Camper inspection check list

I was going to post this into another section of the website, but I did not see any section dealing with camper trailers, except here. So, I will post my question here.

I have a thread about my first camper in an intro and towing question thread. Now I am looking at getting a new to me camper to replace the one that was lost.

But having never bought a used camper before, I am a little out of my element in inspecting the trailers.

So I would love to get your help. I do know some basics to check for but if you could help fill in other areas to check, I would appreciate it.

I will start with my list:

1. Electrical outlets.
2. Slide
3. Lights (inside and out)
4. Water pump
5. Tires
6. Signs of water damage
7. Onboard electrical systems
8. Appliances
9. HVAC
10. Hinges, doors, frames, locking mechanisms.
11. Seals around the outside, roof, tub, toilet, sink.
12. The table frames, bed frames.
13. Undercarriage and main camper frame itself.
14. Roof condition generally.

This is my list. If I am too broad on any of this, please let me know and I can break these down a little more. I know I plan on taking a couple hours to inspect. But what else do you see I should inspect?

The two campers we are really interested in are these:

1. https://www.granddesignrv.com/travel-trailers/imagine-xls/23bhe
and
2. https://www.keystonerv.com/product/bullet-crossfire/comfort-travel-trailers/floorplans/2290BH

Thanks for the help and I look forward to seeing your thoughts.

 

Make sure you check the underside of the slide. Most trailers have a rack and pinion system for moving the slide in and out, which is the better design, but not all do. I looked at one trailer where the slide sat on plastic rollers and the underside was all cracked where it had been sitting on the roller while the slide was closed all winter.

Condition of the awning
Check the hitch for signs of damage or that it's been painted or replaced

 

Here's a very comprehensive inspection checklist from my Lance owner's forum.

https://community.lanceowners.org/f.../fodoid/608748171177515021/PDI_Trailer_21.pdf

 

@SD Surfer

Thank you for the link. I tried to view it, and it was behind a login wall.

 

Aaaahh, I wondered about that.

I clicked on it after posting to confirm it'd work, but I guess it worked for me 'cuz I'm a member... Duh

 

No worries .

Lance was one camper we were looking at, but at that price...!!!! For our floor model, it is moving into Airstream territory. They are very nice though!

Another camper I was looking at was a Riverside Intrepid and it was about $3K more than what I paid. But my wife really wanted what we got, so I went with that. . Was probably safer and better that way, LOL.

 

It's CRAZY! I could pretty much sell my Lance for what I paid for it in 2016... OK, cool. But then to replace it would be damn near double what I paid... NOT cool! We've been super happy with the Lance, I've had ZERO problems. Glad we bought when we did, 'cuz I wouldn't be able to afford it now!

"my wife really wanted what we got, so I went with that"

You are a wise and happy man.

So which one did you end up getting?

 

Yeah, the Lances are very, very nice indeed. A couple that was next to us allowed us to tour theirs right after ours was totaled. I had a list of several that I wanted:

Grand Design 23BHE
Riverside Intrepid 240BHi
Lance 2185

The Grand Design was beyond our budget by about $5K. The Lance was almost $60K over. The Intrepid was around $2-3K. I had a zero percent intrest loan available, but it would have still been a debt that my wife was not comfortable with to make up the difference.

So we ended with a Forest River SVT Surveyor Legend 19BHLE

Here is the picture of our test camping trip we just got back from.

My wife really loved it, and wanted it, so that is what we got. My preferences were either the Grand Design or the Riverside Intrepid.

I did try talking her into the Opus 15, but then I saw what they cost and that went out the door, LOL!

 

@Mattedfred

Thank you for the information. I was able to get new, and we did do a walk through.

However, excellent list you posted. This is great info for sure because I know a few who are looking at some used campers and I will share this with them. Thank you for taking the time to post.

 

No worries. I appreciate the time you spent typing this. It really gives a good basis and I can share this with a few friends who are looking.

 

The Opus looks pretty awesome, I hadn't seen those. Looks similar to the Black Series off road trailers.

You done good! I've seen a few of the Surveyor's go by before, looks like a nice rig. Beautiful campsite too!

Happy Wife, Happy Life! Camping trips are WAAAYY more relaxing and enjoyable when the wife is in a trailer she loves.

Funny story, my wife and I used to tent camp and were kinda' over it, so our "plan" was to buy a used little pop-up for $3K or so. (We had V6 Tacoma and 4Runner)
I bought the Tundra I'd been bugging my FIL for years to sell me, and I went "Hey, I can tow a little more weight now, it'd be nice not to have to mess with the tent part of a tent trailer. I'll just go look."

Went to the dealer by my office and said show me something with an actual queen bed, a slide, and less than 25' and he sat me in the Lance 1575, and then the 1685. Crap, it's all over.

Me: "Honey, I found the perfect trailer."
Her: "How much?"
Me: "You should see it, it's so cuuute!"
Her: "How much?"

Got her there to look at it, and then everything else we looked at was being compared to the Lance. Finally decided I don't care what the "Price is so much as an affordable payment, and it's literally like two nights in a crappy motel, so it's worth it as long as we use it.
Caught her in a moment of weakness when she said "Let's do it, and let's go now before I change my mind."

I wanted to set us up for success with something of decent quality that wouldn't rattle apart or have stuff break in the middle of our camping trip and be a sore spot, but that first trip was a bit stressful.

I'd been around RV's, and had borrowed my buddy's a few times, but never owned one... so I'm a noob.
I've basically decided that instead of $3K we should spend THIRTY... and it freaking POURED on our first outing.

We were warm and dry, and had a few windows to sit by a fire, take the dogs on a hike, and while she was cooking breakfast the second morning she turned to me and said "I love our trailer!"



She has said it on most every trip since, so yeah... Happy Wife - Happy Life.

 

That is funny! Congrats on getting the one you wanted as well.

We had talked about a pop up, but my wife hates tent camping and she finally thought that a pop up was a glorified tent with a few better ameneties!

Thank you, the camper is a step up from what we had, maybe two if I stop for a moment from my biases. It does all she wants, and it does a few things I was going to pay extra for (solar, deep cycle battery, etc.).

The one thing we both said we did not want was the side grill. This did not have the pocket door but it was a slide on with a mount rail. But the last grill we had made the side of the camper look like a wreck and then clean up was not fun at all.

So I bought a lodge grill and put that through the paces on the trip. Cooked up porkchops and steaks. They were fantastic!

The campsite was very nice. The area we live at (and this will narrow me down a little) I can make it to WV, VA, MD, PA, TN, and NC all within 5 hrs. If I push it hard, I can get to NJ and DE in about 5.5 to 6. OH I can make it (depending on where) about 8-10. So we are nicely set where we live and this was one of the campsites that is in the mountains about an hour or so away from us. Never been there before but it was beautiful. Figured out one of the kids does not fish with hooks but magnets! In one trip they pulled out 15 fish!

Did some hiking here, swimming, fishing, traveled to some of the small towns. It was really a good trip. Next trip we will be heading up to PA.