Buying a used RV--What to expect from a private owner sale

Good day to you all,

Have read this forum for years and recently joined because I want to make happen my dream of being on the road.  From the forums' advice, buying used is the way for me to go.  I'm retired from 25yrs active duty military service, my home state is Ohio.

I'm curious to learn and have no clue what to expect from a private owner/seller when I look over their RV (I'm using the term RV to mean MH any class, TT, or 5ver), and what a seller expects from me as a buyer.

1) Is it reasonable to expect the owner to be ready to provide maintenance documentation, upgrades--such as new appliances, batteries, tires and the warranties? 

2) What does a private seller allow time for and at the minimum, will they have the rv's electric connected to demonstrate that the lights, batteries, slides, refrig, a/c & furnace are operational?  What about testing the water-sink, toilet, shower? 

3) For motorhomes, is it customary for the seller to test drive it-not the buyer? Can I expect the owner to drive it on the highway at 65 mph?  If I'm a serious buyer, would the private seller OK a test drive in an empty parking lot? 

4) When inspecting an RV, is it OK for the buyer to take photos or film the interior, engine, tires, undercarriage?

5) Do RV VIN reports include warranty repairs and accidents linked to insurance claims?  Are these reports worth buying?

6) What rule of thumb advice is there on negotiating asking prices of used RVs?  Do private sellers expect slightly lower offers?  Do sellers go by NADA prices?

7) Is there ever a situation where a seriously interested buyer would be asked by a private seller to leave a check deposit to hold the RV?  If no loan is involved, is the payment through bank transfers only?  Is there anytime when a cash transaction is okay? Do any documents require a notary or legal services?

Thanks in advance for your responses, I appreciate your time.
P.S.  How do you put photos in your member profile? TY!


Zinny
Newbie Not on the road yet

Zinnia said:

1) Is it reasonable to expect the owner to be ready to provide maintenance documentation, upgrades--such as new appliances, batteries, tires and the warranties? 

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It is reasonable to expect it but usually such documentation is minimal. If it is less than a few years old you might get lucky but after that I doubt you will get much documentation.

2) What does a private seller allow time for and at the minimum, will they have the rv's electric connected to demonstrate that the lights, batteries, slides, refrig, a/c & furnace are operational?  What about testing the water-sink, toilet, shower?

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If the seller is serious he will allow you all the time you need to check everything out. If you want electric connected for demonstration then let the seller know this before you arrive. 

3) For motorhomes, is it customary for the seller to test drive it-not the buyer? Can I expect the owner to drive it on the highway at 65 mph?  If I'm a serious buyer, would the private seller OK a test drive in an empty parking lot? 

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The seller should allow you to test drive it as much as you wish. You should take it around town and out on the freeway. You should be the driver, not the seller.

4) When inspecting an RV, is it OK for the buyer to take photos or film the interior, engine, tires, undercarriage?

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They should allow you to take all the photos you wish.

5) Do RV VIN reports include warranty repairs and accidents linked to insurance claims?  Are these reports worth buying?

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CarFax is not necessarily complete since there is no law requiring every repair shop to file a report.

6) What rule of thumb advice is there on negotiating asking prices of used RVs?  Do private sellers expect slightly lower offers?  Do sellers go by NADA prices?

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There is no rule of thumb. Haggle like you would for any other item you are buying. 99% of the sellers have no clue about NADA and those prices are all fantasyland anyway.

7) Is there ever a situation where a seriously interested buyer would be asked by a private seller to leave a check deposit to hold the RV?

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I would not ever do that.

If no loan is involved, is the payment through bank transfers only?

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Payment is any way you can negotiate. It is best to have both the buyer and seller go to the buyers bank and get a cashier's check to make the payment. 

Is there anytime when a cash transaction is okay?

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I would never pay cash. I would want a cashier's check so there is a receipt for the money changing hands.

Do any documents require a notary or legal services?

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I have never used a notary.

How do you put photos in your member profile? TY!

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Up near the top of the page click on Profile then click on Forum Profile.

(I'm using the term RV to mean MH any class, TT, or 5ver)

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That's how it should be construed.

1. Yes, BUT... not all will have that information available, and certainly if they didn't buy it new they can't be expected to provide that info about what happened before they bought it. WYSIWYG.

2. That will vary from one seller to another. I'd talk to them before a visit and ask them to set up what I wanted to see. Of course in winter you can't expect to see water systems in operation.

3. Don't know if there is a "custom," but I'd certainly want to drive it. However you must keep in mind what it's insured for (very important for the seller), and that seller doesn't know you or anything about you, so expect them to be wary on this subject -- work it out as best you can.

4. If the seller doesn't agree to that, go elsewhere.

5. I've no idea.

6. That's not my strong point...

7. I would think that would be needed if you want them to HOLD it. Payment you must work out individually. Notary, etc. requirements may vary from state to state, but expect at least title transfers, and perhaps other things, to require at least a notary.

Chances are folks more knowledgeable than I will be along with additional info/opinions/facts...

First, welcome to the forum and thank you for your service to this country.
Now, you sound like this will be your first RV and you are totally new to RV'ing. If that is the case, I would look around for a RV and if you find the one you really want, ask the seller if you can have it inspected. It may cost you a couple of hundred bucks to get it done, but you'll know exactly what you're buying. If the seller says no, then walk. He's hiding something and you may not find it do to lack of RV knowledge. 

Zinnia said:

Good day to you all,

Have read this forum for years and recently joined because I want to make happen my dream of being on the road.  From the forums' advice, buying used is the way for me to go.  I'm retired from 25yrs active duty military service, my home state is Ohio.

I'm curious to learn and have no clue what to expect from a private owner/seller when I look over their RV (I'm using the term RV to mean MH any class, TT, or 5ver), and what a seller expects from me as a buyer.

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I have bought and sold many vehicles over the years, mostly cars and trucks. I used the same principles when shopping for my RV
First thing you should do is look into the web services for VIN checks. Bookmark them for reference.

These three seem to be the most useful:
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/vehicle/land.php
This is a good free service that can give you some basic information on the vehicle history. If you see any "red flags" on this report, go to the paid services and see what they have to see. They offer more details.

http://www.autocheck.com/vehiclehistory/autocheck/en/
This one is a bit strange. They claim on the page you get a free check. But once you enter the VIN or plate, they bring you to a page where you can subscribe. the subscription is time limited, and I am annoyeed by this tactic. I did subscribe for a while, and they do provide better info that the first site. However, in my opinion, Carfax is still the best paid service.

https://www.carfax.com/
They offer a fairly comprehensive service, but it's not cheap. They saved me from buying two questionable RVs, and a number of questionable autos.

would use carfax on any vehicle that I seriously consider spending money on.

Also, there are RV mechanics who will do a full inspection of the vehicle and give you a comprehensive report on its condition. Also not cheap, but worth the investment, in my opinion. You will know what possible repairs may be looming, and can consider them in the costs calculations.
Find a mechanic and have their contact details at the ready before shopping.
Save this for when you are really wanting a unit, because the cost of such an inspection is around $250-300, each. Still money well spent.

So ask for the VIN right off. Do you own VIN check. Don't rely on one the seller prepared. They can be faked, fairly easily.
Ask the seller about letting you have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle.

The respionses to these two questions can be a useful filter. If they are hesitant to agree to these, there may be a good reason why and you may want to just move on.

Zinnia said:

1) Is it reasonable to expect the owner to be ready to provide maintenance documentation, upgrades--such as new appliances, batteries, tires and the warranties? 

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It is reasonable to expect those kinds of records. However, many owners may have not kept them. Especially if they are 3rd or 4th owner.

Ask the question. Like the VIN and inspection, the response will tell you a lot about the vehicle.

Zinnia said:

2) What does a private seller allow time for and at the minimum, will they have the rv's electric connected to demonstrate that the lights, batteries, slides, refrig, a/c & furnace are operational?  What about testing the water-sink, toilet, shower? 

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These are going to be case-by-case situations. More good questions to ask when preparing to review the vehicle.

Zinnia said:

3) For motorhomes, is it customary for the seller to test drive it-not the buyer? Can I expect the owner to drive it on the highway at 65 mph?  If I'm a serious buyer, would the private seller OK a test drive in an empty parking lot? 

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A seller that refuses the request for a test drive may be hiding something.
Again. ask the question. Responses will tell you a lot.

Zinnia said:

4) When inspecting an RV, is it OK for the buyer to take photos or film the interior, engine, tires, undercarriage?

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I cannot imagine a serious seller refusing that request.

Zinnia said:

5) Do RV VIN reports include warranty repairs and accidents linked to insurance claims?  Are these reports worth buying?

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They should. Of course sometimes that information is not reported to the correct agencies, and can be missing. But they are definitely worth the money, IMHO.

Zinnia said:

6) What rule of thumb advice is there on negotiating asking prices of used RVs?  Do private sellers expect slightly lower offers?  Do sellers go by NADA prices?

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NADA is a good baseline. but many factors will affect the actual value, compared to NADA.

Zinnia said:

7) Is there ever a situation where a seriously interested buyer would be asked by a private seller to leave a check deposit to hold the RV?  If no loan is involved, is the payment through bank transfers only?  Is there anytime when a cash transaction is okay? Do any documents require a notary or legal services?

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A deposit is reasonable if you are asking the seller to hold the unit while you take care of paperwork, loan app or something.
A cash transaction is probably OK, as long as you have bill of sale and proper paperwork for your state DMV. Notary is usually required in most states.

I think Seilerbird gave pretty complete answers, so I won't repeat. Will add a couple thoughts, though, and show them below.
Overall, though, you cannot generalize about what a private seller may do, or not do. It's his RV to sell as he sees fit, and up to his whim how to do it, what to charge, etc. Your choice is to walk away if the process or price is unacceptable. Known of the expectations you cited are unreasonable, but many sellers won't be prepared to accommodate them.

7) Is there ever a situation where a seriously interested buyer would be asked by a private seller to leave a check deposit to hold the RV?  If no loan is involved, is the payment through bank transfers only?  Is there anytime when a cash transaction is okay? Do any documents require a notary or legal services?

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If you asked him to take the RV off the market until you could travel there, make an inspection, arrange financing, etc., a deposit would be reasonable. That's how the seller learns if you are "seriously interested"  or not, right?  The classic saying in the vehicle sales business applies: "Money talks, BS walks".

Some states may require that a title transfer document be notarized. Check with the DMV in the state where you will purchase. And also learn what your own state requires to issue a title and register the vehicle, and make sure you get it from the seller.

I always sold 5ers and let the buyer test whatever they wanted.  Ironically the last 3 sold in the dead of winter, one in a blizzard from folks that flew in from Georgia and they ended up stuck here for a few days.

Driving would worry me on a Motorhome.  I keep thinking of that Allstate Mayhem commercial on the motorcycle 

Thanks everyone for responses and links.  Very helpful.

Zinny
Newbie not on the road yet

SeilerBird gave you very good answers.  We just sold our 2000 Itasca Sunrise (Wednesday) and spent all the time the buyer wanted, answered every question he had, gave him all of the documents, he drove the RV (35') on his test drive and he drove it to wherever he wanted - I recommended some specific routs since he was not local or familiar with our roads but he drove the entire time.  He took all the pictures he wanted of whatever he wanted, we went over the RV top to bottom.  I did have it plugged in for him before he arrived so he could check everything and I had the refrigerator running so it was cold.  As far as price I was asking $25K, he wanted to pay $22K, because that was the NADA guide value and we split the difference at $23,500 which he paid with a cashiers check.  As far as paper work he and I both signed the title and a bill of sale.  He went home with the signed title, went to the DMV and titled it in his name and returned with his tags and his insurance and drove it home.  He has e-mailed me twice since he purchased it on Wednesday with small questions and I replied with his answers.

Every question you asked is more than reasonable, if a private seller says no to anything you as the prospective buyer needs walk away.  There are too many RV's out here that you as a buyer don't need to be uncomfortable or take an unnecessary risk.  Welcome to RVing and good luck with your purchase - Two books I strongly recommend to any new RVer, especially for a purchase of a used RV are:  The complete idiots guide to RVing and Buying a used motorhome (Bill Myers).

I would simply add to what others have said, ask to see the title. If you are seriously interested in a coach, and the seller can't produce a clear title document, you may want to move on.

I kind of agree with Punomatic but when I bought my Class C a couple months ago I bought it from a fellow in Amarillo, Tx. the title was in New Mexico at a Credit Union since they are a title holding state. I paid the loan off at his CU and they wired the money to the New Mexico CU and they sent the title to the guy I bought it from and he overnighted it to me. All worked out good.

For what it is worth:
I am selling my travel trailer right now and have a  buyer, (I think) here are a few answers that might help
1. I used to keep documentation on the maintenance, but stopped four or five years ago, so I won't offer any log to the buyer. I will offer it from memory

2. They came last night, and I welcomed them to take all the pictures they wanted

3. The only sale I will make will be a cash transaction

4 They asked if I would take an offer, and I was prepaired for that and said yes. Naturally I previously had expected it and allowed myself some wiggle room.

5 Where the trailer is right now, there is no way that it can be hooked up to water, or electricity, so they have to take my word that every thing works, but I am prepaired to tow it to their property  where if they have a means of connections I can show them how it all works, but I would only do this if I was paid in cash first.

6. This is their first travel trailer, and they know absolutely nothing about the various appliances and how everything works, so I will want to spend a whole day if necessary going over every thing with them

7 My wife and I have had many wonderful years of camping, so I want the buyers to be completely happy when they make the purchase and be assured that they are getting what they paid for.

8 They wanted to give me a deposit last night to make sure I didn't sell it to ay one else, but I told them it wasn't necessary but to please give me a call  if they decided not to buy it.

jack L

Same thing I expect from a rv dealer.... Nouthing

Maybe keep the seller informed as you go through the process.  For example don't ask to see everything work until you know you like the floor plan.  Tell him or her that you have done some research and this is what you are looking for - can we check out all the systems? 

Having sold cars in the past there is nothing more frustrating than someone test driving the vehicle and it drives perfectly then for no reason they don't want it.  If you don't like it cut bait!

If you want the seller to take it off the market leave a deposit.  If you don't care if you lose it then risk it.

Btw I have had mostly unbelievably good experiences between private sellers.  They don't play the game everyday so it is more of a level playing field.  I have hit it off with some and they have helped me after I bought!

Good luck and remember it is a journey so enjoy this part too!

A point on the title transfer.  I would go with the buyer and observe the transfer to make sure it happens. In Minnesota, the buyer must pay sale tax at transfer time, so the sale would have to take place first.

My son sold a vehicle once and the buyer never did transfer the title. A mess to straighten out at a later date.

Zinnia said:

Good day to you all,

3) For motorhomes, is it customary for the seller to test drive it-not the buyer? Can I expect the owner to drive it on the highway at 65 mph?  If I'm a serious buyer, would the private seller OK a test drive in an empty parking lot? 

Zinny
Newbie Not on the road yet

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IMPORTANT!! One thing I found out when I test drove a motorhome, when I was looking to buy, make sure you are covered by your insurance company!!! The salesman told me I probably was though my car insurance but when I talked to my agent, I was told that I was NOT covered. So do check that out first. Have fun and do lots of reasearch or ask questions here.