What You Should Know Before Selling Your RV

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Selling your RV can be overwhelming. You want to sell it for what it’s worth, but figuring out what that amount is is tricky. You need to gather the right paperwork, and preparing to list your RV is the whole process. 

The good news? I’ve sold several RVs and I’m here to share all my tips and tricks. Hopefully this article helps you avoid common mistakes and sell your RV quickly and for a good price. Let’s dive in. 

Determine Your RV’s Actual Market Value

The first thing you’re going to want to do is figure out how much your RV is actually worth. One of the most common mistakes people make when selling an RV is basing their asking price on the amount they still owe on it or the amount they’ve invested in upgrades. Really, you should be basing your price on when similar RVs are selling in your area.

 

Before choosing a price, research:

 

• Year, make, and model
• Floorplan
• Mileage (for motorhomes)
• Overall condition
• Number of previous owners
• Comparable local listings
• Seasonal demand

 

It’s also important to remember that asking prices are not always selling prices. You’ll want to pad the price just a bit and leave room for negotiation. 

Understand That RVs Depreciate

Another thing to consider when deciding on a price for your RV is depreciation. While certain specialty or vintage models may hold their value well, the majority of RVs out there depreciate a lot.

 

Factors affecting depreciation include:

 

• Age
• Mileage
• Water damage
• Maintenance history
• Brand reputation
• Storage conditions
• Market demand

 

Depreciation is unavoidable, but you can help your RV maintain more of its value by maintaining it well. 

Gather All Important Documents

Having paperwork gathered and ready to go helps instill confidence in your sellers. It also makes the selling process a lot smoother and allows potential buyers to have a look at the owners manual before buying if they wish. 

 

Paperwork you’ll want to gather includes:

 

• Title
• Registration
• Loan payoff information (if financed)
• Owner’s manuals
• Appliance manuals
• Warranty paperwork
• Service records
• Maintenance receipts
• Upgrade receipts
• Inspection reports (if available)

 

I recommend putting all of the papers together in a binder to make it easy to share them.

Clean the RV Thoroughly

It’s important to realize that many buyers decide how they feel about an RV within the first few minutes of seeing it. This means you want to make sure to clean the RV well before showing it. Remove all personal items, wash the exteriors, clean windows, clean floors, wipe all surfaces, deep clean the bathroom, and wash bedding and window coverings. You might also want to stage the space to make it more inviting. A vase of flowers on the table and comfy neutral throw blanket on the couch can make the RV feel like a home. 

Complete Minor Repairs

Personally, I would never buy an RV with several small problems. Not because I can’t fix little problems myself, but because it would make me wonder about the possibility of bigger issues. For this reason, it’s a good idea to fix small issues before listing your rig. 

 

Replace burned out light bulbs, fix broken cabinet latches, repair leaky faucets, replace missing trim, etc. These teeny tiny fixes make a big difference when added together and will help ward off people who are looking for reasons to negotiate.

Check Every System

Obviously, a buyer is going to want to make sure everything is working right. Test all the systems yourself to ensure they are in good working condition before ever listing the rig. Verify that the what and air are working, the fridge gets cold, the water pump is working, the generator runs, etc. 

 

Keep in mind that if buyers discover something isn’t working during a showing, they may lose confidence in the entire RV.

Take High-Quality Photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, and the photos you use to list your RV are more important than you might think. They are the first thing most people look at when they see your listing and good photos will draw buyers in, while bad photos might have them navigating away from the listing without a second thought. 

 

Take pictures on a sunny day with plenty of natural light after you have removed personal items and cleaned the rig thoroughly. Photos of absolutely everything including all sides of the RV, all the rooms inside, storage compartments, tires, generator, roof, and awning. If you can, include photos with the slides open as well as ones with the slide closed. 

Write an Honest Listing

Once you have good photos, you can focus on writing your listing. This should be honest and should include answers to the questions buyers are most likely to ask. You’ll want to include the year, make, and model of the RV as well as how many miles it has if it’s a motorhome. The length and weight are also important pieces of info and the sleeping capacity, number of slide outs, and tank capacities are all things buyers might ask about. I also like to include the maintenance history, recent upgrades, and any accessories I’m including. Lastly, make sure you note any known issues. Being transparent is the best way to earn a buyer’s trust. 

Be Prepared for Negotiation

Nearly every buyer will negotiate. This is totally normal and shouldn’t be taken personally. Instead, know the minimum you are willing to accept, be prepared to explain why your asking price is what it is, and avoid rushing into accepting the very first offer unless it meets your goals. Through it all, stay professional, confident, and patient. 

Watch for Scams

Unfortunately, private vehicle sales have a tendency to attract scammers. Be cautious, especially if someone offers you more than your asking price, doesn’t want to inspect the RV, only wants to communicate in a specific way, requests unusual payment methods or sends fake checks, or claims to be overseas. 

 

Generally speaking, if something feels suspicious, it’s better to walk away than risk losing money.

Understand Outstanding Loans

Usually, I pay cash for RVs, but if your RV still has financing, contact your lender before listing it. Ask them about the current payoff amount, payoff process, title release timeline, and required paperwork. Many buyers are willing to purchase financed RVs, but you’ll need to coordinate the transaction carefully with your lender.

Understand Seasonal Timing

Know that the time of year can affect both buyer demand and subsequently, the selling price. For the most part, spring is the busiest selling season, early summer is also great, fall has fewer buyers, and winter is the slowest time to sell. I recommend listing in spring for best results. 

Be Ready for Test Drives and Walkthroughs

Buyers are going to want to see the RV before they buy it and in the case of motorhomes, buyers will usually want a test drive. Be ready to allow potential buyers to walk through the RV and inspect it or even have a professional inspector come and check it out. If you can, plug the rig in. You’ll also want to turn the fridge on, so buyers can see that it works. 

 

If a person is going to test drive the vehicle, make sure to verify that they have insurance coverage and a valid driver’s license and then accompany them on their drive. 

Complete the Sale Properly

Once you’ve agreed on a price:

 

• Verify payment before releasing the RV.
• Complete a bill of sale.
• Sign the title correctly.
• Remove your license plates if required by your state.
• Cancel or transfer insurance.
• Notify your state’s motor vehicle agency if required.
• Remove all personal data from GPS units, entertainment systems, or connected devices.

 

Taking these final steps protects both you and the buyer.

 

As you can see, there is a lot to know about selling an RV. That said, as long as you go in knowing what to do and what to expect, you should be able to get through the process just fine!

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