Nada Guide OR.....

[NuttyKev]

In my search for a decent used toyhauler, I'm running across people who want thousands, sometimes 10,000 more than the average Nada guide value.

Is the Nada Guide the going way to judge value of a used RV?

Personally I've always believed an items true value is whatever somebody is willing to pay for it. But at the same time, we need a base point to start with.

[westernrvparkow]

ndrorder wrote:
The disclaimer in the front of the NADA guides state that the values are based on actual selling prices. Loan officers have said that their Credit Union would have no problem loaning up to the average NADA value. So anything above average NADA is overpriced and over valued.

Only automobile and light truck values are based off of sales. RV values are determined by a depreciation schedule and it can be wildly inaccurate depending upon condition, options etc. There are roughly 430,000 RVs of every kind sold each year, which is about the same as the annual sales of the Toyota Camry. There are no where near enough sales of any make and model of RV for there to be accurate actual sales values.

[Mountain_Mama]

If you are on Facebook, check out the FB page "RV Pricing and Values" before deciding and buying. Be sure and read the Pinned Post before asking questions! David may be able to help you save you some $$$.

[socaladam]

Most NADA values are off the mark by a lot. Buyers often get the base price only and don't consider all the options that are often included in manufacturers packages but left out of the default base NADA information.


When we were searching for our toy hauler, we often had to ask the seller for all the details like which AC they had 13.5k or 15k btu? How big was the fridge? Which on board generator did they have? 4000 or 5500 onan? Was there onboard fuel? Did they have a happijac bed or just the fold out couches. Was there a microwave or a convection oven. Did they have an auto level system or just stabilizing jacks. So on and so forth, blah, blah, etc...

All of these often made the difference in the nada base price and the real value of the trailer.


Let me give you an example.

My recently purchased ATC trailer shows the low selling price on NADA for just under $32 and average selling price for 39k. I then added all the options I could based on my knowledge of the trailer and the price jumps to $51k low, $61k avg which is about right.

However, NADA doesn't list some of the options I have installed like airline L track. Underbody insulation. Winterized plumbing, AM/FM/Bluetooth/USB radio, 50AMP electrical hookup, 4 separate flood lights (2 side, 2 rear) and so on.


My point is get all the information you possibly can from the seller and add the options as best you can in the NADA guide. Then decide if the price is right or wrong for you.

[Y-Guy]

Between upside down loans and adding to many options that really weren't options. I take the base price for any RV, not with "options" and use that.

Fact is that most people with RV loans are way upside-down with no way to pay off the negative equity, they don't have the cash and can't get an unsecured loan.

All this makes it hard to buy a used RV when the owner is looking to get top dollar for their RV.

[JAC1982]

NuttyKev wrote:
I’m suspecting the loan issue. My wife found one she likes, but the guy has it listed literally $10,000 more than the average nada value. It’s four years old and he claims to have used it once. So she’s sold on believing him. I told her I’m not overpaying for one, definitely not by that much.

Yup, it's not realistic to base it off the loan amount. I know we took a loss when we traded ours in.

[BB_TX]

Many people get on nada and in finding pricing for their rigs start clicking on all the listed options even though those features actually came standard on their unit and is built into the base price. That gives a price in excess of actual.

And asking price likely is much higher than the price they will settle for.

Google the RV year and model and see nationally listed prices also.

[enblethen]

JAC1982 has the right idea.
If you like the model, look around for other exact rigs. You may have to take roadtrip to look and/or buy it, but it may save you dollars.

[eDUBz]

Some of the sellers want to get out of the Loan without taking a loss and are trying to recover some of the down payment is what believe. I called up a couple 2015 TH sellers on CL and asked if they had title or still owed and they owed wanting out of the loan for what eve reasons. When I listed my TH the
Market was offering 2k lower than asking, so we decided it’s what people are willing to pay for or size trailer.

[aguablanco]

It is also due to the fact that many people add a ton of options that were standard equipment on the original rig. Most people have no idea what the standard equipment included so they add "options" like A/C, microwave and other features that were not options. In effect, charging twice for all of the equipment. Sure makes them think their unit is worth waaaaaay more than it is. Oh, and as was said before, they are upside down and want you to bail them out of their bad decisions.
RichH

[ndrorder]

The disclaimer in the front of the NADA guides state that the values are based on actual selling prices. Loan officers have said that their Credit Union would have no problem loaning up to the average NADA value. So anything above average NADA is overpriced and over valued.

[NuttyKev]

I’m suspecting the loan issue. My wife found one she likes, but the guy has it listed literally $10,000 more than the average nada value. It’s four years old and he claims to have used it once. So she’s sold on believing him. I told her I’m not overpaying for one, definitely not by that much.

[JAC1982]

I think a more accurate way to figure out pricing is to do an internet search for a similar model. They may not be in your area but you can at least get a good idea of what they're going for.

As a side note, NADA had our old trailer with a value of something like $28,000. The ones I found online were running anywhere from 20-25k. Dealer gave us 20.

Keep in mind too, especially with newer trailers, a lot of people price them based on what they owe on them, not what they're actually worth. So that could explain some of the higher prices you see.