How To Sell My Motorhome - Need Advice

[bzumwalt]

My wife and I have decided to sell our motorhome after the first of the year, and are trying to decide whether to sell it ourselves versus going through a broker, dealer, or some other kind of third party. We bought it six years ago and is the only RV we have ever had. We bought it direct from the previous owner and it was a good experience.

Any words of wisdom from those who have been there?

[MisterT]

that's a very good looking 11 year 'old' coach, though it looks much younger!

I would suggest that you look at online 'free' or very low cost RV listing sites to start with, if you are willing to put in a little up-front 'work' to get it listed properly.

I believe nowadays that you have to be very proactive with PICTURES and VIDEOS. People expect these and will quickly move on if they are not there.

Pictures need to be very specific, and very clear, for each particular item or view that you are trying to advertise, such as the 'Overall' side/length view, or a close-up of the condition of the Generator, Batteries, or Engine. Everyone always wants the show the basic details of the floor layout, colors, condition of the furniture, etc., but few actually show the important details, at least for us men, which includes pictures of the roof condition, closeups of the engine, and systems such as the type of Inverter and control panel, and the condition of the Water and Sewer bays.

Pricing is only the starting part of it, yes, you must be within reason of KBB or similar type of used pricing systems, but adding information about upgrades or systems that might not be including in other coaches of this age would go a long way to garnering attention of those willing to purchase a large 'home on wheels' like yours.

Be willing to converse via email and texting, and don't be afraid of those making low offers, but keep it as a starting point for a sales conversation. If they start to not only like the coach, but also you, it will go a long way toward them TRUSTING you and being confident to buy a large ticket item from someone who is not a dealer.

then, if nothing transpires in several months, go for a more 'consignment' type of dealer who has the salespeople to help sale it for you - it may be worth the cost.

[LSC9901]

I've been down this road several times. As Mister T noted photos and more photos are a necessity. Craigslist is a very popular site and they permit up to 24 pictures. We just barely sold a 2001 Fleetwood Bounder 31W. It was listed on CL in 4 different states. For this time of the year we got a fair amount of responses. We're in VT so the camping season is over and it was just a shot in the dark. We also advertised through a site called RVT.com. Don't mistake it with RVTrader.com. At RVT you can advertise for about a month for free with 10 photos. This is actually where we found our buyer. They do offer some paid advertising also which can include a video and more photos.

Be very sure when you take photos that it is clean and totally uncluttered. Most folks are not impressed with seeing your wet towels and dishes in the sink. I understand that is how we live in real life but you're trying to sell it for the maximum amount. Take the time to post factual information about your coach. Recently I read one that was boasting 15 to 18 MPG's for a class A. Tell the perspective buyer about the important specifics that you would expect to want to read about. List the honest age of the tires. I find it very irritating when someone posts that the tires are in great shape and they have plenty of tread. Someone who knows what they are looking for is likely aware that tires generally age out before they wear out. How many hours on the generator ? Upgrades and recent repairs are also helpful. We advertised that it had just had a complete brake job. The new owner will likely not be doing brakes on ours for many years. Great selling point.

You must also take the sentimental feelings out of the pricing of it. Check NADA, eBay, Craigslist, RV trader and any other places that feature RV's. Just because you keep it super clean inside and out doesn't always relate to increased value. It'll certainly get their attention and that is the start. Set the price and be ready to get talked down. When ours sold we reduced the actual selling price by 5% which in a lot of cases is quite good. We were content with what we got and they were happy with what they paid. Be ready for low ballers. I just send them a kind reply saying no thank you. Be ready to continue to own it for longer than what you want or anticipate. We got very lucky and parted with ours in about 6 weeks which I felt was great for Sept/Oct in Vermont. Obviously your season is a bit longer than it is here.

Just take all the advice you will get here and figure out what pertains to you. We all have different ideas of what is the correct route to take to get that sale. In the last 4 years we have sold 3 of them. None of them sold overnight but we always got a fair price by following my own ideals.

Best of luck to you !!

[marjoa]

We just sold our trailer on CL which was listed for about 3 weeks and it still had a lien on it. Sold to the first person that looked at it. Once they looked at it they loved it and offered a price of a few hundred below asking price. I accepted with the caveat that they give a deposit of 1K right now to hold it. They went to the bank and got a cashiers check for 1K. I had already drew up a detailed bill-of-sale and we both filled it out, signed & dated it. The next week they wired transferred the remaining balance to my bank acc't and then I proceeded to pay off the lien. The title will arrive in about 2 weeks which I'll turn over to them. I'm a professional photographer and took 20 pictures and they were vey nice pic's, true color, well lit and showed features well. Get your coach outside in the sun light. Open all the shades. Set your white balance on your camera correctly. Clean and arrange the inside properly. Take photos that give people context. For example: A closeup of a new 32" color TV doesn't do anything. There's no context. If you step back and show them that same TV where its mounted and how it's viewed from inside the coach, that gives them context and is more meaningful to them. Or showing them 10 shots of storage bays is NOT useful. Having all the storage bays open on both sides and then taking a wide angle photo from a distance and showing the entire length of the coach will all the bays open is much more meaningful. Your pictures are to get their attention and email or call you for more detailed info. Bad, useless pictures = no emails or phone calls.

It's like anything else concerning marketing...a product requires good pictures or video to get peoples attention & trust. So if you're unable to take good, well lit photos have someone do it for you. It makes all the difference in the world. When you post bad pictures it says to the world, "I don't care about you seeing my stuff, I'm in a hurry, I also don't care about details". This all translates to people saying....I'm moving on.

[vsheetz]

Sell it yourself. Clean it up really good. Fix items that need fixing. Price it right - not high, not low. Advertise it with lots of pictures and details (minimizes those who contact you to real prospects). Craigslist and RVTrader have worked well for me.

[Inthe70s]

I agree with the other responses and I can't emphasize how important that good, clear pictures are a must. I have bought and sold dozens of cars and RVs and good pictures always make the difference in getting the item sold. Make sure they are clear pictures, include a lot of pictures, and make sure the rig is clean and uncluttered. I also take a detailed video on YouTube and post the link in the craigslist ad. The video shows everything from roof to bottom, inside and out and also shows the vehicle running. I believe in showing as much up front as possible so it cuts down on the lookie loos and craigslist drama and no shows. Good luck!

[PanJH]

When we sold our last one, I took lots and lots of pictures. Put a bunch on Craigslist and then put the others in an album on Photobucket and put the link to it in the Craigslist ad. I priced it reasonably and within a few hours of posting, I had a call and before the end of the day, I had cash in my hand and the MH had a new owner.
Just be careful when selling as there are many scammers out there. Have the buyer come to your bank with cash or have them prepared to have their bank wire the proceeds to your bank while you wait at the bank. Only then, when your banker has confirmed that the funds are safely in your account, do you sign over the title.

[computerguy]

Last time I sold an RV I did it on CL. That was in '14.
I am in the process again and I listed on here in the classified, CL and rvtrader.com
Nothing yet except tire kickers. It's also the slowest time of year to try and sell. January really picks up and I'll give it until then to try and sell it. Timing, pricing, pictures and a little luck have the right buyer is key IMO.

[JumboJet]

Craigslist sold mine. I took lots of pictures placed on Photobucket. Priced it according to the NADA guide. I provided detailed information about the service and updates.

Put it on Craigslist at 9:30 PM and the person that bought it responded at 11:05 PM.

I had people come look at it and they had me add them to a "wait list" in case the first person decided against buying it.

Total honesty about the details and demonstration drive sold mine.

[awol50]

Sold our 2000 Fleetwood Storm Class A on craigslist this past spring. Live in Western Washington. Couple who bought it live in Spokane. Listed on Thursday, sold on Friday. The couple drove over early Friday, spent several hours talking, looking over and all of us going on test drive. Got asking price.

My advise: Clean it up to perfection, inside, outside and storage bays. Fix everything not working properly. Point out anything you don't fix or defects. Take good inside/outside pictures. Price it right. And smile, be friendly, give honest answers. Show your service records. And one other thing. Never show your RV with the fuel tank running on empty. Fill it up. It is a very subtle message to prospective buyers.

What stuck in my mind as to what sold the RV was what I first talked to the perspective buyer (wife)was when I said, "I was looking for a good home for the old girl". And the fact ours is stored in an enclosed RV Barn on our property. And the full tank of gas. Those three things stood out in the buyers mind as they told us after we closed the sale.

There is a lot of junk out there, deceptively advertise junk as clean and many show their RV in the same messy condition they have always maintained it. To stand out, you have to do exactly the opposite. And always remember, always easier to buy an RV than to sell an RV. Good luck.

[MSHappyCampers]

I would suggest you try selling it yourself first, then use a broker or dealer if you are not successful. Why pay them a commission if you can sell it yourself!

I would advertise it here on IRV2 Classifieds (free), and on RVTrader.com. RVTrader has a deal to advertise it for a year, with up to 50 photos, for $75! They have a really great site making it easy for potential buyers to find what they are looking for! I sold a 5er there very quickly!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[HeapBigEngin]

Tons of good info here. In the final analysis, you have to be comfortable with the price and the coach in order to sell it at a fair price. Any uneasiness on your part with either will be transmitted to a prospect. Above all, be sure to direct many of your thoughts and comments to the female (if there is one involved) since, many times, she will be the decider.

Sold our coach.....finally after 5 months.....11 months ago. That whole experience brought new meaning to the old cliche....."Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves". Unbelievable! A few additional thoughts I would add....

- Craigslist is a good place, and you can advertise in more than one area at the same time. But beware that there is a lot of competition there. And your posting can be flagged (taken down) for almost no reason. Ours was on a couple of sites several times....and I suspect it was flagged by dealers. They don't like the competition.

- Financing a used coach can be a major hurdle for some folks, especially younger ones. Had our coach sold 3 times at the agreed-upon price to legitimate buyesrs....but they could not get adequate financing. High sales tax in our adjoining state did not help matters either. This is something you have to consider when "qualifying" a purchaser.

- I would not even consider selling a high-ticket item like this without using bank wire transfer. It doesn't cost much, and it is really the only safe way to insure you don't get burned. Certified/cashier checks can be forged easily these days.

Believe it or not, I had a guy offer me an excellent price for our coach.....but it had to be a cash deal. He left in a huff when I would not budge. I am not an expert in counterfeit money or in money laundering schemes. And depositing any cash amount over $10,000 at a bank can easily raise red flags and prompt all kinds of interesting questions from the government folks who watch these types of transactions these days.

Best of luck, and don't let the "buggers" get ya' down.....

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by HeapBigEngin

Tons of good info here. In the final analysis, you have to be comfortable with the price and the coach in order to sell it at a fair price. Any uneasiness on your part with either will be transmitted to a prospect. Above all, be sure to direct many of your thoughts and comments to the female (if there is one involved) since, many times, she will be the decider.

Sold our coach.....finally after 5 months.....11 months ago. That whole experience brought new meaning to the old cliche....."Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves". Unbelievable! A few additional thoughts I would add....

- Craigslist is a good place, and you can advertise in more than one area at the same time. But beware that there is a lot of competition there. And your posting can be flagged (taken down) for almost no reason. Ours was on a couple of sites several times....and I suspect it was flagged by dealers. They don't like the competition.

- Financing a used coach can be a major hurdle for some folks, especially younger ones. Had our coach sold 3 times at the agreed-upon price to legitimate buyesrs....but they could not get adequate financing. High sales tax in our adjoining state did not help matters either. This is something you have to consider when "qualifying" a purchaser.

- I would not even consider selling a high-ticket item like this without using bank wire transfer. It doesn't cost much, and it is really the only safe way to insure you don't get burned. Certified/cashier checks can be forged easily these days.

Believe it or not, I had a guy offer me an excellent price for our coach.....but it had to be a cash deal. He left in a huff when I would not budge. I am not an expert in counterfeit money or in money laundering schemes. And depositing any cash amount over $10,000 at a bank can easily raise red flags and prompt all kinds of interesting questions from the government folks who watch these types of transactions these days.

Best of luck, and don't let the "buggers" get ya' down.....

I totally agree and forgot to mention that!

[RickO]

I think it really depends on the type of personality you have. I absolutely HATE trying to sell anything myself. I hate dealing with the scammers. I hate dealing with the tire kickers, and I hate dealing with the negotiations.

However, when it came time to sell my 5 year old 40 DP a couple of years ago I decided it was worth giving it a try myself. I took 80 photos and created a Face Book page just for the coach. I could then post this link https://www.facebook.com/itasca.ellipse?fref=ts in various ads so people could see all of the detail and read the narrative. BTW, Mods, the coach has long since been sold so this link is not an ad to sell but just an example.

It didn't go well for me at all. I thought I was reasonably priced but still got very little action and no serious contacts. One of the contacts I got was a consignment dealer who offered to sell it for me. I went with him and it sold fairly quickly... but at 15% below what I had originally hoped to get.

Best of luck to you.

Rick