Buying our 1st RV, but can't find private party values

Thank you all!! This is all extremely helpful advice! :) We have been narrowing down our list of MHs we are hoping to take a look at soon! We are excited to get on the road with our kids this spring!

One thing we learned the hard way is that no matter what upgrades and mods you add to an RV, it doesn't really help the seller get more for their unit. Don't get sucked into paying extra for someone's add-ons.

When you've found something that you really think you want, I would hire a reputable independent certified RV tech. to thoroughly check the RV, especially a MH. They know what to look for and may find things you never knew to look for. Also, water damage is deadly in an RV and often is hard to spot. Look for something that has been cared for and regularly maintained.

I keep coming back to this same write-up year after year:

http://changingears.com/rv-art-determining-rv-fmv.shtml

The short and quick answer is try to pay no more than NADA low retail, without adding any options. The options trick gets many people into thinking their RV is worth more than it is.

The longer answer is summarized in the above article. NADA is only a starting point and many factors can come into play. I usually watch the market for months on the model I'm interested in and similar ones. Make notes on how long a listing stays online, what the price was when it first went up for sale and if it dropped. My own rule of thumb is <30d on the market is a hot seller or at a great price. >90d price is too high or no demand. I use this for car shopping and seems to be about right for RVs IMHO.

I will also leverage new prices if the used model is new enough to make the comparison to a seller. Go to rvdirect.com and price a new one ... you'll see the huge markup between a reasonable price and MSRP. That will put into perspective asking prices on the used market. For example I ran into someone trying to sell a 6 yr old MH at only a few thousand below what I could get a new one for. With that research you'd know their out to lunch.

Additional leverage is when the exact model is for sale in two or more places within reasonable distance to you. Then you can play the sellers off of each other. This is exactly what I did between two dealers to get our current 5er.

It's far too easy to pay too much for an RV. Gotta do research.

Every buyer likes to think that he has gotten some special deal. That is why sellers price way higher than they expect to get.

what jplante4 and Bumpyroad said.

a lot of them price them high because of the amount of money they still owe which is way above their value.
bumpy

One of the issues with buying from private parties is that they are oftentimes upside down on what they owe on their RV. This is a combination of overpaying for the RV when new coupled with long term financing on the rig. Some lenders will loan up to 20 years on a new RV. The problem is that these folks generally expect the next buyer to bail them out of their bad decisions. You are asking the right questions to make sure you buy your RV smart.

My suggestion is to be patient and research. This involves watching Craigslist and other local listings over time to see what the RV you desire are selling for. You will see some listed month after month and others are gone in days. That will tell you which are priced well and which are overpriced. Settle on a floor plan and type and then find out if it is in your price range. It might take awhile but it worth the effort to save yourself. I found almost every dealer asking price to be over inflated so keep that in mind when you see their prices. Also be aware of the CL scammers who list stuff for well below market hoping to catch a sucker.

In our case, it took 2 years but most of that time was because of health issues. That gave me plenty of time to discover what we wanted and what we wanted to pay for it. I now have a beautiful 2008 RV in my space at the storage lot waiting for the weather to break to go camping.

I'm not sure you are going to find any single source to help you. I've never searched for a motorhome, but when looking at other campers, all you can really do is search the internet for models that you are considering and see where the prices fall. NADA prices are generally considered to be on the high side. For whatever specific model I would be interested in, I would check out new model prices and then look at used models listed. I believe most folks expect at least a 20-30% discount off list prices. But with used units, condition of the unit can be a prime reason for paying more or less than average retail. In the end, if you find the unit you want and feel you are getting a fair price...then buy it and don't look back. Here on the forums, you'll always find someone that has gotten it for less...but it's senseless to spend time looking back!

The other factor to consider is the cost of traveling long distances to look at or possibly purchase an RV. And if you are purchasing a motorhome, there is so much more to check out and evaluate.

Good luck and hope you find a gem!

Private sellers tend to add a buffer to their price because they expect to be negotiated down. The price should lie somewhere between wholesale and average retail, depending on condition. Any listed price above average retail NADA is wiggle room.

Then there are the sellers who had the coach since new and have an emotional attachment to it. The price is high because they really don't want to sell it. I ran into a few of these types when we were looking for the Sahara. Just have to walk away.