You love your travel trailer, but sometimes you need to sell it for many reasons. You could downsize, upgrade to a new one, or just say goodbye to your camping days. Selling a travel trailer is usually more difficult and stressful than buying it.
Sometimes the depreciation in the value of your RV trailer can disturb your finances, especially when you want to upgrade to a new one.
With the right information and proper planning, you can pull it off. Keep reading to know how you can make the most profit off your outgoing trailer.
Self Selling
Putting an ad in a newspaper and waiting for someone to contact you isn’t a good strategy. It makes you too dependent on the buyer and does not get the word out to others. You will likely be waiting a lot before anyone contacts you.
Meanwhile, your trailer keeps losing its value with every passing day. You should instead go for self-selling like many others. Do it as quickly as possible to avoid the depreciation of your trailer. When you secure a buyer through self-selling, make sure they sign their portion of the title.
If you sign but the buyer doesn’t, it could result in problems. Sometimes, there is no oversight, and the buyer doesn’t sign, which sometimes leads to headaches and even loss of sales. Take the buyer with you to the DMV to sign the paperwork together.
Make them understand that you won’t be responsible for the upgradation, insurance, or trailer storage once the deal is finalized. Be authentic and thorough during the sales process and get everything in writing.
Online Selling
Some might consider selling trailers online to be part of self-selling, but it is actually a bit different. Several websites on the internet can provide you with an excellent platform and help you sell your trailer.
Most of them make tall claims about how good they are. Some require upfront fees, but most don’t even do anything extra to help you, even after getting the money. The best way to find the right website is to research on the internet, talk to other sellers, and ask them about the platforms they prefer.
You can try some excellent websites, such as rvclassified.com and Craigslist. You can search for other options and if something suits you well, go for it. Once you post an ad on these sites, you will get emails from other sites. Whether it’s a good or a bad thing totally depends upon your preferences.
Always look out for shady buyers who are only interested in scamming you. If you receive a message and find it suspicious, it is much better to take it as a scam instead of taking it seriously. Just don’t respond and focus on other messages that look genuine.
Here are some things you must do when putting your trailer online for sale:
Write Your Reason
Always give them a reason why you’re selling it. Buyers are curious about it, so save time by answering it on your ad for everyone.
Take Cash Only
Tell them in advance about the payment forms you accept. Doing it will allow the buyer to know your payment method beforehand so that they can manage it.
It is a serious red flag if the buyer wants to pay you in something other than cash. The online world is full of scams, so selling your camper through an alternative payment system is a risk not worth it.
An interested buyer would always be able to arrange cash for their purchase. All they need to do is to call their bank and tell them about their new vehicle.
Some scammers even get around this and don’t pay in full. They ask you to delay a portion of the payment for some later day, which is another red flag. Cash isn’t the most convenient choice here, but it’s definitely the safest.
Be Honest
Be honest about your trailer, as being shady will only waste everyone’s valuable time. If your camper has any issues, be open and straightforward about them to the buyer. If you don’t and the buyer discovers an issue by themselves, they will definitely lose all interest in your vehicle.
Tell them About the Maintenance
Those looking for used campers are only satisfied if you have taken care of your vehicle. They are always attracted to well-maintained trailers, so tell them that you have maintained yours. Share any maintenance records you have to boost your chances of getting a good price.
Mention the Warranty
Being in warranty boosts the price of your trailer. If your vehicle still has a warranty and you have the paperwork, list them and mention the expiry date. Also, inform the buyers if there are any warranty transfer fees and whether the buyer or you will pay them.
Mention Your Price Clearly
Whether your price is fixed/firm or you can negotiate it, mention it clearly in your ad. If your price is firm, but you don’t mention it, you will have to deal with bargainers.
Be Visual
Always add high-quality photos of your trailer in your ad. Make sure you cover every angle under good lighting so that the buyers know you’re trustworthy.
Consigning
Those who aren’t interested in selling their trailer themselves should look into consigning. It is quite a common way of selling a trailer, and many rely on it. You need to find a trustworthy consignment seller and take your vehicle to them.
After that, selling your trailer is the dealer’s headache. Once it is sold, they will take a certain percentage from it as their commission. There are a lot of scams that go in the consigning sector too. So always make sure you take it as seriously as buying a new trailer and research thoroughly.
Selling to a Rental Company
Although RV rental companies only rent the trailers and do not sell them, you can still consider selling them your trailer. You can sell your trailer if it is in good condition and the rental company offers a good price. Rental companies buy these trailers and add them to their fleet for renting them afterward.
Not everyone owns the travel trailer they use. Many travelers like to rent because they find new trailers too expensive. They also don’t like maintaining a trailer in the long run.
Since the margins for renting companies are slim, they’re always looking for used trailers in good condition. Most prefer buying class C trailers, but sometimes they also buy class A coaches. The most important thing for a rental company is that your trailer is in very good condition.
If you don’t know which rental company to select, a quick Google search will show you many in and around your area.
Auction It
An auction can be another great way of selling your trailer. If you want to get rid of it as soon as possible, try auctioning it, and you might get an excellent rate. There are online and in-person auctions happening all the time, so you should definitely try your luck at them.
You will have to submit a fee to enter the auction, but it is well worth it. The biggest problem with auctioning your trailer is that you won’t get a great price for it 9 out of 10 times. So, auction it only if you want to get rid of it quickly and can bear some losses.
Preparing your Trailer
If you want to sell your trailer at a good price, you should ensure it is in great condition. Fix the issues that you can and present it as perfectly as possible. Let’s discuss some of how you can prepare your trailer for sale.
Clean it
If you haven’t cleaned your camper in a while, chances are nobody would be interested in buying it. No matter which method you choose to sell, cleaning your trailer is a must to get a great price.
Whether it is the bathroom, shower, or the basement, present everything as cleanly as possible. Amidst cleaning all this, don’t forget the roof as it is often the dirtiest part thanks to birds, leaves, rain, etc. To clean your rig and make it shine, buy a wash and wax. Rubber roof cleaner is an excellent option for the roof. Also, get a cleanser and deodorizer for the freshwater tank.
Fix the Broken Stuff
While using your camper, there is always a chance of breakage and damage. Even a new rig can have screws missing sometimes. If there’s anything broken on your trailer and needs fixing, take care of it before handing your trailer to the dealer.
Contact the manufacturer and ask them for the missing/broken parts or find custom parts. Dealers can also sometimes fix your camper. It can save you time and energy, but it significantly cuts the offer price.
Check your Upgrades
People often upgrade their campers through additions such as solar panels. Before putting it on sale, make sure the upgrades on your trailer are functioning properly. Also, add the price of these upgrades to your total asking price. If your dealer or the buyer doesn’t consider the upgrades in the final cost, you can remove them and sell them separately.
Wrapping it Up
Selling a travel trailer can be a frustrating experience if you haven’t planned it properly. Even if there are multiple platforms available today for selling campers, people still make completely avoidable mistakes and bear significant losses.
Ensure you’re not selling your trailer during the holiday season when nobody is interested in buying it. So, clean your camper and get into the market during the busy days to see remarkable results.
If you want to learn more about the topic, this video will be of some help.
