Travel trailer shopping help?

[sled]

  Everyone who owns a trailer help me out on some things to look for when buying a trailer.
  We are in the market and looked at several this weekend.  most had some kind of water damage.  I guess it could be a wa thing.  Almost think we would be better off buying new if we can afford it.  where is the most common place, and whaere are all the good spotsts to look for water damage.  That is my biggest worry, but what else should I look for?
  Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

[Special T]

Well i would say don't buy one from the west side.... Try AZ or the other side of the state. They have different issues that are related to sun damage but not water damage. I bought a 1970 prowler off whidby island that was in pretty good shape but it was in part of the rain shadow and parked under trees most of its life... trailers on this side need to be parked under cover to keep from getting destroyed. 

[chongo469]

Don't be afraid to ask to have it checked out at a respectable RV place......if they wont let you have it inspected then you probably don't want to buy it........

[JackOfAllTrades]

Find one that is advertised 'stored under cover' all its life.  All RV's will leak some time in thier life. They flex going down the road. The sun breaks down the sealants.  Look for leaks around the vents, fridge/stove breathers and the windows. Look in the upper cupboards for stains at the top corners. Use your nose. If it smells moldy, walk away. Don't buy new though. Trailers are the worst for depreciating up to 25% the day it leaves the dealer. There are a lot of well kept RV's by knowing owners. You just have to be selective.

When we bought our most recent one, we pulled up to find it INSIDE a garage.  (29' Jayfeather) We store it 'mostly' under cover and in the last five years, not a leak at all. -But, I have recalked seams and joints where I've seen anything crack away from other hardware/joints/windows/vents.

-Steve

[rasbo]

no wood frames,one piece top.check out every little detail and make sure everything works...refers are as expensive as household refers,,,look under everything for any problems.After purchase,keep drizit inside,I run a heater with a fan and keep it above freezing inside.If it has an awning open it.

[trophyhunt]

look for brand names that have been in production for a long time.  If you see one for sale and don't recgonize the maker, type the name into nada or some other search engine and see how long it's been around.  Most trailer companies don't last long only a few years, stick with the ones that have been here to stay.  I bought a Skyline 10 years ago and have had no problems with it,  I wouldn't buy anything else.

[JKEEN33]

Again like everyone else said watch for leaks. The four corners and in cabinets are the first place I look. It may look small, but when you tear it out it is a huge mess. i purposely bought a flooded one to rebuild. It's a pretty big job, but turned out pretty nice. I'm not sure the 8 months of work was worth the saving though. I know a lot of people buy from Idaho or the East side. Arizona is not recommended due to the extreme heat. I saw lots of issues when I was living there. The electrical expectancy of a car is 5 years due to the plastic cooking. I would think if a trailer is stored in that heat it will have the same issues.

[medic6]

Water damage is a big no no when buying a trailer. trailers leak but a leak that is not addressed and causes damage is called neglect.  If it's your first trailer buy used but not old.  first thing you should do is walk in and take a big deep breath then stand in doorway and look at the wear it will tell a lot about the owners.  if it is your first trailer expect to upgrade in three years or less.  It takes having one before you know what you like and don't like.  my first trailer was used and everyone after has been new.  Wife and kids love hunting in 36 feet of luxury.

[xxlx7]

I was the manager of Poulsbo RV in mount vernon for awhile until the economy went tits up, NO WATER DAMAGE... IF YOU SEE IT, ITS WORSE.... I watched alot of trailers get their sides tore off because of damage to the frame, insulation issues.. Here's the skinny.. Fiberglass vs stick and tin... Buy fiberglass, easier to repair, and most of the time will have less issues in the long run. Find out if the walls are vac bonded or not, you don't want not, because its a trailer, it shifts and shakes, which makes insullation settle, means heat loss and you don't need that in a trailer. We live in washington, make sure it has a underbelly liner, they do help with rodent issues, and really help when it comes to freezing and heat. Important part.. Price.. If your buying new, travel trailers and motorhomes have the largest mark up of any rec vehicle. If your buying new, remember they own the rv for roughly 30 to 40% of what they are asking. Such as the Ranier 19' advertised for 9995, invoice was 4100 right around there.. The reason, there is no rv buyers guide, or consumer report.. Most rv stores won't let you buy a rig for close to invoice, because they know you don't know what the invoice is. We learned a trick called profit flipping. where you take your profit and hide it and show the customer the blue screen showing a very minor profit, but in reality its still a 4-5 grand profit.. Used, if we were selling it for 10 grand or under, we owned it for 2000 or less. Most of our 5-6 grand rv's, we were really in less than 400, gave alot of customers $1 for their rv, but showed them 2-5 grand due to mark up of the rv.

[elksnout]

One tip that was given to me is to walk around all the doors and windows and gutter trim with a nut driver and check the screws to see if they are tight or will tighten up. If they will not tighten up you can expect the wood underneath to be soft. And bring a flashlite to really check out of sight areas for water stains. You cannot hide them very easily.