Selling my trailer, advice?

[joetekcor]

Well, after having couple years enjoying our travel trailer, we have decided it's time to sell it. The boys are getting older, their activities are getting busier, and the time to go camping is pretty much gone. This year we have taken the trailer out twice.
I can't justify the monthly payments for such little usage. Maybe when the kids leave the house (people tell me that they will eventually leave) my wife and I can get something more suited to us and we can travel some more.

I have an appointment with PPL in Houston next week for an appraisal. I can let them sell it, for a fee. Or I can try and do it myself. Does anyone have any advice on selling a trailer?

I still owe money on it but I'm hoping to at least break even. I am about halfway through the extended warranty and roadside assistance that I bought so I'm hoping to get a prorated refund on that.

[dodge_guy]

Dennis Smith wrote:
This is why its nice to pay cash for toys. When you get tired of it your not so worried about what you can get out of it.

CL I have sold two on it. First one, second person looked at it bought if for cash, second one first phone call wanted it came the next morning and bought it. Price it right and make sure its spotless and everything works, did I mention to tell you make sure its spotless and everything works.

I agree and we own ours, but I`m not going to just give it away. it is clean and well taken care of. we don`t need to sell it so I`m not hurting for money. if the time comes that we really need to sell it then I would have to consider the price, not now though!

[ezmobee]

If your trailer is clean, uncluttered, and everything works you'll be above most of the competition. Have it sitting looking 100% ready to go (no grass growing around it). Put it on CL with TONS of big clear pictures. Put a couple normal pics in your CL ad just to make it display with the "pics" icon but also put a link in your ad to all your other pictures on a photo hosting site. List any add ons, extras, and other equipment you're including. Good luck. I personally think you'll be able to sell it for what you need to get out of it.

[ol__yeller]

I sold my 2006 on CL last June. My advice is to first do some research to know your competition. Go on the NADA website and know the value of your TT. Go on the RV trader website to find similar TTs and their asking prices. Search CL in your area for the same or similar model TTs to see what their ads say and how much they are asking. Then find a way to differentiate your TT from others, price, cleanliness, options, etc. Your ad should tell everything a buyer would want to know about your TT before they call you. This includes the price as well as any defects. Be positive but honest in your description. Do NOT use abbreviations in your ad. CL allows for a generous word description so take advantage. Take several good pictures and offer to send more upon request in the ad. Your TT should be clean inside and out and everything in good working order. If this advice is followed, you should get good value and sell it quickly. If you overprice, have a messy TT, or one with problems, it will not sell. Do not engage with any potential buyer who brings any problems to the table and you will avoid 99% of the scammers. I only dealt with people who could physically come and look at the TT.

I got top dollar (above NADA) on both TTs I have sold following these instructions and I sold them to the first person to come out and look at them. Selling with a title encumbered by an RV loan should be no problem as long as you are not upside down. Just offer to any potential buyer to meet them at the loanholder's location (bank?) and pay off the loan with the proceeds in their presence. Good luck and as with anything, good results come from proper planning.

[cdar]

Craigslist. I was reluctant at first and not sure if mine would even sell that quickly but it did. Very quick. Went to the first person to look at it. He showed up with cash and I had a clean title. No effort.

This last point above is important. Without a clean title, many would be buyers will pass. If you can swing it, I'd recommend paying it off just to clear the lien. You can always pay yourself back from he sale of the trailer.

Btw, purchased our present trailer on CL as well. We lucked out because the seller had a problem with the title and another buyer. They walked, we weren't in a hurry and when it reappeared on CL again, we jumped on it.

[wmoses]

joetekcor wrote:
I have an appointment with PPL in Houston next week for an appraisal. I can let them sell it, for a fee. Or I can try and do it myself. Does anyone have any advice on selling a trailer?

In addition to selling on consignment with PPL, Camping World in Katy also sells trailers on consignment. While there is far more foot traffic at places like CW and PPL, I would also list on CL but realise that people who troll CL typically want something for nothing, or just a little more. Moreover it is full of scammers and other types of miscreant, spoiling it for the decent folk test also shop there. A better bet with more protection would be EBay.

That said CL is priced right and could be useful in getting attention. When I sold my HTT I put an ad on CL that led to my real sale page, where I was able to put all the details and lots of pictures, so that when the buyers drove 16 hours from NC they already knew all there was to know about the RV.

[MarkTwain]

Just another perspective to consider, if you never plan to do any RVing in the future, then it makes sense to sell it. If on the other hand you think you might want to RV in the future when the kids have moved out and started their own lives then, I would consider keeping it.

This has been our dilemma. We definitely want to do more RV'ing in the future. I LOVE it! When we bought the trailer 2 years ago we were using it at least every other month. It's light weight and can easily be pulled by our Tahoe. It has 4 bunks for our 3 boys. It's been a great 1st trailer. With only a rear slideout for the bed it can get a little crowded though. Our original goal was to keep it for another year or two when our youngest would be out of day care. Then we were hoping to trade in the Tahoe for a truck and the trailer for a 5th wheel. Something to give us more room.

Unfortunately, the older boys, now 15 and 13, have our calender filled up. My wife has gone back to school which means when we do get away she is usually stuck in her text books. Reality has set in and we really only have a chance to use it about 2 or 3 times a year. It will probably be about 5 years before we can really start traveling again and when we do our needs will probably change and we'll want to trade in the current trailer anyway.

My hope is to sell the trailer and at least break even on the lien. Then can can continue to save what we are paying now so that when our calendar clears up we (whether that is the whole family or just whoever is still living at home) can enjoy traveling again.

All that being said, if we can't break even then that gives me an excuse to hold on to the trailer a little longer in the hopes that we can take it out if a free weekend ever presents itself.

Sounds like you have put some real thought into your situation. Given what your needs are as far space and configuration in your RV rig, I might consider trading in your current RV for a newer 5th. wheel that better meets your needs. If you are going to have to make payments any way then why not make the payments on a RV that will meet your needs now and for sure in the future. 5 years is not a long time away! Just a thought and perspective!!! Every one does get a chance to retire some day!!!!!

[camperdave]

My kids are not quite as old, but at 10 and 12 we're into the 'travel ball' years. Our camping trips look a lot different now then when they were younger. Often they are to some God forsaken middle of nowhere town (where the softball tournament happens to be), but it's still fun to take the RV instead of hotelling it like everyone else.

We only get out every other month or so, but its totally worth it for the few times we DO get out.

I've sold and bought a lot of stuff on Craigslist, and that's how I would sell the trailer if I needed to. My personal approach is to clean stuff up real good, price it slightly low, and get it done quick. If it won't sell for what it's worth, then you may not know what it's worth. :B

[joetekcor]

djgarcia wrote:
Just another perspective to consider, if you never plan to do any RVing in the future, then it makes sense to sell it. If on the other hand you think you might want to RV in the future when the kids have moved out and started their own lives then, I would consider keeping it.

This has been our dilemma. We definitely want to do more RV'ing in the future. I LOVE it! When we bought the trailer 2 years ago we were using it at least every other month. It's light weight and can easily be pulled by our Tahoe. It has 4 bunks for our 3 boys. It's been a great 1st trailer. With only a rear slideout for the bed it can get a little crowded though. Our original goal was to keep it for another year or two when our youngest would be out of day care. Then we were hoping to trade in the Tahoe for a truck and the trailer for a 5th wheel. Something to give us more room.

Unfortunately, the older boys, now 15 and 13, have our calender filled up. My wife has gone back to school which means when we do get away she is usually stuck in her text books. Reality has set in and we really only have a chance to use it about 2 or 3 times a year. It will probably be about 5 years before we can really start traveling again and when we do our needs will probably change and we'll want to trade in the current trailer anyway.

My hope is to sell the trailer and at least break even on the lien. Then can can continue to save what we are paying now so that when our calendar clears up we (whether that is the whole family or just whoever is still living at home) can enjoy traveling again.

All that being said, if we can't break even then that gives me an excuse to hold on to the trailer a little longer in the hopes that we can take it out if a free weekend ever presents itself.

[MarkTwain]

Just another perspective to consider, if you never plan to do any RVing in the future, then it makes sense to sell it. If on the other hand you think you might want to RV in the future when the kids have moved out and started their own lives then, I would consider keeping it. #1 you are not going to get what the trailer was worth #2 it would be difficult to replace your trailer and break finanically even # your kids are probably getting pretty close to moving out, going to college or if you are lucky, get a job:):):):)

[fla-gypsy]

I sold two in my front yard with no problem. Clean them up real nice, staged them to look nice inside, ran an AD in my local paper and put a sign on the window. Do your research to determine what it is really worth and don't expect to get more.

[boosTT]

They are hard to sell used, unless you sell it for a low price.

Also keep ebay in mind. It will increase the radius of buyers greatly. Offer to deliver the RV, because the buyer will not likely have a TV setup with a brake controller, etc.

[RetiredSFC_97]

Dennis Smith wrote:
This is why its nice to pay cash for toys. When you get tired of it your not so worried about what you can get out of it.

CL I have sold two on it. First one, second person looked at it bought if for cash, second one first phone call wanted it came the next morning and bought it. Price it right and make sure its spotless and everything works, did I mention to tell you make sure its spotless and everything works.

In my limited experience a camper depreciates faster than anything I've ever seen. Not many people have the cash to pay cash and that makes them sell cheap if you sell it yourself. I have also found it's something that when you do purchase it, plan on keeping it for a long time because they are hard to sell yourself.

Some of the prices I've seen on CL are stupid low. If I thought I could I would sell mine and upgrade.

I have a 19N Fleetwood Mallard I bought from sister for full retail in 03. It's a 99 they paid 12K and 4 years later full retail was 7400. I could have paid way less but I was helping my sister out. They wanted to upgrade to bigger one. Now they took a big hit on that one and settled for a pop up. Go figure.

[mlts22]

I've had nothing but bad luck with CL. When I unload my rig next April, I'm going to be either trading it in at a dealer, or hauling it to PPL, paying the $500 or so for a nice detail job (the new trailer smell is still present, but it can't hurt to have things cleaned up) let them get their ten percent cut, and walk away. Sometimes PPL might offer to buy a rig outright.

[mileshuff]

Craigslist is great but watch out for scammers. I'm still getting automated calls about my trailer I sold months ago and removed the ad. I've also gotten the old scam emails saying they will send me a check for more than I am asking to hold the trailer and later send a driver out to pick it up. Deal only with local people interested that will physically come out to take a look!