You buy your RV and love it! Traveling is a joy and the lifestyle is fantastic. And then life happens. You name it: birth, death, divorce, marriage, promotion, transfer, etc. And now you are in the RV resale market. Maybe just because you have decided to upgrade or downsize. Regardless of the circumstances, top price for your investment is what you are looking for.
RV Resale. Consider this when buying!
All RV’s depreciate. But the big factor that makes motorized RVs different from towables is mileage. Mileage will affect the resale value of the motor home significantly. And, as of now, travel trailers, 5th wheels, toy haulers, etc do not come with odometers. There are other factors that affect the rv resale value. These include brand, condition, features, and floor plan.
Just like buying a house, what is important to one person might not have any value to the next. So choosing your RV with the next user in mind is a wise move.
Mileage and Value
As mentioned before, mileage on a motor home is going to have the biggest impact on the resale value. However, in the case of a diesel engine, the value tends to not be as greatly affected. This is because a diesel engine will out run the life of most motor homes. The good new is, that unlike your daily driver, most motor homes get a fraction of the miles per year of your car. Thus it is not uncommon to see a 6 to 10-year-old coach with less than 50,000 miles!
The message here is to keep the miles in mind as you approach the time to sell your RV. Use it and get the most out of it. Realizing all the while that miles=depreciation. A motor home with lower than average miles and good maintenance will generally hold its value better. However overall a towable in good condition is going to retain its value better than a motorized vehicle.
Brand
We are not here to endorse any particular brand of RV because the selection is so highly personal. However, it goes without saying that certain manufacturers hold their value better than others. For instance, Airstream trailers are so well-built and have a culture about them that keeps them in high demand. Plus the classic design doesn’t tell the RV’s age!
Of course brand recognition will go along way as well. For instance, Winnebago is almost synonymous with RV. And in the higher end circles, a Prevost is considered top of the line.
Condition
Take care of your RV and it will take care of you (when you go to sell it). Common sense says if you break it, fix it. Try to keep it out of the sun or element. Regular maintenance and preventative maintenance and maintenance logs/receipts will go a long way to preserving the value of your investment. The RV resale market is full of poorly maintained units. Make yours stand out from the rest.
Features and Floor Plans
What? I’m going to tell you what floor plan to buy? No, but just like buying a house, keep the next owner in the back of your mind. Bunk beds in place of a nice walk around queen bed is probably not going to be for everyone. Opting for just the stove without the oven might save you a few pennies, but the next owner is planning on pizza every night!
And features. Where to your spend money the wisest? Well for starters, choose a generator that is powerful enough to run everything you need. And check the brand as well. We aren’t endorsing, but we can tell you that Onan generators gave us the least amount of issues over the years.
Invest also in the features that most RV buyers assume are standard. Such as air conditioning, awning, TV/DVD, etc. While these might not translate into dollar for dollar rv resale value holders, they are going to give you a leg up on the competition when the time comes.
Determining the Value
Now that your RV is ready to sell, let’s talk pricing.
