Late in 2020 the NRVIA, the national organization that I am certified through for RV Inspections, notified me that they were changing the certification process nation wide for RV Inspectors.  They decided to do away with Level 1 certifications and have only one certification that they would call “Certified RV Inspector”. Since their inception they have had two levels inspectors: Level 1 inspectors to provide “basic” inspections and Level 2 inspectors to provide more detailed inspections.  Now all Level 1 inspectors who wished to continue being certified would need to complete the Level 2 certification.

I had been a Level 1 inspector since March, 2018.  Anita and I have always conducted our inspections as a team and greatly enjoyed performing a detailed inspection for clients who were in the purchasing process of buying an RV.   As a Level 1 inspector, I was left to create my own inspection criteria and provide the client with a report as I saw fit.  We created a detailed checklist based on everything I learned through the Level 1 Training course and provided our clients with a detailed report. 

Truthfully, I was not happy with their decision to do away with Level 1 inspection certification.  I felt our inspections were good, we had no real competition in this region who were Level 2 inspectors.  I was happy the way things were.

I contacted the NRVIA with my concerns and had the opportunity to have one of my Inspection Reports reviewed by their representative.  She was impressed with our report and told me that it was as good as a Level 2 Report.  She then let me know that they had had some issues with Level 1 inspectors in the past not providing very detailed reports and wanted to create a national standard. They also encouraged their inspectors to use the software package they had chosen to create a consistent report.  While this last piece would not be mandatory, they highly encouraged it.  The bottom line was if I wanted to continue being an RV Inspector certified through them, I needed to take the training and get my next level certification.

So, I completed the certification training at the end of the year, and we have now completed several inspections under the new criteria.  Here’s what we’ve found:  Yes, our report was detailed before -now they are more detailed.  The inspections took us 2-4 hours before -now they take us 4-6 hours.  Before we would have found major issues like de-lamination, soft spots on the floor, walls roof -now we find those things and more.  Before, we used our own report template and created a report that our clients found detailed and useful.  The new software package creates a very detailed report that summarizes all the major issues up front and has the detailed findings listed in the body of the report.  The software provides the ability to modify the template for the specific RV being inspected, and also has the NRVIA’s objective ratings built in so all inspectors are rating items in a consistent manor.

Anita and I discussed it, and we agreed that we wanted to continue our service to those who wanted to buy an RV.  We greatly enjoy this work and love helping our clients navigate the sometimes daunting process of buying an RV.  Unless you are made of money, it’s a big investment, and getting an inspection provides detailed, objective information about your prospective RV purchase.

Anita and I still work as a team.  We still love the work and are ready to help our clients.  We are ready to help you.