benburnett
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2006
- Messages
- 771
By request, here are some of the things that you want to watch out for when buying a used camper.
The first thing that you want to do is to measure your tailgate opening of your truck and know your bed length. Most of the newer tailgate openings are just a tad over 58". The older trucks are 60" and if you go back far enough the tailgate openings measure just over 64".
When looking for a used camper the first thing to ask is what is the measurement across the bottom of the back of the camper. This will tell you if it will fit your truck or not.
If you find one that does fit, now take a look at the liner (soft part when you pop it up) and see if there are any holes in the corners from the inside. Look for light coming through. This is a common problem if the camper has not been taken care of but easy enough to fix. Just call us and we can send you some material to fix this issue.
Check the clear cover on the inside of the camper on the windows of the liner that is under the solid cover to see if it still seals on the Velcro all the way around. On some of the older campers the clear cover tends to shrink over time and will not seal anymore. There is no easy fix for this one other than to replace the liner.
If you are looking at a really older camper that has a tan colored liner that seems to be insulated, look for mold between the layers while you have it popped up. If there is mold inside the layers about the only way to fix it is to replace the liner.
If you see light though some of the stitching on the liner, this is also an easy fix with VLP glue. It will seal the threads and small holes that the stitching has created.
If the liner is Grey in color and you find mold on the outside or inside it can usually be cleaned off as long as it hasn't been there long enough to start damaging the material. Sometimes it will still be stained after you clean it but will still last for years if you take care of it.
The next thing to check for are the front and back folding panels that hold the roof up when you pop up the camper. Check the edges of these panels and along the hinges that are connected to them. Look for deterioration along the edges and along the hinges. This happens from neglect of the camper when stored and usually doesn't appear until the second, third or fourth owner down the line. If the panels are starting to deteriorate, about the only fix is to replace them.
Now check the wood section of the camper that goes over the truck cab. On some of the older campers this was made of particle board and tends to go over time. Look for swelling and soft spots. If there are problems with the bed board, again the only fix is to replace it.
Check the front corners of the roof on the inside for water spotting and the front corners of the bed on the inside for water damage. This was only a problem on some campers made before 1996 and can be fixed easily enough.
On some older campers, the bottom of the camper that is painted may look a little rough, such as cracked paint or peeling paint. It is very rare for there to be any problems with the bottom of the camper unless it has been stored directly on the ground for an extended period of time. Usually just a little sanding and some new exterior paint will have it looking great again and protect it for years to come.
Well those are the main issues to look for when looking at a used camper. They cost the most to repair at least.
Other than those issues, if there is an appliance that doesn't work it can usually be fixed. It is very rare for any of the appliances to get to a point that they cannot be fixed.
If you have any other questions when looking at a used camper, give us a call anytime and we will be happy to go over it with you. You can also call just about anytime, day or night if you are looking at one and you will reach me.
Even if you end up buying a used camper, still give us a call. One of the things that is usually never passed on to a second, third or fourth owner are the tips and tricks of how to care for the camper once you have purchased it. Just a few minutes on the phone will save you a lot of time and headache and money down the road.
The first thing that you want to do is to measure your tailgate opening of your truck and know your bed length. Most of the newer tailgate openings are just a tad over 58". The older trucks are 60" and if you go back far enough the tailgate openings measure just over 64".
When looking for a used camper the first thing to ask is what is the measurement across the bottom of the back of the camper. This will tell you if it will fit your truck or not.
If you find one that does fit, now take a look at the liner (soft part when you pop it up) and see if there are any holes in the corners from the inside. Look for light coming through. This is a common problem if the camper has not been taken care of but easy enough to fix. Just call us and we can send you some material to fix this issue.
Check the clear cover on the inside of the camper on the windows of the liner that is under the solid cover to see if it still seals on the Velcro all the way around. On some of the older campers the clear cover tends to shrink over time and will not seal anymore. There is no easy fix for this one other than to replace the liner.
If you are looking at a really older camper that has a tan colored liner that seems to be insulated, look for mold between the layers while you have it popped up. If there is mold inside the layers about the only way to fix it is to replace the liner.
If you see light though some of the stitching on the liner, this is also an easy fix with VLP glue. It will seal the threads and small holes that the stitching has created.
If the liner is Grey in color and you find mold on the outside or inside it can usually be cleaned off as long as it hasn't been there long enough to start damaging the material. Sometimes it will still be stained after you clean it but will still last for years if you take care of it.
The next thing to check for are the front and back folding panels that hold the roof up when you pop up the camper. Check the edges of these panels and along the hinges that are connected to them. Look for deterioration along the edges and along the hinges. This happens from neglect of the camper when stored and usually doesn't appear until the second, third or fourth owner down the line. If the panels are starting to deteriorate, about the only fix is to replace them.
Now check the wood section of the camper that goes over the truck cab. On some of the older campers this was made of particle board and tends to go over time. Look for swelling and soft spots. If there are problems with the bed board, again the only fix is to replace it.
Check the front corners of the roof on the inside for water spotting and the front corners of the bed on the inside for water damage. This was only a problem on some campers made before 1996 and can be fixed easily enough.
On some older campers, the bottom of the camper that is painted may look a little rough, such as cracked paint or peeling paint. It is very rare for there to be any problems with the bottom of the camper unless it has been stored directly on the ground for an extended period of time. Usually just a little sanding and some new exterior paint will have it looking great again and protect it for years to come.
Well those are the main issues to look for when looking at a used camper. They cost the most to repair at least.
Other than those issues, if there is an appliance that doesn't work it can usually be fixed. It is very rare for any of the appliances to get to a point that they cannot be fixed.
If you have any other questions when looking at a used camper, give us a call anytime and we will be happy to go over it with you. You can also call just about anytime, day or night if you are looking at one and you will reach me.
Even if you end up buying a used camper, still give us a call. One of the things that is usually never passed on to a second, third or fourth owner are the tips and tricks of how to care for the camper once you have purchased it. Just a few minutes on the phone will save you a lot of time and headache and money down the road.
