Top Ten things to ask
So you’re interested in buying an RV, but maybe you never have purchased an RV before – or you just want to know what to look out for before a major investment. First of all, congratulations! You’re about to join a club of millions of people who live life on the road surrounded by friends and family. While RVs and motorhomes can save you money on family vacations, they still require a large budget.
If you want to make the most of your RV, covering the following topics as the visit progresses will help you make the best decision possible when buying your RV. NJ RV dealers like Colonial RV should be happy that you’re trying to make an informed decision, and they should have answers to all of your questions. When you visit your RV dealer nearby, you are giving yourself an opportunity to tap into their expertise and see which brand best suits your needs.
The Most Important Unseen Areas of the RV
Remember one important thing when you’re looking at RVs for sale, that this vehicle is going to be your home on wheels for an extended period of time. If you’re going to live in your home away from home, you should be comfortable in it.
Regardless of how well your ideal RV stacks up on this list, make sure that you’re happy with the vehicle before you buy it. Recreational vehicles can be a lot of work, but they are incredibly worth the effort.
Key Areas to Focus On:
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Frames
Frames should be exclusively manufactured for the particular floorplan that you’re looking at – removing the possibility of stretching will greatly reduce the damage that can be done to the foundation of the recreational vehicle.
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Underbelly
Ask your RV dealer about how the underbelly of the RV us secured to the frame. It’s important to ask what materials they are compromised of because that those materials can affect the price of maintenance in the future. Most premium RV dealerships can tell you if the motorhome has additional insulation that’s added and if the underbelly is screwed to the frame. Screwing the underbelly of an RV to its frame can cause unintended consequences by creating gaps and inconsistencies in the vehicle.
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Walls
Most motorhomes and travel trailers have walls made from one of two methods: laminate or conventionally built. The main difference between laminate walls and conventionally built walls is how they’re constructed. A conventionally built wall for a motorhome will be built from wood and aluminum siding, giving you a ribbed exterior. Laminate walls are mostly built with welded aluminum frames and high-gloss fiberglass exterior siding. While laminate walls tend to be more durable structurally as they’re designed to uphold with heavy use, you might consider conventionally built walls for your RV because they come with a lower price tag.
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Front Cap
The front cap takes the biggest beating of most RV parts while in transit. The basic rule of thumb for a motorhome’s front cap is fewer seams – fewer problems. Seams in a front cap can create an opportunity for moisture to leak in and create cracks or leaks. This can age your motorhome much faster.
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Roof
Of course, the roof is important! Sure it’s great to have a roof over your head while you’re out on the open road, but you want to ask your RV dealer how the roof was made the manufacturer. Roofs need to be able to withstand every element of weather that you travel in. An important question to ask is: Does the manufacturer do testing to see how much weight it can hold?
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Insulation
Ask if your RV dealer about how the motorhome holds up in cold and warm weather alike. Remember, you don’t want to just be comfortable – you want to thrive!
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Flooring
Many motorhome flooring is built with oriented strand board because it is cheaper. Plywood has been shown to be 10% more firm. Additionally, you’ll be sure to ask if the motorhome’s floors have been insulated (this is a signal of quality).
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Warranty
Most manufacturers offer coverage for one year, anything better than that is a sign of a great product.
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History
Has the RV dealership been in business for a long time? Colonial RV, for instance, has been awarded as a top dealership for Winnebago 8 years in a row and named a top 10 Roadtrek dealer. Our sister company, Colonial Airstream, is has been named the top Airstream dealership in North America 12 times.
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RV Parts
While you’re probably most interested in buying a great RV, it should be worth mentioning that prestigious brands are more likely to have better access to parts. Imagine you buy an RV because it is 20 percent cheaper than another brand, but you come to find out that it’s almost impossible to find parts for it. Try to find out that information before you buy an RV.
Colonial RV
Colonial RV and our sales staff are your first point of contact for finding out exactly what you need to know about your vehicle. We are a family owned an operated dealership with a history of our own. We’d love to answer any questions you may have about how to purchase your first RV, you can call today!