Hi Cathy,

I think this is such a critical topic for anyone buying a used rig and for everyone else who has had their rig for a long time.  I know lots of people buy used and some that are REALLY used and travel years without major incident, but I have seen just enough tragic and near-tragic issues to convince me to buy new when we are ready in 2015. And then to have regular system checks even when everything is working fine.  

Just a couple weeks ago I was at a rest stop in Oregon and there was a 5'er on a tow truck.  The whole middle section (kitchen) was gutted by fire. The owner was talking to some folks and his spouse was in their truck with two dogs.  I don't know when the fire happened but they were both still shook up pretty bad.  He said the fire department told him it looked like someone had used masking tape to repair some wiring behind the stove area.  He couldn't believe someone would do that (right?!) but was really beating himself up because he didn't spend the money to get the used rig inspected before they bought it.  Of course the "What if we had been sleeping in there?" and "What if we had left the dogs?" questions were repeated a couple times.  My kids were tent camping with friends last year when they heard this loud noise.  They looked at the small motorhome camped behind them and the refrigerator had fallen through the floor of the rig!  They learned the next day that it had been leaking slowly for years and the floor had rotted - AND it was not original to the unit so the metal reinforcement straps had been removed so it would fit. I'm guessing an inspection might have found that...... It could just have easily fallen through while they were driving down the road .

I'm glad to hear inspectors go through a rigorous certification program and while I'm not a proponent of legislating safe practices, I hope more folks will be responsible "home owners" to avoid serious mishaps!!

Jodee

I know from first hand experience that even new rigs can have serious problems. That wiring fix behind the stove done with masking tape could have just as easily happened at a factory as by the first owner. Some manufacturers pay little to no attention to what ends up being hidden behind walls. ceilings or in an underbelly. Sometimes they don't pay attention to things that are right in front of your face, but won't be discovered until you put water it the tank and try running a faucet or two. Our current used 5er was supposedly inspected by a certified mechanic, and myself using RV Consumer's Group guidelines, and we both didn't find that there was some dried 'stuff' in the black tank until I took it out and used it. (Three bags of ice cubes, some water and a 100 mile trip solved that one.) It also passed the Virginia safety inspection, but I found one marker light not working (corroded connection) after towing it home.

Bottom line, these things can be incredibly complex and difficult to make certain everything is working correctly until you've taken it out a couple of times and used everything in every possible mode. Being certified can help, but that won't mean everything's been checked out - they can't unless they live in it for a bit.

Good information.  I am new here and have recently attended the NRVIA training.  After 25 years of owning various types of RVs, I was very pleased to be able to learn how to properly inspect the integrity of the RV systems from a Master RVIA Technician.  I can see only positives from this type of training, for myself and for those who pay for an inspection on an RV.  AS well, the time necessary to complete the arranged inspection protocol should take longer than a couple of hours on a typical fifth wheel or motorhome.

As the cost of these vehicles continues to escalate, and so does the number of people that are using them as their residences, it only makes sense to inspect them the same as a stick built home.  They each have similar systems that need to have periodic maintenance done, and if you have it inspected, then you(or your bank) will know if that maintenance was done and if repairs or necessary maintenance replacements were completed on time.  These rolling houses incur wear due to their use and as such need components replaced/repaired/maintained on a periodic basis.  A comprehensive inspection by trained personel can provide the information for you to decide to forge ahead with a significant purchase. 

I suppose the quality of the inspection will depend on many factors including how involved the owner is in the inspection(distracting the inspector can have adverse effects), how competent the inspector is, if the rig is capable of operating on all systems so that all systems can be inspected, how thorough the inspection report is(I know that the inspection template is VERY thorough) and other factors such as these will certainly impact the overall objectivity of the report that is received by the customer after the inspection is complete.  I know that this system can only help the RVs on the road to become safer over time and hopefully mishaps like the fire in the trailer will be significantly reduced.  Keep in mind that the inspector is a skilled individual who provides an inspection of those systems, not someone who knows or should know how to repair those systems.  The repair is another step in the process handled by other qualified individuals.  The inspector is a skilled observer of the systems.  I am excited to be able to participate in helping other to know what the safety of their RVs systems is.  I see huge potential for the improving of the safety of my neighbors.

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Jesse