Pre-purchase inspection

[LBF]

Hi all, I am new to this forum and have enjoyed reading through the forums to get acquainted with the various choices out there. After doing some keyboard research I am contemplating the purchase of a used ER XV-LT being sold on this board in western Colorado. The rig is being sold by a private party. I think in addition to going to see the vehicle which is about 1000 miles from my home I would like to have a thorough pre-purchase inspection completed prior to pulling the trigger. In addition, I'd like to familiarize myself with any advice about purchasing a used ER. If any of you can offer advice in this reagrd it would be much appreciated. Specifically, who do you recommend I use for the pre-purchase inspection? Secondly, what are the most important factors for me to be aware of during the purchase evaluation process?

Thank you in advance!

 

[LoRoad]

You could execute the purchase based on a thorough review by ER themselves. If the buyer isn't worried about any issues and you are willing to put the money into some sort of Escrow account, then that might be the best bet. And if there were any issues you'd be able to assess with ER and determine cost(s) of additions/repairs. Colorado to California, not so far.

On another, but really the same, topic - why an ER, when the price of a used Truck and Camper set up is significantly less and some might even say more versatile? Mine is for sale, as an example.

 

[LBF]

Sadly, I checked with Earthroamer and they will not do not offer pre-purchase inspection services.

 

[Sagestone]

Learn more about the ER by joining their forum... http://earthroamer.org/forum2/

 

[pugslyyy]

Sadly, I checked with Earthroamer and they will not do not offer pre-purchase inspection services.

I'm really surprised by this. Seems like an ideal way to get to know a new customer + upsell them on additional features/enhancements/updates.

 

[LBF]

Learn more about the ER by joining their forum... http://earthroamer.org/forum2/

Thanks for the link. I was not aware of this forum. It appears for the time being that registration is disabled. I'll check back later today. Thanks for the tip!

 

[LBF]

I'm really surprised by this. Seems like an ideal way to get to know a new customer + upsell them on additional features/enhancements/updates.

That's what I thought too! The lady who I spoke to at ER seemed very informed about the company, was very helpful and courteous, and did offer to send me a detailed email regarding the consignment vehicles that are current (their website pre-owned inventory is inaccurate). However, she didn't follow through so i sent a reminder email to ER's email address listed on the site and haven't heard back yet. Must be one of those businesses where they have more business than they can handle.

 

[RockMonster]

PM sent

 

[pugslyyy]

That's what I thought too! The lady who I spoke to at ER seemed very informed about the company, was very helpful and courteous, and did offer to send me a detailed email regarding the consignment vehicles that are current (their website pre-owned inventory is inaccurate). However, she didn't follow through so i sent a reminder email to ER's email address listed on the site and haven't heard back yet. Must be one of those businesses where they have more business than they can handle.

I definitely don't think that they are hurting for business - but growth/success does come with it's own set of challenges!

 

[photo_i]

Earthroamer factory is in Colorado, it's pretty easy for motivated seller to take his rig to be inspected.

 

[loup407]

ER does have a lot going on right now. We bought ours used through ER, so the inspection was part of the deal. Of course, you can have the Ford inspected by a Ford dealer, but make sure you choose one that has resources for bigger trucks, as some dealers don't appear to see many F550s. Inspecting the camper itself is a different story. There is a lot going on in the camper and learning the various systems takes a while. The delivery walk-thru takes the better part of a day.
I'd definitely recco end, as someone else did, crawling through the owners forum, as there are a few areas worth inspecting carefully, and they change based on where your truck is on the evolutionary scale ( they make rolling improvements, and some older trucks have been retrofitted, some not).
If you'd like to ask anything specific, PM me. We've had ours a year, and learned a lot. (And would get one again in a heart beat).

 

[The Sanity Cruzer]

ER does have a lot going on right now. We bought ours used through ER, so the inspection was part of the deal. Of course, you can have the Ford inspected by a Ford dealer, but make sure you choose one that has resources for bigger trucks, as some dealers don't appear to see many F550s. Inspecting the camper itself is a different story. There is a lot going on in the camper and learning the various systems takes a while. The delivery walk-thru takes the better part of a day.

I can understand Earthroamer not wanting to do an inspection of a vehicle that they are not selling on consignment. If ER does a pre-sale inspection, the consumer could then treat it as if ER had warrantied the vehicle and the consumer could pursue ER for something which goes wrong in the future. They might be leaving themselves open to a big liability for a minimal amount of income.