Buying and/or selling an RV from dealer or private sale

Can anyone tell me about their experiences buying and / or selling an RV from a private person or a dealer?  Hopefully some people have done both so they can explain the differences.  How did the negotiations go?  What was final price settled on compared to the listed price...ect

I don't think there is useful answer to that.  Private sale transactions vary as much as the individuals involved. Plus there is a lot of variety in dealers as well.

Sellers, whether private are paid sales type,  may be straight up ethical or totally devious. Most however, are simply ignorant and often give incorrect answers or advice.  And they all want to sell the item to you now, and at the best price they think they can get.  Private sellers often ask totally unrealistic prices, trying to recover what they owe or originally paid without regard to market prices. Dealers price for their perceived market but still are trying for the best they can get, plus their asking price may be inflated so they can offer discounts or more attractive trade-in values.  Bargaining is a way of life

Used RVs on the private market are strictly as is - you negotiate what is included or to be repaired before you buy.  Used RVs at a dealer are nearly always sold "as is", but a few offer a 30 day warranty.  New RVs come with whatever factory warranty applies.  RV dealers will assure you they have "gone through everything" before you take possession, but that is rarely true.  It's mostly a case of letting the buyer do the final testing and fix only what he complains about.

I have done both. Only once with a dealer and I would walk before buying from a dealer again. They have no shame or honesty.

I have bought and sold from private individuals and also bought from dealers. When I sell, I make sure the contract reads that the unit is sold where is/as is. When I buy, the contract reads subject to an inspection by an inspector of my choosing and to my sole satisfaction. With a dealer, I also make sure their contract reads that the purchase is subject to an thorough inspection and repairs of any defects. I also require the dealer supply tires not older than six months. The dealer doesn't get a nickle until then unless I agree to a refundable good faith deposit. If they don't agree, I walk.

I have purchased both ways.
Either way I do my homework first. I know the going prices and exactly what it is I'm looking for.
Usually I know way more about the RV then the seller.
I also go into with the WYSIWYG attitude. Warranties are typically junk IMO.
After buying several RV's from private, it's doubtful I'll ever buy new again. I've found way better deals used and most of issues have already been addressed.
Dealerships however do have the financing aspect in their favor. Certainly much faster and often better rates.
Patience is usually the way to a good price. As has already been mentioned private parties typically are looking to get what they owe out of their RV's and price high.
They also use NADA or the like to justify the price by adding every conceivable option on the list even though much is standard equipment.
Lastly my experience with RV dealerships and used RV's has been dismal at best.  It's interesting that they will not repair anything until AFTER a contract is signed.
Broken windshields, cabinetry,  trim, ect is very common as well as worn out tires. For me it's just a waste of time.

When you bought, can you tell us what percentage of the asking price you ended up paying?  Im assuming a private sale ended up having a bigger discount from the asking price since they list their RVs higher originally?

MikeStarr said:

When you bought, can you tell us what percentage of the asking price you ended up paying?  Im assuming a private sale ended up having a bigger discount from the asking price since they list their RVs higher originally?

Click to expand...

I  don't think any percentage can be given as different owners and different value of vehicles are all over the place. Buying used is not like buying new where you have, at least, an MRSP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) to guide you. The closest number you will find is the online NADA value which is a depreciation calculation only, and most likely does not truly represent any given vehicle but may be closer to an estimate than you will find anywhere else. An owner wishing to recover from finance cost and owing more than the vehicles actual worth (ie being "under water" ) by using an inflated price will be much less flexible than one who is selling a paid for vehicle.

Mike...
Since there is no standardized asking price for private sales, there can be no typical or expected discount percentage. Some sellers intentionally set a high price to leave room for negotiation, others set a firm price based on some knowledge of the market in their area, and some just pick a number out of the air and wait for events to show what is reasonable.

When I sold my coach two years ago, I got my asking price but I threw in a tow dolly worth about $800. That could be considered a discount of about 1%.

MikeStarr said:

When you bought, can you tell us what percentage of the asking price you ended up paying?  Im assuming a private sale ended up having a bigger discount from the asking price since they list their RVs higher originally?

Click to expand...

Gary said it well. Some private sellers list their units high because they are underwater and need that much to clear the loan. Not a very useful idea, but common. Others have a good idea of the price based on comparisons, and they know what their unit is actually worth. I think all dealers price high because they think buyers will feel good if they get a discount from asking, but the final price paid has to be high enough to cover their profit too.

We have both sold and bought from private parties and dealers. Basic advice is to know the value of the unit to you and offer what makes sense to you, ignoring the seller?s asking price. Be prepared to back up your offer with some data, and see where it goes.

No matter what price you put on something, people ALWAYS try to talk you down. Even if it's a good deal already. After my wife passed a couple years ago I tried selling my coach and put a decent price on it. Had a few people look at it, but they all wanted to steal it. One guy was so off the wall I just took it off the market, and I still have it. He called me back after I took it off the market and made a reasonable offer, but I wouldn't have sold it to him for full asking price. Just be careful about offending people when making an offer. NADA pricing is WAY OFF the last couple of years, don't allow for low mileage ect. A coach with 30,000 miles is worth more than the same coach with a 100,000 miles, and has to be considered. Condition is everything, but mileage has to be considered.

SeilerBird said:

I have done both. Only once with a dealer and I would walk before buying from a dealer again. They have no shame or honesty.

Click to expand...

The last dealer I bought from was totally honest. When I asked about warranty and after sale problems, He said" Boy see that white line painted across the end of the drive? When you drive over that it is yours."
Well at least he didn't lye.
I think what Gary said was right on the money.
Bill

I have very limited experiences in this.... but here is my 2cents:

Private sellers might be telling you the truth as they know it, but they might not know what they are talking about...
Take the trailer to a dealership (or a different dealership after) and have a full inspection done or do it yourself.....
there is a checklist :
http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php/15-checklists/427-pre-delivery-checklist

I made some mistakes with my first trailer... thank god I didn't pay a lot... But I try and learn

A coach with 30,000 miles is worth more than the same coach with a 100,000 miles, and has to be considered.

Click to expand...

But often not much more.  It's a house more than a vehicle, so mileage on the vehicle part is just one relatively small factor. Further, higher mileage can be offset with better care of even replacement parts.

Condition is everything, but mileage has to be considered.

Click to expand...

I've always figured mileage to be part of the condition, i.e. a factor in the running gear mechanical part.

I disagree with you Gary. A coach with 100,000 miles has much more wear than a coach with 30,000 miles, on every part of it.

The only way to know if you're getting a good price is to do LOTS of research in your area. NADAguides.com isn't gospel, but it's a good starting place for pricing used RV's. Do not add in any options when valuing used equipment.

I also much prefer buying and selling, well, almost everything (including RV's) gently used from private sellers. I had overall good experiences and got great prices on both of my RV's from private owners (found 1st motorhome on Ebay, 2nd trailer on Craigslist) but again I had done tons of research on what I wanted, and what was out there. It's all about timing, and knowing when to jump on a good deal when you see one.

Negotiations-wise, with RV #1. This was in 2007 and the unit was a 1994, 13 years old at the time. It was valued at $17k retail, but seller was motivated and had starting price on Ebay for $14k. I watched the first auction end with no bids, then get relisted. At that point I contacted the seller and set up a phone call. We talked about everything you could possibly discuss regarding the RV, probably 2+ hours of conversations over 2 phone calls. He knew I was a serious buyer. During that call, he mentioned that $12k was the lowest he could accept and I agreed. My wife and I drove across 4 states (IL to NY) which is whole 'nother story that is detailed elsewhere on this forum.

RV #2. It was in 2015 and unit was a 2008, 7 years old. Valued at $14k, again a motivated seller and I had seen it advertised on Craiglist for $11k, then dropped to $10k. Followed the same process, called/emailed the seller numerous times to ask all kinds of questions and talk about the rig and the owner's reasons for selling. (The seller told me she appreciated all my questions, because she knew that I was serious.) With no deal made yet, I drove a couple hours to see the trailer and we talked for a couple more hours while looking at everything. It needed tires and an awning, so I mentally discounted for that. Basically again let the seller tell me what she would take, and we settled on $8500 and I towed it home... with no trailer brakes and a borrowed 1/2 ton truck in suburban Chicago traffic! (I know a lot more about smart towing now.) The tires later cost me about $450 and awning was around $600 and I installed myself.

"Watching and waiting" are the keys to a good deal on anything. Do the research and know when a the perfect item/price comes along. Most used RV's at dealerships were way overpriced in my area so I never went that route. I have bought several used cars at small dealers though, usually older stock that they want to move off the lot but was perfect for me.

I disagree with you Gary. A coach with 100,000 miles has much more wear than a coach with 30,000 miles, on every part of it.

Click to expand...

Sure, but how significant is it and how much effect on the selling price?  Most any chassis & drive train built in the last 20 years should be good for 150k-200k miles, so any coach short of the 100k mark ought to have plenty of mechanical life left for a new owner.  Some components will probably need replacing around the 100k mark, e.g. starter, alternator or water pump, but still not a big deal if you plan for them.  And the difference in mileage-related wear & tear on a rig with 50k vs 30k is hardly worth mentioning.
So it is my opinion that any mileage within an acceptable range is of little importance in the selling price. I would start making some price allowance at 70k, i.e. I would deduct a thousand $ or so from a coach with 75k vs the same coach with 35k or even 50k, but not much more simply based on odometer reading. Of course, if the interior is also worn or the exterior shabby, those too are negatives and further deductions are appropriate..

I'll echo the other's that said - Do YOUR Homework.
YOU have to know what you want before you get real serious.
You may have to look at a lot of toads before you find a princess to take home.

I looked at some dealers first and thought that they were pretty high priced.
And to some extent that is to be expected as they have to pay the salesman and cover all the operating costs
of running a business.  Some even have some type of limited warranty so that has to be added even if you don't use it later.

So with that said IMO usually you will get a better deal from a private seller.
However some people - either a private seller or a dealer will tell you what they think to need to hear to make a sale.

Another thing to keep in mind is why something is being sold and how long has the current owner owned it.
If a man dies and his wife can't or doesn't want to handle a large RV she may want to sell it but not know much about it
if her late husband did all the upkeep and work on it.  That leaves you to determine if it's a good unit or not. OR get someone that does...

In my case the owner wanted to upgrade to a bigger unit (40ft vs. 45ft) to full time in.
It had many to the features I wanted in a Motorhome PLUS some others that IMO made it a one of a kind.
So in my case I only got it for $500 less then he was asking for it - but it was less then the units I looked at - at dealers
and had basically everything on my must have list PLUS - so I think I still got a deal and overall am happy with my choice.