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How to buy a used motorhome in the USA
Comprehensive guide
Buying a motorhome was one of the coolest ideas in our lives. If you are thinking of doing the same, then congratulations from the bottom of my heart!
The USA is just a storehouse of motorhomes. This type of recreation is very popular here and there is an excellent infrastructure for it: campgrounds, wide roads, a bunch of national parks, specialty stores, services, parking, etc.
If you are planning a long trip across the American continent, often come here and like to relax in nature, then buying a motorhome can be a good investment. And you will have your own corner in the USA, even if it is movable, all the better.
The USA is just a storehouse of motorhomes. This type of recreation is very popular here and there is an excellent infrastructure for it: campgrounds, wide roads, a bunch of national parks, specialty stores, services, parking, etc.
If you are planning a long trip across the American continent, often come here and like to relax in nature, then buying a motorhome can be a good investment. And you will have your own corner in the USA, even if it is movable, all the better.
Types of motorhomes
Motorhomes are divided into motorized and trailers.
Motorized vehicles, in turn, are:
Class A — buses. Big and comfortable, but voracious.
Class B — minivans, suitable for a couple.
Class C is a so—called alcove mobile home, which has a sleeping space above the cabin. Perhaps the most successful option for traveling with a group of 4−6 people or a family. We will focus on them in more detail.
Motorized vehicles, in turn, are:
Class A — buses. Big and comfortable, but voracious.
Class B — minivans, suitable for a couple.
Class C is a so—called alcove mobile home, which has a sleeping space above the cabin. Perhaps the most successful option for traveling with a group of 4−6 people or a family. We will focus on them in more detail.
Getting to know the topic
1. Seeing it in real life
*RV (recreational vehicle) — that's what they call motorhomes in the States, to a lesser extent they use motorhome.
Before proceeding to the search, it is better to go to a major dealer to see the motorhome firsthand, touch it with your hands and lie on the crib.
You type RV* dealer into Google, find the nearest one with the most good reviews, and go there.
Here you can see a wide variety of models in a variety of modifications. You will have an idea of what you want and what kind of house you need.
If you've never traveled in an RV, it's a good idea to rent a house for a few days. Get to know each other better and make sure in practice that this is exactly for you.
I wrote in detail about how to rent a motorhome here.
We also rent mobile homes all over Russia. Follow the link for details
You type RV* dealer into Google, find the nearest one with the most good reviews, and go there.
Here you can see a wide variety of models in a variety of modifications. You will have an idea of what you want and what kind of house you need.
If you've never traveled in an RV, it's a good idea to rent a house for a few days. Get to know each other better and make sure in practice that this is exactly for you.
I wrote in detail about how to rent a motorhome here.
We also rent mobile homes all over Russia. Follow the link for details
2. Setting the criteria
Budget
I’ll guide you on the prices of a used class C.
I would say that it is realistic to buy a motorhome that does not require any serious investments and will easily last faithfully for several more years, starting at $ 12,000.
Such options are not uncommon. These will be motorhomes built in 1995−2000.
For example, our 1995 Ford Tioga Montara motorhome cost $ 9,000 to repair the box. We lived there for six months and traveled from the USA to Panama, having covered 8000 km. We have not experienced any major problems other than repairing the box at the beginning.
One of our friends traveled around Mexico for six months in a 1986 mobile home that he bought for $ 4,000. And also without any special excesses.
Always set limits.
Let’s say you have $ 20,000, then you can consider options ranging from $ 15,000 to $ 25,000. In this case, there will be a greater vision and understanding of the market. Plus, there is almost always the possibility of bargaining.
I would say that it is realistic to buy a motorhome that does not require any serious investments and will easily last faithfully for several more years, starting at $ 12,000.
Such options are not uncommon. These will be motorhomes built in 1995−2000.
For example, our 1995 Ford Tioga Montara motorhome cost $ 9,000 to repair the box. We lived there for six months and traveled from the USA to Panama, having covered 8000 km. We have not experienced any major problems other than repairing the box at the beginning.
One of our friends traveled around Mexico for six months in a 1986 mobile home that he bought for $ 4,000. And also without any special excesses.
Always set limits.
Let’s say you have $ 20,000, then you can consider options ranging from $ 15,000 to $ 25,000. In this case, there will be a greater vision and understanding of the market. Plus, there is almost always the possibility of bargaining.
Year of release
In principle, this parameter depends on the price. Also, use ranges of 5−10 years when searching.
*The relevance of prices was verified in November 2021
*The relevance of prices was verified in November 2021
Year of release
1970-1990
$2000-$10000
Year of release
1985-1995
$5000-$15000
Year of release
1995-2005
$10000-$25000
Year of release
2000-2010
$15000-$35000
Year of release
2005-2015
$25000-$45000
Year of release
2010-2020
$40000-$70000
Year of release
новые
от $70000
Size
To understand the dimensions, here is a table for you.
3. When choosing the size of a motorhome,
it is important to understand:
- How many people will travel?The table above will help you here.
- Where will the route run?The United States has large spaces, roads, and parking lots. There are no problems with the size of the motorhome here. We traveled through Mexico and Central America in a 24-foot house. It occupies a little more than one and a half parking spaces in length. If it were bigger, for example, 26−27 feet, we would have encountered a lot of difficulties driving through the center of some colonial cities. Also, the longer the house, the higher the risk of hitting the bottom of the back of the motorhome when descending or ascending a steep hill.
You can read about the features of driving a motorhome here. - How much time will you spend at the motorhome?This is important because when people stay together in a confined space for a long time, emotional fatigue accumulates faster. We mixed overnight stays at an airbnb motor
home with camping trips. Accordingly, the more time you spend in the house, the more space it is desirable to have. - LayoutDecide which layout you like, and which one is definitely not suitable.
The location inside largely depends on the size of the house. In large motorhomes (over 27 feet), there is a bedroom in the back, which is actually a separate room.
In medium-sized motorhomes, you can also find options with a bed in the back. That’s exactly what we had. We hung up the curtain, thereby dividing the space of the motorhome into two parts. Here, the entrance is located in front of the house. If the entrance door is located at the back, then there will be a toilet/bath or kitchen along the entire back wall. With this layout, it will no longer be possible to divide the space.
Searching
In which states is it better to look for an RV?
America is a huge country and there are thousands of motorhomes on sale in every state.
The motorhomes that were used in the Southern part of the country, where there are no negative temperatures and snow, are in the best condition. Less temperature fluctuations, less wear. In the states of the east coast, where hurricanes and floods are frequent, it is worth being careful not to buy a "drowned man".
The motorhomes that were used in the Southern part of the country, where there are no negative temperatures and snow, are in the best condition. Less temperature fluctuations, less wear. In the states of the east coast, where hurricanes and floods are frequent, it is worth being careful not to buy a "drowned man".
The simple way
- Go to dealers of used motorhomes. The main thing is that the seller has a lot of good reviews. Everything is simple here. The dealer will also do the registration for you. Dealers usually try not to take old motorhomes for sale, so it makes sense to search here with a budget of $ 25,000 or more. Dealers post their offers on the two largest sites dedicated to the sale of RV https://www.rvtrader.com / and https://www.rvt.com / (from Russia, these sites only open with a VPN)
- Buy from a rental company. America’s largest distributor https://www.cruiseamerica.com. Prices here start from $ 40,000 for a 3- to 5—year-old RV — it’s cheap. However, the mileage of the car is likely to be more than 100,000 miles.
An adventurous path — chasing luck.
Here we are talking about how to manage to buy a good house at a low price from a private owner. Now let’s take a closer look, because we have experienced this method ourselves.
We were looking for our motorhome for almost 3 months, because we wanted to buy a good house cheaply, and we were new to this topic. Such options were available only once a week. And they were being hunted by a lot of people.
We traveled literally across America to get the RV we wanted, and several times it went out from under our noses.
The laws of the market work here:
Did you find a cool offer that you posted a couple of hours ago? Consider that you are not the first caller. And the probability that you will have it in the neighboring area tends to zero.
What does a cool option mean? This is a motorhome owned by an elderly married couple (this is an unspoken quality mark in the USA), nurtured and cherished it, drove it several times a year and took it to the service like clockwork. Add to the ideal condition a price just below the market, and you have a few minutes to make an appointment first.
If you are already in the USA, then outline the radius where you will be ready to go for a motorhome. For example, we were looking in an area 500 miles from San Francisco, where we lived. It takes 7−8 hours by car. Plus, we included major cities in neighboring states in the search: Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego; where it was possible to fly quickly and relatively cheaply.
We were looking for our motorhome for almost 3 months, because we wanted to buy a good house cheaply, and we were new to this topic. Such options were available only once a week. And they were being hunted by a lot of people.
We traveled literally across America to get the RV we wanted, and several times it went out from under our noses.
The laws of the market work here:
Did you find a cool offer that you posted a couple of hours ago? Consider that you are not the first caller. And the probability that you will have it in the neighboring area tends to zero.
What does a cool option mean? This is a motorhome owned by an elderly married couple (this is an unspoken quality mark in the USA), nurtured and cherished it, drove it several times a year and took it to the service like clockwork. Add to the ideal condition a price just below the market, and you have a few minutes to make an appointment first.
If you are already in the USA, then outline the radius where you will be ready to go for a motorhome. For example, we were looking in an area 500 miles from San Francisco, where we lived. It takes 7−8 hours by car. Plus, we included major cities in neighboring states in the search: Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego; where it was possible to fly quickly and relatively cheaply.
Where to look?
https://www.craigslist.org / — your loyal friend in the search for a used RV. This is the largest resource with private ads in the USA. Although it looks antediluvian, everything is simple here. We will analyze in detail how the site works, since 95% of all the options we viewed were from here.
Instruction manual
Register on the website.
Find the craigslist of the city or region where you will be looking for a motorhome.
How to greatly simplify the search on craigslist read here
Tap "for sale/rvs+camp".
Check the boxes "has image" — so that with pictures and "bundle duplicates" — so that the ads do not repeat.
You can include neighboring territories to search for "include nearby areas" or indicate the search radius from the zip code of your location in the United States.
Set the search parameters: the price range and the class of motorhomes.
The rest can be ignored.
Save your search parameters to "save search" and bookmark the page.
Set up e-mail notifications.
When a new ad appears, you will receive an email. Or check the website several times a day. Remember that a good option can slip away in just a few minutes.
If you're ready to fly to another state, repeat the entire Craigslist process for that city
You can also search on:
https://www.rvtrader.com/
https://www.rvt.com/
However, there are much fewer ads from private companies here.:
Also, if you have facebook market active, you can search there.
https://www.rvtrader.com/
https://www.rvt.com/
However, there are much fewer ads from private companies here.:
Also, if you have facebook market active, you can search there.
Scammers
If you see an ad that is much lower than the market in price, they are most likely scammers.
You are only interested in a personal meeting and inspection of the RV with the owner. Everything else, when the car is stored somewhere on ebay, the owner is currently undergoing duodenal surgery and he is urgently selling, so the motorhome is so cheap - it's definitely a divorce!
Don't even waste your time on such ads.
If you see an ad that is much lower than the market in price, they are most likely scammers.
You are only interested in a personal meeting and inspection of the RV with the owner. Everything else, when the car is stored somewhere on ebay, the owner is currently undergoing duodenal surgery and he is urgently selling, so the motorhome is so cheap - it's definitely a divorce!
Don't even waste your time on such ads.
Buying
We found an option — we're calling.
Keep in mind that Americans love voicemail and SMS. And not Whatsapp, but SMS in the old-fashioned way, and they will send you photos there. They may even not pick up the phone on purpose, so that they can find out later what you wanted in a voice message. So if you can’t get through, feel free to say a voice message and then duplicate the SMS.
Some listings are packed with details, while others have barely any info.
Before driving out to inspect an RV, we need to know:
Before driving out to inspect an RV, we need to know:
- Who is the owner listed in the Title?Is this the person you’re talking to? If not, will the owner personally attend the meeting? Why this is important and how to register a car in the USA can be read here.
- How long has he owned a motorhome?The longer it takes, the bigger and more reliable the story you can get.
- How many owners were there and in which states was it used?As for the number of owners, everything is clear here, according to the states — it is better if the motorhome does not tolerate wintering.
- How often was it used and where did you go?It is very important that the house goes from time to time — the movement is life. If the RV has been idle for more than a year, the materials will crumble, deteriorate, rust.
- Why are they selling?
Moving on to the details.
- We ask the question directly: are there any problems?
- Is there anything that needs to be fixed or needs to be repaired over the next 10,000 miles?
- Are there leaks now and have there been any in the past?If so, where exactly and what damage was caused to the house. It would be nice to get some pictures. The most important thing is that there is no rotting of the case.
- When was the last time the roof was sealed?
- Do all devices work inside the home (amenities)?
- Is there a generator?
- When did the tires change?A set of 6 wheels (with two pairs of wheels on the Class C rear axle) can cost $ 1,200-$ 1,800, so if the tires are more than 5−7 years old and the tread height leaves much to be desired, it’s worth keeping this figure in mind.
- Was the engine and gearbox replaced?If not, when were the major repairs carried out? If not, when was the last time. maintenance and what was done on them?
We're asking the magic open-ended question:
What else should I know about your motorhome before buying?
Would the owner mind taking a test drive and rolling down to the mechanic?
If you have nothing to hide, you usually don’t mind.
You can also ask for a video review or video call, especially if you have to travel far to view it.
Would the owner mind taking a test drive and rolling down to the mechanic?
If you have nothing to hide, you usually don’t mind.
You can also ask for a video review or video call, especially if you have to travel far to view it.
Additional features that might come with an RV/motorhome
Slide out
These are sliding walls, they create additional space in the house for the duration of the stop. It’s a cool thing, it appears on models from 2000, but there may be additional leaks.
Solar panels
It’s a very useful thing, especially if you travel as savages outside the United States. Electricity is always with you.
Much more!
With used motorhomes, you can inherit a lot of useful things: tables and chairs for camping, tools, hoses, extension cords, spare parts, etc.
What should I do if you are not in the USA?
Do you have any friends or acquaintances in America? You can ask them to go look at it and buy it. Armed with a phone, they can also show you everything on video.
Do you have any friends or acquaintances in America? You can ask them to go look at it and buy it. Armed with a phone, they can also show you everything on video.
We're making an appointment
Let’s find out if there is anyone else who is going to see the house in front of you. If you feel that this is your option, offer to hold it up to you. There’s a law in America that says whoever gives the money first gets a ride. We once traveled from Alabama to Arizona for three days behind the house, and two hours before arrival, the owner sold it. At the same time, he honestly warned us that he would not keep us under control.
Therefore, it is important to make a clear agreement, especially if you are traveling far away. We mention that we are traveling with cash on hand and if everything is OK with the house, we will pick it up immediately.
Therefore, it is important to make a clear agreement, especially if you are traveling far away. We mention that we are traveling with cash on hand and if everything is OK with the house, we will pick it up immediately.
Inspection
Housing assessment
- We go around the RV from all sides and look for bulges on the walls.
- They usually occur at the joints of the roof and walls. It's better to look at the sun. If there are large swellings, it means that water got into the wall. We need to look inside. We mark these places for ourselves.
- We look at the seams on the corners.
- It is important that they do not show through.
- We climb onto the roof.
- In most cases, you will come across an EPDM roof. This means that there is a layer of thin rubber on top of it. It is important that the surface is smooth, without bulges and waves. No holes, cracks or tears. The places along the edges must be sealed.
- Let's go inside.
- We look at the walls from the inside and those places that seemed bulging when viewed from the outside. We tap them and the walls near the ceiling along the perimeter. If you feel or hear a dry crack when tapping or pressing on the wall, it means that there was water damage in this place. If the site is small and there are no leaks now, then it is quite possible to live with it. But if you come across a soft or slightly damp place, consider that
We check the functionality of household appliances.
It is important that you have an electrical connection or a generator running for verification.
Just take it and turn it on in order.
Just take it and turn it on in order.
- Refrigerator (powered by gas and electricity) if the check light is off, then everything is ok. Wait 30 minutes until it gets cold.
- Air conditioner — turn on and wait for half a minute until the infernal cold blows.
- Stove — ignite the burners.
- The stove is powered by gas, and it also takes half a minute for warm air to blow out.
- The microwave is clear.
- Water heater — you need to wait 20 minutes here.
- Water pump — just turn on the water.
- Generator — start it up and enjoy the rattling.
- If there is a slide out, then push and slide
- Solar panels — plug something into an outlet.
We proceed to the inspection of the car.
- We look under the car and look for traces of oil stains on the engine and gearbox. If there is, it is an alarming sign.
- We open the hood and look at the condition of the belts and nozzles.
- We pull out the engine oil dipstick, check the level and look at the transparency of the oil. It will most likely be black if it hasn't been changed for a long time. We apply it to the nail, if the nail is visible, then the engine wear is normal.
- We pull out the transmission dipstick. We smell the liquid, if there is a burnt smell, then this is a bad sign.
- When we start, we listen to how smoothly the engine is running.
- We're putting a load on the engine. We turn on the headlights, the air conditioner is on full. We're listening to how it works.
- We check the rest of the electrics. Power windows, headlights, etc.
- We start and turn off several times.
Let's go for a test drive
It’s best to test the vehicle in different modes.
- First, drive slowly over bumps to listen to the suspension.
- Check the steering rack by making full turns.
- Test the engine power—find a steep hill and see how the RV climbs it.
- Verify the parking brake (hand/foot) works.
- Shift through gears (2nd and 1st). Test reverse.
- Take it on the highway and accelerate firmly to observe high-speed handling.
You can also involve professionals in the verification process.
There are certified RV inspectors available—you can find them here or contact a dealership.
The inspection cost for just the living unit averages $ 250-$ 400.
For the entire RV (living unit + chassis), expect $ 500-$ 700.
You can also hire a mechanic to inspect only the automotive part (takes 1–2 hours). Labor rates vary by state: $ 80-$ 120. Remember: The first to bring cash takes the RV. Owners rarely agree to drive 30–50 km to a shop if they have other potential buyers lined up.
Your best option is to find a mechanic willing to inspect it on-site with you
The inspection cost for just the living unit averages $ 250-$ 400.
For the entire RV (living unit + chassis), expect $ 500-$ 700.
You can also hire a mechanic to inspect only the automotive part (takes 1–2 hours). Labor rates vary by state: $ 80-$ 120. Remember: The first to bring cash takes the RV. Owners rarely agree to drive 30–50 km to a shop if they have other potential buyers lined up.
Your best option is to find a mechanic willing to inspect it on-site with you
It’s important to remember that you’re buying a used RV, and it can’t be perfect in every way—minor flaws are completely normal. And if it passes the test—congratulations, you’ve found a good one.
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