You can sell your RV online, at a dealer, or with a for sale sign. You may get more by trading it in. If you have a loan it makes things more complicated.
- Selling online free
- Selling to a dealer or as a trade-in
- Turning to an RV consignment seller
- Sell with for sale sign in window
Sell online free
Most RV owners will begin the selling process online.
There are dozens of RV sale websites like RVtrader and RVT that offer to market listings for a fee. But you don’t need to pay a dime to market online because you can use sites like Craigslist, Geebo, and Facebook marketplace. Such sites allow an unlimited number of listings. You can list your RV on as many sites as possible.
Online marketplaces can work for you, especially if you trust your marketing skills. Be sure to include full description and lots of pictures.
The downside of selling online for free is that you might have to wait a long time before closing a deal. Besides that, you could be a target for scammers. You’ll need to be extra careful when responding to emails and calls.
Some people will call offering you other deals or ridiculously low amounts.
Is there a Kelly Blue Book for RV?
When selling a vehicle, you don’t want to set the price too low or too high for obvious reasons. And, this where the Kelly Blue Book (KBB) comes in handy for most sellers. Even buyers are taking advantage of this pricing guide. Unfortunately, referencing KBB wouldn’t help you determine the current value of your RV.
While there’s no Kelly Blue Book for RV, you can turn to National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA). It is an equally reliable and accurate valuation service. KBB and NADA pricing guides have a lot of things in common.
There are plenty of features on this site to help you narrow down the value of your RV. The platform allows you to select the RV manufacturer, model, mileage, years, length, design, floor plan, slides, and a couple of optional features.
Keep in mind that location can significantly influence the RV trade-in values. For more accurate pricing for your region, NADA will ask you to enter your zip code.
With this service, you’ll receive suggested, average, and low retail prices for your RV.
What is the resale value of RV?
When determining the RV resale value, there are a lot of factors you’ll need to consider, including:
Condition – A unit with a well-maintained engine and other components (interior and exterior) will likely command a high resale value. If you have mice or mold damage you will get less.
Make & model – Some RV brands are known to retain higher resale value and sell faster. Brands like Jayco, Airstream, and Winnebago fall into this category.
Age – Like any other automobile, the value of an RV depreciates with time. So, the older the vehicle, the less value.
Mileage – Typically, a low mileage translates to less wear and tear. Buyers may be willing to pay top dollar for such a vehicle.
Size – smaller RVs have a low resale value than larger ones.
Color – Sellers of RVs with unique or custom colors may be forced to settle for lower prices even though the vehicle ticks the most boxes.
Service records – These serve as proof of how well the RV has been taken care of. Therefore, they can positively affect its resale value.
Modifications and extras: The added items or upgrades can affect the resale value either negatively or positively. For example, adding leather seats or solar can increase the unit’s worth or sweeten the deal.
Will a local dealer buy my RV?
Local dealers will either buy your RV or allow you to sell it through them. This is, without a doubt, the fastest way to sell your vehicle. Once they evaluate the RV, they can make an offer right away and give you the money. The dealers take the stress and guesswork out of the selling process.
Even if you opt to sell through dealers, the process is quicker because many established dealers have an extensive network of buyers and sellers. They also know the regions where to market your RV strategically and get a good price.
By leveraging their connections, you may attract more potential buyers fast.
Can I sell my RV on consignment?
Sure, you can entrust your RV to another party to sell it on your behalf. You’ll pay a commission for the services. The fees can be fixed or a percentage of the sale. Please note some RV consignment sellers will charge you for extra services, such as detailing and tune-ups.
When the RV consignment seller puts your vehicle on the market, they will take care of the phone calls, appointments, negotiations, and financing.
You retain ownership even though the RV will be in the custody of the consignment dealer. Unfortunately, not all sellers are honest and trustworthy to keep your vehicle in good condition during the consignment period. Well, most dealers offer a period of anywhere between one and three months.
So, if you’re thinking of selling your unit on consignment, you may want to purchase insurance to cover potential damages.
Additionally, take your time to find a reputable and BBB accredited RV consignment dealer with good reviews.
Is it better to trade-in?
It can be a good option depending on how you look at it. That’s because trading in an RV has its advantages and disadvantages. However, the benefits outweigh the downsides.
With the trade-in method, selling your RV is likely fast and more convenient than selling privately.
Ask anyone who has sold their RV privately, and they’ll confirm that the process is typically challenging. You might have to wait for several days, weeks, months, and sometimes years before selling the vehicle.
Trading in your used RV means doing away with the need to advertise the unit or meeting up with potential buyers. If you’re selling to an RV dealer, it can table an offer on the same day you bring in the RV.
Some dealers will be willing to buy your vehicle without necessarily requiring you to purchase one of theirs.
The RV dealer can also handle all the complex and time-consuming paperwork when you’re trading in a vehicle you owe money on.
Another reason sellers opt for this method is to avoid reconditioning claims from the buyer after the RV sale. Essentially, you transfer the responsibilities to the dealership for good. If a buyer comes back complaining of mechanical problems, the dealer won’t ask you for money to address the issues.
An RV dealership is like any other business looking to make a profit. As such, they’ll buy used RVs at discounted prices below the NADA values.
While your vehicle can fetch a better price when selling by yourself than trading in, the difference isn’t significantly high.
What if I have a loan?
Ownership of the RV cannot be transferred before paying off the loan balance. That’s because the lender is essentially a co-owner of the vehicle. Either their name appears in the RV title, or they hold the title.
So, what are your options in this case?
Selling an RV with a loan is not difficult. However, you’ll be looking at additional procedures, which might prolong the sale process.
If you have enough cash or savings to clear the loan balance, this would be a better option to secure the rights to transfer the title. Of course, if that’s not possible, you can take a new loan to get rid of the debt.
A title in hand makes the sale process a lot easier. Some serious buyers may be reluctant to enter into a deal with you if they realize your vehicle has an active loan. Therefore, by clearing the loan balance first without involving the buyers, you eliminate the extra steps that could make them skeptical.
Others wouldn’t mind going through the additional steps when a recognized financial institution is involved. They believe everything will be done correctly.
When selling an RV with positive equity, you can agree with the buyer to pay the vehicle’s total amount to the lender. That way, the lender will deduct the unpaid loan and pay the difference. Or, the buyer separately clears the payoff amount and then gives the remaining balance to you.
Suppose the resale value of your RV is $30,000 with an outstanding loan amount of $15,000. If the buyer clears the balance, you’ll end up with $15,000 from the sale.
What about selling an RV with negative equity?
When the loan balance exceeds the RV sale amount, you sign an agreement with the buyer to pay the sale amount to the lender. You’ll cover the remaining loan amount.
For example, if the sale amount is set at $30,000 and you owe the bank $35,000, you’ll still need to pay $5,000.
Navigating the market and selling your RV for a fair price can be pretty challenging, especially when self-selling the first time. Dealers can streamline the process for you, although you’ll be receiving a little less in the sale.
