RV value?

[deronmoped]

I have a 2003 Fleetwood Terra that I'm selling and have been trying to place a value on it. The main thing going for this older RV is the 27,000 miles on it. Wear and tear is probably pretty normal for this year RV. We live in Port Orange, Florida. I tried the NADA value and it throws out a number of around $6,000.00, without taking the mileage into consideration. I put it on Craigslist here in Daytona Beach for $19,500.00 for starters. I looked around at other RV's and the low mileage of this RV stands out as the others have two to three times the mileage.
Also, is it worth it to place it on RV Trader for a few hundred dollars in advertising fees or is there other sites that get just as good results?
Thanks, Deron.

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

Not sure about RV trader, although that's where I found my first TH...
I sold that same TH on Facebook Marketplace in less than a week.

 

[uchu]

Just remember that milage is important, but overall condition and maintenance records are more important when it comes to valuation.

 

[Isaac-1]

Condition is everything when it comes to older motorhomes, its not just about the mileage, but also about the condition of all those rot prone rubber parts (belts, hoses, suspension and steering bushings, tires, etc.), as well as roof, windows, interior, etc.

If everything is in good shape and it is ready to go on a cross country adventure, then just about any motorhome is worth $15,000 or more

p.s. note RV tires age out at about the 7 year point regardless of how few miles they have on them.

 

[CamperAL]

To me, with only 27,000 miles on the unit, which is less than 1,200 miles each year, it seems to me that it has sat a lot rather than being exercised. I'd pass up on such an RV.

Maintenance records would help to show upkeep.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There is no organized collection of RV selling prices, so the book value (JD Powers aka NADA) is just estimated depreciation, based solely on age. Real RV value is based on condition of both the vehicle and the "house", so mileage is a relatively minor factor. Your 27,000 isn't any more valuable than other relatively low numbers, e.g., 35,000 or even 50,000. Things like aged tires, faded exterior, or non-working appliances would likely have greater impact on the market value.

Look for examples on RV sales sites like RV Trader. Motorhomefinder, local dealer ads, etc. You will probably find a wide range, so collect several examples and make your own guess where yours should be priced. A lack of ad-responses will soon tell you if priced to high.

 

[deronmoped]

Yeah, I drove it cross country three times with no worries, was surprised that I was getting 9-10MPG at 70 to 80 MPH on those trips.

What maintenance? All I did was make sure the oil and filter was good and the tires had air. Brakes should last forever when your just freeway driving all the time. It has a special roof coating, which is

If I was looking for a motor home to buy low miles (good running condition) would be my first consideration. Everything else is pretty cosmetic.

Does anyone remember booting a tire, that is what they used to do back in the day. Where the tire wore though they would put a heavy duty patch on the inside of the tire and back down the road you went. Times have sure changed for us, get a few miles on a tire then throw it out. I used to wear them down to the belts, before I would consider getting a new tire.

 

[deronmoped]

So someone came by to look at the RV and what I got from them and other responses was the WorkHorse chassis was one of the factors that drew them to our RV. I saw interest in Texas and Cincinnati and here in Florida. I guess WorkHorse Chassis's have a good reputation.

I'm thinking as far mileage consideration, all other things on a RV to RV comparison being in similar condition, the lower mile RV would definitely get my dollars, not only that, I noticed RV dealers usually hide the mileage of a high mile RV and highlights the miles on a low mile RV. Miles on any vehicle can tell you a lot about what you can expect to see in it's overall condition. A lot of miles, usually means everything in that vehicle has seen a lot of use.

 

[Kirk]

Are you the first owner? You can download a copy of the brochure as that might be helpful.

Does anyone remember booting a tire, that is what they used to do back in the day.

Yes I do remember those days and I also know that we didn't drive nearly as fast or as far. What is the date code on the tires? Replacement tires can be a major expense.

 

[SuwanneeDave1]

I have a 2003 Fleetwood Terra that I'm selling and have been trying to place a value on it. The main thing going for this older RV is the 27,000 miles on it. Wear and tear is probably pretty normal for this year RV. We live in Port Orange, Florida. I tried the NADA value and it throws out a number of around $6,000.00, without taking the mileage into consideration. I put it on Craigslist here in Daytona Beach for $19,500.00 for starters. I looked around at other RV's and the low mileage of this RV stands out as the others have two to three times the mileage.
Also, is it worth it to place it on RV Trader for a few hundred dollars in advertising fees or is there other sites that get just as good results?
Thanks, Deron.

I think you are going to have to reduce your price by a lot. It's 23 years old, and people are just not making big purchases now especially for used vehicles.

 

[Derby6]

Yes single owner is a plus.
Also how stored. Garage? Covered? Sat out isn’t sun for 23 years.
Agree tire age also a factor.
I think your high. Closer to 12-15k range IMO.

 

[RayIN]

There are some very old posts here about some front-end parts being NLA for older Workhorse chassis.. Workhorse was a very good chassis, but it's been out of production for so long now, spare parts are very scarce. Even the pool of salvaged chassis is drying up today.
Everything we own is more valuable to us that it is are to others.
Buyers are searching for what is a good deal for them; sellers are doing the same-trying for the best deal. Compromise is what sells and buys stuff.

 

[deronmoped]

I'm getting some interested parties at $19,500.00. Which I think is probably high. A lady came by today and was real interested. She said she already looked at half a dozen RV's from the low tens to the thirty's and she said my RV was the one that impressed as the best deal so far. I already accepted a offer of $15,000.00 from a guy in Cincinnati, that's if he makes it down here. He did want it, but what was holding him up was the $2,000.00 they wanted for a tow package for his vehicle and the two the three weeks to get that tow package.

 

[deronmoped]

Talking about tires, I have a 1975 Schwinn Town and Country with what looks like the original tires on it. A little bit of cracking, but I ride the trike every day. I used to collect mopeds (I had go though my hands like fifty of them) with some of them from the 50's and never changed a tire that would get me down the road. Some of them were horridly cracked on the outside can't remember if any of those tires every blew out. I did replace the ones where the tube would start to bulge out.

And you guys ever check out those videos from India. They would take a tire that has a huge hole in its tread, sidewall does not matter, and fix them for reuse.

And what about long haul trucks always losing their treads on the road. I can not believe they let them retread those used tires and drive on them. They may say they are safe to retread a tire, but what about us victims that end up hitting one of those lost treads and having to deal with the damage it does to our vehicles. And now they are trying to allow retreads on the steering tires.

 

[UTTransplant]

Your motorhome weighs tens of thousands of pounds. Do not compare it to a trike or a moped. The stresses on the tires of a big rig are significant. And the truck tires that leave shreds all over the place are on the trailer, not the truck. Steer tires on commercial vehicles must be new, no retreads allowed. If I was in the market for a different rig, I would buy a rig with old cracked tires assuming everything else worked, but I would drive it at 30 mph to the nearest tire shop for replacements. I would also deduct the price of those new tires from the asking price before providing an offer.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

So someone came by to look at the RV and what I got from them and other responses was the WorkHorse chassis was one of the factors that drew them to our RV. I saw interest in Texas and Cincinnati and here in Florida. I guess WorkHorse Chassis's have a good reputation.

In 2003-2005 the Workhorse chassis (W-series & P-series) were definitely superior to the competition (Ford) and the predecessor Chevy motorhome chassis.For caught up around 2006, but for awhile the Workhorse was a notable advantage.

And what about long haul trucks always losing their treads on the road. I can not believe they let them retread those used tires and drive on them.

Many of those "alligators" are from cheap retreads used on semi-trailers, but not all. Some trucks use retreads on drive & tag axles, particularly those used primarily for local or regional transport.

Does anyone remember booting a tire, that is what they used to do back in the day. Where the tire wore though they would put a heavy duty patch on the inside of the tire and back down the road you went.

You are talking early 1900's, certainly pre-World War II.

 

[deronmoped]

All this guessing about tires had me wonder what the real story with tires. So I went to a great place about tires. I had gotten 2,500 hours in A&P training and I new the FAA had strict guidelines about all inspection and maintenance.

The FAA has "no" year limit on tires. They even allow cuts into the sidewall of the tire as long as it does not cut into the ply. They even allow cracking sidewalls, as long as the ply does not show. So a A&P mechanic that does a annual inspection of your airplane would not fail 15 year old, worn to nothing, cracked, cut tires. At the end of the day you would still get your airworthiness certificate.

I wonder why tire manufacturers say only 7 years? They make crappy tires that don't last that long? They want to sell more tires? What would be your guess?

 

[TheBar]

Does anyone remember booting a tire, that is what they used to do back in the day. Where the tire wore though they would put a heavy duty patch on the inside of the tire and back down the road you went.

Actually my dad said that was a common practice during WWII because new tires were almost impossible to find. People close to the border drove to Canada or Mexico to buy new tires.

 

[Kirk]

The use of tire boots to extend tire life was largely phased out by the mid-1950s. By 1955, tubeless tires became standard equipment on new cars, and by the late 1950s and 1960s, tubeless tires were the norm for passenger cars. This shift was due to the introduction of tubeless tires, which eliminated the need for inner tubes and provided several advantages, including reduced blowouts, increased mileage, and the use of new materials that were better at holding air. As highway speeds increased the ability to balance tires became more important. My dad still used the tire boots on his hay wagon and some farm equipment until he left the farm in 1960.

 

[Derby6]

All this guessing about tires had me wonder what the real story with tires. So I went to a great place about tires. I had gotten 2,500 hours in A&P training and I new the FAA had strict guidelines about all inspection and maintenance.

The FAA has "no" year limit on tires. They even allow cuts into the sidewall of the tire as long as it does not cut into the ply. They even allow cracking sidewalls, as long as the ply does not show. So a A&P mechanic that does a annual inspection of your airplane would not fail 15 year old, worn to nothing, cracked, cut tires. At the end of the day you would still get your airworthiness certificate.

I wonder why tire manufacturers say only 7 years? They make crappy tires that don't last that long? They want to sell more tires? What would be your guess?

Aren’t aircraft tires hand made?

Either way my guess is aircraft tires are much more regulated and stronger that a normal car/truck/trailer tire.

So many cars/trucks/trailers compared to aircraft so they are made in bulk with “looser” regulations.