Specialty · Recreational Vehicles

RV Pre-Purchase Inspection

Independent RV pre-purchase inspection: house systems, slide-outs, roof integrity, generator, LP, drivetrain. 60+ photos, road test, itemized report in 24 hours.

Specialty · Recreational Vehicles

A used RV is two vehicles in one — a chassis and a house. Both fail in different ways and both need a trained eye before money changes hands.

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Why a rv inspection is different

A $40K motor home buys you a 30-year-old roof, a generator no one has run in two years, and a slide-out mechanism that costs $4K to fix when it goes. Standard pre-purchase checklists are designed for cars. RVs need someone who knows the difference between cosmetic delamination and structural rot.

Scope note: We do not climb on the roof. Roof condition is documented via photos taken from a ladder edge and from inside the cabin. Structural roof concerns flag for a follow-up RV-specific shop visit.

How a rv inspection runs

Five-step process from booking to report. Type-specific — what we do on a rv is different from a passenger-vehicle pre-purchase.

Pre-visit document review
Before the inspector leaves the shop we review what the seller has on file: house-systems schematic, generator hours log, slide-out service history, roof recaulk dates, axle service records, and any insurance claims. Gaps in the paperwork shape what gets extra time on-site.
Exterior, roof line, and seam survey
Walk-around with macro photos of every roof seam, slide-out perimeter, window frame, and storage-bay gasket. Roof itself documented from a ladder edge plus interior cabin (staining, soft spots, fastener pulls). Sidewall delamination check via tap-test and oblique light.
Live house-systems test under load
Genset cold-start, warm-up, run under rooftop A/C load. All slide-outs extend and retract while we monitor motor draw and seal contact. LP leak test at every fitting. Water system pressurized; pump cycle and water-heater ignition checked. 120V shore power polarity + every outlet.
Chassis, drivetrain, and road test
Motor home only: engine cold-start, transmission shift quality, brake feel, steering pull, OBD-II scan with stored codes and readiness monitors. Underbody, frame rails, and holding tanks inspected from a creeper. Road test where DMV registration and seller permission allow.
Photo-documented PDF report in 24 hours
Within 24 hours of the visit you receive a PDF and a web-viewable report: 60+ captioned photos, defect list with severity ratings, recommendations for follow-up shop estimates, and a punch list of items to negotiate or walk away from.

What we inspect

Every rv inspection covers the items below. Add-ons (e.g. paint-thickness mapping, generator load test) available on request.

Exterior body panels, sealants, and seam integrity
Roof condition (photos from ladder edge + interior cabin)
All slide-outs: extend, retract, seal contact, motor draw
Awnings: fabric condition, retraction motors, mounting brackets
Tires: tread depth, sidewall age (DOT date), spare condition
Underbody, frame rails, and chassis cross-members
Holding tanks: black, gray, fresh — visible inspection for leaks/damage
LP system: regulators, lines, leak test at fittings
Generator: start, run under load, hour meter, oil/fuel state
Onboard inverter, battery bank, charge controller (where present)
Water system: pump, water heater, lines for soft spots
120V shore power: all outlets, breakers, polarity test
HVAC: A/C compressor, furnace ignition, vent integrity
Appliances: fridge (LP + electric modes), stove, microwave, oven
Drivetrain (motor home): engine, transmission, brakes, steering
Road test where seller permits + DMV/insurance allows
Live OBD-II scan + stored codes (motor home)
Documented walk-around with 60+ photos

What we actually find on these

Patterns from real inspections. Not a checklist — these are the items inspectors flag most often, and the cost of missing them.

Roof seam separation at slide-out corners

Often invisible from ground level; first sign is interior staining at the slide-out ceiling line. Recaulking is $400 if caught early, $4,000+ if water has reached the wood substrate and rotted the roof decking.

Slide-out motor pulling high amps

Worn rollers or out-of-square frame force the motor to drag on every cycle. Owners notice "slow slide" and ignore it. By the time the motor seizes, you are replacing rails and motor together — $1,800–3,500.

Generator with hours but no recent service

Onan and similar gensets need oil + filter every 150 hours and a load-test annually. Sitting unused is worse than running. We check hour meter against last service sticker; mismatch flags carb rebuild ($300–800) or worse.

LP regulator past 10-year service life

Date-stamped on the body. Past 10 years it is industry-recommended replacement regardless of function — $120 part, $200 installed. Insurance carriers can deny LP-fire claims on out-of-spec regulators.

Soft spot in the floor near the entry door

Step-well water intrusion is the #2 RV moisture path after the roof. Walking the floor with weight transfer reveals it. Small soft spots are $600–1,200; full floor pull is $5K+.

Tire sidewall age past 7 years (regardless of tread)

DOT date stamp is on the sidewall. RV tires age out before they wear out — sidewall blowouts at highway speed are catastrophic. Set of six replaced is $1,500–3,000 depending on size.

Water heater anode rod consumed

Suburban / Atwood units use a magnesium anode that protects the tank. Sellers rarely replace it. Consumed anode means the tank itself is corroding next — $30 part vs $700 tank replacement.

Fridge running on 120V but not LP (or vice versa)

Dometic / Norcold absorption fridges fail in one mode first. Sellers test the working mode and skip the other. Cooling-unit replacement is $1,200–2,000 — a number that often kills the deal entirely.

Awning fabric UV-degraded with mount-bracket corrosion

A torn awning is cosmetic; a corroded mount is structural and can fail at highway speed. Replacement awning is $400–900; bracket-only repair is rare because corrosion is usually system-wide.

60+ photos

Photos delivered

24 hr

Report turnaround

Itemized

Defect log + severity

Independent

No dealer affiliations

Photo-documented PDF + web view, delivered within 24 hours of the on-site visit.

Who runs your inspection

Our RV inspectors come from RV-dealer service backgrounds or have 10+ years on Class A/B/C and 5th-wheel platforms. They know LP code, genset wear patterns, and the difference between cosmetic delamination and structural rot in a sidewall. We dispatch by RV type — a Class B inspector is a different person than a Class A inspector. NRVIA-credentialed inspectors are available where geography allows; where not, the inspector’s dealer-service history is documented in the report header so you know exactly who walked the unit.

When buyers book this

Used Class A or Class C purchase from a private seller
Out-of-state Class B / camper-van pickup before a long drive home
Trailer (5th-wheel, travel trailer, toy hauler) under $50K

Buying from out of state

Out-of-state buyers are roughly 60% of our RV inspections — typical flow is auction or private-party purchase from another state, with the buyer flying or driving in for pickup. We schedule the inspection 5–7 days before pickup so you have time to negotiate findings or back out before booking transport. For 5th-wheels and travel trailers we coordinate access directly with the seller, since these often live behind a dealer gate or on private property. The report lands in your inbox before you book a flight, and we will get on a call with you to walk through the worst three findings if anything looks deal-breaking.

How rv pricing works

RV inspections start at $549 for Class B, camper vans, and travel trailers under 25 ft; $649 for Class A and 5th-wheels; $749+ for diesel pushers and lot-pickup multi-unit dealer inspections. Pricing is set by complexity (genset hours, slide-out count, drivetrain layout) — not by retail price. Booking confirms a quote, and the final invoice can adjust within 10% if on-site discovery surfaces extra systems (second slide, generator the listing did not mention, etc.).

Frequently asked

Do you climb on the roof?

We document roof condition from ladder edge and from the inside of the cabin (look for staining, soft spots, fastener pulls). We do not walk the roof. If we see anything that suggests structural concern, we flag it for an RV-specialist shop follow-up before you commit.

Will you run the generator?

Yes — we start the genset, let it warm up, run a load (typically the rooftop A/C), and document hour meter, exhaust color, and oil/fuel state. We do not perform a full load-bank test; that requires a generator shop.

Will you run the slide-outs?

Every slide gets a full extend-and-retract cycle. We monitor motor amperage, listen for binding, photograph the seal contact line, and check for any wall-flex during travel-position lock. We do not run slides if we see structural concern that could be made worse.

Do you check the awnings?

Yes. Manual and electric. We deploy each awning, photograph fabric condition, verify retraction motor function, and inspect every mounting bracket for corrosion or sheared fasteners. Awning condition is in the report; cost-to-replace is left for an RV shop to quote.

Can you do a power-pedestal / shore-power test?

Yes — full 30A or 50A shore-power cord test, polarity check, every interior outlet under load, and breaker function. Where the seller will not provide a 50A pedestal we note it in the report and recommend confirming at delivery.

How long does an RV inspection take?

Two to four hours on-site for a Class A or larger 5th-wheel. Smaller travel trailers and camper vans run 90 minutes to two hours. Report PDF lands within 24 hours.

How is this different from your Gold tier?

Gold is a road-going passenger-vehicle scope: drivetrain, body, electronics, road test. RV scope adds the entire house: roof + slide-outs + LP + genset + holding tanks + 120V system + appliances. Different inspector pool, longer on-site time, larger photo set.

What if you find something major mid-inspection?

We call you on the spot. If the finding kills the deal (frame rot, full roof saturation, dead genset under load), we stop the clock — you pay only for time on-site, not the full report — and you walk away with photo evidence and a written summary.

Do you do follow-up inspections after I close?

Yes — 30/60/90-day post-purchase re-inspections on items that were "watch list" at original visit (slow leaks, marginal genset, etc.). Discounted rate when booked alongside the original inspection.

What about house-system warranties or items beyond your scope?

Items beyond our scope (roof load testing, internal generator overhaul, hidden wall delamination) are flagged in the report with a recommendation to get an RV-specialty shop estimate before you close.