Community Forums

deprived · 08-17-2018, 10:51 AM

We are selling our rig to make room for a new, bigger home.

Among those of you who have personally sold your motorhomes, which promotion method worked best for you?

In the past we have used Craigslist to sell vehicles, which I just hated because of all the spam and time-wasters. Ebay was worse because we had two winning bids poop out on us when it came time to actually pony up and pay for it.

Anyway, which selling platforms have you have the most success with? RVT.com RVTrader.com? What other options are there?

OlYeller · 08-17-2018, 12:08 PM

I've had lots of success both buying and selling through Craigslist. My ads are full of information including things prospective buyer want to know like mileage and price. I disclose everything I know good and bad. I clean the vehicle stem to stern and take 8 to 10 pictures showing what buyers would want to see. I research pricing by looking at what my competition would be on Craigslist and try to price mine fairly considering what others are asking. I state clearly that I will not entertain spammers or scammers. I also initiate all communication through the Craigslist portal for the first meeting. My ads state that I won't take payments or trades and no sob stories. There is no word limit but I try to be brief and to the point. I do not use abbreviations. I also use good punctuation and paragraphs to make reading easy.

Doing this I don't have to waste my time and the prospective buyers time answering things that would qualify or disqualify my vehicle for purchase to the buyer. Yes, I get some emails trying to scam me but they are easy to spot and they just aren't answered. The best part is that it is free. By the way, I have bought and sold over 60 vehicles in my lifetime. I have always sold it to the first person who comes out to see it and almost always at or very near my asking price. Of course, not all of them were listed on Craigslist as it wasn't around back when I was younger.

deprived · 08-17-2018, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OlYeller

By the way, I have bought and sold over 60 vehicles in my lifetime. .

What is your preferred method of accepting payment? How does that usually work for your sales?

I've also heard that cashier's checks can be forged and therefore are not as reliable as they once were. Is that the case?

aguablanco · 08-17-2018, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deprived

What is your preferred method of accepting payment? How does that usually work for your sales?

I've also heard that cashier's checks can be forged and therefore are not as reliable as they once were. Is that the case?

You and buyer go to your bank, or theirs, and do wire transfer. Then off to DMV to transfer title. No cash, possible robbery, checks of any kind or money orders. Wire transfers are virtually fraud proof. No money in account, no transfer, no sale.
RichH

twogypsies · 08-18-2018, 12:29 AM

You're in Texas. Take it to Houston to PPL consignment. We sold ours within a month for our asking price. Super easy and less hassle.

momdoc · 08-18-2018, 04:42 AM

We used RVTrader to sell our Class C this past January and it sold in 2 days.

Camper Bruce · 08-18-2018, 05:25 AM

Because I had a KOA card, I got a free ad on rv trader, sold my old pop up for the asking price in a week.

Sweetbriar · 08-18-2018, 05:55 AM

OlYeller's method is spot on and would apply to any DIY sale be it Craig's List, eBay, RV Trader and such. For communications purposes I would set up a Gmail or other such email account that is separate from you day to day address and maybe even consider prepaid cell phone to keep you personal phone number out of the public forum.

When it comes to presentation and description of the coach probably the best I've seen is Motorhomes of Texas (ALL Pre Owned motorhomes Inventory). From how they sequence the images in a logical manner, to the listing of coach features and equipment is grouped by association, to the short description of the coach as the opening statement their adds are nicely done.

OlYeller · 08-18-2018, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deprived

What is your preferred method of accepting payment? How does that usually work for your sales?

I've also heard that cashier's checks can be forged and therefore are not as reliable as they once were. Is that the case?

Whenever I buy or sell something that costs a lot, I make it a condition of sale to 1, meet at their bank and watch them draw a cashier's check at the teller window or 2, meet at my bank with the cash.

Wire transfers are very safe but not all financial institutions do them. There is also a lot of fraud using cashier's checks but if you meet at their bank and watch the teller issue it, and deposit it right away, you should be OK. Cash at your bank means you don't have to worry about safe transport of large sums of money, and your bank will verify the money isn't counterfeit.

Finally I go with the buyer or seller to the DMV to transfer title that same day. No funny deals with a fake bill of sale to save them tax, or title shenanigans. Clean, legal and completed is the best way to make a sale.

deprived · 08-19-2018, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OlYeller

Finally I go with the buyer or seller to the DMV to transfer title that same day.

I think in Texas, all I have to do is sign over the title and then submit an on-line form to the state saying that I no longer own the vehicle. But I do remember the old days, standing in line forever at the DMV with a relative stranger. I can't say that I miss it!

deprived · 08-19-2018, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camper Bruce

Because I had a KOA card, I got a free ad on rv trader, sold my old pop up for the asking price in a week.

Thanks! We have a ValueKard, too. I had no idea we got a discount with it. THANKS!

JimmyB2 · 08-19-2018, 09:34 AM

Sold our Gulfstream B+ 2.5 days. Listed on both RVT.com and RVtrader.com. Had 3 back up buyers.

plasma800 · 08-19-2018, 09:45 AM

I always listed on rv trader, Craigslist and rvt at the same time

I sold one on cl, one on rv trader

Each time I hired a professional photographer with the proper lighting gear and turn out photos better than the manufacturer brochure.

One big trick this guy used was to place lights outside the windows!! Aimed in but out of view and that made a huge impact to the quality of the photos. Don’t skimp here , it really makes your listing stand out big big time

Also both units were spic and span clean, empty and ready to roll. Bed made but no other staging

Legit, some photos of people’s rigs make me laugh so hard ... I’ve seen photos with bras hanging to dry, underwear on the floor, dirty shoes and socks in the photo. Dirty kitchens with sinks full of dishes ... no one wants to see that stuff and I for sure don’t want to see your toilet paper, your toilet scrubber, your dirty towel in the shower pan, your dirty bar of soap in the soap tray... just don’t donit

deprived · 08-19-2018, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

You're in Texas. Take it to Houston to PPL consignment. We sold ours within a month for our asking price. Super easy and less hassle.

Funny you should mention this - we bought our current rig at PPL. I have to say, as a buyer, the experience was very frustrating. I suspect that our salesperson was the issue and not PPL itself.