Best place to list an RV For Sale

[Redhound]

Aging parents need to sell their RV that is barely used. Where is the best place to list an RV For Sale? Craig's List? RV Trader? Forum? Other?

[stargirl96]

When we sold our car on Craigslist, we met the buyer at our bank. A bank official oversaw the transaction and notarized the papers. It was a cash transaction.

[braindead0]

MobileBasset wrote:
Braindead0,
Thanks for taking the time to provide your detailed advice, it seems like very good info.

Take if for what's it's worth.. If you have time and can handle a bunch of crazy, I'd suggest a visit to the cl-flag help forum. This will give you a lot of insight into what kinds of ads get flagged off and some possible reasons (and a lot of trolls, so be warned 😉

[MobileBasset]

Braindead0,
Thanks for taking the time to provide your detailed advice, it seems like very good info.

[braindead0]

Cashiers checks are not reliable, best option IMO is to go to their bank with them. Get a cashiers check at that point, bank should have a notary to notarize the title as well.

If that is not an option I'd take it on a case by case basis, and not deliver a signed title until payment has fully cleared and of course get as much information about the buyer as possible. If they appear sketchy take a personal check, give them a bill of sale only with the stipulation that title and vehicle are theirs when the check clears not sooner.

If you advertise on CL I can share a few pointers (I've been a volunteer for CL for years):

* Make sure to include main facts about your RV. Holding tanks sizes, equipment, often lazy people just say "fully equipped ready to go" which doesn't cut it. How many stove burners, oven and size, size of fridge, fuel sources, the more facts you can provide in your own words the more legitimate the ad looks.

* do NOT copy and past long lists of standard features from brochures, we think that lowers the flag threshold for ads almost certainly in the automotive areas.

* do NOT parrot claims made by the manufacturer "1/2 ton towable", "top of the line"..etc..

* Use the CL remailer for email contact. I would recommend using that only until you have established that a person seems legit, then give them phone/other contact information if you wish.

* Take pictures yourself, do not use images from manufacturer. Make sure to include pictures of any damage/areas of concern and take the pictures on your street, while out camping or the like. Make sure they don't look like taken at a dealers lot. Tons of dealers post ads in 'by owner', it'll draw flags if your ad looks anything like dealer ad.

* No hype, see above about looking like a dealer.

* Limit the backstory, don't wax on poetic for 3 paragraphs about how much you'll miss it. A single sentence about why your selling is enough.

* Describe the condition in your own words, note any problems you know about.

* Price it right. Do not look to other ads on CL for pricing, those are asking prices and very often terrible inflated.


The above is just my opinion, from helping people for years with flagged off ads.. and looking for RV's myself (and flagging ads 😉

[Bordercollie]

We often have people knock and ask if we want to sell our 2004 Tioga 26Q parked in the driveway. I sold our '79 Delta with just a for sale sign in the window.Include your phone number on for sale sign. Give a fair market value price over the phone and politely reject "low ball" offers. Accept only cash, no sob stories. Be aware of potential dangers and send in ownership change info to DMV immediately.

I always dread the process of selling vehicles.

[klutchdust]

MobileBasset wrote:
This is an issue that concerns me also. Two parts of the Craiglist type sale are concerning.
1. Feeling unsafe during the process of examination and test driving of my for-sale RV.
2. Confirming the validity of payment when checks of any kind cannot be verified by the bank right away. It takes days for checks to clear.

I had a cashiers check from my bank in Ca, took it to Minnesota and the sellers bank was concerned. They told me it could be fake. We finally got it straightened out.

Craigslist: NEVER put your phone number or e mail on the ad. let buyers contact you through
craigslist.

[MobileBasset]

This is an issue that concerns me also. Two parts of the Craiglist type sale are concerning.
1. Feeling unsafe during the process of examination and test driving of my for-sale RV.
2. Confirming the validity of payment when checks of any kind cannot be verified by the bank right away. It takes days for checks to clear.

[Crabbypatty]

I listed and sold my Travel trailer on Craigslist. Yes there are scammers but I post other items as well and also sold a band saw. In the bottom of my listings I require that they only contact me with email address and phone number. I use the craiglist reply and do not use my email address or phone number in the ads. I will not reply no matter how inviting unless they do this. I put in just enough but not to much info which requires them after initial contact to come look at it. So far this has eliminated the thugs. Keep your guard up!

[DrewE]

I bought my RV from an ad on Craigslist, so that would be my recommendation.

While I can fully understand and appreciate the desire to avoid scams, I would not have felt at all good about paying a five-figure sum with cash, not to mention the inconvenience of doing so. I would have been perfectly happy to bring my bank check to the seller's bank or otherwise gone to appropriate lengths to show that it's valid. Cash only makes a lot more sense IMHO for things that aren't nearly so expensive as (some) RVs.

Another option to avoid hassles at the cost of possibly having a lower selling price is consignment through a dealer (PPL is one big one).

[PartyOf_Five]

Rvt.com and rvtrader.com also

[USAFBILL]

One final thought, I have sold three on Craigs list and found that posting the add on a Friday worked best as it does not move so far down the "for sale" listing to be lost.A lot of folks look on the weekend so that worked best for me.
Good Luck

[mgirardo]

Redhound wrote:
What are the scammers after? What to look for?

If you price it to sell, you most likely will sell it before the scammers get a chance to contact you. I've encountered a few scammers while selling on Craigslist. I always say Cash Payment Only in my ad.

The obvious scam is the one where they want to buy it sight unseen and want to pay more than the asking price with a certified check. I always respond with the words Cash Only. Nothing else in the message. Most scammers will stop. Some will keep pushing to pay with a certified check. My only response is Cash Only. Eventually they give up.

If the listing is up for more than a couple days, you will probably get contacted by services trying to sell the RV for you. Even if you check the "it is not okay to contact me with other services" option, they'll still contact you. Very annoying. I just ignore those folks.

I've even had the local paper call me and want me to put an ad in their paper to sell it. I tell them that I have to pay for their listing, while Craigslist is free and seen by anyone in the world. Their little paper isn't read outside the county. Most of the stuff I have sold on Craigslist was purchased by people outside our area.

I've also had people ask if I'll reduce the price because they are driving a long way to pick it up. If I'm hard pressed to sell it and it hasn't gotten much attention, I might lower the price, but usually I don't.

-Michael

[IAMICHABOD]

Here is a list from Google

I ran into so many scams while looking for my RV and selling things here in California I will not use it at all.

[darsben1]

usual scams
Want you to send them money because they have a great listing service that will sell your RV
People answer add and want to buy it sight unseen BUT they will send you a check for more than you are asking if you will send the excess or some portion back to them.

Phony checks for rig and they have left with the rig
stuff like that.