The price is right; buying used waterpark equipment is a tricky business. Here's how to avoid getting a lemon.

Ron Vitkun wanted to add more to his campground. Already, his Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Hagerstown, Md., had a heated pool and a kiddie pool, but no exciting rides.

Then a friend alerted him to two tube slides for sale from a Wisconsin waterpark. It had closed because someone offered the owner a grand sum of money for the park's land. So the owner was selling the equipment at bargain prices.

But Vitkun, president of RV Properties Inc., in Williamsport, Md., discovered that it came with a different cost. Numerous variables must be considered, including condition, size, liability, codes and secondary costs. And once you've made the purchase, you must decide what to do when the new piece is delivered to your facility.

For operators who know what to look for, buying used equipment is a great way to add new appeal to a park. The following pages offer six important points for used-equipment buyers to contemplate.

1 How old is the equipment? Experts recommend buying pieces that are no more than 15 years old. "Twenty years is the useful life of fiberglass," says one slide manufacturer. If the equipment is nearing the end of its life cycle, not much more value is left. Most people are looking to replace their equipment at the 20-year mark, which is good reason not to buy theirs.

2 Who is the manufacturer? Find out the equipment s manufacturer, and call for additional information about the piece. If they're no longer in business, don't buy the equipment, says Kevin Hoffman, director of member services at the Park District Risk Management Agency in Wheaton, Ill. "You can't necessarily get things replaced easily," he warns.

Manufacturers say they often receive phone calls asking for blueprints and parts, as well as general questions about reassembling products. In some cases, the manufacturer can evaluate the pieces and suggest a better setup. With a slide, for instance, it can redesign a path that would better suit the new park's elevation and topography.