A little time and effort is all it takes to get the best price possible for the sale of your Selling your own motor home, travel trailer, fifth-wheel, parkmodel, folding trailer, truck camper, camper van, truck or tow car,may be the best way for you to get top dollar. You may pocket an extra couple thousand dollars or even more depending on your vehicle's value, type, age and how well it's been maintained. All it takes is a sound sales strategy and some of your time.

Valuable Sales Tools

Numerous resources exist to let potential buyers know that your motor home, travel trailer or fifth-wheel is for sale. Some are rather obvious and some aren't, but all are effective tools to help you complete a successful sale.

"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.

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. Consider asking friends who live in 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.

RV 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.

Ads. An obvious choice is an ad in your local newspaper(s). However, an increasingly popular option is online classified sites like RVTowables.com Online ads tend to be cheaper than newspaper ads, they reach a larger audience (countrywide and beyond) and they let you communicate with potential buyers via e-mail.

Write your ad copy to create a complete description of your RV. Start by listing the year, make, model, length, width and body style of your vehicle. Include as many details as possible including interior and exterior accessories. If true, be sure to include phrases like "original owner" and "low miles." These statements are attractive to potential buyers and help distinguish your RV from others.

State the price of the vehicle to pre-qualify callers. Depending on how you feel about the price you set, you may also want to add terms like "or best offer," "firm," or "must sell."

Include a photo of your vehicle, if possible. It may sound cliché, but a picture says a thousand words when it comes to selling a used vehicle.

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.

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Meeting Potential Buyers

Be prepared before you meet with your first potential buyer. Visit 2-3 Internet RV pricing sites and print the estimates they provide for your RV. Just don't print out trade-in values - that's what a dealer would offer you. Some sites you can try are Kelly Blue Book www.kbb.com or NadaGuides www.NadaGuides.com.

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.

You may want to leave a little room in your price for bargaining. Keep the negotiations open. Don't say "no" or "yes" 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 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.

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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. Just click on this Bill of Sale link, then print and fill in the blanks.

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.

You're now on your way to selling your rig on your own. Best of luck!