Whether you are buying a used or new RV, from a private seller or dealer, a National RV Inspectors Association (NRVIA) certified prepurchase inspection can save you time, money, and hassle. Finding an inspector is easy with the NRVIA inspector locator.
Why get an NRVIA-certified prepurchase inspection?
Even new RVs are not perfect!
Every RV built goes through quality control at the manufacturer and then a predelivery inspection at the dealer, and still issues can be missed. Inspections, whether at the manufacturer or dealership, are conducted by humans who may overlook or misinterpret problems, especially under time pressure or when handling multiple units.
1. Do you want to find out on your first camping trip that your RV needs work?
You bought your RV to travel and go on adventures. Your first trip is not the time to find out the A/C or furnace isn’t working, or that you don’t have hot water. What if it’s a slideout that isn’t functioning properly? Will you have to pay a mobile tech to get your RV secured for travel?
2. While you are covered under warranty, do you want to take home a broken RV that immediately needs to be returned for warranty work?
Warranty repair times for RVs can range from a few days to several weeks and sometimes even months, depending on the complexity of the issue, availability of parts, and the efficiency and workload of the dealer’s service center.
3. Do you want to pay for an RV that is in the shop for warranty work that could have been resolved before you started paying for the vehicle?
Dealers are more motivated to repair issues when the sale of the RV is pending those repairs. Get your RV repaired while they are still paying for it instead of you.
Used RVs are great!
You can get them cheaper, and the value may be more in line with the price. But you could be getting an RV that comes with problems you may notice with a casual inspection.
4. A prepurchase inspection will ensure you know the flaws of a used RV.
The NRVIA 500-point prepurchase inspection will ensure you know everything that is right and wrong with any RV you are considering. Armed with this information, you can make an informed decision to purchase the RV or walk away to find the right RV for you.
5. You can use your inspection report to negotiate price or request repairs.
Once you know everything that is right and wrong with an RV you are considering, you can use this information to negotiate the price, request repairs, and plan for future repairs that may need to be made.
Dealerships should be doing a predelivery inspection to make sure your RV is ready for you, but:
6. Dealers probably are selling several RVs a week and rushing to get them ready for delivery.
Dealerships may prioritize speed in preparing RVs for delivery to meet demand and turnover targets. This focus on quantity can sometimes lead to compromises in the thoroughness of predelivery inspections (PDI).
7. The dealer’s PDI probably involves a short list of basic items that are checked, whereas NRVIA-certified inspectors have 500 points of inspection.
The list pictured below is a checklist used for a predelivery inspection at one RV dealership. Check out the NRVIA standards of practice for a full list of the points of inspection with an NRVIA-certified prepurchase inspection.
8. The techs doing the PDIs represent the dealer; a certified inspector represents you.
The RV techs performing the predelivery inspection on your RV get their paycheck from the dealer. They are working for the dealer, not you. And…
9. Some dealers give incentives to their techs to work faster.
Dealerships may have policies or incentives that encourage rapid turnover of inventory, which can influence the speed and thoroughness of their predelivery inspection processes.
Private sellers can be a great way to buy an RV, but…
10. Even though most private sellers are nice, honest people, they don’t know what RV inspectors know.
Most RVers are weekend warriors with only basic knowledge of their RVs. NRVIA-certified inspectors go through 120 hours of training and must complete 24 hours of additional training every year to maintain their certification.
Their 500-point inspections will find any issues with the RV you are considering — issues the seller may not even know about.
You can opt to have an inspection when you buy a house; protect yourself and do the same for your house on wheels. Buy an RV that’s ready for your adventures with the help of an NRVIA-certified prepurchase inspection.
 Teresa Willis is an NRVIA-certified RV Inspector. Her company Sparkle Travel & RV Services is located in St. Louis, Missouri. |
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