Assessing RV Value

[jpmyers]

What is the most reliable way to assess the value of my RV? I am wanting to sell mt TT and upgrade to a 5th Wheel.The 1st dealership was really lowballing the value of my trade-in. I would prefer to not get hosed with my 1st RV upgrade but what I've seen so far is not promising.

[jpmyers]

I have been looking at PPL online. There is one a short drive from me and I will be going to talk with them.

[bob_nestor]

jpmyers wrote:
What is the most reliable way to assess the value of my RV? I am wanting to sell mt TT and upgrade to a 5th Wheel.The 1st dealership was really lowballing the value of my trade-in. I would prefer to not get hosed with my 1st RV upgrade but what I've seen so far is not promising.

You'd probably get the best price selling 3rd party but that requires finding the right buyer, advertising yourself, and handling the paperwork as well as the risks involved in the payment process.

Second best is probably selling via consignment sale. You do pay a percentage of the sale price for the service, but they handle all the advertising, cleanup, repairs, paperwork, etc.

Probably the worst option is to trade it into a dealer as they're trying to make money on the traded in unit as well as the new unit they'll be selling to you.

Since you're in Texas, have you considered doing a consignment sale with PPL Motorhomes. They take a percentage of the sale price, but handle all the advertising and paperwork. When you take the RV in to them they'll tell you what similar units have been selling for, but you have the opportunity to set the price to whatever you want to. And when it does sell you'll get your money very quickly.

I did sell my last RV thru PPL and recommended it to a friend who did the same. We were both pleased the the outcomes.

[jpmyers]

I have no issue with a dealership or anyone else making a profit. I have an issue with getting a "Rubber Stamp" price attached to my current RV, sight unseen. And I do understand why that is done. I will have to sell my current RV privately to actually get a fair sale.

There's a lot of good advice here, and I thank you for that.

[PButler96]

Grit dog wrote:
Entertaining thread gents…

Isn't it?....LOL.....I just wish I was not misinformed.

[Grit_dog]

Entertaining thread gents…

[Gdetrailer]

PButler96 wrote:

klutchdust wrote:
"Talking about stickers and MSRPs when it comes to the RV Industry is mental masturbation. "

Only to the misinformed. :B

:B. Enlighten me......where are you getting the accurate MSRP/Sticker numbers from when it comes to RV's?

Must be only one person that isn't "misinformed"?

Per HERE

"Most RV brands sell through a dealership network.

The RV manufacturer-dealer relationship is quite complicated.

Dealerships must be approved by the manufacturer. Bob’s Bargain RV Dealership, for instance, can’t just arbitrarily order Rough n’ Ready RVs from a catalog. Rough n’ Ready, the RV manufacturer, has to approve Bob’s Bargain’s dealership application.

If the manufacturer accepts too many applications, it won’t be able to fulfill orders. Too few dealers, however, and the brand will struggle to gain market share.

The manufacturer may insist a dealership blacklist “Competitor X;” they don’t want to be sold alongside their competition!

Money is governed by floor plan financing, usually offered by big 3rd party financial institutions. Contracts vary, but usually dealers have a certain amount of time to sell an RV before interest on their credit loan kicks in.

Dealerships commonly mark up an RV by 30-50% over invoice cost as “MSRP.” Then, they’ll throw on “discounts” so the final sale price is 20-40% over invoice, somewhere around the Fair Market Value.

Dealerships are responsible for warranty service, inspections and walk-throughs, but warranty claims must be pre-approved by the manufacturer. This can create long customer service delays when the two disagree!

The relationship can be tenuous and tense, at times. But it allows both parties to focus on what they’re best at: Sourcing and manufacturing vs. Sales and service.

Also, because RVs and campers are considered Motor Vehicles under U.S. law, there’s Big Government and bureaucracy to contend with. Many states require that commercial sellers of motor vehicles be licensed as motor vehicle dealerships. This means bonding insurance, permanent office space, customer parking, commercial zoning, FBI fingerprints, etc. These are things many RV manufacturers don’t have (or don’t want to mess around with)."

Note the section I put into bold..

From that I take it that there is no "window sticker with factory MSRP on it and while the manufacturer may have some sort of MSRP in mind on the dealers invoice paperwork, the dealer may be able to come up with their own MSRP and sale price as long as it does not breach the manufacturers terms of their manufacturer/dealer agreement.

Now KD may be talking MOTORIZED RVs (IE Motor Homes) and that may be vastly different from non motorized (trailers) as now you are hopping into the world of auto sales with a different set of rules.

Every dealership and even RV show I have ever gone to, I have never seen a factory window sticker posted on any trailer.. They all have been either sloppy handwritten sales splash format or some quickly typed non descript looking generic sheet of paper..

[PButler96]

klutchdust wrote:
"Talking about stickers and MSRPs when it comes to the RV Industry is mental masturbation. "

Only to the misinformed. :B

:B. Enlighten me......where are you getting the accurate MSRP/Sticker numbers from when it comes to RV's?

[klutchdust]

"Talking about stickers and MSRPs when it comes to the RV Industry is mental masturbation. "

Only to the misinformed. :B

[Scottiemom]

I use NADA guides. I have been looking for an upgrade coach and I have a 2004 little motorhome that is in very good if not excellent shape. I have been watching the prices on NADA for the last couple years through Covid and the numbers fluctuate a lot, but I think at any given time, they reflect the current market prices pretty accurately. Private sellers who bought during covid still want the moon for their coaches as they are trying to cash in on making a profit on a product that depreciates every year. Fortunate for me, I still have a good little coach that runs like a dream. So I continue to use her and perhaps one of these days, I will find the coach I want. When I do I will ask a reasonable price for mine.

Dale

[PButler96]

klutchdust wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
Never trade in an RV. Unlike the auto industry there is no reliable "book" price. For new or used. The only way to know what you are really paying for an RV is to pay cash. And the only way to know what you are recieving for your old RV is to sell it for cash.

I will not knock the RV dealers much for this, as they deal with the same uncertainties in a trade in situation as well. If they misjudge what they can sell for your trade, then they stand to lose money on the deal. Obviously if that happens too often, they can't stay in buisiness.

When you trade in and then buy a new vehicle, the dealer is making a bunch of dough. If he has a trailer for 30k you most likely could bargain that down 3 grand. If you trade and he says Ill give you 6000 grand for your trade he is deducting that 6 G from the 30, not the 27k number, so you are getting 3K for your trade. Trades are deducted from the sticker price, not a negotiated price.

6000 grand? I'll take that in a heartbeat. LOL.

Where are you finding accurate "sticker price" The only RV I've ever seen that comes with a sticker is Forest Rivers Rockwood/Flagstaff divisions line of trailers. Not much of a sticker, but an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet that lists all options itemized by cost, and shows an MSRP with a line at the bottom that says "not to be removed until sold". Most dealers remove that document as soon as the unit is delivered to them. Even if they had a sticker, you have no way of knowing the deal between the dealer and the manufacturer. Hold backs, volume incentives, kickbacks, etc. Talking about stickers and MSRPs when it comes to the RV Industry is mental masturbation.

[klutchdust]

Huntindog wrote:
Never trade in an RV. Unlike the auto industry there is no reliable "book" price. For new or used. The only way to know what you are really paying for an RV is to pay cash. And the only way to know what you are recieving for your old RV is to sell it for cash.

I will not knock the RV dealers much for this, as they deal with the same uncertainties in a trade in situation as well. If they misjudge what they can sell for your trade, then they stand to lose money on the deal. Obviously if that happens too often, they can't stay in buisiness.

When you trade in and then buy a new vehicle, the dealer is making a bunch of dough. If he has a trailer for 30k you most likely could bargain that down 3 grand. If you trade and he says Ill give you 6000 grand for your trade he is deducting that 6 G from the 30, not the 27k number, so you are getting 3K for your trade. Trades are deducted from the sticker price, not a negotiated price.

[MitchF150]

Huntindog wrote:
Never trade in an RV. Unlike the auto industry there is no reliable "book" price. For new or used. The only way to know what you are really paying for an RV is to pay cash. And the only way to know what you are recieving for your old RV is to sell it for cash.

I will not knock the RV dealers much for this, as they deal with the same uncertainties in a trade in situation as well. If they misjudge what they can sell for your trade, then they stand to lose money on the deal. Obviously if that happens too often, they can't stay in buisiness.

Well, that all depends on what someone else will pay and how much effort you wish to find that person. 🙂

For me, I traded my 16 year old 722F Prowler TT that was in great shape and cleaned up pretty nice for what I thought I'd get maybe 2-3 grand for.. Dealer offered me $6,500 for it sight unseen for my 2019 Rockwood that I feel I got for a heck of deal too!

Anyway, I had folks knock on my door for YEARS offering to buy my old Prowler and I would just say, "it's not for sale". I didn't want to go thru the hassle of all that, and at the time, it was all the TT I needed..

After the deal was made, I looked at the local dealers web site and they had the old Prowler pic with a "Sold" label in in and the price was $9500.. I don't know what they ended up with, but I was still happy with my trade.. 🙂

I'm not a sales person, so I just was not comfortable with offering this to the general public, where most would be just "looking", or someone trying to rip me off..

Anyway, that was back in 2019, so dunno what it's like now, but I still detest dealing with the general public in that manner, so trading was a win/win in my case...

Your rig will be worth whatever someone else is willing to pay for it.. Dealer, dude off the street, whoever...

Online or other samples of similar rigs values are all fine and dandy.. It's the guy or offer that you feel comfortable with at that time is what you are going to have to decide.

To me, towing my old Prowler into the dealer, getting $6500 trade and driving out with the new Rockwood was the deal for me.. Your mileage may vary.. 😉

Mitch

[Huntindog]

Never trade in an RV. Unlike the auto industry there is no reliable "book" price. For new or used. The only way to know what you are really paying for an RV is to pay cash. And the only way to know what you are recieving for your old RV is to sell it for cash.

I will not knock the RV dealers much for this, as they deal with the same uncertainties in a trade in situation as well. If they misjudge what they can sell for your trade, then they stand to lose money on the deal. Obviously if that happens too often, they can't stay in buisiness.

[klutchdust]

Look on internet and price yours based on what others are selling theirs for. Sold a Honda,Jeep and class C for prices the naysayers said "you will never get that"
Used are drawing great prices. Dealers make enough off the sale of the new one. You are basically giving your trade in to them. Did they give you a huge discount off the new price before figuring in your trade? No, of course not. Dealer/stealer same thing. :B