When you purchase an RV, one of the items that may or may not be inside is the owner’s manual. If you purchased the camper used, the previous owner may have thrown it away or misplaced it.

If it’s a new RV, it probably came with the manual, but maybe you tossed it to save on weight or perhaps you’re on a trip and need it, but you left it at home.

Regardless, there may come a time when you need your old RV owner’s manual but you don’t have it. Where can you find a new copy of the manual for your old RV?

There are several places to look, and your chances of finding a copy of your old RV owner’s manual are actually pretty high. In this article, I have done the research to provide a few ideas for where to look to get a copy of your RV manual.

I will include the insider’s secrets for finding this useful (but often misplaced) booklet, from the manufacturer’s website to online searches and beyond.

Even if your RV’s manufacturer is out of business, this article includes tips to find manuals for defunct camper brands and businesses.

How to Find a Copy of Your RV Owner Manual — @fifth_wheels_rock_literally

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How to Find a Copy of Your Old RV Owner’s Manual

There are a few different places to find a copy of the RV Owner’s Manuals for your camper.

Although the manufacturer’s website is usually the best go-to spot to check, your RV may have been manufactured by a company that’s no longer in business, or perhaps your model of camper is vintage and the manual is long gone.

Below is a list of places to look for to find free RV owner’s manuals online:

Manufacturer’s websites
Internet search
Craig’s List and eBay
Online RV owner’s clubs
RV USA Forum

1: Manufacturer’s Websites

When you’re looking for your old RV owner’s manual, the first place you should check is the manufacturer’s website.

They usually keep records of digital (PDF) owner’s manuals for all models and years of their campers, but you might have to do some digging.

With older models, you might find it buried pretty deep, but it’s often still available.

What’s more, you’ll find plenty of other useful information about repairs, maintenance, system functions on board your camper, and more.

For quick links to some of the most popular and common camper brands and their owner’s manuals, check out this list:

Airstream – The manufacturer of those classic “silver bullet” travel trailers (and now Class B RVs), Airstream has owner’s manuals going back to 1964 available to view or download. Click Here to Browse Airstream Owner’s Manuals
Coachmen RV – A manufacturer of travel trailers, fifth wheels, tent trailers, toy haulers and motorhomes, Coachmen RV became a division of another well-known recreational vehicle manufacturer, Forest River, in 2015. You can still find owner’s manuals for campers that were made before the merger. Click Here to Browse Coachmen RV Owner’s Manuals
Fleetwood RV – Since 1974, Fleetwood RV has been manufacturing Class A, B, and C motorhomes under popular brands such as Bounder, Fortis, Pace Arrow, and Southwind. Their website offers owner’s manuals listed by year going back to 1974. Click Here to Browse Fleetwood RV Owner’s Manuals
Forest River – One of the best-known names in recreational vehicles and campers, Forest River RV has gradually acquired other popular brands including Coachmen, Dynamax, Palomino, Shasta and East to West. You can browse all owner’s manuals for RVs manufactured after each merger on Forest River’s website, but you may need to look elsewhere for manuals for older campers. Click Here to Browse Forest River Owner’s Manuals
Grand Design RV – A leading manufacturer of travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers, Grand Design RV has owner’s manuals for all of their brands including Transcend, Imagine, Reflection, Solitude and Momentum. Click Here to Browse Grand Design RV Owner’s Manuals
Gulf Stream Coach RV – Gulf Stream RV keeps things simple with regard to their manuals for their travel trailers and motorhomes. There’s just one manual for each type, and a separate manual for travel trailers that were manufactured prior to 2017. Click Here to Browse Gulf Stream Coach RV Owner’s Manuals
Heartland RV – With a Pre-Trip Checklist and a useful Recommended Maintenance Schedule in addition to a General owner’s manual and manuals for their Landmark Campers and Destination Travel Trailers, Heartland RV has excellent online resources for owners. Some of the manuals are both viewable on the web and downloadable as PDF. Click Here to Browse Heartland RV Owner’s Manuals
Highland Ridge RV – With PDF owner’s manuals for travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers dating back to 2014, you should be able to find the one you need if you have a Highland Ridge RV. If not, their website lists a phone number you can call and they will send you a digital or printed copy (if available). Click Here to Browse Highland Ridge RV Owner’s Manuals
Holiday Rambler RV – Owner’s manuals for Holiday Rambler RV brands going back to 1983 are listed on their website. You’ll find the manual you need for current brands like Endeavor and Invicta, as well as older Holiday Rambler RV brands like Alumalite and Navigator. Click Here to Browse Holiday Rambler RV Owner’s Manuals
Jayco – Perhaps the most well-known name in recreational vehicles, Jayco’s website has owner’s manuals for their different models of RVs and travel trailers going back to 2003. If you have an older Jayco camper, just reach out to their customer service and they’ll be happy to email you a PDF of the manual for your motorhome or trailer. Click Here to Browse Jayco RV Owner’s Manuals
Keystone RV – With archives of owner’s manuals going back to 2002, Keystone RV’s website probably has what you need for your camper. However, they also offer a contact option if you can’t find the manual you’re looking for, so their customer service team can help. The website also has owner’s how to’s and FAQs. Click Here to Browse Keystone RV Owner’s Manuals
KZ RV – KZ RV has owner’s manuals for their brands – including Sportsmen, Durango and Venom – going back to models built in 2013. You can also browse maintenance tips, how to videos and KZ RV’s spring maintenance checklist to keep your camper in peak condition. Click Here to Browse KZ RV Owner’s Manuals
Newmar – Although they don’t offer model-specific owner’s manuals, Newmar’s free Knowledge Base Newgle has tons of useful information and resources. The documentation includes original coach brochures and owner’s guides, product overviews and quick start guides, operator’s manuals, guides for installation and removal, how to’s and FAQs, care and maintenance guides, and more. Click Here to Sign Up Newmar’s Knowledge Base
Northwood – In addition to offering owner’s manuals for their truck campers, travel trailers and fifth wheels going back to the mid-1990’s, Northwood has an owner’s manual video channel on YouTube with all kinds of helpful videos such as winterizing your RV, handling the manual slides, and connecting and disconnecting your camper to campsite services. Click Here to Browse Northwood Owner’s Manuals
Starcraft RV – On their website, Starcraft has owner’s manuals for each of their brands of travel trailers and fifth wheels going back to 2013. If your camper is older than that, don’t worry; you can just email a request to service@starcraftrv.com and they will help you find the owner’s manual you need. Click Here to Browse Starcraft RV Owner’s Manuals
Tiffin – Unlike most of the brands on this list, Tiffin has their owner’s manuals organized by model instead of year. Just search for your model and you’ll find all of the owner’s manuals listed by year of manufacture. Click Here to Browse Tiffin Motorhomes Owner’s Manuals
Winnebago – With operator manuals going back to 1981, Winnebago has one of the most comprehensive archives of RV owner’s manuals. That’s no surprise, given that it’s one of the oldest brands in recreational vehicles. Click the year of your camper’s manufacture to find all of the owner’s manuals for Winnebago campers built in that year. Click Here to Browse Winnebago RV Owner’s Manuals

If your camper’s brand is not on this list, check the manufacturer’s website for the owner’s manual before you proceed to trying the other methods of finding old RV manuals.

Typically, you can find them in the “Owners” section, or in the footer of the website.

2: Web/Internet Search

If you’re unable to find the owner’s manual for your RV using the manufacturer’s website, the next step is to search the internet.

Head to your favorite search engine and search for your camper’s owner’s manual using the following formula:

[Manufacturer’s Name] [Your RV Model] “Owner’s manual”

You might have to dig a little bit to find the right year, but this method is also pretty quick and is often very successful.

3: Craigslist or eBay

If your web search does not prove successful, you may be able to find hard copies of your RV owner’s manual on sites like eBay or Craigslist.

Often times, people will find an old owner’s manual and they will list them on these types of websites to make a couple extra dollars.

eBay and Craigslist could also be great places to look if you need a specific owner’s manual and you want a paper copy.

Although you’ll have to pay for access to the manual with this option, it should be pretty inexpensive and relatively easy to gain access to.

You might also come across eBay or Craigslist listings in a basic internet search.

4: RV Owner’s Clubs & Forums

If your efforts on manufacturer’s websites and your searches across the internet and listing sites did not help you find the RV owner’s manual you need, you should check online RV owner’s clubs and forums.

In addition to providing helpful tips and solutions for common issues or challenges, these forums feature conversations between RV owners and offer the chance to ask questions.

In some cases, you will have to register before being able to comment or engage with the forum members, but you’re an RV owner after all, so you might benefit from the online community in these forums.

RVUSA is one such forum, and the platform welcomes questions and comments from registered users.

In addition to forums, there are clubs online for owners of campers of specific brands and manufacturing makes, like Airstream.

RV club members are very active and many would be happy to share a digital copy of their owner’s manual.

RV-Camping.com has a great list of online RV clubs, including clubs for specific brands as well as other groups.

5: RV Basics

Another excellent website is RVBasics.com, where you can find editorials, technical articles, and RV lifestyle articles to help you make the most of your RVing experience.

The website also has info about how to find and obtain owner’s manuals for all types of campers.

What’s more, RV Basics has a directory of Used RV Parts & Salvage Yards, wiring diagrams for RV electrical panels, and more.

The website also includes some key things for owners of older RVs to keep in mind.

Since they’re not in original condition, older RVs might have had parts and mechanics replaced or updated, so even when you find the original manual, it might be out of date regarding the newer functions of your RV.

If you own an older RV, RV Basics recommends:

Look on the chassis and under the hood to find the true manufacturer names. Even if the RV was made by Forest River, that doesn’t necessarily mean Forest River made the undercarriage or the engine. In fact, Forest River often uses chassis manufactured by Ford for their RVs. Even if you can’t find the owner’s manual for your RV, it may be easier to find the one from the automaker.
Try using a basic guide, such as Chilton’s Truck and Van Repair Manual.

Conclusions About Finding Old RV Manuals

It’s true that it might be challenging to find an RV owner’s manual, especially if you have an older RV and you need a hard copy.

I hope this list has provided useful places to look for a PDF copy of your camper’s owner’s manual.

Just be sure to try each method, and if one doesn’t result in finding a copy, move on.

Keep in mind, people are always selling random things online or at garage sales, so keep your eyes open, and good luck!

where Can I find Old RV owner’s manuals online?