Looking to buy 2006 Four Winds 31P

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ROBIN52

ROBIN52

Active member
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Posts
39
Location
Chunchula, AL.
Newbie here, first time buyer. A local RV lot has this class C on there lot for 27,000.00, has 52,000 miles, don't know the hours on the Gen.yet. When I use NADA guide it has the unit as average retail as $34,267.00 amd low of $28,443.00, these are the numbers when I add the options. To me this seems like a low asking price from a dealer and that is just not normal. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
NADA is nothing more than a bad estimate. You should not add the extras. It is a high asking price in my book. Dealers always start way high hoping to snare a non-educated newbie. You should search longer. And it is a good idea to rent an RV for a weekend to see how everything operates.
 
Thanks SeilerBird, I had rented one a few years back. Without the options it shows $21,750 low and $26,200 high. So you think the asking price is to much for this year and model?
Thank you.
 
ROBIN52 said:
Thanks SeilerBird, I had rented one a few years back. Without the options it shows $21,750 low and $26,200 high. So you think the asking price is to much for this year and model?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
In order to establish a price you should first have the RV appraised by a mobile mechanic to see what shape it is really in. Every seller will lie and tell you everything works when everything most definitely does not work. Newbies can't appraise the value of a used RV. I don't know anything about the one you are looking at so I can't make a guess.
 
The RV industry is seeing record sales with the China virus going on. Anything logical is thrown out the window. I can not say what is a good price in your location, but do encourage you to get an inspection from a professional not associated or even recommended through the dealer.  The most important thing is that you don?t buy someone else?s problem. Good luck ?
 
Please don't be misled by NADA.  Buying an RV is not comparable to buying a car or truck.  NADA does not equal Blue Book value.  Vehicle vs Rv are 2 different types of markets.  With an RV, condition is everything.  Wholly agree with others that you must have a qualified RV inspector check out all the major systems, and someone to look over engine. Have you asked for any maintenance records on the unit?  You can/should inspect the interior fit and finish - look inside all cabinets, do doors close and stay closed, condition of bath and sinks, toilet, floor/carpet, do the blinds work easily, do windows open and close, pull on all the trim to see if it comes loose.  Take your time and look at everything, not just a glance.  Are the tires past their date codes and need replacing.  It's a bunch of time and effort, but to better determine if the unit and asking (or your offer) price are in line, it needs to be done.

Then, even with that, you should have a stash of cash to pay for inevitable repairs or replacement of things.  How much?  Don't know, but $2000 to $3000 would be a good start.  Their will be maintenance costs as well, so the amount could help cover those items as well.

Bottom line, if everything checks out  - even if there are some items that need attention -- is if the unit is worth the cost to you.  If so, go for it and be happy in your new travels. 

Linda
 
As others have said, the NADA RV Guide is an estimated value and not based on actual sales data like the NADA prices for cars & trucks.  Nor can you simply add any item from the options list to the base value, since many (if not all) of those items were standard equipment anyway.  Except for a few major add-ons, the extra have little effect on RV value anyway. About the only significant one would be hydraulic leveling.  I suggest you use the base price for the model & mileage and forget adding on any options.


You will need to look around and get prices on several other, similar RVs, taking into account that there will be a wide range of asking prices in both dealer and private sale ads and that actual selling prices may be thousands less.
You can be pretty confident the dealer hasn't underpriced his product.  ;)
 
Thanks for everyone's input. Totally agree having an inspector do his thing, I'm not qualified. And yes, folks will lie and tell you just want you want to hear. I never had any intention of sitting foot on a dealer lot, would rather buy from an owner. We are retired and in no rush. Thanks again.
 
IMO, the biggest problem with private sellers is shear ignorance.  So many have little clue about market value, the actual condition of their RV, or what maintenance they should have been doing.  When they say "everything works", it typically means nothing was obviously wrong the last time we used it, but even that may simply mean the owner was oblivious to some things.  Owners are "Often wrong but seldom in doubt"!
 
In the owners defense finding some items that need to be replaced can be a challenge.  I have over a thousand dollars worth of chassis related parts laying around that need to be installed on my coach at the moment, all of which were found while looking for a bolt I dropped while I had the engine dog house cover off.  This includes ABS brake lines that are oozing (could not be seen until a plastic cover was removed), and the oil cooler line, as the old one is nearly rubbed through above a bracket, again only found by feel while trying to find the dropped bolt.
 
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