How to Sell Your Trailer: Getting the Best Resale Price

The first order of business in selling a used RV is ensuring you’ve completed all the necessary maintenance to ensure you get your money’s worth. Whether you’re selling to a private buyer or going the dealer trade-in route, there are a number of things on the interior and exterior of your vehicle you should check for to maximize your selling potential. In this step-by-step video lesson RV maintenance expert Dave Solberg teaches you how to sell your trailer for the best price by thoroughly cleaning it and making cost-effective repairs.

Preparing Your RV For Resale

A potential buyer is likely going to complete a thorough inspection of your RV, especially in the case of dealers who might agree to a trade-in. They’ll search for every little component that they can find to knock off a few dollars here and there, so it behooves you to be as thorough in your cleaning, maintenance, and repair inspection as they will be in theirs.

First things first, exterior appearance is crucial. Decals, side wall surfaces, corners, liners, and all else in between will come under serious scrutiny, particularly when checked by dealers. If you notice that your vehicle’s exterior hasn’t been maintained so well, Dave recommends using top-notch cleaner and a buffing tool to improve the gloss, restore your vehicle’s luster, and remove any mildew or stains. You can also apply wax with UV protection or use surface cleaners such as ProtectAll. Thoroughly cleaning and buffing is important for awnings, roofs, corners, creases, seams, seals and butyl tape as well!

Next, Dave explains why it’s important to swap old propane tanks for new or more recently certified tanks. This is a small but often essential money-saving step. The same goes for hardware on the outside and inside of your vehicle. If you want to learn how to sell your trailer for a reasonable price, you should understand that no components should require a lot of effort to function. They should operate and move easily, not through hard work. So oil, tighten or upgrade any hardware that needs a little extra care.

As for the interior specifics, Dave suggests detailing every appliance surface (i.e. refrigerator racks and grills that might be corroded), and finding spots that could be prone to leaks. Seal, seal, seal! Furthermore, you should check the pressure of your stove’s LP regulator, tighten loose laminate in the ceiling, and thoroughly clean AC vents and bathroom components.

How to Sell Your Trailer By Looking Like an Expert

You’re the vehicle’s last owner, so you should know everything about it. Dave recommends documenting everything that’s featured on your rig, whether it be standard, optional or after-market. If you have the original brochure, you can use that as a comparison tool when trying to sell the vehicle. Keep a list of all maintenance completed since purchase, and weigh what’s cost-effective to fix, replace, or upgrade. Certain things might not be worth your time or effort. Do your homework, put in the time, and you should be able to get a good price for your vehicle!