RV pre-purchase inspection
You are buying a vehicle and a house. Have both inspected.
A vetted RV inspector photographs every roof seam, cycles the slide-outs and runs the generator under air-conditioning load where the seller allows, leak-tests the propane, pressurises the water system, and on motorhomes road-tests the chassis where permitted — then sends you an itemised photo report within 24–48 hours of the visit. Flat $499, travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and motorhomes alike.
Why a used RV is not a used car with a bed in it
The problems that cost the most on a motorhome or trailer are not in the engine bay. They are in the seams, the mechanisms, and the systems nobody ran before you showed up.
Half of what you are buying is a house
The engine and chassis are the part a normal pre-purchase checklist understands. The roof, the slide-outs, the generator, the propane system, the water lines, and the house electrical are the part that is expensive to fix and easy to miss behind a fresh interior.
Water finds the seams first
Roof seams, slide-out perimeters, window frames, and the step well are common paths in. The first sign is often staining at a ceiling line or a soft spot underfoot — things a buyer on a quick walk-through does not press on. Once water reaches the wood substrate, a cosmetic problem can become a structural one.
Systems that have not been run do not tell you anything
A generator that starts is not the same as a generator that holds up under the rooftop air conditioner. Slide-outs that extend are not the same as slide-outs whose motors are not dragging. These are tests, not glances, and a seller’s "everything works" may not have involved either.
What the RV inspection covers
The house systems first, then the vehicle underneath them. Everything is photographed as it is tested; anything that cannot be run on the day is reported as not tested, not assumed fine.
Roof line and every seam
Macro photos of every roof seam, slide-out perimeter, window frame, and storage-bay gasket. The roof is documented from a ladder edge and from inside the cabin — staining, soft spots, fastener pulls. We do not walk the roof; a structural roof concern is flagged for an RV-specific shop.
Slide-outs under power
Where the seller allows it, every slide-out is extended and retracted while the inspector watches motor draw and seal contact, so a dragging mechanism shows up before it seizes.
Generator cold-start and under load
Where the seller allows it: cold start, warm-up, and a run under rooftop A/C load — a condition a seller has often never put it in.
Propane, water, and shore power
An LP leak test at every fitting. The water system is pressurised and the pump, water heater, and lines are checked. 120V shore-power outlets, breakers, and polarity, plus the inverter, battery bank, and charge controller where present.
Floor, step well, and bays
The floor is walked with weight transfer to find soft spots; the step well, a common moisture path alongside the roof, gets specific attention.
Chassis, drivetrain, and road test
The vehicle half on motorhomes: engine, transmission, brakes, and tires, with a road test where registration, insurance, and the seller permit it.
The complete item-by-item checklist, inspector background, and common findings are on the RV pre-purchase inspection product page.
Buying a van? It has its own page
Sprinters, Transit and ProMaster vans, cargo vans, and camper vans are inspected as vehicles on the standard Bronze, Silver, or Gold tier, priced by vehicle value. That inspection covers the van itself and is not scoped to test a conversion’s propane, water, or shore-power systems. The RV inspection on this page is for travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and Class A, B, and C motorhomes.
Next step: see the Sprinter and cargo van inspection or book an inspection and paste the listing link.
How an RV inspection works
Book the RV tier
One flat price for travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and Class A, B, and C motorhomes. Paste the listing or the seller’s address.
Ask the seller for what is on file
Generator hours, slide-out service, roof recaulk dates, and axle service records are reviewed before the visit if the seller will share them.
The inspector runs the systems
Roof seams, slide-outs, generator, LP, water, shore power, and on motorhomes the chassis and a road test where permitted — photographed as they are tested.
Report within 24–48 hours of the visit
An itemised, photo-documented report with a plain-English summary of what passed, what needs attention, and what should stop the deal. For out-of-state pickups, schedule the inspection 5 to 7 days before pickup.
Common questions
- Do I need a specialised inspection for an RV, or is a normal pre-purchase inspection enough?
- A normal car inspection covers the chassis and drivetrain and stops there. An RV inspection adds the house: roof seams and slide-out perimeters photographed up close, slide-outs cycled under power, the generator cold-started and run under air-conditioning load, a propane leak test at every fitting, the water system pressurised, and the floor walked for soft spots. That house half is where the expensive problems on a used RV often show up.
- What about camper vans and Sprinter, Transit, or ProMaster conversions?
- Vans, including camper vans and van conversions, have their own category and are booked as vehicles on the standard Bronze, Silver, or Gold tier, priced by vehicle value like any car or truck. That inspection covers the van itself and is not scoped to test a conversion’s propane, water, or shore-power systems. The RV inspection, which does test those systems, is for travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and Class A, B, and C motorhomes, not vans.
- Do you climb on the roof?
- No. Roof condition is documented from a ladder edge and from inside the cabin — staining, soft spots, fastener pulls, and macro photos of every seam that can be reached. If anything suggests a structural roof problem, the report flags it for a follow-up at an RV-specific shop before you buy.
- Will you run the generator and the slide-outs?
- Yes, where the seller allows it and the systems can be powered. The generator is cold-started, warmed up, and run under rooftop A/C load; every slide-out is extended and retracted while motor draw and seal contact are watched. If a system cannot be run on the day, the report says so rather than guessing.
- How much does an RV inspection cost?
- A flat $499 nationwide for travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and Class A, B, and C motorhomes — one price regardless of size or complexity. Your card is saved at booking and charged only after the inspection is completed.
- I am flying out to pick it up. When should I book?
- Schedule the inspection 5 to 7 days before pickup. Dispatch typically runs 24 to 72 hours depending on the market, the seller has to agree a time, and the report follows within 24–48 hours of the visit, so the margin depends on the market. Booking early means the report arrives before you commit to travel.
Buying it in another state and driving it home? The out-of-state car buying inspection page covers sight-unseen purchases, and vehicle transport covers getting it shipped instead. Found it on Marketplace? Read what to check before you pay a private seller.
Book before you travel to pick it up.
Vetted RV inspectors. Roof seams, slide-outs, generator, propane, water, shore power, and on motorhomes the chassis and road test where permitted — itemised photo report within 24–48 hours of the visit, flat $499 nationwide. Card saved at booking, never charged until your inspection is completed.
Book an RV inspection