Scott Andrews
Dec 31, 2022
So You Heard About RV Inspections?!
This is a great question that we get asked for nearly every inspection we have booked, and rightfully so, as the RV market is seeing many newer or 1st time owners. There are also many seasoned RV lifestyle people that are starting to understand the importance of purchasing a 3rd party independent inspection. The simple answer is not always so simple as many Certified Inspectors operate their own independent companies and will have different rules or ways in which they operate as well as what they choose to allow for their time and liabilities, but I will cover that portion in a post at a later date. Much simpler is taking a minute to explain some of the critical points in the booking process while breaking down a RV inspection performed by a Certified Inspector and how the process works. Later in the write up I will have a bullet pointed list of the step you can take when booking an inspection with a Certified Inspector through Suite Wheels RV.
PREPARING
The inspections can take around 6-10 hours to perform onsite, pending what is found and the age of the RV, so please keep this in mind when discussing available times with the owner of the RV. We have placed an interactive inspection sample report on the inspections page of our website at this link, www.suitewheelsrv.com/inspections. Please feel free to utilize this and familiarize yourself with the outline and workings of the report!
The first step will be that you need to shop for your inspector to find one that will suit your upcoming needs and discuss details if needed. Then will come communicating with the seller (whether they are a dealer or private seller) that you would like to have a 3rd party inspection before taking delivery of the unit, or better yet, before you make payment to them. Most buyers, like you, are starting to understand you hold all the cards when purchasing from a dealer, and a deposit is most always required. However, a major payment is not always required until they have met your wishes. That being said, you can choose to have your independent inspection performed before or after the dealers PDI and coordinate with them on what the fixes will be from the findings within the inspection.
STARTING THE PROCESS
From there, you will coordinate with the seller regarding the time, date, location, facilities available (indoor, outside, water, sewer, electric, etc.), and requirements to complete the inspection (see the attached document in the bullet points). Once a date is set (we require a minimum of 48 hours pre-inspection date/time to have all documents and payments finalized), you have provided the pertinent information online to our booking web page and solidified the booking with a down payment, we will move forward with formally booking the inspection. Please note that neither the buyer nor seller need be present for the inspection. We actually prefer not to be interrupted during the inspection so that we are not distracted and can focus on the reporting, creating the most accurate report possible.
Now we get to start the work on our end with the behind-the-scenes magic. Once we get your booking notification, we will be giving you a call to connect and discuss the upcoming inspection. If you have any further concerns that you would like us to focus on or if you have further questions we can discuss those ahead of the inspection. We will then pull your information from our data and start digging into all the details regarding your potential purchase (or sale). Once we have everything set up, we will be sending you a few documents via email that need to be signed electronically. These will come from our inspection software, Homegauge. We will also send you an invoice regarding payment in full in a separate email. If these don't show in your inbox after we have talked, please look for them in your spam folder as they do tend to be flagged by certain providers.
TO INSPECTION... AND BEYOND!!
When all the criteria has been met, the booking is then solidified and will take place on the date and time requested. If at any time during the inspection there is anything that is of hazardous or major concern that may impact our clients expressed concerns, the inspection stops and a call is placed to our client to see if they want to continue on with the inspection or walk away. After the inspection has taken place Suite Wheels RV strives to have the report finalized and sent to the client within 24 hours (most of the time under) of the completion of the inspection.
Inevitably, after the report is completed, there are always further questions and that is understandable since there is a slough of information that is being reported on. Our job is not only to document what is being reported on but also make sure our clients are wise to what they are reading and seeing. Therefore, we also offer a half-hour follow up appointment (at no additional charge) to review the findings. We highly suggest reviewing the document first and make notes of the questionable items you have or want further clarity on to streamline our time together.
We do require a minimum of 48 hours prior to the inspection date to have everything solidified for agreement documents and payment in full. The more lead time the better, as it allows us to work together with the seller for a common goal for all parties involved. As an Inspector, we do not broker any arrangements between buyer/seller for times, fees, and/or inspection requirements due to liability reasons. We provide our client(s) (whomever is the payee of the invoice) with a list of our requirements and our available time slots. From there our client is responsible to establish all the necessary requirements and arrangements needed to provide our services. As much information about the RV you can provide us ahead of the inspection will expedite the time on site for the inspection.
So to recap, here is a quick reference for “how to” …
Shop for your inspector
Familiarize yourself with the inspection booking criteria, requirements & data needed - This can be sent to the owner as a means to help you expedite the set up of the inspection with them
Let other party know you would like a 3rd party inspection
Gather RV information and pick a date/time for the inspection that is available on on booking page - this form is a printable "cheat sheet" for you to fill out when speaking with the owner. This is the same information required in the online booking form.
Submit online booking through https://www.suitewheelsrv.com/book-online
Suite Wheels RV will send inspection agreement documents & invoice
Client electronically signs all documents and pays invoice in full
Suite Wheels RV solidifies booking and communicates with client
Inspection takes place
Inspection report is uploaded to Homegauge, where the client has access to view, share, and build a list of potential repairs.
Client reviews report, makes notes of questionable items and arranges time to go over the report
Over phone review of report questions upon request with the inspector