A used RV can look great and still have a roof, water, tire, or appliance issue. Give yourself enough time to check the whole unit. Start outside, work your way inside, run the major systems, and finish with the paperwork.
This is the same basic order we use when we go through an RV. It also covers the items highlighted in the TxDMV RV buyer guide.
Bring a few simple tools
- A bright flashlight
- Your phone for photos and notes
- Paper towels for checking suspicious moisture
- A basic outlet tester, if you know how to use it safely
- The listing, stock number, and any answers we have already given you
- Your tow vehicle’s payload label and owner’s manual
Wear clothes that let you look under cabinets and into storage bays. Ask before climbing onto a roof. Some RV roofs are not made to be walked on, and a wet or damaged roof can be dangerous.
1. Make sure the RV and paperwork match
- Check the year, make, model, floorplan, stock number, and vehicle identification number.
- Ask about the title and any lien or title issue.
- Compare the listing with the actual RV.
- Look for the RV’s weight and cargo labels.
- Ask which keys, remotes, manuals, and accessories are included.
- Use TxDMV Title Check if you want to research the vehicle history.
Check the labels on the actual RV. Brochure and website specs can be different because model years and installed options change.
2. Check the roof, seals, and outside walls
- Roof and sealant: Look for cracks, gaps, lifted edges, heavy patches, soft spots, or separated sealant around vents, antennas, skylights, and roof edges.
- Sidewalls: Sight down the walls. Ripples, bubbles, separation, impact damage, or patched areas deserve a closer look.
- Windows and doors: Check the seals, screens, locks, hinges, and the wall or floor below each opening.
- Slides: Look at the seals, roof material, corners, and floor. Watch each slide go all the way out and back in.
- Undercarriage: Look for bent parts, heavy rust, loose material, damaged plumbing, leaks, or signs of a hard impact.
- Storage bays: Open every compartment you can. Check the floor, walls, latches, plumbing, and electrical equipment inside.
- Awning: If the weather and space allow, run it out and back in. Check the fabric, arms, wiring, and mounting points.
Spend extra time around any water stain. It may be an old repaired leak, an active leak, condensation, or a plumbing problem. Ask what caused it and what was done. If the answer is not clear, keep looking before you sign.
3. Look at the tires and running gear
- Read the tire date codes. Good tread does not tell you how old a tire is.
- Look for cracks, bulges, uneven wear, damage, and mismatched tires.
- Check the visible wheels, lug areas, axles, suspension, and brake wiring.
- On a travel trailer, inspect the coupler, tongue jack, safety chains, breakaway cable, and electrical plug.
- On a fifth wheel, inspect the pin box, mounting area, breakaway cable, and electrical plug.
- Check the marker lights, brake lights, and turn signals during a properly arranged test.
We do not choose or hook up your towing equipment. You are responsible for checking truck payload, tow ratings, hitch compatibility, brake-controller operation, and the final hookup.
4. Check inside for water and structural damage
- Walk every part of the floor and feel for softness or movement.
- Look around windows, roof openings, slide corners, cabinets, closets, and outside-wall openings.
- Watch for stains, swollen panel edges, loose wall covering, musty smells, rusted screws, or fresh material that needs an explanation.
- Open cabinets and accessible drawers so you can see the walls and plumbing behind them.
- Check the ceiling and the upper corners where the walls meet the roof.
5. Run the electrical and climate systems
Ask what power source is connected. Some equipment runs on shore power, the 12-volt battery, propane, or a combination.
- Interior and exterior lights
- Battery and battery-disconnect switch
- 120-volt outlets and ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets
- Power cord and 30-amp or 50-amp service
- Air conditioners and thermostats
- Furnace or installed heat source
- Converter, inverter, generator, or solar equipment when included
- Fireplace, television, and other equipment that matters to you
A five-minute test cannot prove how an air conditioner will perform in every temperature. Make a note of what ran, how long it ran, and what could not be tested.
6. Run the plumbing, propane equipment, and appliances
- Water pump and city-water connection
- Faucets, shower, toilet, drains, and visible water lines
- Water heater
- Fresh, gray, and black tank controls
- Refrigerator
- Stove, oven, and microwave
- Propane cylinders, regulator area, and propane appliances
- Outside kitchen and outside shower when equipped
7. Operate the moving parts
- Run every slide all the way out and in. Listen for strain and watch the seals, alignment, floor, and nearby cabinets.
- Operate the leveling or stabilizing equipment the way that RV was designed to use it.
- Check the entry steps, handrails, doors, cabinet latches, roof vents, and skylights.
- Make sure the keys and remotes you expect are included.
Stop if a slide, awning, or jack is struggling. Forcing it can make the problem worse.
8. Finish with the deal in writing
Before you sign, sort every concern into one of three groups:
- Used condition you understand and accept.
- A problem that needs more diagnosis before you decide.
- A repair, replacement, or included item that must be written into the deal.
Also ask what was not tested, whether the RV is being sold as-is, whether optional coverage is available, and when the sale becomes final.
Read what as-is means, then send us the stock number of the RV you want to inspect.
