buying an rv

certainly a private seller. find an owner that took care of his rig. if he or she hasn't been on the roof twice a year to inspect things I'd probably pass on it. Everything on a coach can be fixed but if its had water damage its just not worth it.

i find that private sellers value their RVs, way more than they should.

we've often found new RVs, for what used ones from private sellers are selling for.

What 2gypsies said. A dealer would probably lose the Mx records if they didn't help to sell a coach, whereas a private buyer will keep them figuring it will help sell the coach. When buying a plane, missing logs or gaps in logs will cost you thousands in resale value. They put 'NDH' - no damage history - in ads. I remind people that NDH can mean 2 things; no damage or no history.

The Sahara had a binder with the original brochure, the original sticker, a complete list of the original equipment with model and serial numbers and every receipt for parts and repairs for 18 years. I noticed that the ice maker was missing. A search of the docs showed that the coach was broadsided the first year and the ice maker was not replaced. A dealer probably would have removed that page.

I bought from a dealer because I THOUGHT it would give me a warranty and peace of mind.

NEVER AGAIN!

Trying to work with the dealer was terrible. It was like pulling teeth just to get the KEYS!

The only way I would work with a dealer again is if they were the only ones with the camper I wanted. THEN - everything would be completed up front BEFORE $$$$$$.

Waaaaaay too many variables to make a blanket decision like this. You might find a good or bad deal in either place. The best way to shop for an RV is pick a floorplan you like, a brand or model you like and shop online - private and dealer for prices so you can start narrowing down where you will shop. Many folks in a private sale think their RV is worth way more than it is. Dealers are in the business of making money on RV's. You have to educate yourself on what a "good" price is for the RV you want and find that price. It could be in either place.

I will say this for dealers: they have better means of getting the inventory you want (obviously), have better means of securing financing and likely have better ways to negotiate pricing. They also have more customers than a private seller so they may not negotiate as far and they also are not emotionally attached to their RV's like a private sale.

Effy wrote:
Waaaaaay too many variables to make a blanket decision like this. You might find a good or bad deal in either place. The best way to shop for an RV is pick a floorplan you like, a brand or model you like and shop online - private and dealer for prices so you can start narrowing down where you will shop. Many folks in a private sale think their RV is worth way more than it is. Dealers are in the business of making money on RV's. You have to educate yourself on what a "good" price is for the RV you want and find that price. It could be in either place.

This is the best advice yet,that is exactly what I did and what I found.

I then went Another way of looking for my next RV and found exactly what I wanted within my budget and I am very happy with that decision.

Well Chief,

Without any idea what you are looking for, A, B, C - 19 to 44 feet..

I can say three things for certain:
1 - Do not buy anything that has not been in use recently. (like last year)
2 - Do not buy anything that shows any signs of water intrusion.
3 - If the seller is his heirs or he has a new one coming, that is you best bet.

Matt

First, if you are buying used, stick to something 2-5 years old. Less chance of problems.

The only reason I would buy from a dealer would be if they included some kind of warranty.

We bought our 02 32' Georgetown from the original owner. It was 8 years old and had 11,000 miles on the clock and 48 hours on the generator. It had been very well looked after and was being sold because the owner had developed medical issues.

We kept it for four years and added another 6000 miles, but decided to give up the lifestyle when we realised we were dipping into our IRAs to do it. We sold on consignment - bad idea - and lost a bundle of $$. A year later, gas had dropped from $4.50/gal down to around $2.25. We could have kept it if we'd known that was coming!

bought mine privately with cash for next to nothing WAAAAY past depreciating out. don't need anything fancy. its dry and warm and off the ground and I love it. also its paid for.