Buying a Used RV at Auction: Water Damage and Hidden Costs

RVs show up at Copart, IAA and other auctions all the time: storm-damaged motorhomes, repossessed travel trailers, insurance totals and campers that sat too long. Some are bargains. Many have one big hidden problem: water damage. Here's what to look for.

01Two vehicles in one

A motorhome is really two things:

• The chassis: engine, transmission, brakes, suspension. Often a Ford or Chevy truck chassis on Class C and many Class A motorhomes, or a diesel pusher chassis.
• The house: walls, roof, floor, plumbing, electrical, appliances.

A motorhome can have a great chassis and a rotten house, or the other way around. Travel trailers and fifth wheels are just the house plus axles.

02Water damage: the RV killer

RVs are built with wood framing and thin skins. Water gets in through roof seams, windows, vents and slide-outs, and rots the structure from inside. By the time you see it, it's often bad.

Look for:

• Soft spots in the floor, especially by the door, bathroom and slide-outs.
• Stains on the ceiling and walls.
• Wavy or bubbled sidewalls (delamination) on fiberglass-sided units.
• Musty smell.
• Roof sealant that's cracked or peeling.
• Rotted corners around the cab-over bunk on Class C units, a very common problem spot.

If you can go in person, push on the walls and floors and look in cabinets.

03Hail and storm damage

Hail-damaged RVs are common at auction. Dents on the sides are cosmetic, but a damaged roof leaks.

04Other big-ticket items

• Slide-outs that don't work.
• Roof AC units, furnace, water heater, fridge.
• Generator on motorhomes: hours and condition.
• Tires: RV tires often age out before they wear out. Check the date codes.
• Chassis: engine, transmission and brakes, like any vehicle. See how to judge an auction vehicle you can't drive.

05Titles

Motorhomes and towable RVs are titled, so check the title type like any vehicle. Salvage RVs may need a rebuilt inspection. See rebuilt-title inspections.

06Transport

Motorhomes that run can be driven home if they're safe and legal. Towables need the right truck and hitch. Non-runners need specialized transport.

07Why fall is buying season

When camping season ends, a lot of RVs go up for sale and storage costs push owners to sell. Buyers who can store and repair over winter can sell in spring when demand picks up.

08Price it

Know the fixed value (NADA/J.D. Power guides for RVs, local listings), then subtract repairs, especially roof and water damage, tires, appliances, fees and transport. Assume every older RV needs a roof reseal.

09Winterize it

If you buy one in fall, winterize the plumbing right away. See our friends at Around Camp: winterizing a camper or RV.

A dry RV with a good chassis can be a great buy. A wet one is a money pit with wheels.

Photo: 1978-83 Chevy Van G-30 Mini Motor Home Fred WC-2 by DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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