Buying a Used Fifth Wheel

A fifth wheel is the perfect way to elevate your camping trip into a memorable camping experience, but they can cost a pretty penny. Buying a pre-owned camper is one of the best ways to get the experience you want at a price you can afford. We here at Lakeside RV Sales know that can sound intimidating, so we’ve put together a brief guide to buying a used fifth wheel below. To learn more, or to see our stock of used fifth wheels for sale, contact us today at our dealership in Anderson, SC.

Budget

Like with any big purchase, your first step is budgeting. Unless you think you’ll be able to pay the entire sticker price upfront, you’ll want to build a budget around financing. That includes a down payment of 10-20% of the sticker price with the rest paid off monthly, and those monthly payments are most likely going to have interest applied. See how much you can afford to pay upfront, then how much you can afford to pay monthly without digging into savings or emergency funds.

Research

Next, look around at the options available to see if there’s a specific brand or model that meets your needs. Buying a used fifth wheel can be great because a model you’re interested in is more likely to have a long history of customer and critical reviews.

Ask Every Question

When you figure out what you’re generally looking for, you’ll need to move on to examine some options in person. For any model you’re interested in, you should ask the seller every question you can think of, and might even want to write down the important ones beforehand. Ask about the camper’s maintenance history, whether it had any parts replaced, how long it will be until the next recommended service date, etc.

Inspection

If you get through the question phase without significant worries, it’s time to perform a thorough inspection of the fifth wheel in question. Walk around the exterior and look for signs of rust or damage. Next, look around the inside of the rig. Watch for leaks and water damage, malfunctioning systems and appliances, signs of pest infestation, and smells of mold or mildew.

Test Drive

A used fifth wheel that passes your inspection is almost ready for purchase, but you want to make sure it’s in good working order. Ask the seller if you can test drive it to see how easy it is to hitch, how it handles on the road, and whether there are any weird sounds or vibrations during the trip.

Ready to get started? Contact us at Lakeside RV Sales in Anderson, SC, for more information, or to see our selection of used fifth wheels for sale. We proudly serve all those in Charlotte, NC, and Greenville, SC.