HOW TO SELL AN RV - BEST PRACTISES AND TIPS

Introduction

A little time and effort is all it takes to get the best price possible for the sale of your RV – motor home, travel trailer, fifth-wheel, park model, folding trailer, truck camper, camper van, truck or tow car. Selling your own RV may be the best way for you to get top dollar. Numerous resources exist to let potential buyers know that your RV is for sale. Some are rather obvious and some aren’t, but all are effective tools to help you complete a successful sale.
Here are some Valuable Sales Tools to help you get Top Dollar for your RV.

Setting Price

Setting the price is the most important step in effectively selling your RV. A price set too high may delay your sale, and a price too low, cost you in missed revenue. It is important to take a quick survey of the current RV market, to determine what a comparable RV is listing for. Find the high, low and average prices of a certain RV based on the values in our current listings, using the RVT Price Checker, or visit NadaGuides.com to view the asking prices of RVs just like yours!

Preparing Your RV

PICTURES, VIDEO and DESCRIPTION

The first photo should be a sunny-day shot of your cleaned and polished RV in an attractive outdoor setting so potential buyers will start imagining themselves behind the wheel. Include several pictures of the exterior from several angles. Extend awnings or slideouts to show them off. If your RV offers massive “basement” storage, shine a light inside and show it off. Inside your RV, potential buyers want to see the cockpit, main living area, bedrooms, kitchen, bath and any unusual features. Include a photo of any feature that makes your RV stand out. Buyers want to see what they’re buying.

The best way to show off your RV is to add free video to your RVT ad. Video allows you to give buyers a personal guided tour of your RV. Enlist a helper to man the camera while you chat about your RV’s best features. Practice a few times until your delivery is smooth. Open cabinets, storage compartments, refrigerators, etc. Let the buyer peer in all the nooks and crannies and don’t neglect the nitty gritty like water and sewer controls/hookups.

A well written ad should accurately highlight the most important (and compelling) features of your RV. RVT.com ads give an UNLIMITED text description field, so no need to leave anything out. With online sales, more description is typically better then less. A well written ad will result in more qualified buyers and a quicker sale.

Additional Resources:

Location, Location, Location:

If you don’t live in a high traffic area, you may want to find such an area to display your RV for Sale. Consider asking friends who live or own businesses in high-traffic areas and who might be willing to let you park your RV on their lot for a certain length of time.

Print a “For Sale” Sign:

This is one of the simplest sales tools and also one of the most effective. Place one or two For Sale signs in easy-to-see locations on your RV. Buyers of used RVs often live within a few miles of the sellers and pass by their homes on a regular basis. Sign Up for a Free User Account! Once you have you can print off a For Sale Sign.

Print a Window Sheet:

This handy sheet placed in the window of your RV answers most questions posed by potential buyers regarding the various features of your rig, and also provides space for you to include your phone number, e-mail address and other contact information. Simply click on this RV Window Sheet link, print it out and fill in the blanks.

Cost Effective Advertising

J.D. Powers and Associates Reports:
“More than 80% of buyers now use the Internet to shop online for a used vehicle” and “Internet shopping provides prospective buyers with the opportunity to search through enormous amounts of specific vehicle information without ever leaving home, allowing for a more efficient medium of matching buyers with unique used vehicles in the market. In light of this, (vehicle sellers) should expect the Internet to continue to increase in importance among used-vehicle shoppers and adjust their online presence accordingly.”

Online ads cost MUCH LESS than newspaper ads. Our online ads allow up to 24 PICTURES that would cost hundreds of dollars in print. Online ads also reach a larger audience (Nation-wide and beyond) and they let you communicate with potential buyers via e-mail. Many of our customers have become ‘happy campers,’ after selling their RVs to buyers several states/provinces away. Visit our Testimonials page to see what our customers are saying.

We Recommend a Combination Online / Newspaper Ad:

Once you have placed your ONLINE ad, you can advertise your unit in the local newspaper, allowing the buyer to go online and view 12-20 pictures. This is an inexpensive way to expose local RV Buyers to YOUR UNIT, as placing color photos in print is far too pricey. Just a SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE WORD ad in the “RVS FOR SALE” section, make it BRIEF like the following example:

2003 Winnebago Class C, 25 ft,
Slide out, Loaded, One owner, Low miles
View at www.RVT.com ad# 1234567
(your phone number could be optional)

The interested party can then view ALL the information and pictures ONLINE, and contact you by phone or email.

Spread the Word:

Word of mouth does wonders to help you find potential buyers. Some of the best and quickest used vehicle sales occur when the seller knows the buyer or the seller knows someone who knows the buyer.

Place an Online RVT Ad Now!

Meeting Potential Buyers

Be prepared before you meet with your first potential buyer, it’s important to know what your RV is worth in today’s market. Start by using the RVT Price Checker - Find the high, low and average prices of a certain vehicle based on the values in our current listings.

NADA RV pricing guide is also a good way to look up the retail value of your RV (it’s a free service).

You may want to leave a little room in your price for bargaining. Keep the negotiations open. Don’t say “yes” or “no” too quickly to any offer unless it’s entirely unrealistic. Many people negotiate for a used vehicle without knowing its actual value and only want to haggle down the price.

Be honest. You may be legally liable if you misrepresent your vehicle. Tell the potential buyer everything about the vehicle you didn’t include in your ad. If a buyer complains about a scratch, mark or stain, you may want to remind them that some wear-and-tear is normal for a vehicle of that age and mileage. Every used rig has scratches from road debris, and this is accounted for in the asking price.

Be patient. Most likely, you won’t sell your RV overnight. Often, it takes weeks or even months to make a sale. Whenever you get frustrated during the sales process, just think of what you’ll do with the extra money you’ll have for selling your rig on your own.

Sell Your RV Now!

Completing the Sale

Bill of Sale:

Use a sales agreement that describes your vehicle and spells out the sales price. State that the buyer is purchasing the vehicle “as-is,” with no warranties. Keep a signed copy for your records. Use the free bill of sale offered on this site as your basic bill of sale or as a guide to help you create your own.

Transfer the Title

If you still owe money on your rig, you’ll need to pay the balance in full before the lien holder will release the title. Meet your buyer at the bank and complete the sales transaction. To release you from any possible liability, inform the Department of Motor Vehicles in writing that your vehicle has been sold.

Helpful Articles From RVT Blog & Article Library

Visit our RV Blog for RV traders and the RV Lifestyle to find more helpful information to get your RV SOLD! Article titles include:

Also, our RV Article Library includes several articles with titles including:

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