Buying a Used RV: Appliance Inspection

Some of the most important and costly maintenance requirements on a used RV can come from appliances such as refrigerators and ovens. When you’re looking into buying a used RV, it’s necessary to do a close inspection of these components, so Dave Solberg teaches you how to check each appliance on a unit for potential upgrades and maintenance work prior to buying a used RV.

During your inspection before buying a used RV, you’ll want to go step by step through all major and minor appliances to decide what you’ll need to upgrade, what you can get rid of and what could just use a deep cleaning. For instance, with refrigerators, it can be difficult to tell whether the unit is cooling properly and when it might be backed up, so it’s recommended that you hire a refrigerator specialist to do a further inspection of the unit’s components.

Similarly, when buying a used RV with an outdated stovetop and oven system, experts will suggest upgrading older models to those that are more modern and more efficient. However, you might want to test out the vehicle for a short period before making upgrading decisions. After buying a used RV, if you find that you’ve been on the road for a few weeks and you haven’t actually touched your oven, consider simply using it for storage space and not worrying about an upgrade. Additionally, you should check all burners and knobs to make sure everything fires properly.

As for appliances such as generators, air conditioning units and water heaters, it’s highly recommended when buying a used RV that you fully test these types of units. Monitor any compressors and filters, and let the the units run for a bit to make sure they not only start but maintain power and efficiency. Lastly, if you see that a generator has been used extensively, have a technician take a look to see if it needs to be upgraded.