I didn’t check everything! My DVD/Radio player wasn’t working. Also my sink is collapsing because it wasn’t installed properly. I know better now as I continue to fix little things that I didn’t check! Thank you!
I start my new job as an RV technician on Monday. These videos are helping me. There is nothing anal about "check everything". Spending that kind of money, I wouldn't want to be stranded because of overlooks and half assed inspections. Good videos and keep them coming.
We just bought a new trailer and as part of every trailer this particular dealership sells ,they offer (and strongly encouraged us) 2 complimentary nights in the RV park located onsite to familiarize ourselves and work out any bugs in the coach. We could have gotten the same trailer at the same price elsewhere but chose this dealer specifically for the fact that they seem to care about our satisfaction. I’m not naive and understand there will most likely be problems but, to me, it’s how the dealership deals with the problems that will ultimately determine how satisfied or not I am with my purchase
Great comments and suggestions. On my fifth rv and [knock on wood] have yet to get a lemon. Have a check list of all the items to test, inspect, etc. And take your time, and make sure if repairs are needed have them done before possession and exchange of monies. Next to brick & stick home an rv is a major purchase.
Actually one of the better videos I've seen on this subject. Just one comment is find a checklist or two on the Internet and use them. I have found several and combined them for my use.
I couldn't agree more Heather and Ross! When I picked up my travel trailer like spent 2 and a half hours thought I caught all problems and POTENTIAL problems! And 4months later I was STILL fixing things on my own that I missed!
Make your appointment earlier in the day so your not caught with them telling you to rush because their closing. Bring an old blanket to lay down to check the underside of the RV. Run items on propane and electric to see if they work properly. Check for loose trim, caulk, missing screws... Trust me, "EVERY" new RV from the $6k pop-up to a $500k coach will have items to correct before you sign the final papers.
Great video! It's exactly like buying a house that doesn't roll. INSPECT, TEST and RE-INSPECT! When I bought my house, I had a professional inspect it before and after any repairs done. Best $600 I ever spent because I'm almost 5 years here now and I've had to do just regular maintenance to the house. It's almost the same with a 5th wheel/RV. If you can't spend the time yourself inspecting/testing, hire a professional to do it, and get a full report with pictures! Yes, EVEN ON A NEW ONE!
You guys are great, we did something similar, this was my 3rd RV so had the wife do the PDI while I walked around to tempest everything and had the dealer on a used RV replace all Propane Regulators due to a leak, and 5th wheel 7 Pin bc the end was broken, I decided to replace the malfunctioning water pump with a better more powerful pump and rebuilt the old one as a spare. Keep up the good work and hope one day we can bump into you and say Hi 🤗
Love your very informative advice...am selling my house going debt free and becoming a full time RVr...wanted to do this for many years....awesome advice...thank you! I plan on getting a used one..but am bringing a very handy and knowledgable person with me when I go...
You are very correct about not signing on the dotted line until all PDI concerns have been addressed. I worked as a electrical system tech for an RV dealership years ago and I can attest to the lack of caring on a tech level at most places. The technicians get paid commission hours and don't make the big bucks doing warranty fixes. When I was working the system I hated warranty work. I could pad the bill on the complicated repairs but warranty work limits the money that can be made.
Have you guys seen the factory videos of how these things are assembled? They seem to be proud of how rushed these the folks are building these things. With that kinda rush you are bound to miss a bunch of stuff.
I have done the final checks at 6 different dealerships and after months of back and forth none of those dealerships were able to deliver a rig that pass final inspection even after doing it 3 times. 2 of the dealerships refused to do it the 3 rd time. They expect consumers to purchase these units as is. The problem is that too many people do just that, buy these units as is with a promise to have any of these little issues taken care of after purchase. And as you know once you buy they unit the sales people disappear and it is a totally different game dealing with a service department and note that many sales lots do not have service departments so then your left really high and dry to get issues fixed. In my opinion there is only one slide out system to even consider buying and it is not always a sure thing. And only one manufacturer uses it. That means all the others are total crap and you should never ever even think about buying from all these manufacturers. Just read full time rver reviews and you will quickly see this is true. I was shopping for a new unit for the last 3 years and was unable to find just one to pass final check.
Thank you for this video. I have a 98 bounder not even on the road for 2 months and would have to put way too much money into it to keep it. Looking at a 2005 bounder and want to make sure it is inspected thoroughly before I agree to buy it so thanks for all the tips!! I can't afford new not even close to new and I'm so nervous about getting another Lemon. But it's just me against the dealer.
The only positive thing about having your RV in for repairs is free storage,if your not in it full time. I’m gonna just let go of this dream,, sure it would turn into a nightmare for me. I’ve got a lot of RV RU-vidrs to live vicariously by. That will have to do for me unfortunately.
What was the result of your inspection? If there are 10 or 20 things wrong with the RV, did the dealer repair them all before you handed them your cheque? And how long did it take for them to do the repairs before you signed off and took final delivery?
Sad that the RV industry isn't putting out a quality product to begin with! When buying a house, a professional inspector looks it over, should be the same for RV owners! Are there pro RV inspectors? There should be, especially for first time RV owners. Great video and advice!
+Jennie Donnelly your right.. nope im not im just a guy that wish i knew all this info when i bought one.. your 100 percent right. its almost worth paying a guy that knows what he is doing to come along with you.. they really can careless when you buy them
This video was awesome! Great advice and things I would have never thought about. I wonder if you would talk more about purchase negotiation, or warranties. Also, in a previous video, you mentioned getting 4th month free at your resort park. What resources do you use to find these deals? And are you members of a club? (Sorry for all the questions....maybe just ideas for future videos)... 🚍🚍🚍🚛🚛
+Lorie Tuma Thanks for watching and loving our craziness !! As far as the members club, we have chosen to stay away from those at the moment. Wee feel the y are full of fees on top of more fees lol . We have found that the best way to find out the deals are to call around to the parks in the areas you are interested in . Look on their websites, some will not tell you about their specials but they them listed in a special section under rates on their websites..
I disagree, you cannot be to picky. I purchased a brand new motorcycle. I took delivery without checking anything but the oil. The left turn signal would honk the horn. There were a number of other problems we finally worked out.... Same problem with a brand new car.... When I purchased my RV I received a call stating it was ready to go... I call and let them know I needed two days to check over the vehicle and the second day would include a 25 to 40 mile test drive. We worked out the details of someone being available and made the appointment. see below... The BEST advice shared in the video, DON"T SIGN ANYTHING UNTIL EVERYTHING IS FIXED. Wouldn't you rather they think your are an... not nice person... instead of you thinking that of them?
First thing checked all the fluids in every system. Then we fill the fuel tank half way, filled all the holding tanks about half way, returned and parked so that all slides and awnings could be opened. Turned on the heat, refrigerator, hot water, fireplace, all media systems to run overnight. They fought a little on this one but i was a rock... if it was not tested I was not going to close the deal. Did check all the things noted in video, most on the first day... Day two..... check all systems to see if they were still running. I got there really early to make sure nothing was shut down and turned back on for any reason... Check the temperatures of everything, frig, heaters, floors, under storage bins, tank heaters. Everything.....We took the time to set a sprinkler/soaker hose on the roof to check for leaks. shut down the heat and turned on the AC. Ran all water systems....after about an hour of soaking we used a moisture sensor to check for leaks. Then came the test drive... Does this sound extreme? if your are spending $75 to $100 thousand dollars be extreme. Touch everything, turn on and off and on everything... you only get one chance before you sign. When I retire I am going to start a business to inspect RV's before taking delivery for folks that don't have time. Imagine how crazy that inspection would be... being responsible to telling someone a vehicle checks out...
Once you sign for it you take position of it. Its then yours to deal with.. Plan to drive them nuts. Bring sticky notes and start posting them on everything that has a problem.. you then can see them. . Good luck and remember your not buying a car..
Very good advice. I've been trying to get my 2018 Jayco Eagle repaired under warranty for the past 11 months has been a nightmare. They turn down everything. and if you don't like it. Try to sue them LOL They have lots more attorneys than you can afford. Tell the salesman that you want to be left alone in the rv for a couple of hours. Then give him the list of what you found wrong, and tell him you'll take delivery AFTER EVERYTHING IS FIXED. He won't like it. But i guaranty that he wasn't going to add you to his Christmas card mailing list anyway.....
Having gone through 3 brand new travel trailers in two years, we finally just gave up on the conventional travel trailer industry, as we were unable to keep up with and deal with all the issues created simply by an uncaring workforce (factories & dealers) and the use of "the cheapest" materials you can find. You are absolutely correct in everything you say .... 100% For the record, just because you have hot water, it doesn't mean that both the 110V electric & the propane systems are working (found that out the hard way) :-)
very good video, always do things your way not the reps way. if they're a good dealer they shouldn't mind having every thing running and tank's full if they won't do it your way then move on to the next dealer.
Yes, I completely agree! We went through 3-4 months of repairs before we got our rig usable. Thankfully, my husband was able to do most of the work and the dealer was very helpful and did everything they could for us as well. We had power issues, the fridge wasn't getting cold enough, the power inverter failed, and the switch to go from city water to using the tanks did not work. All seemed well at the dealer but we didn't know to check for some of these things at the time. What happens when you aren't on 50 amp power or not hooked up to a hose for water? The fridge seemed cold...but we definitely should have had a thermometer to check. I wish we had this video a year ago! Thanks for the effort to make the video as I'm sure it will be helpful to a lot of people.
+Missouri River Soap ughh, I'm soo sorry to hear about all the issues when you purchased your rig. Its soo hard to not over look things when you buying because your alol wrapped up in the excitement and the omg did we really just buy this beast lol. I'm glad to hear your hubbers is as handy as mine. Honestly, when your Rvi9ng your have to be !! Thanks for watching and loving our shenanigans
Thanks so much for this video!! We are in the process of buying a brand new rig...will pick up next weekend and I am making a check list to go by. We are very new to this world as full timers (currently trying it out in a used, family members rig and we love this full time life) But we need all advice we can get!! I started to think I was being ridiculous as my list is getting longer and loooonger...but after seeing this video I feel more confident with asking for the time to completely check every-thing!! Thanks again!! Can't wait to see what other content you share! 🤗
sorry it took so long to respond , Key West now for about 2 days be here till the weekend going deep sea fishing tomorrow on our way back headed to Disney will cross paths again someday thanks to Mike if you're ever in Ohio give us us reach out
Nice checklist. I wonder if the dealership offered you an “orientation.” I’m picking up our first rv in a few weeks and was told to plan at least 2 hours for walkthrough and orientation. I will definitely be keeping this video in mind and bring an outlet tester.
Seems funny, but I wonder how many people just go thru their PDI just to learn how things work.... My 1st new one was like that, 2nd new one was a little longer, 3rd new one (I know, we keep upgrading) took about 4 hours since we now know how things are supposed to work, just looking over things for fit and finish... Thinking about our last one, I think we signed all of the paperwork a week before we took delivery. I know, that was bad!!!! I did find some things wrong during the PDI and those were fixed right away, and more after using it for awhile... The dealer has a policy that you schedule an appointment (sometimes a month or more out) and they will keep it from that point till its 100% complete, and what I was told, it could take a few months for what I was needing to be done. So we called the factory (it was 2 months out since Northern Indiana really has a winter) but the repairs needed would only take 3 days (time to fine a good Bed & Breakfast). So we made it our spring vacation - 2 1/2 weeks and 3200 miles, glad diesel was cheap! We even went thru our units (Redwood) manufacture tour, and the next day, went thru Jayco's Pinnacle line tour. Awesome place!!! BTW - my wife really had a hard decision between Jayco Pinnacle w/ front bathroom verses the Redwood Sequoia.. Sorry, in our case the Sequoia won!! Anyway - thanks for bringing this real PDI to light, It might save someone some frustrations in the future!!
The Deprey's i know I asked but you may not have seen. Is there maybe a list? I know we were told to do a wet run in the tubs and toilet. But a check off would be great. We are getting ready for for the RV life.
Wow, I work at THD and had a customer come in yesterday that had purchased a new Terry travel trailer. She was gutting the entire trailer and replacing all the components due to the formaldehyde in the materials used. She had been unable to get the dealer or manufacturer to address the concerns and was a full time RV'er. So, I will be helping her cut the new materials to size as she deconstructs her NEW trailer and rebuilds it. So sad the low standards in the RV industry.
WOW! Clearly you guys have been thru the ringer. This is an Awesome video that you put together that will hopefully help other potential RV buyers in the future. I'm sure Chris of (Chris & G Travels) would have loved this video during his purchase. Haha! Also, this is NOT being anal. You guys spent a lot of money and everything should have been 100%. Once the dealer sees that either you are inexperienced, short on time or desperate, they got you! Really, really great job guys. Thumbs up!!!!
Mine had propane problems, all of my appliances did not always lite, I did research and fixed it myself by adjusting the propane regulator, because the dealership was a three and a half hour drive from home so it took less time to research it and fix it myself, also check the gas struts that hold the beds up, the manufacturer shipped me a new one for free and it was an easy fix but I should have checked it. also the speakers on my stereo were hooked up out of phase and it sounded like crap, I switched the wires and it sounded so much better. They build these things fast and cheap and don't do much double-checking. Check it out thoroughly ....JACK! ! ! ! !
Looks like a forest river Jerry's rv in Atkins VA ripped us off on a thirty grand travel trailer black water spill due to his nonexistent training and kicked off lot avoid Jerry's rv Atkins va
Another good tester to have is one that tests the trailer connector on the back of your truck (not the RV). Brake lights, parking lights, turn signal. Why is that important? Well, if you plug in to the rv and some of the trailer lights don't work properly, you could end up arguing with the dealer about whether your truck connector is the problem or the RV. Plug the tester in to the truck and show the dealer that your truck connector is working. Now the dealer doesn't have an excuse. Also, its just a handy thing to have. Sometimes your truck wiring, connector, or fuse actually goes bad and it quickly points to your truck as the problem. You can buy them on Ebay for a few dollars.
You hit the nail on the head! When they get the money, you are history, nada, zilch, nothing! Bottom line: do your homework! I see so many get into an RV with high hopes but no plan! Have a plan, do your homework (research), have more knowledge than the salesman and in most cases, you will! Don't be afraid to say that is not right, or this is not working, or I don't like the way this fits! It's your money, so spend it wisely! We just came back from the Tampa RV show. I did not look at the bells and whistles, I looked at the fit and finish and it was horrible! You know you are in trouble when they don't even take the time to make sure what they are showing to thousands of people has issues, so you can imagine how they present a one on one to you at the dealership!
Just watch your video and have to say, you guys give some great advise. The one about checking all the electrical outlets with the tester is great. I would of just plugged a hair dryer into each outlet but your right as it would not tell you if the ground was bad or reverse polarity. We are getting ready to pull the trigger on a TT. I am a retired general contractor and boy are they going to love me. I will be checking everything you said to and more. the more may be checking the guys shorts when we are done to make sure he is still ok..
We are picking up our new toy hauler in 8 days and we are going to make sure we have enough time to do this all. Thanks for the video guys! Much appreciated!!
Totally agree! We had a loose connection on the stove and could smell the gas long after we turned off the burner! 😮 Dealer resolved, we retested. All good now. These steps PAY OFF!
I only deal with family owned dealerships. I bought 4 Jayco's from the same dealer not one issue. I'm on my second Open Range from another family owned dealer here in NC the first one developed a lamination problem and OR replaced the entire back end. Their customer support is great. At the time only company with a two year warranty. When Jayco purchased OR last year that was a sign that they made a quality product. I would never buy any RV from a mega store because of the reasons you and others cited. Family owned dealers operate on word of mouth. One bad experience can cancel out a hundred good ones.
Excellent advice! And, no one in their right mind that sat through this video can think it was stupid, petty, trivial or insignificant. Au contraire! Kudos for the blunt force counsel. Press On!
On the genetic scale, RV salesmen are right below used car salesman and politicians. I talked with one at CW and felt like I needed a shower afterwards.
Hello guys, Thank you so much for that in-depth review. Nobody that I know of is doing this on RU-vid and we really need it. I'm looking for about a 30 foot unit that I can pull behind my truck. And I'm a newbie and can use all the help that I can get I would love a fifth wheel but I really think those are out of my budget and I don't think my poor little truck and pull it. This was really nice of you to do this for us thank you so much and if you can think of anything else please let us know thanks again.
That electrical tester also shows if the outlet is wired wrong even if it does work, important for things like computers and such. Make sure the inverter will put out the advertised surge watts, they often won't even if they do put out the stated standard watts.
How do I find someone like this to do an inspection for me? I've been trying to find the equivalent of a home inspector but have had no luck. If this isn't a profession some of you full timers out there that have been doing this for a while should definitely think about it as an extra income!
We are going to be picking up our trailer as soon as it comes off the line and delivered to the dealer ship. You can be sure I will be going over it with a fine tooth comb. Thank you for this video. This will be our third travel trailer purchase. First one we bought, we loved it and had no problems. We traded up for a larger one, didn't know about a roof leak. Fortunately we were able to get it fixed just prior to warranty running out. Whew. Plus we were able to get it done over the winter and didn't lose any camping time. We then lost that trailer to a tornado last summer. Now we are waiting on our third to be built. It's taken one month longer than expected and that's because the company is swamped with orders. (So they say) Anyway, we will be really checking this one out for any defects. You can be sure of that. Thanks again for this. Happy Camping!
If they try to rush you through the walk through and hurry you up, walk away. Let them know you mean business. Tell them if the preliminary walk through is not that important to them, then you are not going to be worth their time come time for a service call. If they start saying you don't have to do that, tell them " yes actually I do". The big thing is make sure they didn't overfill your hydraulic fluid on your slide out. If it over flows onto the converter, it will fry it. Then they will blame it on you. Spend the WHOLE day with it. Just HOLD out and let them know you are NOT signing for ANYTHING until the check list has been gone through. I agree with everything you said.
They said it was all working and anything that develops they will fix. Wow what a misrepresentation!!!! My Frig failed 5 times spoiled food. They won’t fix it they cannot find out why. The Truma heat won’t reach through out the rig it is cold. They cannot fix that so I am having to purchase a new Furnace and water heater and Frig 😞 it’s been in the shop 4 times 3 to 4 weeks at a time so 4 months out of 12 was in service. They showed me things were working but they certainly didn’t stay that way. Forest River Sunseeker. The Ford part is wonderful. $89k later I have to spend more.
Until now, I had done pdi myself, and got lucky enough. Last one I missed a bad leak in shower and I had to call a mobile mechanic to fix it. This time I'm g going "half" full time, so I'm paying an inspector. I think the almost 500 for a 50k RV, is with it,.
Get it inspected by a professional inspector. Cost some but worth it. Don't let them tell you their "guy" inspected everything. If they won't let your inspector look over the rv, walk away.
Thank you so much for this video. No you're not anal and this check-up. This information is super helpful, it just takes a lot of time. We plan on buying a new motorhome soon and doing a thorough check-up is essential especially if you are buying the unit in another state.
Yup I wish I would have paid more attention when we bought our RV used from a private party. Def let the senior citizen pastors promise and cohercion become something we regret and have learned from and about the most difficult way ( out of our pockets) but I dunno the flip side of that besides accidentally Cutting my thumb of with a brand new box cutter and blade . However I have learned so much from having to fix things all the time on my current home and O have the scars on my left hand to prove it . Currently just found a spot behind a small built in coat closet with drawers that has had something leaking in for so long the staples and screws are rusted severely and we have the worst horror growing everywhere behind this closet cabinet that is sealed off to get up and see everything . I found this only because this winter has been such a wet and raining one and I thought I smelled mildew that keeps smelling stronger and stronger over the last 6 mos . Had to use a special camera that you can snake up under or into small spaces and I was so so shocked at how very bad this is and we never knew because it’s all hidden behind this built in unit that fire hater reason doesn’t go all the way flush to the back of the wall there’s like quite an amount of space behind a fake wall area in the closet section of it then if you take drawers out and are able to get your arm all the way in that’s when you learn oh wow there a gap of empty space for no reason back here . And this wow such a bad design of that being built that way and truly it has to get as bad as it is to find . Lessons still being learned the hard way here . Ugh
Anytime a buyer has to mend, repair, or do any type of work, that's enabling incompetence by manufacturer or dealers. It is a big deal when you have to use your time, money, energy, effort to do something that should be done prior to purchase.
