Rvmama22 wrote:
Hello all. This is my very first post here. I'm really hoping some of you can help me out! We have been staying in our cousins '05 wildwood LE which we LOVE. She bought it on a whim last fall. With 3 kids it's been great. It is on a permanent site at a semi-local lake. Has a deck built on the front. She's now selling and we would love to have it. Everything "appears" to be in working order except for a few things. First of all, we called the DMV this morning with the VIN. She bought it with a bill of sale and carries no insurance on it. The DMV told us it was totaled and salvaged in 2005. Which was a shock considering it "appears" to be a very nice travel trailer and she never mentioned that, I'm guessing she doesn't know. I would never have guessed that it was totaled or salvage either . There's a couple spots that appear to be water damage on the ceiling, none in the floors that we can tell. She just had the roof resealed and we know it has leaked at least once because it happened while we were here and had to pack up and leave bc it was over the sleeping areas. But the roof has been sealed since then.
She's asking $7000. The campground it's on requires insurance, though she said it didn't require it. Then after her telling us we didn't need a title if we planned to keep it here, we find out it was totaled and salvaged. The pilot light, we can't get it to light. Stove works though! She's trying to sell it like everything is in working order perfectly. But that isn't the case.
Would you buy this camper? What does a salvage/totaled camper entail as far as resale and ownership? The low nada value is 5,000ish. I will have a hard time giving her the $7000 she's settled on. Any advice for this semi newbie camper?
Salvaged means there was a major insurance claim, the insurance co SCRAPPED the trailer..
Your relative bought the trailer from the insurance co for scrap price.
Without a clear title the trailer is only worth the USED prices (what you could sell them for as used) of the appliances (provided they all work), windows, axles and scrap price of the frame (no title means the frame cannot be reused unless you jump through the DMV hoops for a reconstructed title) or any sheet metal..
Used working A/C, $125
Used working furnace, $125
Used working stove $125
Used working water heater, $100
Used shower/tub, $100
Windows $100 each
Axles $100 each
Scrap Frame $50
Used working awning, no rips, $200
Assuming say 8 windows, all told you have about $1825 in "parts" that you could resell..
I would offer $700 TOPs PROVIDED you research the your local DMV on how to go about getting a "reconstructed" or "custom built" trailer..
In PA, once the title has been marked salvage the only way to get it usable for on the road use is to go the reconstructed route (which involves having a mechanic fill out reports) or as a special construction Which is like you are building a new trailer out of new and or used materials.
Personally, unless you really "love" this trailer and are willing to do through all the hassles of your DVM to get a new title I highly recommend passing on this one..
There is way too many used trailers for sale to lock yourself into a near hopeless situation..
