Buying Pre-owned

Hello All,

First post but have been lurking for a while. Glad I stumbled upon Camp-Inn and this community as, from afar anyways, we are interested in these trailers. Not in a position to buy a new trailer, so thinking about pre-loved. I did do a search of the forums, and didn't find these answers... so had a couple questions:

1) When physically looking at a pre-owned trailer for sale - what specifically should I make sure to look at/for in terms of ensuring the unit was well cared for and will continue to make happy memories
- leaks --> do you spray with a garden hose or take the seller's word?
- mechanical --> I guess you could get the brakes looked at... anything else i would want a pro to look at
- frame - check for rust?
- check under the alcan cover?
- the winterization and storage situation is obviously key to the longevity of the trailer - any tells that give away if it really was garage-stored and winterized properly
- tires... obviously depends on being inflation history - way to tell how many miles have been put on them
- any specifics you would definitely want to check on a 3-yr trailer? 5? 7? 10? --> I am aware of the sunroof no longer being an option and the reason behind that - specific things to look for?
- bearings? I guess could check play...

2) Okay, this one is admittedly dice-y, and going right into the deep-end in a first post... anyone willing to comment on what pre-owned trailers actually sell for. The 'for-sale' forum is obviously full of 'ask' prices and there is line-of-sight to original purchase amounts - but the piece of data that is missing is 'bid' prices and where the overlap of bid-ask happened. I know that each ad can be different and a unique set of options, and personal circumstances/motivations. I assume these trailers are sold somewhere close to the 'ask' price - fair assumption? Even the really old ones?

Ummm, yeah... would be interested in any other words of pre-owed advice you all have.

Thanks!

 

Regarding leaks - I’ve seen pictures that show them. Since the CI is clear-finished wood on the interior, leaks tend to show as discoloration. So, if you don’t see finish discoloration in the galley near the seal, or anywhere in the cabin, it probably isn’t leaking. Do pull up the mattress to check under it.

My impression is that leaks are very uncommon. A damaged galley seal, someone put a hole in the ceiling or wall, etc.

Tires, brakes, and bearings are certainly wear parts (wear parts - they wear out!), but are relatively inexpensive to renew. I’d buy a trailer with such issues and plan to have it in a good shop for whatever is needed. The main problem would be getting it home safely if such issues are serious. If it’s a long drive I’d have bearings checked and address any issues with tires before hand. I have brakes and think they’re great, but wouldn’t hesitate to drive without them. Mostly they keep the trailer behind you when you’re skidding on slippery surfaces or panic stops / spin outs. You want to avoid those situations!

If the water system is operating it probably hasn’t been freeze-damaged.

From what I’ve read, the Alcan cover is not cleanly removable, you’d have difficulty checking underneath it.

I would check the frame and underside for rust or road salt damage. Not many tow in the winter, but some do.

We purchased our 2012 550 pre-owned last year, and have been very happy with the condition and durability. It’s a solid trailer. It looked good in and out aside from minor cosmetics, and, after a year I can say that appearance was a good guide, and, yes, it is a good trailer. There have been no hidden surprises. As Jenn wrote, Camp-Inns are well engineered, and if it looks good it probably is good! But you do need to take a very good look at everything.

We found ours through the forum. If I recall, the owner had a bearing service done, knowing that we had a long drive home. I think we paid the asking price or darn close to it. The former owners were very nice people whose camping needs had changed; it was clear that once they understood we were serious buyers they wanted us to have a good experience. I think this enthusiasm is typical of CI owners. People looking for a cheap teardrop find something else - there’s nothing wrong with an inexpensive trailer if that’s what you’re looking for. Well, unless it leaks. People buying a CI tend to value the design, engineering, durability, functionality, and finish - isn’t that who you want to buy a trailer from?

 

Thanks Jenn & Seth for the replies...

I am pretty impressed with the owners community here, and certainly hope we can join the family at some point. Glad you were able to confirm my thinking - even though we haven't met, getting well thought-out responses from people who have "no skin in the game" in terms of a potential purchase I would make and just care about the trailer and ones enjoyment of it is comforting.

 

Buying pre owned shouldn't be a real concern, besides few mention things there is really nothing that could go wrong,

 

There were a couple of surprises I had when buying ours used. First, I'd read about the Walbernize solution to clean it, so familiar with the product (though never used it) and there were some white spots above the wheel well that the previous owner said Walbernize could get out. It turned out to be pitting from salt being on it too long (clean it after each trip so this doesn't happen). It didn't eat all the way through the aluminum and isn't terribly bad, but I would probably have asked for a lower price knowing it wouldn't come out. Cary and team said I'd need to have the whole teardrop sanded down and polished back up again to get rid of it...which we aren't investing in.

It also appeared the something was wrong with our bearings when we bought the teardrop. The guess is the owner before the guy I bought it from did some work on the bearings himself and didn't repack the bearings too well. There's a test that is recommended every 1000 miles to get down close to the wheel and really put your weight into the wheel to rock it back and forth. It might rock a little, but you shouldn't hear a lot of noise inside the wheel. Perhaps someone else has a better explanation of how to conduct this test. Cary and team were shocked I was able to drive mine from CO to TX (when I bought it) then up to WI to have some other work done. They ended up replacing our bearings.

Ours really didn't have a ton of use and had been in storage for about a year and used for another year or so before we bought it. All in all, it's been a very positive experience and glad we got one (finally!).

Regarding the pricing, if you watch what folks are selling theirs for, you should get a feel for the going rate for one. If the prices drop and you start to see increased interest, maybe that one was overpriced to begin with. The fellow we bought ours from said there was a fellow in town that wanted to buy it, but he was holding it for me since I was going from TX to CO to go see it before buying it. I didn't feel like I had much wiggle room to negotiate.

In hindsight, knowing I had bearing problems, it would have been a good idea to buy one of the bearing replacement kits in case it was needed while driving it home. I wouldn't have known what to do other than call in a mechanic for help, but at least I'd have had the kit for the mechanic. Cary suggested only having one set since the odds are low both wheels will need an emergency repair at the same time.

Good luck! You're sure to enjoy it if you decide to take the plunge.