Flying to Buy a Rig

[krilov]

So it seems like I may have to fly to another state to buy a rig. Any advice?

I've searched the forum and couldn't find a post about this topic.

Success/horror stories?

[Diesel_Aggie]

I've bought several vehicles including my Sunrader that way. My Sunrader was one of the few that didn't meet expectations. I took it anyway since $1250 was still an OK price. I've gone to Colorado to look at a car and didn't have to get out of my car to see it was a POS. I did get out to ream the salesman who told me how cherry it was when it had massive body work, Maaco type paint, no catalytic converter or any exhaust past the header, etc. I very specifically asked if there was any body damage or paint work.

Step 1: Get tons of pictures and study them well. Ask about anything and everything that looks out of the ordinary

Step 2: Have a very long conversation with the seller and tell them exactly what you are doing and how much it will cost you to fly/drive home. Hopefully they will be more honest. I have also sold quite a few vehicles. For local buyers I will not volunteer information....they have to ask. I won't lie, but I operate on the buyer beware philosophy. Otherwise you'll never sell a used vehicle! For someone coming from far away I'll walk out to the vehicle on the phone and explain every flaw in detail. Make certain they won't sell the vehicle before you get there. This may take a nonrefundable $100 deposit. After all they may very well pass up a sale to wait on you. What I suggest is that if they get more calls they should take the callers info and promise to call them back if the pending sale falls thru. That fair for everyone and protects the seller.

Step 3: Have a backup plan to get home if you don't like what you see.

Step 4: Learn the laws of your state and the sellers to make sure you get all the paperwork and signatures you will need. This gets very complicated if you miss one. Figure out if the plates stay on the vehicle or if you need to get a temp tag from your state because the seller keeps them. Figure out what to do about insurance.

Step 5: Discuss an acceptable method of payment beforehand.

Step 6: Honestly assess the vehicles condition before leaving home. Will you need to get the fluids changed before the drive home? New tires? Is there a spare? A jakc? Do all the lights work? When you look at the vehicle reassess the situation and adjust as necessary.

Step 7: Don't get in a hurry when evaluating the purchase. Make sure you can get to hookups to test everything to confirm it works.

Step 8: What do you need for the trip home? Bedding? Tools? Driving thru somewhere it will be below freezing? Is the unit winterized?

Step 9: Allow time for unforseen events and have a backup plan. I had to tighten/change the alternator belt 4 times each on the way home.

Good luck and hope this helps.

[JohnW]

So it seems like I may have to fly to another state to buy a rig. Any advice?

I've searched the forum and couldn't find a post about this topic.

Success/horror stories?

One more thing, grab that water pump and try to shake it. Mine had a lot of movement = bad......It was a cheap fix and I replaced the radiator as well, if it's more than 10 years old and the fluids have not been changed, it tends to corrode. Mine was not leaking but once I removed it, as I loosed the lower radiator hose, it came off in my hand with the metal part of the radiator...

Good luck..

[krilov]

JohnW,

Great tips! Thanks.

[idaho]

So it seems like I may have to fly to another state to buy a rig. Any advice?

I've searched the forum and couldn't find a post about this topic.

Success/horror stories?

I just flew 300 miles to Seattle and drove my '87 Dolphin home. Dolphin was bought site unseen. Only thing I had to go by was sellers description. Maybe I was lucky but I got it home without a hitch. One word of advice: BRING GPS

http://cgi.ebay.com/...AAQ:MOTORS:1123

Edited October 2, 2010 by idaho

[dpstangfan93]

My purchase started with me fishing around e-bay and I ran across a Westfalia, and I thought to myself ahhh that would be cool to purchase for local fishing trips. Then I stumbled accross some Toyota Minis, and I was like so that drew my ALL my attention to finding the right rig for me. I started researching in AUG 2008 and finally decided on a RIG out of LAS VEGAS NV. I figured I fly out get a little gambling in and drived my 91 Toyota Winnebago Warrior back to EL Paso, TX. I was leary at first to the notion of having mechanical failures along the road, but PREVIOUSLY OWNING Toyota pickups with the 22R engines in them and 4 Toyota 4Runners with the 3.0L engine in them I was pretty sure I was in good hands. I wouldn't have taken such a chance with any other make of Motorhome. Long story short the drivetrain is a pretty sure bet you are going to a good dependable vehicle it's other areas that you really have to have a keen eye on. Turns out the Salesman didn't do a very good job explaining the extras the RV had and that served to my advantage because the Warrior had about $2500 worth of goodies added to the unit from the previous owner so I feel blessed I choose my particular Mini. Picked it up with 75600 miles in April of 2009 and currently has 80300 rolling around the desert Southwest having loads of fun in it.

Edited October 7, 2010 by dpstangfan93

[vtchris]

I bought mine on eBay, flew from VT to NJ and drove it home.....having never driven an RV in my life! Have had it 7 years and driven it over 50,000 miles, so am very pleased with my purchase. All good advice here, I would just add that I spoke on the phone many times with the seller, plus googled him. We agreed on a price, but never had a dime of my money until I saw and approved the rig. On the advice of my bank, I took a cashiers check made out to both of us so that I had to sign it also. He was kind enough to give me a loaner plate which I mailed back to him when I got home.

[BobBeery]

My wife and I did this in March 2010, flying from Michigan to Pennsylvania to get an 87 Dolphin that we high-bid for on eBay. Before we flew off I got the VIN and called my car insurance agent to make sure I would be covered for the drive back to Michigan. My agent provided a proof of insurance letter for me to take with me. The rig would be covered under my existing insurance until I got it home so I paid out no money for this. She also contacted her headquarters and found out all the details of title transfer and license plates so I didn't have to worry about legal mess-ups. (A curious extra-she also found out what the new vehicle asking price was back in 1987. $21,000.) The rig was 50 miles from the Phila. airport and the seller was not able to pick us up. So we made sure we got a flight with an early afternoon arrival and got a rent-a-car. After we finished the deal I drove the rent-a-car back to the airport while my wife followed in the RV. By then it was too late to go anywhere so we took the RV to long term airport parking and camped the night there. My wife wants to add more: Hi! I wasn't sure we would be able to get the supplies we needed for the first night in the RV. I packed what I thought we might need in our suitcase and in the carry on bag. Things I felt were important: scotch tape and extra clear garbage bags (to cover the windows as it had no curtains), a set of plastic utensils for each of us, a sharp knife, pair of scissors, a few sandwich bags, a medium size bowl and pan with lid, a down comforter (I folded it and rolled it up very tight and kept it together with rubber bands so It could fit in my carry-on along with 2 pillows that I also rolled up and kept together with rubber bands)The bedding fit in a medium sized bag that had 2 handles, like the ones you can get for $1 at Target or Walmart. I put a sheet set in my suitcase along with paper cups, napkins, paper plates, cold cereal, powdered milk, canned meat, bread, butter, eggs, some fruit, tea bags,hot cocoa, condiments (from fast food places) and a can opener. I wanted to be prepared for the first day if we couldn't find a store or didn't have time. It turned out that we needed these items as it was late by the time we got to the RV, checked it out and made the necessary arrangements for transferring ownership to us. There were no stores along the roadways back to the airport. We drove to the airport, turned in the rental car and slept in the airport parking lot. The tape held the bags over the windows, the sheets, pillows and down comforter were a godsend and the food tasted great in the morning. So....carry the essentials with you in your luggage and you'll be off to a great start. I love our RV. It has been so much fun fixing it up. It truly feels like a home away from home. I look forward to using it again next year.