RVing can be a lot of fun but when you need to upgrade or don’t want to camp anymore, selling an RV may be a foreign subject. If you don’t understand the best practices for selling your RV, you might not get the money it is worth.
Even if you are buying a new RV, you might want to sell your current RV instead of trading it in at the dealership. Selling your RV privately can bring a bigger price than doing a trade-in deal because the dealership needs to give you a lower price so it can make a profit.
Continue reading this article and we’ll share important tips that will help you make the selling process easy when you want to sell your RV.
The 411 on Selling an RV
You might not have thought about having to sell an RV but plans can change. Now you need to become an expert as quickly as possible to make the sale and the following tips will have you well on your way. This selling guide is also helpful when you want to move your RV quickly.
1. Get Your Paperwork Together
Before you start trying to sell your RV, you need to have all your paperwork in order. If you don’t think you’re going to sell it for a while, you might not have everything together. If you get a buyer that wants it quickly but you don’t have your paperwork readily available, they might move on to another RV.
2. Give It a Deep Clean
The last thing a potential buyer wants to see when they come into your RV is dirt from your camping trips. Don’t forget to get a carpet cleaner and clean the carpets. Dirty carpets make RVs look older than they really are and taking the time to clean them can help you get a better price for your RV.
3. Remove Anything That Is Personalized
While you think your RV looks cute with the little accents you’ve put into it for your camping experience, your potential buyer might not agree. Removing anything that is personalized will give you the best opportunity for them to imagine themselves living in the RV with their own things in it.
4. Make Sure Everything Works
Before you try to sell your RV, make sure everything works. You especially want to make sure everything is working well with the water and sewage systems.
5. Fix Any Issues
Even if the issues you find are very small, make an effort and fix any issues. While some issues might seem small to you when you’re a seasoned camper, they might seem confusing and complicated to a new camper.
6. Decide Where You Want to Sell Your RV
There are a lot of choices when it comes to where you want to sell your RV and each of them has their benefits. You can choose to sell your RV online, offline or use a mix of both in your marketing strategies.
You can park your RV in your driveway or along the side of the road or place it at a local lot and offer them a percentage of the sale for use of their lot. You may also consider speaking to a campground and asking them if you can put your RV for sale ad on their community board.
When you’re selling your RV online, you might use sites like RV Trader or Craigslist to move your RV. These are all great options and will get the word out beyond the local area which means there are more people that could potentially find your RV and have an interest in it.
7. Write an Effective Ad
No matter where you’re placing your ad, you need to write effective ad copy so people want to contact you about your RV. The more in-depth you are with your ad, the more of the right people are going to contact you.
Make sure you put in information about why you’re selling the RV. If you don’t list a good reason why you’re selling the RV, people may wonder if there is something wrong with it.
Let people know what forms of payment you’re willing to take, what issues there are, tell them about any upgrades you’ve made and list the warranty information. You should also mention if your price is firm so you don’t get people that are trying to negotiate with you.
8. Find the Best Selling Price
You can look at other RVs that are like yours and are selling in your area. If there aren’t any RVs like yours that are selling in your area, look at RVs nationwide and adjust as necessary. For instance, an RV selling in California is likely going to sell for less in South Carolina because of the cost of living adjustment.
9. Sell at the Right Time
Even if you need money, you shouldn’t try to sell your RV during the holiday season. People are spending money on Christmas and they are too busy to look for RVs. The best time to sell your RV is after Christmas and New Years but before the camping season gets started.
Learn More About RVs, Autos and Beyond
Now that you know more about selling an RV, why not continue your learning journey? We have many articles on autos and more so you can learn more helpful information for your next trip.
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