You’ve made the exciting decision to purchase a used RV and start your RVing adventure. You carefully considered the different options and features that came with each type of RV and have settled on a travel trailer. Great decision!
Travel trailers come in a variety of sizes, allowing you to choose the perfect size and layout for your situation. They also make it nice and easy to set up camp and have a vehicle to drive around for day trips. So, now that you know what type of RV you’re looking for, it’s time to get started looking for the right one. But you may have a lot of questions about where you’re supposed to begin in your search? What should you look for when finding a used travel trailer?
We’re going to help make the process easy for you. Here are some of the main considerations to make and things to watch for when searching used travel trailers for sale in California.
Know your needs and wants
The first thing that you need to do is the same thing you do if you’re going to look at buying a house. Make a list of your travel trailer needs and your wants. For example, you may need a travel trailer that sleeps 5. If you’re a family of 5 then this is a necessity. On the other hand, you may want a travel trailer with a kitchen island, but it’s also something that you can do without if you find a travel trailer that meets all of your needs at the right price.
Writing both of these lists out ahead of time can help you get clear on what you’re looking for. It makes it easier for you to pass on an RV that doesn’t fit your needs list and can help you avoid getting stuck in searching for that “perfect” travel trailer that meets every single one of your needs and wants.
Consider avoiding slides
Having slides on your travel trailer provides you with additional space that can be used for sleeping, living, or both. However, slides also add in one more thing that you need to think about maintaining so they continue working properly. If you’re buying used, especially from an individual instead of a dealership, it can be tricky to know what kind of condition the slides are in. If you don’t need the additional space that they provide, you may want to look for a travel trailer that doesn’t have them.
Go with a brand name
There are a lot of different travel trailer brands on the market and like in any type of product, they are not all created equal. Different manufacturers provide different levels of quality. When you buy a used RV, you want to go with a strong brand that delivers a high-quality product. A few of the names to consider include Jayco, Keystone, and Forest River. They all have great lineups of travel trailers for you to choose from. In addition, higher quality RVs and brand names tend to have better resale value down the road.
Inspect it
You probably wouldn’t buy a house without walking through and looking at it and then having a home inspector give it a thorough once over as well. Buying a used travel trailer is no different. Take the time to look around inside and out. Look for signs that there were issues with things like leaks and water damage, rodents or mold. Open the cupboards and any storage areas and look at them. Use the flashlight app on your phone if you need to in order to get a good look.
Climb in the bunks and pull out the sleeper sofa if there is one. This is your chance before making the purchase to really catch any potential issues that you will need to fix or repair in the future.
You also want to make sure that you can see what the roof looks like from outside. Are there cracks that should be resealed? Has there been damage that needs to be fixed? While your outside, look under the RV for signs of damage or rust.
In addition, you can ask to have the travel trailer inspected before buying it. If they say “no”, it’s a good sign that there’s a problem they don’t want you to find. If they allow you to, bring it into the service department to find out exactly what you’re working with.
Ask questions
Show up prepared when looking at a used RV. Make sure you get the answers to the questions that you’re looking for. Here are some questions you can use when buying from an individual:
- Are you the original owner? (If they’re not, see what you can find out about the previous owners and the information they passed along.)
- What’s the worst ding or scratch on the exterior?
- Does the furniture, seats, or flooring have any tears or tips in them?
- How old are the tires and how many miles are on them?
- Do you have maintenance records?
- Have you had pets travel with you?
- Are there any current warranties?
Don’t stop with these questions. If you have any other questions that arise when you’re looking at the travel trailer, make sure to ask
Be patient, but be prepared to act when the right one pops up
While you can decide to wait until you find the travel trailer that meets every single one of your wants (remember the difference between your needs and wants) at just the right price, it may cost you being able to enjoy RVing this year. Rv sales, both new and used, have been up since the pandemic began with more families looking to RV for vacation (or transition to full-time RVing). That means it helps to be ready to act when you come across the right travel trailer.
This doesn’t mean that you need to rush into buying one that doesn’t meet your needs. However, you also don’t want to continue passing on RVs because you fear that something better may come along. The great thing about RVing is that you can get started and decide later to upgrade or change RVs if you find out that there is something that would be a better fit for you. And by purchasing a used RV from the start, there is less depreciation on your travel trailer helping with future resale values.
Buy from a dealership with a service department
Sky River RV has used travel trailers for sale in California. The advantage of buying right from the dealership is that we put every pre-owned travel trailer we receive goes through a thorough inspection. This way you can rest easy knowing that your new-to-you travel trailer is ready to go as soon as you are!
