RV Surveyor ??

[IkeWitt]

Hi all,
My wife and I have decided to buy an Airstream. Our first RV. We are looking at an 08 safari 22. So here is the question. I have owned a few boats in the past, and before every purchase it was pretty much standard procedure to have the
boat surveyed ( inspected ) as part of the sales contract. This was usually done by a professional marine surveyor.
So my question ...Is this a standard procedure in the RV industry, if so..where do you find an RV Surveyor. I live in the Austin Tx area, so if you know of anyone...pls fwd the info

any and all help is much appreciated.

thanks
allen

[NOLA Geoff]

Do you have any buddies that are into rvs?? I'd go down to the local rv center and ask the manager if he or she could recommend anyone--maybe even one of their shop techs. Get someone you get along with, is well spoken, etc. Heck...maybe even drag 2 techs out there. Hundred bucks a piece for a report could save thousands.

Also maybe craigslist---screen the email respondants by who writes the best email. There's even an rv section in the for sale category.

Good luck!

[NOLA Geoff]

Huge airstream following in austin by the way. Craigslist "airstream" and just start talking to whoever has an ad up.. They'll be glad to help you i bet. Careful not to get taken advantage of though.

[Goin camping]

Welcome in Ike,

It is not uncommon to have a used Airstream gone over by someone before purchase. A complete survey as in a boat is unusual.

You can find more than a few thread titles here that go like this. "Need an Airstream checked out in Austin."

Airstream owners are odd in that they will go out of their way to help another Airstreamer.

For an '08 I'd check the axles. Do a complete systems check and check the windows, seams and belly pan for signs of water. I'd also use a thin ice pick to check the wood floor at the door and under the windows for rot.

See you around the campfire.

[IkeWitt]

Thanks to all for the input,
I think i will start trying to find some austin area air streamers and see how they have approached this and what their experiience has been.
best
Ike

[NOLA Geoff]

There is a checklist floating around this site for inspections. I'm new here and haven't really learned the site(also on iphone), but i imagine searching purchase checklist may yield a result or two.

Geoff

[loudruff]

Here is the checklist.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f138...ist-43294.html


There are a bunch of folks who will voluntarily go and look at an AS if you ask for their help. There is a list of them. Go to the portal page and on the right hand side of the page underneath the Classsifieds. It says Airstream Inspectors and there is a place to type in the state.

[eleighj]

Originally Posted by IkeWitt

Hi all,
My wife and I have decided to buy an Airstream. Our first RV. We are looking at an 08 safari 22. So here is the question. I have owned a few boats in the past, and before every purchase it was pretty much standard procedure to have the
boat surveyed ( inspected ) as part of the sales contract. This was usually done by a professional marine surveyor.
So my question ...Is this a standard procedure in the RV industry, if so..where do you find an RV Surveyor. I live in the Austin Tx area, so if you know of anyone...pls fwd the info

any and all help is much appreciated.

thanks
allen

Call Camper Clinic II in Buda, TX; they are on I-35 across from Cabela's. They are an Airstream dealer.

Ed

[Lance M]

Welcome to the forums Ike! There are many Airstreamers that will help you out in the Austin area. The checklist above is a great tool for an inspection. Read all the threads here on the forums about the trailer you are looking at to see what problem areas are common to that model. Good luck!

[Splitrock]

Guess I'd just take the above list and the unit to the best servicing RV shop in the area and pay them to do the inspection and make a LOT of pictures. I'd make the sale subject to the total cost of repairing all identified occult items, not to exceed a specific sum. I'd make $500 my walkaway number. I'd pay up to $350 for the inspection and make that unconditionally paid by me (buyer). So, I'll take the $350 inspection cost and up to $500 in repairs as my own risk number without recourse to the seller.

If the cost of total repairs exceeds the $500, I still might buy the unit if the seller agrees to deduct the repair costs from the purchase price, but that's an item for negotiation after the inspection and not binding on either party. The inspection is a walkaway by either party with the exception that I, as buyer, could agree to raise my risk number on the backside. If I did that, the deal is still a deal. I won't accept any seller made DIY repairs to satisfy the inspection unless it's re-inspected.

The risk to the sellers is that the buyer could walk away and refuse to pay for the inspection and the seller will be stuck paying for it, and at what price? As seller, I'd collect the agreed inspection cost from the buyer and deliver the unit to the dealer, and pick up the unit from the dealer, without giving the buyer hitch and go access to the unit until closing of the deal and I (seller) have cash in hand.