Noovo Inspection Checklist

When you pick up your van, when you see it for the first time, your van, not a van like yours, but your very van, it’s an exciting time. There will be a chance to admire it like a proud parent, of course, and there will be some sort of walkthrough, where you’ll learn about all these plumbing, electrical, and wastewater systems that you’ve seen again and again in the videos but to which you never really paid any attention.

Pick-up day, and the next few days, are also the time to find fault with your new van, to identify and hopefully rectify things that aren’t quite right when they really should be right. It is time to look impassionately for problems that shouldn’t be problems. And there are always problems. 

This checklist aims to provide a guide to quickly and efficiently identify those problems with your new van-baby. Some of these items can be found while you are still at the Noovo factory in Las Vegas or still at the dealer. Some can only be found after a few days of use. The important thing is to look for them now, to make sure everything is working from the beginning.

⏹️ Check the rear door seal. Check the rear door seam at the top, while inside the van with the rear doors closed. Do you see any light? (There have been a few examples here of a gap that lets in water.) If it is raining or you can find a car wash that can accommodate the height of the Noovo, check it again with water.

⏹️ Electrical outlets. If your van has an external electrical outlet, you should test it by plugging in an electrical outlet tester (or any other electric device).

⏹️ Doors. Open and close all five doors, paying special attention to the sliding door. Ensure that they open and close smoothly and latch securely.

⏹️ Bolts. Check that the bolts holding your ladder and other attachments, including the gray tank drain, were installed using stainless steel or other rust-free bolts. Ask your Noovo walkthrough guide to confirm, or just look for the code number that is usually written on the head of the screw. How to Identify Stainless Steel Bolts and Head Markings

⏹️ Rear view side mirrors. Move them with the controller with the window down and check for squeaks.

⏹️ Lug nut tightness. Ask your Noovo rep about the lug nut tightness–have they confirmed that the lug nuts have not been tightened too tightly? If the lug nuts are hard to get off, your flat tire will be hard to change–perhaps a challenge for a mobile tech or AAA roadside service. Having the vehicle towed to a service station because they can’t get the flat tire off will be expensive.

⏹️ Check cabinets and drawers. Open all cabinets and drawers. Do they open easily and smoothly? Do they close as they should? Do they seem loose? Are the screws flush? Make sure the gap between closed cabinets and drawers is even

⏹️ Pay attention to surfaces. Are there dings or scratches? Corners of cupboards and storage areas undamaged?

⏹️ Boil water. If you have an induction cooktop installed, test it by boiling water.

⏹️ Faucets. Run hot and cold water. Is hot on the left and cold on the right?

⏹️ Refrigerator. Bring two inexpensive refrigerator thermometers with you. Put one in the freezer compartment, one in the main compartment, when you first start your inspection. Make sure the refrigerator is set to the desired temperature. Check on the thermometers later on. Do they display the correct temperature?

⏹️ Microwave. Inspect the microwave to ensure that it is installed evenly on both sides. There were reports of the microwave coming loose on some vans. Does it seem loose in any way?

⏹️ Inverter. Visually inspect the inverter. Do the wires look loose in any way?

⏹️ Air conditioning. Turn the AC on high and check for cold air and quiet operation. Open the filter compartment and ensure that the filters have been installed. 

⏹️ Electrical outlets. But a small, plug-in electrical tester, and test every outlet. If you forget to bring one, plug something into each outlet. Don’t forget the outlets in out-of-the-way places, like inside the rear door area.

⏹️ Shower leaks. Let the shower run for five minutes and look for leaks, especially at the corners.

⏹️ Motorized bed. If your bed is motorized in any way, raise and lower it all the way up and all the way down. Does it move smoothly? Does it squeak?

⏹️ Lounge table. If you have a lounge table that can move up and down electronically, do so, all the way up and all the way down. Does it move and sound as it should?

⏹️ Water heater control board. Check to make sure it is secure.

⏹️ Fuses. Neither Ram nor Noovo includes spare fuses. Purchase a set. Details of what to buy forthcoming.