Buying and Selling Used Motorhomes

Buying and Selling Used Motorhomes

When you’re buying or selling a used motorhome there are many important items to consider.  The top three considerations are: 

  1. Establish the Used Motorhome Blue Book Value
  2. Check the Title and Ownership of the Used Motorhome
  3. Verify the Condition of the Used Motorhome. 


When you are selling a used motorhome preparation is essential.  Take the time to carefully document the condition of your used motorhome.  Fix and clean anything that needs attention.  Compare the listing and sales prices of comporable used motorhomes.  Take lots of pictures.  Make a list of questions you’d ask if you were buying a used motorhome, and answer them!  Buying a used motorhome can be very exciting, and you may be swept away with the emotion of the moment, finally fulfilling your dreams of the rving lifestyle, the retirement from your previous career, the freedom of movement….  Whatever your dreams might be, take time out to make sure that the process itself of buying a used motorhome is carefully planned so that your rving dreams will come true!

 

Establish the used motorhome Blue Book Value.  It’s not as tough as it sounds to determine the Blue Book Value of a used motorhome.  We’ve gathered together some useful tips and resources in this post, so please visit:  5 Ways to establish Blue Book Value for a Camper or RV. 


Check the title of the used motorhome.  Since a motorhome is a moving vehicle, check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles.  If you’re a seller, make sure you have clear title, whether it’s directly in your name or the name of the finance company you have a loan with.  Is your motorhome registration up to date?  Do you have your motorhome “pink slip”?  Take care of these seemingly minor details first, it’s time well spent.  Buying a used motorhome?  Check the title carefully.  Make sure you are buying a used motorhome from the actual owner, and steer clear of super low prices and questionable “deals”  There’s a lot of used motorhome inventory available, take the time to find the used motorhome that will fit your needs, and that you’ll be able to purchase with clear title.

Verify the condition of the used motorhome.  Selling a used motorhome?  Take the time to accurately document the condition of the motorhome.  Have you or a previous owner ever been in a major accident or a fender-bender?  Just like buying a used car, your prospective buyers need to know the condition of the vehicle that transports their new home – the “motor” in “motor-home”!  Make a list of your used motorhome’s mileage, service record, broken parts, replaced parts, etc.  Also document the wear and tear of each of the major motorhome systems.  In addition to the underlying vehicle condition, what is the condition of the used motorhome’s plumbing and wastewater system, water and septic holding tanks, electrical system, hydraulics, heating and cooling system, appliances, electronics, storage areas, furniture and furnishings.  Take pictures on a digital camera of all parts of the used motorhome.  Be sure to include pictures under the hood, and a very easy to read picture of the odomoter.  (Be careful to watch for glare when you take the odometer shot – shoot from an angle for better clarity.)  What’s the best part of your used motorhome that sets it apart from similar models?  Buying a used motorhome?  The seller should have documented everything mentioned above.  Don’t settle for less!  If you can think of additional things that are important to you, make a list BEFORE looking at used motorhomes.  Remember that when you’re looking at a used motorhome that is exactly what you want for your new rving lifestyle, you may get swept away with the emotions of your dream.  Step back, cool off!  There is absolutely no reason to rush your decision to buy a used motorhome!!!  Go home, think about it.  Bring your crabby neighbor or stern uncle with you the second time you look at the used motorhome of your dreams!  Make sure you know exactly who the owner of the used motorhome is, and that you’re looking at an honest legal offer of a sale.  (Can’t stress that one enough!  It’s one thing to want green upholstery and come home with brown, it’s a completely different picture to want the used motorhome of your dreams, and find you’ve come home with a stolen vehicle!!!  Buyer beware!!!)

We wish you the best of luck selling or buying a used motorhome.  Hope the transaction goes smoothly, and that it was an enjoyable process for you!  Do you have anything to add to our list of items to consider when buying or selling a new or used motorhome?  Any stories about what happened to you while buying or selling a new or used motorhome?  Join the conversation – please leave a comment!

 

1 thought on “Buying and Selling Used Motorhomes”

  1. Looking for the resale value of a 2009 Georgetown Forest River motorhome. It is a 373 model and has 47,000 miles on it. It has a V-10 Ford gas engine.

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