiles, I agree the Berkey system might be great for most, but the other person was so exuberant about the joy of taking a shower with soft water. My water is naturally soft, so I can only repeat their happiness!
Great video, I purchase a new 2021 Nautica 34RX. Yes, I am firm believer in the RV inspection process, I believe if helps avoid some many pit falls. Also doing research on the brand and the type of systems on the particular model helps making the PDI /delivery day so much less scary. My biggest take away was talking to a mechanic what to do if I had a slide failure.
I looked up the closest NRVIA inspectors and, although I live in a metropolitan area of one million, the closest is about 35 miles away. Several more at 50 miles out. I expect she would charge a hefty travel fee to come down. Also I wish the seven pointers were listed in print so I didn’t have to listen again. When you buy a new RV you expect they would have inspected it carefully, else why do we even need dealers? Actually I suppose it would be difficult to load water to test the water heater and all.
Slides closed is definitely something I've looked at. Especially some with the bed in the slide where the bed folds when closed and is therefore un-usable. A few years ago I found a Class C that had an awesome floorplan - except for that one issue.
Having 2 doors was our #1. The slides was our #2. We found one that's completely useable with it in and doesn't feel cramped. For a 25' we got both and fit into a lot of national campgrounds.. not all, however!
I watched a video of a woman who designed her own van conversion. She kept a careful record for several months of every activity in her home so she would have a list of what she had to have on a daily basis since she was planning to live in a very small space. That is overkill for buying an RV but not a bad idea to do for a week or two. For me, it was, where do the litter box and food and water dishes go, among other things.
Thanks you for sharing your practical tips in this very illuminating video! As my wife and I shop for a Class C motorhome, your tips will be very helpful.
1. Decide what type of RV you want to buy 2. Decide if you are limited by size or weight. 3. Review all possible floor plans (online at least) for the most functional layout with in a size and weight that works. 4. Consider all your other points in this video. I feel really good about my purchase knowing its the best rear living layout that I could get under 32 feet long and the fifth wheel is just short enough for me to get it turned around at home without having to back it onto a very busy road. Its the Roamer 264RLS.
Have you seen/heard of those USB chargable AC units that are small/big enough for a room? I watch Creativity RV too and love the idea of getting a portable solar generator and a lot of USB rechargeable stuff so my main solar can go to an RV fridge.
Tires. Tires. Tires. Not that it’s a deal-breaker, but you should know what you’re buying and how long those tires might last. Replacement on a double axle starts at $500 in the Midwest.
Exactly! We bought out 4th RV (3rdTT) it was used and little were we aware of... the TT had sat for about a year +.... our first outing we had a blow out from Dry rotted tire! Just because they are clean and shiny doesn’t mean they are safe!
Thanks - All great points. Just like with trucks, I suspect most people overlook cargo capacity. I've been looking for an under 40' fifth wheel toy hauler, and the cargo capacities of many of the brands is poor. Looks like they are forcing you into a triple axel to get any reasonable cargo capacity.
A unit we were really looking hard at was so perfect for our family all the way around, except it has 1200lbs of CCC. It's the only thing that didn't work, but unfortunately, a complete deal breaker.
That is frustrating and kind of defeats the toy hauler purpose? I have seen people retrofitting car hauler cargo trailers for that very reason. Be Safe and have fun.
Great tips! Another item to consider, does the RV have a ladder to access the roof. When we were looking a few years ago we discovered not all do. Assume you will have to climb up there to remove debris, check seals, clean etc.
I didn’t think of this one but you’re absolutely right. I climb mine before I bring the slides in every time. I never understood why more people don’t do this. You roll a slide in with a branch or even a few sticks on top you’re asking for problems. I wouldn’t buy an RV without a ladder.
I watched a clip the other day that said that new RVs were going to stop putting ladders on them because of some court decision? ( Sorry can't recall the clip). But I'd think a portable ladder should be a must then.
Very good points. Though I do have to mention about that inspection before purchase thing. I paid 50euros for my trailer house… it would coz more than the rev itself to get specialist to inspect it 😁.
The one thing we neglected to consider when buying our first rig was clearance. 🤦🏻♀️. We were green-as-could-be newbies who did a pretty good job of researching & avoiding most pitfalls ... but somehow we didn’t realize that not all rigs have that swoop up at the end. Oops. 🤷🏻♀️ I’d love to see a how-to video about slide maintenance!
Another thing to look closely at is what type of refrigerator does it have. Beside the traditional gas/120 volt absorption refrigerator, many units are now being equipped with 12 volt compressor refrigerators. These are great if you're hooked up to shore power, a generator or you have massive solar capacity, but one or two panels and one or two lead acid batteries isn't going to keep up with their power demand. And a generator may have to run for a significant portion of the day. And in some instances, manufacturers have installed 120 volt residential refrigerators, primarily due to the shortage of RV refrigerators. Those really need shore power. So be sure to check which type of refrigerator the unit you're looking at has. And don't trust the salesman, especially when it comes to how long you can run a 12 volt compressor fridge on that one battery and solar panel the unit has. Do your own research.
So much the CCC! When we're watching drivable and towable unit videos, and the talking head spouts off about all of the storage...and then the CCC is 1200 (on a ~30' RV)...um...skip. While we're not looking for a full-time rig, we also don't want to have to be tracking every ounce of things we're bringing for a long weekend. We're not in the market right now, but we're trying to learn all we can about what we want and what not to look for. Thank you very much for this video!
These were great tips and definitely things I didn’t consider when we bought our first travel trailer. When the third trailer came around I was extra snobby I think they thought I was nuts during the PDI.
Many coastal campgrounds I go to require you to be “self-contained.” Their definition requires you to have holding tanks. Cassette or composting toilets are a No go.
What is the difference between " having a holding tank" and a cassette toilet ? If so eone asked me, I would say I do have a holding tank, the cassette holds the black water.
@@hwiley8141 having a cassette toilet is far more convenient. One dump station in my area charges $30. I completely understand why you would want to have one.I am not anti-cassette toilet. The definition should include cassette toilets. But it doesn’t.
Where are the controls? Our slides, etc. are located UNDER the counter in the island. Major pain to see, gotta bend over to use. Likewise our hot water shutoff valve. It's buried under a bunk and nearly inaccessible. Have to squeeze through the back outside storage or open the electrical panel at floor level.
Wow you guys just about touched on everything. Very good points and especially helpful to newbie's! Booked our spot in Camp Verde this morning. Looking forward to meeting you both!
No slides for me. I consider them a problem waiting to happen. There are several class C's that have a north south bed that you can exit and enter W/O climbing over your partner. Some in the 28/30 foot range.
Wish I'd found this before I upgraded. Hope it helps others. I experienced the hybrid of 2 and 5..... Does storage work as expected? Flagstaff shifted one of the doors on the front storage on the 21DS, so it's at an angle to the "pass through". Not a deal breaker but definitely requires rethinking how we use it.
Great video with some points we never thought of when buying any of our Rigs. The outlets can be a biggie I can't keep my phone by my my bedside because of my fan and Cpap. Only two outlets so but its my choice. It's not a long walk to get it anyway, we had good luck with our cable slide on this Rig so far and we do have a good long term warranty which I would not be without. Good Video!
Usually in the description people put the audio and video equipment they use. Would you please tell me which mic you used for this video and where it was placed?
Almost everyone fail to inspect the roof. RV roofs are poor quality and WILL leak despite the constant slobbering if more caulk. Almost every RV camper is built the same. Aluminum frames are poorly welded and usually on one side which compromises the full strength. If you buy an RV plan in a roof. We have never seen an extended warranty on a roof. If someone has...share it. Even if your sponsor wholesale warranty extends roof warranties we'd like to know. Class C camper will al.ost always need a bunk rebuilt. We have plenty of videos on our channel, however we don't want to disrespect this channel with links and giving the impression we are spamming. Good information on your video.
You’ll need WiFi crap much more than you’ll need a special whizzbang to winterize. You have to winterize if you live in a cold environment, but you don’t need the gizmo.
