Specialty
Pre-Purchase Inspection
In short: A pre-purchase inspection on a used coach routinely finds water damage, previous improper repair and frame history that the seller does not know about, and it costs a fraction of one percent of what those cost to fix.
- Typical range
- $400 to $1,400+
- Labor hours
- 3 to 8 hours
- Updated
A used coach is the second largest purchase most people make and it is routinely bought after a walk-through that would be considered inadequate for a used car.
The reason is that the things that matter on these vehicles are invisible. Water damage is inside a wall. Frame damage requires measurement. A previous improper repair looks like a repair. Nothing about a coach's condition is apparent from an afternoon looking at the interior.
What we inspect
Structure and frame. Evidence of previous collision, measurement where anything suggests movement, condition of frame and mounting points.
Roof. Every penetration, every seam, sealant condition, membrane or laminate condition, evidence of previous repair.
Sidewalls. Tap tested and moisture metered across the whole surface for delamination and water intrusion, which is the single most valuable part of the inspection.
Floor. Walked and probed for soft spots, particularly at slide openings, in wet areas and along the perimeter.
Slide-outs. Every room cycled under observation, seals inspected, room floors checked, mechanism condition assessed.
Plumbing. System pressurised and held, fixtures operated, tanks inspected where accessible, water heater operated.
Electrical. 12 volt and 120 volt, converter and inverter operation, battery condition under load, shore power, and inspection of aftermarket work.
Appliances. Refrigerator on both gas and electric, cooktop, oven, microwave, air conditioning and furnace all operated.
Generator. Run under load, hours recorded, exhaust inspected.
Running gear. Tyres including date codes, brakes and bearings where accessible, suspension condition.
Evidence of previous repair. Which is frequently the most informative single finding.
What you get
A written report with photographs. Findings organised by severity, with an estimate of what each item costs to put right.
That last part is what makes an inspection useful in a negotiation. "It has some water damage" moves nothing. "There is delamination across roughly two square metres of the off-side sidewall below the second window, and the repair is $4,500 to $6,500" is a number the seller has to respond to.
We will tell you what we found and what concerns us. We will not tell you whether to buy it, because a coach with $8,000 of known work is a bargain at one price and a mistake at another, and only you know what you are paying.
What we find most often
Water damage the seller did not know about. Genuinely did not know, in most cases, because it is inside a wall and there is nothing to see. See water damage restoration.
Previous repair done badly. Frame work performed without measurement, panels bonded without addressing what was behind them, sealant applied over failures rather than replacing them.
Slide-outs binding. Which usually means the structure has moved rather than the mechanism has failed. See slide-out repair.
Roof sealant at end of life. Very common and inexpensive to address now, expensive to address in two years.
Absorption refrigerators damaged by off-level operation. A cooling unit replacement is $2,500 to $4,500 and it is not visible until you run it properly.
Unsafe aftermarket electrical. Undersized cable, unfused branches, connections that would not pass any inspection.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Typical range | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Travel trailer or small unit | $400 to $700 | 3 to 4 |
| Fifth wheel or Class C | $600 to $1,000 | 4 to 6 |
| Class A or large coach | $900 to $1,400 | 5 to 8 |
| Commercial or fleet vehicle | $400 to $900 | 3 to 5 |
Inspection is billed at the diagnostic rate of $285 per hour. Unlike our repair estimates, an inspection fee is not credited back, because the deliverable is the report itself rather than a step toward a repair. See the pricing page.
Against a purchase price in the tens or hundreds of thousands, and against the cost of the problems it finds, it is the cheapest part of buying a used coach.
Practicalities
Inspections happen at the Yorba Linda facility. The equipment that makes them meaningful does not travel.
Arrange with the seller to bring the vehicle here. A seller who refuses an independent inspection has given you information worth having.
Book ahead, because these are scheduled rather than fitted in. A rushed inspection is not worth paying for.
Buying at a distance
A large share of coaches change hands between states, sight unseen apart from photographs, and that is where inspections earn their money most reliably.
The listing photographs on a used coach are taken by someone with an interest in it selling. They are taken in flattering light, from angles that show the vehicle at its best, and they show interiors rather than roofs. Nothing in a listing photograph will reveal delamination, a soft floor, a previous frame repair or a cooling unit at the end of its life.
If you are buying at a distance, the sequence that works is: agree a price subject to inspection, arrange for the vehicle to be delivered here, have it inspected, then renegotiate or walk based on findings. Sellers who are confident in their vehicle agree to this routinely. Sellers who refuse have told you what you needed to know for the price of asking.
Budget for the possibility of walking away. An inspection that finds $20,000 of water damage and costs you the inspection fee plus a wasted trip is the best money you will spend that year, even though it does not feel like it at the time.