What’s My RV Worth? Inside Tips to Get the Most for Your Rig

RV Life

Looking to sell your RV? You chose a great time to do it! The used RV market is hot right now, meaning you’re likely to get a nice chunk of change when you do sell. But how much do you ask for your trailer or motorhome? How do you find an accurate used RV value?

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. While we can’t tell you exactly how much your specific RV is worth, we can give you the tools to figure out a fair asking price.

Here are our top tips for discovering your used RV value so you can sell your RV at a fair price.

The RV Valuation Tool

Want a tool that focuses purely on RVs? The RV Valuation Tool from National Vehicle is an awesome option. The tool asks for the year, make, and model of your RV, as well as the condition and a description. The folks at National Vehicle then use this information to determine a fair asking price. The best part? This service from National Vehicle is 100% free!

J.D. Power

We also recommend checking with J.D. Power, previously NADAguides. While many people think of NADAguides as a place to go to find car values, it can also be helpful for finding the used RV value as well. It’s now a division of J.D. Power, but the process—and accuracy—remain the same.

Determine Your Own Used RV Value

Even if you aren’t looking to trade for another RV, head to a dealership to find out what they are willing to offer you for the RV. Go to a few different ones to get a variety of quotes. While we don’t necessarily recommend taking one of these offers (dealerships tend to lowball quite a bit), they will give you an idea of the used RV value on the lower end of the spectrum. Basically, you never want to take less on a private sale than what the dealership offers.

Look at Similar Used RVs for Sale

To get an idea of what a private party might pay for your RV, visit sites like RV Trader and find RVs that are similar to yours. While not everybody on the sites gets the used RV value they’re asking for, being able to see what others are asking for is a good place to start.

Factor In Upgrades

Have you made upgrades to your RV? Keep those in mind when determining your used RV value. Some people might consider some upgrades to be a drawback, but the right buyer will pay extra for those upgrades.

Furniture and paint aside, some upgrades make the RV undeniably more valuable. These include things like lithium batteries, solar panels, ceramic toilets, and new appliances. If you’ve put time or money into any of these types of upgrades, be sure your price reflects that. Sure, a stock RV that is the same make, model, and year might be listed for one price on RV Trader, but there’s a good chance your upgrades make your used RV value even more.

Think About Mileage

Another thing that can really change the value of a motorhome is the mileage.

Naturally, an RV with far fewer miles on it will be worth more than other RVs that are otherwise identical. In fact, an RV that is only three years old but has 100,000 miles on it already might be worth less than an RV that is significantly older but has fewer miles.

Because the mileage can change the value of your RV so much, you will want to make sure it’s added into the equation when determining the asking price.

Keep Damage in Mind

Last but not least, you will need to keep damage in mind. Even minor damage such as scuffs and scrapes can lower the used RV value by quite a bit, and major problems such as water damage to the walls or floors can make that value plummet.

Carefully inspect your RV and try to see it with new eyes. Find any and all damage, fix what you can, and factor those things you cannot fix into your price. This will ensure your price is as reasonable and fair as possible.

What’s Next?

Following these steps will help you determine your own used RV value so you can put your trailer or motorhome on the market with confidence. Keep in mind that many people will offer less than what you are asking. Remember, you never have to accept an offer (no matter how pushy a person may be). If you feel your asking price is fair, we recommend sticking to your guns until the right buyer comes along.