In Episode 085, Lisa Sarver proves it’s possible to make money doing RV inspections
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Today we are going to talk to a woman who, along with her partner, make money inspecting RVs. She also offers advice to anyone buying an RV as to why an inspection is essential before signing any documents.
Lisa Sarver works with her partner, Jason Carletti, inspecting RVs in Tampa, FL. Originally, she worked as a traveling medical technician. But, while Jason was looking for something to do, he stumbled upon an ad about becoming an RV Inspector.
Initially, he became a Level 2 Inspector and started My RV Inspection, which he ran while Lisa worked on her surgical assignment. When that job ended, Lisa became a Level 2 Inspector herself. Today, inspecting RVs is their only source of income.
She describes the training as involving long hours with lots of study because of its intensive nature. The course combines a lot of instruction and hands-on labs within a week or two. However, Lisa said it was very achievable for both of them.
They strategically located their inspection business near Lazydays, one of the largest RV dealerships in the nation, which is also located within a few miles of several other very large dealerships. As a result, they have done more than 450 inspections during the past three years.
Their goal was to travel the nation and support themselves by doing RV inspections, but the volume of business they have keeps them tied to central Florida at the moment. In fact, there are up to 30 inspectors in that region during the winter months, and, yet, Lisa and Jason still remain busy doing inspections.
Lisa offered some great advice about scoping out locations to set up shop, even on a temporary basis. If everyone is focused on the major metropolitan area of a state, then catering to people living in areas an hour or two away really opens the door to more opportunities.
Lisa describes what goes into a typical inspection, how long they take and how much money they can earn. She also describes what type of advertising and promotion worked for them, and outlines some of the expenses they incur throughout the year.
She agrees that inspecting RVs really is a viable business opportunity. You know it must be possible to make good money inspecting RVs when it out pays working as a traveling healthcare professional.
I also liked that Lisa and Jason will politely decline to do an inspection if they arrive on site and discover the RV is obviously not in the condition it needs to be for a thorough inspection to be completed. Sometimes sellers try to convince buyers to move ahead with purchases of incomplete units on a promise of fixing problems later.
But, Lisa advises people not to sign paperwork until the RV is thoroughly inspected and absolutely ready to be used, otherwise buyers simply become a number in a service department queue to get work done after the sale.
Lisa likes her inspection business because of how it helps so many people feel more confident about their purchases or by avoiding RVs that could be costly to own or fix later. Many times, people entering the RV lifestyle don’t even know what questions to ask about the condition of an RV, and dealers or independent sellers are unlikely to volunteer that information.
So, having an inspection done is a necessity, and that creates business opportunities for people who want to inspect RVs.
She offered some great advice for promoting an inspection business. But Lisa and Jason took it a step further by creating MyRVResource.com to help inspectors and technicians launch their own companies and connect with customers.
So, with the right marketing, full- or part-time inspectors can find customers wherever they go. Even if you didn’t do it full time, inspecting RVs would be an excellent supplemental income to just about any other Workamping job.
For more information about becoming a certified RV inspector, visit the National RV Inspectors Association’s website at www.nrvia.org.
If you’d like to get started in training to become an RV inspector or mobile RV technician, you can find information about courses offered by the National RV Training Academy by visiting www.nrvta.com.
Whether it is running a business from your RV or working short-term jobs for a variety of employers, Workamper News can give you information to help plan a course to live your own dream and get you on the road faster than you thought possible. For more information about opportunities to live, work and play in your RV, visit www.workampernews.com.
