# RV Inspection and Evaluation Services > Inspection and evaluation covers pre-purchase inspections, insurance claim assessments, in-shop damage evaluation and annual maintenance inspections. A full RV systems inspection runs $400 to $1,200 across 3 to 6 hours and produces a written report with photographs and moisture readings by location. All inspections are performed in shop. Source: https://ocrv.biz/services/inspection-evaluation/ Business: OCRV Center, 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. (949) 799-3387. Serving Tustin, California. Ballpark range: $400 to $1,200. Posted rates at https://ocrv.biz/prices/ ## What does a pre-purchase inspection cover? Four areas, in sequence: structure, water intrusion, systems function and cosmetic condition. The result is a written report with dated photographs and readings tied to specific locations, which is the document a buyer actually negotiates with. **Structure.** Frame and framing condition, evidence of prior collision repair, panel alignment, delamination mapping by tap test across the sidewalls and slide faces, roof deck firmness underfoot, and slide room floor condition. **Water intrusion.** Moisture meter readings taken on a grid across walls, ceiling and floor, with focused attention on the known entry points: every roof penetration, every window frame, the slide seals, the awning rail, the wet bay and the entry step well. Readings are recorded by location, not summarized as a pass or fail. **Systems function.** Every appliance run in every mode it supports. Refrigerator on both propane and electric. Furnace through a full ignition cycle. Air conditioners under load. Water system pressurized and held. Propane system drop tested. Generator started and load tested. Every slide and awning cycled through full travel. All 12-volt circuits and all shore power circuits exercised, with the transfer switch verified. **Cosmetic.** Finish condition, oxidation level, glass, seals, upholstery, flooring and cabinetry, documented so the buyer knows what reconditioning would cost. Full RV systems inspection runs $400 to $1,200 across 3 to 6 hours. Camper inspection runs $300 to $900, trailer $250 to $800, van $285 to $800. All are on the [posted price sheet](/prices/). ## Why does the wording of a report matter so much? Because a vague finding cannot be priced, and a finding that cannot be priced cannot be negotiated. "Some water damage in the rear" tells a buyer nothing. "Moisture readings of 22 to 28 percent across a 4 foot by 3 foot area of the rear wall below the bedroom window, with corresponding soft floor at the base of that wall, photograph 14" tells a buyer exactly what to get quoted and gives the seller nothing to argue with. The same applies on the other side. "Roof looks okay" is worthless. "Self leveling sealant at the forward vent flange is cracked through in three places with no separation of the flange, photograph 6, recommend reseal" is actionable and honest about severity. Reports here separate findings into what is failed, what is deteriorating and what is normal wear for the age. That distinction matters because a buyer who treats every finding as a deal breaker walks away from good units, and a buyer who treats none of them seriously buys a project. The report says which is which. Where the report identifies work worth doing, the repair conversation follows the same rate sheet as everything else. An inspection frequently turns into a repair order, and where it does, the work happens in the same shop that wrote the findings. ## How does an insurance claim assessment differ? It is scoped to a specific event rather than to overall condition, and it is written for an adjuster rather than for a buyer. The assessment establishes what damage is attributable to the reported incident and what was pre existing. That distinction is the whole ballgame on a claim, and it is settled with photographs, with damage geometry and with an understanding of how impact energy actually travels through the structure. Damage on the opposite side of a vehicle from the impact point can absolutely be related, and demonstrating why requires the impact path to be documented rather than asserted. Then it establishes scope: which panels, which structural members, which systems, and what labor operations each requires. Written in the format adjusters read, with body, paint, mechanical and frame labor separated, parts listed and paint materials calculated per paint hour. Cosmetic and structural body inspection runs $250 to $600 across 1 to 3 hours. Where the vehicle is already here, in-shop damage evaluation covers the same ground as part of the estimating process. Written collision estimates themselves carry no charge, and insurance walk ins are always welcome. Deeper background on how claims move sits under [insurance help](/insurance/). ## What should an annual inspection actually catch? The things that are cheap now and expensive later. That is the entire economic case for doing it. Roof sealant is the headline item. A bead that has cracked through but not yet separated is a reseal. The same bead six months later, after a rainy stretch, is a deck repair, an interior panel, and possibly a delamination. The cost difference is easily twenty to one. Slide seals are second. A seal that has taken a compression set no longer keeps water out even though it looks intact, and the test is a paper strip pulled through the closed seal. Replacing it is a $400 to $3,000 job. Not replacing it is a slide floor rebuild at $1,500 to $7,500 plus interior work. Then propane system integrity by manometer drop test, tire condition and age by date code rather than by tread, wheel bearing condition, brake function on trailers, battery state and terminal condition, generator hours against its service interval, and water heater anode condition on steel tanks. [Annual maintenance service](/services/inspection-evaluation/annual-maintenance-inspection/) runs $400 to $2,500 across 3 to 10 hours for RVs and $300 to $1,500 for trailers. The other sub services here are [pre-purchase inspections](/services/inspection-evaluation/pre-purchase-inspections/), [insurance claim assessments](/services/inspection-evaluation/insurance-claim-assessments/) and [in-shop damage evaluation](/services/inspection-evaluation/in-shop-damage-evaluation/). Sibling lines under [additional services](/services/additional/) are [custom fabrication](/services/custom-fabrication/) and [detailing and reconditioning](/services/detailing-reconditioning/). ## How this job runs 1. **Scope agreement**: Inspection type, vehicle type and depth are agreed before arrival so the right amount of bay time and the right technician are scheduled. Inspections are performed in shop where the lift access and test equipment are. 2. **Structure and moisture survey**: Tap testing across sidewalls and slide faces, moisture meter grid across walls, ceiling and floor, roof walk with penetration by penetration sealant assessment, and slide room floor check. 3. **Systems function run**: Every appliance run in every mode, water system pressurized and held, propane drop tested, generator load tested, slides and awnings cycled, and all electrical circuits exercised on both shore and battery. 4. **Written report delivery**: Findings separated into failed, deteriorating and normal wear, each with a dated photograph and a specific location. Recommendations reference the same posted rate sheet used for any repair estimate. ## Questions ### Can you inspect a used RV I am about to buy from a private seller? Yes, provided the vehicle can be brought to the shop. All inspections are performed in shop, where the lift access, moisture equipment, load bank and water supply are. Coordinate with the seller for a window, and the written report is delivered to whoever commissioned it. ### How much does an RV pre-purchase inspection cost? Four hundred to twelve hundred dollars across 3 to 6 hours for a full RV systems inspection with written report. Campers run $300 to $900, trailers $250 to $800 and vans $285 to $800, reflecting how many systems there are to exercise. ### Will an inspection find hidden water damage inside a wall? It will identify where moisture is present and how much, using meter readings on a grid plus tap testing for delamination. It cannot see inside a sealed cavity without opening it, so the report flags suspect areas with readings and recommends teardown where the numbers justify going further. ### Is an annual inspection worth it if nothing seems wrong? That is precisely when it pays. The failures that cost the most start invisible: a cracked sealant bead, a seal that has lost its compression, an anode rod that is gone. Catching those costs a few hundred dollars. Missing them costs several thousand, and the shop sees both outcomes every month. ## Related - [Additional Services](https://ocrv.biz/services/additional/) - [Custom Fabrication](https://ocrv.biz/services/custom-fabrication/) - [Detailing and Reconditioning](https://ocrv.biz/services/detailing-reconditioning/) - [Pre-Purchase Inspections](https://ocrv.biz/services/inspection-evaluation/pre-purchase-inspections/) - [Insurance Claim Assessments](https://ocrv.biz/services/inspection-evaluation/insurance-claim-assessments/) - [In-Shop Damage Evaluation](https://ocrv.biz/services/inspection-evaluation/in-shop-damage-evaluation/) - [Annual Maintenance Inspection](https://ocrv.biz/services/inspection-evaluation/annual-maintenance-inspection/) - [Insurance Help](https://ocrv.biz/insurance/) - [Prices and Posted Rates](https://ocrv.biz/prices/)