FAQ's

  1. You’ve found an RV you’re seriously considering buying! 
  2. Give me a call to ask any questions and to book your pre-purchase inspection. I will need the year, make, and model of the RV as well as the VIN. Please note that I do not hold available dates given without an actual appointment booking. 
  3. On your end, especially for a private sale, you’ll want to confirm that full hookups (water, electric, sewer) will be available and the date and start time work for the seller.
  4. When I book the appointment for you, the software will automatically send over the points of inspection, an agreement, and the invoice for you to review, sign, and pay. Again, feel free to ask any questions.
  5. I will perform the inspection of the RV. Upon arrival I will send you a time stamped picture. I take hundreds of pictures and videos, and spend 4-9 hours on site- depending on the type of RV and level of inspection. Every system is inspected, including water, propane, electrical, and the structure. I welcome sellers meeting me at the beginning and buyers meeting me at the end, though I appreciate time and space to do my best work during the inspection. 
  6. I provide a verbal report to you as I am wrapping up the inspection.
  7. I upload the written report by noon the following day. Essential inspections include around 40 pictures and are often around 50 pages in length. Premier level inspections include 80-100 pictures, including 360* images, and are often around 100 pages in length.
  8. I will be available for a follow up call within a few days of receiving the report.
  9. If you decide to buy- congrats! While I cannot work on your RV for a year following the inspection per the code of ethics, I’d love to stay updated on your adventures with your RV! If you do have any repair work needed, you can find an RV technician near you at https://rvtaa.org/locate/

Independent means I work for you, the client, and not the seller or dealer. As an owner-operator type service, I work directly for the people that hire me to do an inspection- you. My report will provide an unbiased, factual look at the current state of the RV, and is not motivated by the RV being sold. 

The report will give you the information you need. You may decide to ask the seller to lower the price given any repairs to be made, or ask the dealer to make the repairs before the sale (saving you time and money!), or have the info reaffirm your decision to buy! You can even use your report down the road for future maintenance or emergency repairs, showing a snapshot of the history of the RV. 

An extra set of eyes/hands on the RV helps prevent minor issues from becoming major headaches. I occasionally post on social media the things that an NRVIA inspection found that was previously missed. 

There are several different options of RV inspections out there, and I understand how confusing the different options and pricings are. You may hear the dealership say “We do our own inspection” and they do! It’s called a PDI, and it’s focused on life safety issues. There are many great dealerships out there, but would you trust a house seller to do their own inspection before selling to you? Getting an independent RV inspection is just like getting a home inspection before purchase. 

There is a national company that does RV inspections. Their pricing starts at $449….for an 8 page report with one picture generated from an hour or two on site. You can see my pricing and standards here.

The RVTI first level course also certifies an RV technician to “prepare an RV for customer delivery”, the PDI. It’s a 1 week, online course designed for techs who are likely to work at a shop or service center. Having personal experience with this course, it’s valuable information, but in my professional opinion, can’t compare to the 3 weeks of in person training and the standards of practice NRVIA requires. 

For a complete answer, I encourage you to look at the points of inspections I provide. But to step it out:

  • Once an appointment is booked, I do some research prior to arriving on site (looking at the manual, floorplan, brands of the appliances, etc)
  • First thing I do on site is to verify the VIN matches. 
  • I start with some of the life safety checks, and then move onto working my way through all the points of inspection, from the roof, to battery charge, to a propane leak test, and more. 
  • When I am wrapping up on site, I like to call to give a verbal report. 
  • By noon the following day, I upload the completed report for you to view. 
  • I’m available after that for follow up questions.

Motorhomes are naturally a bit more complex than towables, and in both categories, size and complexity ranges widely. For example, just by nature of it’s size, a travel trailer with 2 axles and 1 slide out will take significantly less time than a Class A (the ones that look like a bus) with an engine and multiple axles and slide outs. 

Yes and yes! 

I understand that not everyone has the desire or means to buy a big RV, especially on a first RV. You may also not want an inspection that goes down to the level of detail including the output wattage of the microwave (a Premier level inspection). 

I will always offer an Essential level inspection option, and don’t mind being the more experienced eyes on a smaller camper that other inspectors may pass on inspecting. 

No I don’t. The state requires that the inspection location be a stationary, physical location that primarily works on motor vehicles. My inspections are a completely voluntary/optional service. Feel free to call me if you need recommendations for a inspection location though! The good news is that these annual inspections are very affordable at around $20. 

Same as above, for VA. My pre purchase inspection, while it covers life safety issues, does not fulfill the MD state standards for the registering of your RV. But you can use this link to find a station that does- call first to verify they inspect your class of RV!