RV Pricing - A Detailed Guide on RV Pricing - Part 1

Isn’t it exciting to live in a house on wheels? RVs are here to fulfill your adventurous travel and camping desires. With full-time luxurious RVs available today, you can tick off a few touring wishes from your bucket list.

RVs (recreational vehicles) are assets enthusiasts would be willing to buy against serious cash. So, if you are considering selling off your old rig to upgrade to a later version, you need to ensure you are getting the right price. You are likely looking for a private buyer whom you can sell yourself to avoid a lowball offer that often comes with RV trade-ins.

So, “what’s my RV worth?” To get the best pricing for your travel asset, you need to weigh the options, such as selling it yourself or trading in your travel trailer. Worry not, we have made a detailed guide on RV pricing and the factors influencing RV prices.

Different Types of RVs

• Class A RVs: Class A motorhomes are designed with a heavy-duty frame, thus having a robust build. In class A RVs, the frames are built on either a commercial truck chassis, a commercial bus chassis, or a motor vehicle chassis. Its large, 22.5-inch wheels are capable of supporting heavy loads. In fact, 18-wheeler trucks have similar builds. So, if anyone searches for “Class A RVs for sale” and is willing to buy one, they will be bringing home a mini truck!

• Class B RVs:Class B RVs, also known as Camper Vans, are built on panel trucks or automotive vans. These are extremely comfortable for the everyday driver due to their smaller size. Besides, the modern and sleek design of a Class B RV camper van makes use of every inch of the interior space to pack numerous accommodations in a compact area.

• Class C RVs: These are designed on a truck chassis, and one can distinguish these RVs easily from the Class A vans because of the bed arrangement, which overhangs the driving space. A Class C RV is relatively easier to drive, and the driver won’t require any special license.

• Fifth Wheel: A Fifth Wheel camper is a camping trailer attached to and pulled behind a truck with a hitch mounted in the truck bed’s center. The name comes a long way since the 1800s when old carriages used to have a horizontal “5th wheel”, which could pivot the front axle. The naming convention is still used in modern times for the fifth wheel truck hitch.

• Travel Trailer: Travel trailers boast of offering convenience over efficiency or durability. Rather than burdening the user with luxuries, a travel trailer provides them with all the necessities they need, often elegantly. However, travel trailers are not designed for carrying passengers unless equipped with proper seating and safety features.

• Pop-up Camper: A pop up camper is a kind of towed RV that users can collapse for easy transport and storage. After setting them up, pop up campers can provide a huge interior space compared to their smaller-looking size when collapsed. We can also call this one a foldable camper, as it can reduce its overall height significantly.

Factors That Influence RV Prices

Before you set your RV’s value, let’s quickly discuss the factors that may influence the valuation of your rig.

• Availability

Is your RV widely available or a rare piece of asset? Vintage RVs will sell for more compared to the widely available ones. Also, suppose an RV manufacturer sells only in a particular location; then people living in other areas would give it more worth to get such rare or less available vehicles.

• Manufacturer Reputation

The manufacturer's reputation plays a major role in deciding market demand for RVs, meaning people would still consider buying them at a good price even if they are old. Some rigs may have more market value just because of their brand name. For instance, Airstreams are considered to have a lower depreciation value. Therefore, they sell for more compared to other brands (which may even be newer) due to their high manufacturer reputation.

• Floorplan

Floorplan is a vital factor influencing RV prices. If your motorhome has a great floorplan with good accommodations and facilities, people will give it a good value. Some parties may like a magnum size motorhome with 6–8 sleepers for trips with families and friends. On the other hand, some may want to go for smaller models with less expensive floorplans, suitable for families of 2-3. The bigger rigs, with full kitchens, bathrooms, king-sized or queen-sized beds, and large dining spaces, will definitely cost higher.

• Inclusion

The value of an RV will depend on the components that come with the vehicle, such as accommodations like beds, sofa, stove, refrigerator, running water, TV satellite antennas, etc. Some parts are included by the manufacturer, while others may be added later on by the owner. The rig’s value will depend on the number of these inclusions available. The higher and more valuable the accommodations are, the higher will be the price.

• Amenities & Accessories

Did you add any luxury touches or add-on finishes to your RV? Then your travel rig will be set at a higher resale rate. Suppose you have invested a little in upgrading your RV’s accessories and amenities by replacing the factory-standard components. In that case, you may have given the premium touches your buyer would love to have.

• New or Used

As a general rule of thumb, the value of newer RVs would be higher compared to the older ones. There may be exceptions, however, as in the above example of Airstreams. Vintage RVs that are considered assets would generally sell at a much higher cost. But apart from that, older rigs would have a lower worth.

Besides, the condition of your RV will also affect its value. For example, depending on whether your rig has a new-like condition or is falling apart with multiple dents and damages, the price will vary. Needless to say, a well-maintained RV would hold greater worth than a dilapidated vehicle, worn down over the ages.

Conclusion

To conclude, you can choose to sell your RV in the private market or trade it in a dealership. Weigh the pros and cons of both these approaches. While a dealership might not guarantee a high pay as a private sale, it will ensure a much easier and quicker selling process. Besides, consider the above factors before setting a retail value for your used RV for sale and ensure you are getting the right price.