Everything we'd tell you at our lot — tow maths, what to check, real budgets — in one place. Read it before you shop.
Before you look at a camper, ask: where will I use it? A weekend at a local park needs a different camper than a year on the road.
Think about access, storage and what your vehicle can tow. Those limits will narrow the list fast.
Every listing tells you the weight. The sticker inside your driver's door tells you what you can tow. The honest number is the lower of the two when the trailer is fully loaded with water, gear and food.
Rule of thumb: keep the loaded trailer under 80% of your tow vehicle's capacity for a comfortable first year. A half-ton truck opens up most 24–28 foot trailers; a midsize SUV is happier under 5,000 lb. If you don't have a tow vehicle, budget for one before you budget for the camper.
The camper is about two-thirds of your first-year cost. The rest is insurance ($800–1,500 a year), storage ($100–250 a month if you can't park at home), a hitch and weight-distribution setup ($600–1,200), and hoses, levels, batteries and blocks ($300–500).
A three-year-old camper usually sells for 70–75% of its new price. Someone else has taken the biggest drop in value and fixed the early warranty issues.
Water is the biggest problem. Check the roof for cracked sealant, the ceiling inside for stains or soft spots, and around every window and door for caulk that has pulled away. Run every faucet and flush every toilet, then look underneath for drips.
Then the systems: run the fridge on both propane and electric, fire the furnace and the water heater, open and close every slide twice, run the awning out and back, and test every outlet and the GFCI. Turn the water pump on and walk away for ten minutes. If it cycles when nothing is running, there is a leak.
And the less exciting parts: tire date codes (replace anything over seven years regardless of tread), bearing play on the hubs, brake condition, and rust underneath that goes deeper than surface scale. We show you the underside on every camper.
You need three things: a clean title in the seller's name that matches their ID, a bill of sale with the VIN, and a title transfer filed within local time limits. Sales tax is due at registration, not at the sale.
Get any promised repairs or warranty coverage in writing on the bill of sale. Verbal promises disappear when the keys change hands. Ask for the inspection report, maintenance records and any recall work.
Come with comfortable shoes and about 90 minutes. Start by climbing inside two or three campers. You'll learn what you like faster by standing in them than by scrolling photos. We'll pull out the inspection report for anything you're serious about.
No appointment needed and no pressure to decide. Most first-timers visit twice: once to narrow down the type, once to pick the camper. That's the right pace for something you'll tow for a decade.
Bring this guide and your tow vehicle's numbers. We'll help you do the sums.