RV Hunting on a Budget: A Guide to Asking the Important Questions!

The Goal: Get an RV UNDER $6,000. Trust us, it's POSSIBLE!

    When we say "get an RV under $6,000" we mean including estimated repairs/renovations. The KEY things to look for are: drives well (no major mechanical issues), all appliances work, and no/minimal water damage. Anything cosmetic is an easy fix, BUT it does take time. If you aren't willing to put in the time for cosmetic fixes and you want your RV to be modern then you should increase your budget to $8,000-$10,000.

Facebook Marketplace will be KEY! Dealerships overcharge, but you can get a GREAT deal from an individual seller IF you know what to look for, and we'll teach you!

The Chosen One (Our RV)

    There are many important factors in choosing the right RV for you. ESPECIALLY when you're RV hunting on a budget. BUT no need to get overwhelmed because we'll walk you through what's most important! 

    DON'T get discouraged. When RV hunting, especially on a budget, the first one is rarely THE one. It took us a few tries to find our RV, but each time looking was a learning experience. The thing you don't want to do is make the first one "the one" by accepting many more faults than you should. Make sure you know BEFORE you go hunting what you're willing to give on., but more about that later.

1. The BIG Buckaroo: Water Damage

    Water damage can RUIN your RV experience. Although, it is fixable. It will take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get it fixed (unless you're a professional). A small amount of water damage isn't the worst thing, but be prepared to tear out small section of the wall. 

How to check for water damage:

    Feel everything. Feel the walls, the ceiling, the floors. Check INSIDE the cupboards for the walls and ceiling. If there's tears in the wallpaper make sure to check under it. If the wood is dark, flaking, or squishy then guess what? You've got water damage! 

Know if it's worth it:

    You need to weigh both the amount of time it will take AND how much it will cost. We plan to leave in 3 months so we have plenty of time to fix it, but if you're wanting to leave in less than a month then you shouldn't put time towards water damage. For us, the RV having a small amount of water damage towards the front wasn't the worst due to the great price we got it at. If you're paying over $8,000 for an RV it wouldn't be worth it to fix the water damage so keep looking! 

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHY THERE'S WATER DAMAGE IF YOU MOVE FORWARD!!

    The why is a big deal. Ours was because of the roof, but the owner fixed the roof before selling. That's another large factor with time and money. Investigate, investigate, investigate.

Pro Tip: DON'T be afraid to take your time looking everything over and ask LOTS of questions!

2. Does it Drive AND Does it Drive WELL?

    ALWAYS test drive before you buy! Your RV needs to get you from A to B smoothly & safely. Mechanical problems are the last thing you need when trying to hit the road!

     IF POSSIBLE take a mechanic with you to check out the RV. You can also call a local RV dealership or Semi Servicing place to take the RV in for an inspection (with the owner's permission). An inspection costs between $60-$130 but can be VERY worth it if the RV checks all of your other boxes!

Here's what you can check for on your own:

• Do the RPMs go high when trying to drive up a hill?
• Do the RPMs wiggle when sitting idle?
• Are there any lights on the dash?
• Is under the hood very rusty?
• Are you hearing any noises coming from the engine? (Listen closely)
• Does the owner have any service records?

★ MAKE SURE THE RV AC & HEAT WORKS!! We drove an RV in which both wall AC units worked, but there was no AC while we were driving. BUT the seller was pushing very hard how the AC units were brand new.

Remember to be as cautious as you can with the knowledge you have. Skipping this step can lead to a LOT of unnecessary costs. 

3. Appliances! Do They all Work?

    Have the owner turn on each appliance: fridge, stove, oven, microwave, AC units. If the RV has a generator have them show you the appliances working off the generator/gas. The fridge specifically needs to be able to run while the RV isn't hooked up to electric otherwise your food will go bad when you're moving from A to B.

   You'll want to document. If you're feeling that this is the RV so far then take VIDEO of them turning on and running each appliance. This will help you later in case you forget. You'll be overfilling your brain on tour days so even if you think you'll remember just record anyways. You'll thank us later!

    Take your time checking each of the appliances. ESPECIALLY the AC units and the fridge. You can find a reasonably priced RV with ALL working appliances so if they aren't working move on unless you can get a good deal from the seller. Appliances are expensive, except a microwave.

4. Lets Circle Back to Water.

    Make sure the owner fills the water tank and that you run all water sources for 2 minutes. Double check for leaks in the pipes and water tank. If there's a bit of a smell that's okay! There are ways to clean it. Tips on cleaning the water tank will come later of course. For now we have to focus on finding the best RV for YOU!

Unless you're a plumber then fixing water leaks isn't worth it. Plumbing is much harder to do than you think!

5. Year Matters, Kinda (hear us out)

    Most RVs made before 2010 are beasts. "Back in the day" they used to put a lot more effort into the engine. In something you're wanting to get you around safely the engine is EXTREMELY important. Nowadays they're focused less on the engine and more on making the RV "pretty". So, don't be afraid to look at something a bit older! Ours is a 1992 and in GREAT condition!

    Here's the thing though.. mileage. Mileage matters on older RVs. Low mileage is good, but if the mileage is too low, that's bad. Between 50,000-90,000 miles is the "sweet spot". If the mileage is below 50,000 then you need to ask the owner questions. A few examples are:

• Has the RV sat?
• When was the last time it went on a trip?
• When was the most recent maintenance? 
• Why haven't you taken the RV out?

    Sitting RVs = problem RVs. If you keep a car in the garage for years do you expect it to be perfect when you go to drive it again? Of course not. Just like cars, RVs are designed to be driven, and not doing so creates problems.

6. Lets Check out Them Tires!

    Here's the thing with tires.. they're expensive. Unless you're getting a GREAT deal on the RV then you want to make sure the tires are good-to-go. There are two things you want to check:

1. The penny test. Bring a penny with you to check the tread on the tires. Stick Mr. Lincoln's head upside down in-between the tire tread. If the tread goes to the top of Mr. Lincoln's head then the tires are still pretty good!
2. Check the year. The year is located on the sidewall of the tire. If the tires are older than 5 years then there's a good chance they've dry rotted. 

    The tires MUST pass BOTH inspections. You can't have good tires if they fail either of the inspections. Remember that getting new tires is very expensive, between $200-$400 for each tire.

How Crafty are You.. or How Crafty are You Willing to be?

    Blunt honesty time: most RVs under $6,000 will not look modern, and will most likely have some cosmetic damage. So, are you willing to put in the work or do you have the time to put in the work?

    Personally, we're fairly crafty & handy people so we're ready to take on this project! Not just that, but we are getting our RV three months before we hit the road so we also have the time to make it our dream RV.

Here's what we'll be doing to our RV:

• New flooring (which means pulling out everything that touches the floor, except cabinets).
• Painting the walls & ceiling white to make the space look bigger.
• Painting the cupboards to give the kitchen an updated look.
• Painting the shower to make it look new.
• Reupholstering the couch & dinette (or you could get cushion & couch covers).
• Changing all of the blinds to curtains.
• And a few other things.

Don't worry! RV renovations can be done fairly cheap & on a budget!

We'll be uploading pictures, explanations, & tips on how we do all of our renovations on a budget so make sure to follow our adventure!

    To us, renovating the RV is a passion project that we look forward to AND have the time for. That's not the case for everyone, and that's okay. You can always save up to do renovations later or you could increase your budget to get the best RV for you!

Key Takeaway: There are MANY options out there for you so patience is important. Ask LOTS of questions, document things, and have a serious discussion about the RV to make the best decision you can! 

    We love that you've taken the time to join us as we start our RV journey :) We're going to have LOTS and LOTS of updates for you guys with things such as: painting RV walls, renovating an RV kitchen, renovating an RV bathroom, how to find cheap gas on the road, how to find free campsites, how to stay safe in an RV and MUCH more. If you have any questions please comment below and we'll do our best to answer each of them. We look forward to our journey & helping you with yours!

Much love,

Swift & Alice ❤