In this article I’m going to be talking about buying used travel trailers. And how to buy them the right way!

Yes, travel trailers are the best selling RVs on the market by far. And a big reason for that is they’re also usually the most economical RV to buy.

So in other words, a lot more people can afford new or used travel trailers than say higher end diesel pusher motorhomes.

But the problem is that a lot of RV buyers, including travel trailer buyers, don’t put a lot of thought and preparation into their buying process.

Table of Contents

• The Wrong Way To Buy A Used Travel Trailer
• Other Considerations For Getting The Right RV
• RV Weight Limits And How To Match Up The Tow Vehicle
• Buying Used Travel Trailers – Step 1
• What You Need To Know To Get The RV That Fits You Best
• Step 2 In The Process For Buying Used Travel Trailers
• Step #3 In How To Buy A Used Travel Trailer
• Buying Used Travel Trailers – Step 4
• The Final Step For Success In Buying Used Travel Trailers
• Here’s How To Make The Five Step Process Easy
• A Bonus That Comes With The Used RV Buying Guidebook
• Conclusion

The Wrong Way To Buy A Used Travel Trailer

For instance, this is what often happens with a lot of folks that buy RVs.

First, they decide that RVing is interesting. And it’s something they want to look into.

So they go down to the local RV dealer to see what they have for sale. And that dealer has a salesperson who shows them the RVs they want to look at.

In this case it’s used travel trailers. And so they take a look at three, four, maybe five or more.

And while they’re going through these RVs, the buyers are mainly looking at the size and the amenities.

You know, what this one has that that one doesn’t have. Then they want to know the price too.

And of course, they are very interested in that all-important monthly payment.

So after walking through several RVs, the salesperson starts applying some pressure. And they go ahead and make their decision.

But let me say this. Much more is needed if you’re going to buy any RV the right way.

And this is especially true with used travel trailers if you don’t want to have regrets later on down the line.

Other Considerations For Getting The Right RV

For instance, how much thought is being put into matching the travel trailer that the buyer is getting with the tow vehicle they’re going to use?

Unfortunately, a lot of travel trailer buyers don’t really understand RV weight limits.

And what they mean for RV towing. Or for the tow vehicle that they have or intend to get.

And they often don’t know how to set up a travel trailer or RV with a tow vehicle correctly either. So that it’s safe.

Now what this results in is a lot of RVs going down the road that are actually unsafe rigs.

Because there’s extra stress on both the RV and on the tow vehicle. And this often leads to very expensive repairs on the tow vehicle side.

It could be engine problems, drive train issues, or brake issues for the tow vehicle.

Or on the RV side, it could be tire blowouts, suspension issues or problems with axles. And all of those things are very expensive to repair!

Not to mention that it can create very unsafe situations on the road!

RV Weight Limits And How To Match Up The Tow Vehicle

Now I made a couple of videos that can help here. Because what is needed is just a little knowledge about how to work with RV weight limits.

And once you have that knowledge, you really have a whole world open up to you on buying RVs correctly.

Now of the two videos, the first one will focus on RV weight limits and what they mean.

Of course, this is boring to some people. But I really went out of my way in that video to make it as simple, direct and easy as possible.

So you don’t need to know an awful lot to understand what you need to know.

You just need to know a few things and then you’ve got the knowledge you need for RV buying.

Then the second video will show you how to take that knowledge and match up tow vehicles and RVs correctly and safely.

So a little knowledge will go a long way for RV buyers. And it will help make sure you get a good RV. A good used travel trailer.

Now there is also another area where a lot of money is lost by RV buyers.

And that is in the buying process itself. In fact, there’s tons of mistakes that are made here very commonly by most RV buyers.

And these mistakes can add up to thousands of dollars in many cases!

So I have a five-step buying process that I want to share with you here in this article.

And that way, you’ll know how to buy a travel trailer, or really any RV, correctly. In a way that will protect you and save you money too.

Buying Used Travel Trailers – Step 1

So let’s go through the five steps. And number one is that I highly recommend that you research your RV carefully before you buy it.

Now this article is about buying used travel trailers. So that means that you need to go and look at lots of travel trailers.

Whether they are new or used doesn’t really matter. Just go and look at travel trailers!

And that usually means that you need to visit RV dealers to do that. Not just one, but several of them. Or go to RV shows in your area.

Or another way to see used travel trailers is to visit RVs from private sellers too.

Now the whole idea here is that you’re not going to buy anything at this point. You’re just doing research.

So make that decision in your mind in advance. That no matter what happens, you’re not going to buy anything yet.

You’re just going to go and gather information at this point. So what information are you gathering?

What You Need To Know To Get The RV That Fits You Best

Well, you need to learn about travel trailers if that’s what you want to buy.

To do that go through lots of them. Different sizes and shapes, and so on.

And experience the RVs you see as much as you can. So go in and sit in the dinette. And move around in it to see how easy it is to get in and out.

Then go back and sit on the toilet. Stand in the shower. Lay on the bed.

Go in and sit where you would watch the TV and see how comfortable that is for you.

You see, what I’m saying here is to find out about living in a travel trailer by actually experiencing different sizes and different floor plans first.

Now once you do, you’re going to start to narrow down your selections quickly.

You’re going to start to learn what floor plans you like, and what sizes work well for you. And that is valuable information to have before you buy!

Step 2 In The Process For Buying Used Travel Trailers

Now number two on the list is to find out what brands make the best RVs for consideration.

So if it’s used travel trailers, know what brands are known for making the best ones. This is so important!

Because suppose you’ve got the choice of two used travel trailers. And one is made by a brand that has a reputation for quality that’s above average.

But the other RV is made by a brand that has a reputation for quality that’s a little lower than average.

Well, you’re spending the same money for either of them. So which one would you rather buy?

And which one do you think is going to last you the longest? And give you the least problems?

So you see, getting the right brand is important, It’s something you want to focus on and make a priority in the RV buying process.

There will be more information on how to know which RV brands are best later in this article.

Step #3 In How To Buy A Used Travel Trailer

Now the third step is to learn how to pre-inspect RVs as you go through them.

You see, so far what you’ve done is you have narrowed your choices down considerably.

Now you know the size you want and the floor plans you want. And you also know what brands you want to be looking at.

So you’ve really narrowed down a lot of selections to a relatively few number of RVs!

And at this point, you need to be able to go through those RVs looking for certain things.

Especially the things that are the most expensive to repair or replace. And you want to make sure that they are working correctly on each RV.

And that way, you’re not going to be buying something that’s going to need a big repair right after you buy it.

So know how to pre-inspect travel trailers to be sure you get a good one.

Again, I’ll show you more about how to pre-inspect RVs later on in this article.

OK, it’s time for the next step in the buying process. And so far, you have narrowed your choices to a very small selection.

And they are the used travel trailers that you’re really interested in. They have checked all the boxes so far for number one, two and three of the buying process.

Buying Used Travel Trailers – Step 4

Now pick the very best one of that group and arrange an RV inspection for it. And we’re talking now about a professional RV inspection.

So I recommend choosing a certified NRVIA RV inspector to do the job right.

And at this point, you want the inspector to come in and go through the RV from top to bottom.

You want to make sure there aren’t any major hidden problems that’s going to surprise you and cost you a lot of money in repairs.

And once the RV inspector finishes you’ll get a complete and thorough report on that RV. Then you will know exactly what shape it’s in!

This is a vital step in the process of how to buy a used travel trailer!

The Final Step For Success In Buying Used Travel Trailers

And that actually leads us to the fifth step in the buying process. And that is to make use of the report you have on whatever the inspector finds on the RV.

So whatever the inspector found, get it fixed before you take delivery of the RV. Especially if you’re buying from a dealer!

Now if you’re buying from a private individual, it’s negotiation time at that point.

You can either ask them to repair those issues before you take possession of the RV at the price that you’ve agreed on.

Or you can negotiate the price with them if you’re going to have to repair those issues after you buy the RV.

But either way just make sure that all the problems the inspector found will be addressed right away.

Now what I’ve shown you here is a five-step RV buying process that really works. And it will help you know how to buy a used travel trailer.

And if you go through it and follow the steps as I outlined, most likely you’re going to get a great RV.

Here’s How To Make The Five Step Process Easy

In addition, I have created a couple of guidebooks that can help you out in this process.

Now of course, you can do the five steps on your own if you like. And if you know your way around RVs pretty well, you’ll probably do fine.

But what if you feel that you would like some guidance in the buying process?

Well, I’ve created a used travel trailer buying guide to help you know which brands have produced the best travel trailers for overall quality.

And the buying guide covers the years 2010 – 2019. It will help make your RV search so much more focused and productive.

And then I’ve also created a used RV buying guidebook. And it’s packed with even more tips and guidance on how to buy used RVs the right way.

It will be very helpful in learning how to buy a used travel trailer no matter where you buy it.

And it will help you know how to pre-inspect the RVs you look at in the buying process.

That way you’ll know which ones are worth considering and which aren’t.

A Bonus That Comes With The Used RV Buying Guidebook

Also, it even comes with a checklist that will step you right through the whole process.

And that makes sure that you don’t miss anything important in the pre-inspection.

So these guides will show you how to find the best used travel trailers for the money.

Then how to pre-inspect them to make sure that they’re really worth considering.

And then how to get the right RV inspector to come in and make sure it doesn’t have hidden problems.

But there’s even more tips and help than I have covered so far in this article too. It’s all in the guidebook!

That will help make sure you know everything you need to know about any RV.

And that way you can get a really workable RV from the very first day of ownership!

Conclusion

Now if you want these guidebooks just click on the images below.

Then you can take a look and decide if the guidebooks will work for you or not.

Now the point of this article is that you need to be armed with knowledge as an RV buyer.

And that is true when you’re buying used travel trailers or really any RV. It will help you do it the right way!

Yes, the purpose of this article is to arm you with the right knowledge. And help you know the right procedure to follow in the process.

Using this information, you can find a used travel trailer that will fit your needs exactly.

And it will give you great service for many years to come too!

Have safe and happy RV travels my friends!

In this article I’ll be talking about Covid RVs. And whether or not you should buy an RV that was built during the Covid pandemic.

This is a fair question because Covid-19 affected so many of our lives at the time. And it also affected a lot of industries as well.

So what about RVs that were built in the Years 2020 to 2022? If you see them on the used RV market, should you even consider them at this point?

Well, there’s no question about the challenges that RV manufacturers faced during those years.

Table of Contents

• Covid RVs – The Challenges RV Manufacturers Faced
• Unprecedented Demand For RVs During The Covid Years
• Covid RVs – What About RV Dealers?
• Why Are So Many Covid RVs On The Used Market?
• Should You Buy Covid Built RVs Then?
• Who Bought Many Of The New RVs Sold During The Pandemic?
• How Many RV Brands Were Affected By Covid?
• Protect Yourself By Asking For Service Records
• An RV Inspection Is Your Friend With Covid RVs
• What If You Can’t Get An RV Inspector To Help You?
• How Does My Guidebook Help You?
• What To Do If You Find problems With An RV
• One Final Important Suggestion For Your Protection
• Conclusion

Covid RVs – The Challenges RV Manufacturers Faced

In fact, the challenges were unprecedented in the RV industry’s history. And we have to remember that RVs are made by hand essentially.

So RV builders need to have a very stable and experienced workforce in place.

And that helps make sure that they get top quality results come out of their factory.

But the pandemic ravaged RV manufacturers and their workers. So there was very little worker stability during those years.

Also, supply chain issues hit the manufacturers hard. In fact, we still are dealing with some residue from supply chain issues even now.

So imagine what it was like for RV manufacturers during that time. It was a completely abnormal situation for RV manufacturing.

Unprecedented Demand For RVs During The Covid Years

And while all this is going on, RV dealers are placing more orders for RVs than ever before in history.

That’s because they were having people come in and want to buy RVs in record levels.

Yes, people had figured out that they could socially distance and have a little fun at the same time in an RV.

So dealers just started ordering RVs like there was no tomorrow. In order to meet the demand from the buying public.

As a result, RV manufacturers clearly dialed back some of their quality control procedures.

And this resulted in lots of problem RVs going out from the factory. And not being repaired before they got to the RV dealer.

Covid RVs – What About RV Dealers?

Now once the dealers received these RVs, the situation did not improve much.

Because many dealers did very little to solve those problems. And especially the big box dealers, or the nationwide chains.

All they were focused on was just sales to consumers while they had this demand.

And making sure RVs were in good shape, well that was pushed way down the list of priorities.

So all of this resulted in lots of RV buyers during those years getting very poor new RVs. With subpar quality.

Why Are So Many Covid RVs On The Used Market?

OK, now here we are a little bit farther down the line. And many of those RVers are selling their RVs now.

Of course, they could be selling for a lot of reasons. And some of them very good.

But honestly, many are actually leaving RVing or the RV lifestyle altogether.

And that’s because the experience didn’t turn out to be what they thought it was going to be.

Should You Buy Covid Built RVs Then?

So the question is now, should you buy their RV at this point? Should you buy one that was built in the Years 2020 to 2022?

Well, if you want me to make a blanket statement of “yes or no” about that question, you’re probably going to be disappointed.

That’s because there’s not much about RVing that blanket statements cover well.

The truth is that there were some very good RVs that were built during the pandemic years. Not all of them were RVs that had severe problems.

However let me say this. If you choose to buy an RV from those years on the used RV market, I recommend to proceed very carefully. And beware!

That’s because not all of the problems that left the factory were adequately resolved.

Not all of them were fixed by the dealers under warranty the way they should have.

Who Bought Many Of The New RVs Sold During The Pandemic?

And then on top of that, many of those RVs were bought initially by novice RVers. People that really didn’t know much about what they were doing.

And unfortunately, in many cases they didn’t really want to know much about how to maintain their RV either.

They were just focused on getting out there and having fun in it while socially distancing.

So the RVs they have for sale have often not been cared for as well as they should have been.

How Many RV Brands Were Affected By Covid?

Now here’s another important thing to understand. It wasn’t just the lower quality brands that were affected by all of these Covid-related issues.

No, even the better RV brands faced challenges to turn out a quality product.

Even brands that have been known for years to turn out very high quality RVs. They were not immune to Covid’s effects either.

So when you consider an RV from the Covid pandemic years I recommend to proceed very slowly. And very carefully.

So here’s some things that I think you need to do to protect yourself when you buy.

Protect Yourself By Asking For Service Records

First of all, I recommend that you ask for the service records for that RV. I mean it’s only a few years old now.

So there should be service and maintenance records available somewhere on that RV. And especially so if it was a one owner RV.

Then take those service records and look them over carefully. See what kind of problems were fixed and how serious they were.

And if you know a little bit about RVs, then you can check and make sure that those things were fixed to your satisfaction.

But what if you don’t know much about RVs? Then I recommend you get someone who does, and have them look at it for you.

Have them verify that the problems were fixed and they were fixed properly.

If there are no service or maintenance records, then you have to lean heavily on the next point I cover.

An RV Inspection Is Your Friend With Covid RVs

OK, that’s number one. Now number two is something you should do before you buy any RV. But especially one from the Covid years.

And that is to get a an NRVIA certified RV inspector to go through that RV for you.

In fact, that is your best insurance against having hidden problems that you don’t know about.

Of course, getting a certified RV inspector is not always possible. And I have to admit that.

It’s because in some cases there isn’t an inspector close by. Or in other cases, the inspectors are so busy that they may not have time to fit you in.

What If You Can’t Get An RV Inspector To Help You?

Well, if that is the case, then I have created a guidebook that can be helpful for you.

It will show you how to perform a personal RV inspection on an RV yourself.

Now let me emphasize that this is not going to be anywhere near the depth and thoroughness that an NRVIA certified inspector is going to do.

But it will be far better than just taking the word of the seller that everything is in good shape.

Or just walking around and seeing what you can see to the untrained eye.

How Does My Guidebook Help You?

Yes, this guidebook will explain what you need to test and inspect on an RV. And none of the inspections are hard or difficult to do.

Also, it’ll give you a checklist too. This will make sure that you go down the list and check each one of the things listed.

That way you verify they’re working correctly and not miss anything in the process.

So if you think my guidebook and checklist could be helpful, just click on this link to download it.

What To Do If You Find problems With An RV

OK, suppose you find problems with an RV. Whether it’s through a professional inspection or your own personal inspection.

Then make sure you get those problems fixed before you take ownership of the RV.

Especially if you’re buying it from an RV dealer. Don’t buy that RV and take it off the lot until the problems are fixed properly.

And you have verified that it’s in really workable shape. A functional RV that is ready for RV travel and camping.

Now what if it’s a private owner, and you find problems? Then you can negotiate with them on the issues you found in the inspection.

And they can fix the problems before you buy it and take possession. Or they can give you some money off on the price so that you can do it afterward.

One Final Important Suggestion For Your Protection

Now let me make one final suggestion here for your protection against RV repairs.

Because there were so many problems in RVs during those years. And sometimes in areas that it’s really hard to find.

So you may want to seriously consider getting an extended warranty for that RV.

To help protect you against future issues that may come up later. Because the factory warranty will probably have expired by that point.

So getting an extended warranty gives you added protection. For problems that come up down the line that couldn’t have been found during the inspections.

And if you have a warranty, you’re not going to have this huge repair bill to solve them. Or at least a bill that you will solely be responsible for paying.

So I do recommend considering an extended warranty. Especially when buying Covid RVs.

Therefore I always recommend Wholesale Warranties for a quality extended warranty.

That’s because they’re a trustworthy company in this area. And they have a lot of very good positive reviews from online buyers that you can look over.

In addition, many in the fulltime RVing community have used them for their RVs. Because it helps them manage their RV repair risks and costs.

Now Wholesale Warranties doesn’t just sell you their warranty either. They find the right warranty for you at the right price.

Because they are a broker that works with several warranty companies. And they can help you find the right warranty for your needs.

Conclusion

OK, now those are the suggestions that I feel would help you when buying Covid RVs.

It will help make sure that you get a good RV even if it was built during the Covid years.

So we come back to this question then. Should you even consider a Covid built or pandemic built RV?

Well that’s up to you to decide. But if you follow the guidelines that I gave you here, you will be way ahead of most other used RV buyers.

And most likely you are going to be able to find and buy a good RV from those years.

One that will reward you with many years of good service and happy RV memories.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!