Thinking of Buying an RV? You Need to Hear This First!

Thinking of Buying an RV? You Need to Hear This First!
(EPISODE 281)
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ℹ️ About this episode:
In this episode of LivinRvision, we'll unveil crucial insights you must consider before purchasing your next RV. Struggling to determine the perfect RV type for stress-free and delightful travel experiences? Tune in now for essential guidance!
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#whatrvtobuy #rvinspections #rv #vanlife

[@demadre]

We have been camping for the past 25 years and wouldn’t consider purchasing a new RV without a third party inspector, it’s money well spent. Great video! Thanks and safe travels.

[@chocolatemaninavan1]

I have no idea how I've been looking 6 figure RV's, and getting an inspection didn't even occur to me. Great video and very educational. Nice Grech!

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

I can’t tell you how many high end Class A’s I’ve inspected and found numerous issues. Even on new ones. Even on 7 figure Class A’s 🤯

[@carolmcdaniel7693]

Great info! We are parked next to Steve now! Great guy. Safe travels. ❤❤

[@Grammapro]

What a timely video! I bought a used B+ while on vacation a month ago and had a certified inspector go thru the RV. I ended up with a 70 page report with pics and videos. I was charged about $900 for his services, but the dealer had to pay about $4k to get the RV fixed and they were willing to do so. The inspector contacted me several times to see if the dealer followed up. I feel I have a solid RV now and the inspection was well worth it! Thanks for making everyone aware! It’s so nice to have your home with you wherever you go!

[@LivinRVision]

Thank you for sharing! It’s so good to hear this and know that you realize why we did this video. It’s very important! And we also had the opportunity to help a good friend of ours that is very good at what he does. A win win. 🧡😊🤓

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

That’s so great to hear!! Thank you for sharing that! Enjoy your new coach!

[@mikeweis5925]

A great program that explains an important process in the rv experience. Possibly more important than an extended warranty since warranty work can take so long it’s best not to buy the problem in the first place.

[@terryweis1883]

Great information to pass on, especially to new folk looking to buy an RV. Just like a car purchase, have “Your Own” Mechanic look it over. Before we take off on a trip my husband give our 5th wheel a going over, but you can still have problems and we have. Regardless, we enjoy the traveling and see our country. Save travels to you!

[@frank430316]

Inspections are so important. A good friend, who got us into RV's, bought a new very expensive fifth Wheeler that turned into an absolute nightmare. We love our B van!

[@LivinRVision]

So sorry to hear that. 😔 Always a trade off with each RV, but the Class B has a lot less worries and makes travels so nice. Especially for someone that travels part time.

[@clint6025]

Wish I could give 2 thumbs up on this video for the beneficial insights! Also great meeting you both at the Dallas Rv show. My wife and I enjoyed that very much!

[@LivinRVision]

Glad you found it beneficial! We so enjoyed meeting everyone as well. We were trying to figure out who this is by your KZbin name?

[@lisawright9626]

Inspection good, BUT things do show up after you start using it! Make sure you first pick the best manufacturer who stands behind their product , then do your research on the dealer! Take your time and do the homework!

[@barbaragrazerrobinson1207]

Very informative. Learned about NRVIA and the importance of a certified inspector. The amount of time an typical inspection take never imagined Thanks for sharing

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

Thank you so much! Yes, I always get surprised looks when I tell people how long it takes to do an inspection. I even get those looks from dealerships. That just shows how much more detailed our inspection is versus their PDI.

[@weighit]

I've been following the Blue Ox RV Inspection team on You Tube and have learned so much on what to look for. Still paying for an inspection on our next RV. Good video, thanks

[@jeannestark6293]

Loved your last video in Palm Springs we roll I really like that reminded me when I was a little girl and a scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz his birthday when I was little

[@patmcdaniel9612]

Great informative video. You know our biggest regret is not getting our motorhome inspected. Buying with your heart versus using your head is not the way to do it. If we would ever change rv's in the future, it will be inspected before we agree to buy it. BTW, I think I recognize Steve from somewhere. 😄😄😄

[@LivinRVision]

We can attest to what Pat is saying here. We know them well. They went through A LOT with their NEW rv and has really taken away a lot of the joy. The constant stress when a dealership keeps giving you the runaround in itself is not fun and takes its toll on a person. If you catch some things before the dealership sends you on your way, it forces them to fix them immediately. They unfortunately only seem to care about getting paid. I will tell you this though.

[@patmcdaniel9612]

Thank you my friend

[@jeanknapp6749]

Enjoyed watching your Video! Plus it was seeing you two and Steve! We should have had Steve inspect our 5th wheel while all of us were at the same Camping site! No worries now as we sold it & downsized. PS. Been off social media for a while and won't be on much for a while. Miss all of you!

[@sharonh7153]

We had a deposit on a Class B and arranged for an inspection though the dealer and other people told us we did not need an inspection on a Class B. Well...we backed out of the deal during the inspection as the Firefly control system did not function properly nor did three other systems that were removed from other vans and inserted into the van. Needless to say we were grateful for the inspector and purchased another higher-quality brand after more research and another inspection.

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

That’s so crazy! I’ve seen dealers do that a few times. Thank you for sharing that!

[@BajaGirl302]

I was watching a video on how dealers were doing that , during Covid and supply chain shortages, they would rob the other RV’s to put into other units! Wow. I’m planning on getting a very nice Super C, new or like new. Definitely getting an inspection new or not! Thanks

[@billpitts1034]

That's some great information. I think a lot of people don't think about this. I know that wasn't my first thought. Thanks guys!

[@louiselevasseur7556]

Totally off topic…..but it must be said….Michelle, your hair looks fantastic! 🥰. It’s a real challenge to accomplish that on the road! Oh yeah, and great video. We had an inspection done on our very gently used Winnebago View and it gave us and the seller peace of mind.

[@LivinRVision]

Thank you! 🧡🤓

[@laurakilmer8652]

I havent heard one bad thing that he has found. Oh well. Still like you guys.

[@Banagal]

Just returned from vacation in NY. Great video with excellent information. My dtr & son-in-law bought a new RV, and it's been in for "warranty" repairs before and after each use for 3 years now. What a mess. The builders used some bug-infested materials to build it, and they refused to pay for the exterminators. I would NEVER by a J-..., just saying.

[@LivinRVision]

Wow, what an unfortunate experience they have had. So sorry they are going through that!

[@Cinnamonbagel123]

just a quick suggestion.... check the sound on your videos. I watch quite a few KZbin videos during the week and also at work (Travel videos, camping videos and also home improvement, etc.). To me, it always seems like the sound on your videos are so much lower than all the other videos I watch from different channels. I have never posted a video on KZbin and to be honest I'm not sure how it works but it just seems like yours are always quite a bit lower in volume. On my work computer, I actually had your last video turned up all the way up as loud as it could go. Ok, with that suggestion out of the way..... This is said in 100% kindness.... just a suggestion. I am not a hater or being mean at all. I love your channel and am a subscriber and will remain so. thanks for all the videos and awesome ideas you post and share with us for travel and camping. : -) ☺

[@rvcruising]

Hi Steve, so nice to see you here! 👋 I would totally hire Steve if I ever needed another inspector.

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

Thanks so much!! ☺️☺️

[@g550guy]

my suggestion: be present for the inspection

[@jjones5424]

Great information.....thank you for what you do.

[@laurakilmer8652]

I heard one thing at the end thanks.

[@user-wp7zn8ii5u]

Great video, very useful. Thank you.

[@lindahobbs2136]

Terrific video! Very helpful. Thanks mucho!

[@jamestreanor182]

My inspection turned up on a couple very small cosmetic things

[@craftyclarke2514]

Great idea! I mean you don’t buy a house, new or old without getting an inspection. This should be no different.

[@LivinRVision]

Bingo! 😁🤓

[@garrycollie2135]

Wonder if Covid era built units have more issues than other years. Also, do you think Gretch would allow (pay) for an inspection on your RV as a test case. 😊 Thanks for the Informative episode.

[@LivinRVision]

This has really been a problem with RVs for a long time, regardless of make. I’m sure Grech would, they do an extensive inspection themselves but there will always be something that gets missed with any brand. Human errors happen but more so with certain brands in our opinion.

[@pattidavis8043]

Great advice

[@mikemadden865]

Great video.

[@jimballuff3849]

We have put the numbers up every way possible and owning an RV again They are Money pits. Motels and Resorts are the only way to go. It's simple math... Dividing cost into days used will open your eyes to some hard facts. We Rv'ed for 30 years with several outfits and sold ours 10 years ago. The facts speak for themselves.

[@LivinRVision]

Depends on the cost of the rv, how often you travel, and other factors vs depending on what hotel you use and the cost. We’ve been researching the same thing for a few years now. It’s possible but you may not be happy with some of the beds you have to sleep on as you travel. Sleep is important too. Long term Airbnb could be a better option but then you’re stuck in one place for a while and would need to use your car to travel out to different areas and drive back for bedtime unless you purchased another night stay somewhere. We agree with some can be a money pit, you really get what you pay for in some cases when it comes to an RV. A lot of people don’t care about the cost, they just want to get out and explore our beautiful country while they can and love their life to the fullest…because they can’t take money and things with them where our final destination takes us all. But, some of us have to do what we can to make the best of what we have now. Thanks for sharing. 🧡😊🤓

[@debbiereaves4540]

Back when you had Vinnie, you had a car dolly. I remember you were glad to be rid of it, can you explain why. My husband wants to get one. We have an Blueox now. Thank you

[@LivinRVision]

They are just a total pain to mess with and disconnect if you need to back up in certain situations.

[@glenbolton7333]

Would you get the new Grech RV inspected ?

[@LivinRVision]

Absolutely, which is why we mentioned in the video that even the higher quality RV brands like Grech RV will miss things once in a while OR a component may be faulty and go bad later. These RV companies use a lot of the same equipment, like inverters, AC units, etc etc. not all use the exact same things but many do. In fact, knowing Mr. Grech and the vice president, AJ well, they would encourage people to do so, and this is why. Even though they are very confident in their product quality, the dealerships sell these to the consumer, not Grech…and they want any issue taken care of right away because these dealerships drop the ball on everyone making them wait after the sale. Then, because of the integrity of Grech RV, they take care of the customer even though it is the responsibility of the dealership that sells them. Grech is located in Riverside, CA. Dealerships you purchase from that are supposed to provide customer care after the sale are located in multiple locations. Grech still finds a way to pick up the slack and take care of the customer. We don’t get paid to give kudos to Grech RV nor are we required to. They have not once pressured us. In fact, AJ encourages honesty. That’s why we chose to be ambassadors with them. Hope that wasn’t too much information. 😂

[@talysen1678]

What this tells me is that the majority of people lack the skills to identify even the most basic issues. We have bought 6 rv's through the last 20 years and never had an inspection. Fortunately my husband has electrical, mechanical, and electronic skills. He identified problems and made a determination if they were major or minor. Replacing hot water heaters, invertors, water pumps etc are really not a huge deal if you know what you are doing. In fact can give you negotiating power on price. Most folks are not spending $200k plus, and if they are they have plenty of discretionary income to pay someone $300 to fix a light switch. Or option B, pay thousands for a warranty so your rig can sit in a bay for weeks or months while other problems are created by accident. I really do feel sorry for the gen pop as they are at the mercy of the bottom feeders.

[@LivinRVision]

Not to mention all the things you never think of or fluid testing on used driveable RVs.

[@billnalen]

Nice video

[@MervManalo]

Do you happen to check out the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament while you’re out there?

[@LivinRVision]

We really wanted to, but never got a chance to.

[@stana2z]

IMHO, The RV community needs to more aggressively take the assemblers to task for the bad quality and not cop out with the “It’s an RV, things are supposed to break” “it’s part of RVs”. My 18 year old 200K Mike car, aside from a few cosmetics STILL performs EXACTLY as the day I drove it off the lot. I found a few hits, but these were dealt with while I waited in hours, not weeks. All I’ve done to it is the manufacturer’s scheduled maintenance. Have your friend inspect your van? Planes cars and boats require standardized inspections and certifications BEFORE they can be sold new or used. Why not RVs?

[@LivinRVision]

Most RVs were built much better 18 years ago. Not sure how familiar you are with us and our channel, but we live full-time in this van and do not own it, it’s the 4th one we have tested over 2 years so far. Inspecting the one we have been living in likely won’t do much good, but as we mentioned in this video, we DO recommend getting it inspected if you are buying one like ours just because things happen with any brand. Things can get missed.

[@lynnjudd9036]

Great idea! I think it should be a legal requirement.

[@MonacoMike]

I've only had one experience with a 'certified' inspector that I was trying to set up for a friend who was looking a Class A big rig. We never had an inspection on our pre-owned coach and we were unbelievably lucky. It was our very first RV and extremely naive about every aspect of RV life. I have learned one hell of a lot about it since then though. I got a little involved in helping our friends and was kind of curious as to what was involved getting a coach inspected so when the time comes to be selling our coach I'll know what to expect. This inspector was in Florida as was the coach. He wanted an unknown travel cost plus I think $1.000 to do the inspection (this was 5 years ago. What I found strange was that he wouldn't allow anyone to be there while he did his inspection, neither the seller or the buyer. Needless to say that killed the sale. I would never let some 'stranger' , certified or not, free reign to go through our coach without any oversight. Otherwise how would you know if the inspector was like a bull in a china shop and in the process break something by carelessly manhandling something in a way he shouldn't have.

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

I completely understand how you feel. The advantage of using a NRVIA certified inspector is that we are backed by the code of ethics of the NRVIA. If we don’t do a high-quality inspection, you’re more than welcome to report that inspector to the NRVIA. To be honest, I prefer to not have anybody around while doing the inspection. The reason behind that is because it is a very detailed and thorough job and having somebody there and over your shoulder or asking questions, can be a major distraction, and can cause the inspector to miss something. Typically, when I do my inspections, whether it’s a private seller, or a dealership, no one really bothers me during the inspection. just food for thought.

[@orpettyfamily]

What is the name of the iPad holder you had attached to your steering wheel?

[@LivinRVision]

The laptop or iPad steering wheel desk is on our Amazon store. If you go to LivinRvision.com, click on "Amazon Store" at the top, then in our store, click on "Office" and you will find it there.

[@jeandecker4073]

Does a buyer need to put a deposit down on the RV before they get an inspection?

[@LivinRVision]

If it’s a private party, I would say definitely not but I’ve also never heard of anyone having to put a deposit down first before an inspection at a dealership either. But I guess that could be up to the dealership. I would not put a deposit down if they required it before the inspection just in case they tried keeping your deposit if you decided not to purchase it based on the results. if they are confident in their product, they should have no problem with you doing an inspection first. That’s a great question.

[@MikeCollins-qu1xj]

Would you recommend spending the money on an inspection even if we were buying a new Grech Strada Ion

[@LivinRVision]

Absolutely. You just never know. Sometimes there is a fluke with a component or something happening while the unit is at the dealership. If you catch it before signing papers, the dealership is forced to get it fixed before making the sale, otherwise you may be either waiting a long time or needing to get the manufacturer involved and possibly have to take it to them in Riverside, CA. Once the unit leaves the manufacturer and goes to the dealership, they are the ones selling and responsible for making sure it is in new condition and all things are working. Unfortunately, the dealerships hardly ever put you on their priority list after you have signed paperwork. Chances are, there won’t be anything wrong, but an inspection is a good insurance policy.

[@MikeCollins-qu1xj]

@@LivinRVision Thank you so much for the speedy reply. Will search the group mentioned on your recent video to find an inspector. BTW absolutely love your videos. Just great to get the honest truth about an RV over a lengthy use period…not just a 20minute walk around. Your reviews gave me the confidence to purchase our Grech Strada Ion. Now going to hope over to your Amazon page to see what I need to outfit it with

[@pesto12601]

0:50 - Man.. just look at that RV park JAMed to the gills with people and their RV's... why is that an appealing lifestyle to you? Give me some quiet, open campground with trees, nature and quiet... instead, you get ashpalt, people and outside TV's blaring away... odd.

[@LivinRVision]

A lot of people enjoy the camaraderie of their neighbors and the friends they have made while traveling from Campground to Campground. That is very common with the Thousand Trails membership because a lot of us stay at some of the same campgrounds. Every once in a while, it is nice to have peace and quiet also, but most people do enjoy friendships as well and gatherings to have fun. To each their own though, we wouldn’t tell you that is weird or odd though, because we all enjoy different things in life.

[@pesto12601]

@@LivinRVisionIndeed.. and a good response. THX!

[@lutomson3496]

dont buy an RV in a state that does not honor the lemon laws a lot of those warranties say you have to take it back to the manufacturer like Camping World does in some states like california that honor lemon laws and dont allow camping world to do this there are lawsuits out there you can look up...and a independant PPI on any RV including New dont trust any dealer

[@estherrucci9925]

What do you inspect?

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

All types of RVs, from travel trailers all the up to the high end Class A diesel pushers and everything in between.

[@LivinRVision]

@estherrucci9925 There are many different things that an rv inspector inspects. Each rv will have some of the same things, but different types of RVs will have a very long list of things to check, way too many to have listed on the video.

[@estherrucci9925]

How much do the inspections cost?

[@tuck-n-roll-rvlivin7181]

Costs vary on the type of RV, the components it has, (solar, generator), and size. It can range from $500 up to $1500. Every inspector will have different prices so definitely shop around if you have more than one available in the area.

[@Alamotigergrad]

Love your videos but this was 30 minutes telling us we need an inspection prior to purchase. This felt like an infomercial for Steve’s services & NRVIA. It would have been much more effective if Steve would provide the viewers of examples of common issues to look for. His stories didn’t provide examples of what he found but that the customer was happy with the inspection. This could have easily been a 10 minute video. Again I love your videos and I know you spend hours producing your videos. I just feel this was an opportunity missed.

[@LivinRVision]

Sure wish you were able to be there for the details trying to put this together. Anyway, it’s never about one person when putting these videos together. Usually when people find something that doesn’t help them, then they stop and watch something else. Kinda like watching tv. This was meant to help those that have no idea about these inspections just like we didn’t realize when we first started out. And yes, it was also to help out our friends, Steve and Jenn and their little girl. There is way too many things to look for that would take way too much time to put in a video, especially when you got multiple different types of RVs with multiple different types of things to look for. Even if Steve did start naming things to look for, a lot of things, most people wouldn’t be able to do or don’t have the correct equipment to do the testing. This was just a heads up video to show how important it is to have a full inspection done and not trust an inspection from a bank. As you mentioned, most of our videos, take a long time to do, and our time is as valuable as anyone else’s time. So sorry what we provided wasn’t helpful to you, but remember, there are others too. Not one video of anyone’s is going to help or be interesting to everyone, so making a negative comment like this really doesn’t make sense.

[@geneanuts]

Family member bought a new trailer. Bad water line leak 🥹

[@LivinRVision]

We hope they were able to realize it before taking off with it from the dealer.

[@garythovson2587]

Great info for everyone.🤓😎🥸