Strategies for private sale

[jeffrapp]

I am thinking of listing my RV for sale on this and similar forums. I'm also considering Craig's list, but my experience there has sometimes been not so good. You often get people who are not really serious. I'm particularly concerned about the test drive, and at what point it should occur during the sales process.
Do I give everyone a test drive? Make them agree to the sales contract first. Insist on a deposit?
Another issue is all the stuff I have that is not built in, such as towing equipment, sat TV equipment, etc. Is it best to leave it off the RV for use in negotiating later, or list it all up front?
I'd appreciate advice about the above and anything else from anyone who has had the experience.

 

[UTTransplant]

We sold a somewhat upscale travel trailer last year, and some of the topics are the same. We took out the portable satellite dish and receiver. I figured no one was going to pay me extra for,those. We did leave the weight distribution hitch in the deal, since the trailer was heavy and required it. Otherwise I made sure it was spotless inside, and in good shape outside. We made one mistake in not targeting the audience appropriately. Ours was set up for boondocking in the West, and we were selling it in the Midwest. That lowered the perceived value of things like the solar setup. We had some low ball offers,, but we ended up selling it to a guy who drove 1500 miles to get it. Advertise as widely as you can. Get the paid ad at RV Trader or yours will be so far down the list no one will see it. Look for manufacturer-related forums and Facebook pages.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The primary strategy is to advertise widely, i.e. maximum exposure.  Provide lots of photos, inside and out, have available every conceivable spec and service info you can think of. And most important, set an attractive price.

Test drives: in my opinion, only for buyers who have convinced me they are serious and have the money.  I say at least agree on a price, with the test drive as sort of a deal-clincher.

Add-on equipment: If it is bolted or screwed on, or otherwise installed, leave it.  Accessories like tow bars, lawn chairs, extra extension cords, or whatever can be  sold separately or thrown in as sweeteners.

 

[johnaye]

I sold a TT and a Class A on  Craig List with no problems.  Test drive on the A was after we agreed on a price. I think one of the secrets is to price the item to sell.  In both cases I priced my units at the bottom end of the scale to move them.  As Gary said, remove the removable items unless you do not want them.  Including the weight distribution hitch is a good idea.  I included mine when I sold the TT.

 

[grashley]

Unless you plan to use items in another camper, I would make them part of the deal, especially items like sewer hoses, fresh water hoses, and ESPECIALLY power cord (s) and adapters.  They will have little resale value, the new owner will probably need them, and it makes you look very generous.

I found my used FW on RVTrader.  Simple communication with the owner.

 

[LarsMac]

I started shopping for ours on CraigsList, but it became rather discouraging, and I have dealt a lot with CL. I buy and sell cars fairly regularly. But we finally went to RVTrader, to find our home.

And yes, include all the goodies. but be willing to negotiate with some of them.

 

[Bill N]

Sounds like some good advice and I am considering listing our coach in the spring but I will not let the hitch go unless they have an interest in the toad.  I think the toad itself with the complete hitch, brake control and wiring is worth a bit extra to an RVer so the effort will be to sell both as a unit but be willing to split.  When I list I also plan to list the pluses and also the minuses (outside entertainment unit inop, small crack  in counter top since year 1, etc).  I will definitely leave all of the necessary hookup items but maybe not the Progressive electrical hookup but would offer that separately.

Bill

 

[timjet]

I bought my MH from an ad on Craigs List. I can't say what the sellers experience was in selling it.

 

[Old_Crow]

When we went full time, we also bought a bigger coach.  While my wife was selling the stuff out of the house, she advertised a "not dead yet" estate sale.  The first morning of the sale I slapped a hand drawn sign on the door of the old motor home(we were still staying in it, in our yard, pending delivery of the bigger one).  First guy that showed up at the estate sale bought the coach.
I had to take a deposit and call him when we finally got our new one.  He also paid $1500 more for the coach than I had 5 years previously.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I sold our Class A DP two years ago via a classified ad on this site and IRV2 (the buyer came via the IRV2 ad).  I got 3-4 inquiries and then a very serious buyer.  My rig was exactly what he was looking for, so we got down to the nitty-gritty quickly.  Still took 4 weeks to close the deal, e.g. he took engine, transmission and genset oil samples for analysis, came back for a 2nd more detailed inspection and test drive, etc.  My towbar, three extra extension cords, portable macerator pump, small BBQ, and a 50A cheater box were quickly  sold separately to other buyers, but I left in the coach a basic set of power cords & hoses, various spare parts, and an extra fuel filter.   

 

[scottydl]

Forum listings are a good idea (and free)... you'll reach a wide audience, but they probably won't be local (to you) and I'm not sure a LOT of potential first-time buyers search forums for their perfect rig.

I bought/sold both of our RV's via online ads... first RV bought via Ebay / sold via Craigslist, and second one bought via Craigslist. As well as having researched, bought, and sold dozens of other high dollar items on both platforms. So I've had substantial experience on all sides of the transactions.

When I sold my first RV (a 35' Class A gas motorhome) on Craigslist, I posted in my local edition as well as the surrounding large cities. For me that was Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. I had a few people come and take a look, but most that contacted me never showed up to see or test drive it. In fact, the only interested buyer who showed up and actually went on a test drive (and he wanted ME to drive... more like a test "ride") was the guy who ultimately bought it. He drove 2.5 hours from St. Louis just to see it, we made the deal that day, he returned home. The next weekend, he came back on the Amtrak, I picked him up at the train station, and he left in his new-to-him RV to drive it home.

Whether buying or selling in these ways, the key is communication. As a buyer, I always asked LOTS of questions (whether by phone or email) and expected a fairly quick response and detailed answers... otherwise I was concerned about the seller's knowledge and/or RV quality. I've had sellers tell me that they appreciate the dialogue, because they knew I was a serious buyer.

As a seller, I also looked for those same serious inquiries from buyers: to gauge their sincerity, what kind of RV experience they may have, and how much help/education they might need from me. 1-2 hour phone conversations were not uncommon, when the buying/selling was initially being done from a distance. Make the sale about the people, as much as the product. Everyone walks away happy IMO when transactions are handled like that.