obtaining a value on my tm

[cindywalsh]

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone had any advice about obtaining information on selling my TM. I am purchasing a newer model and I am not sure what to price mine. Any good websites? Thanks, C Walsh

[MisterP]

RVTrader.com is one site. I generally have used a combination of Google searches for a particular model and Craigslist along with RV sites like RVTrader.

Keep in mind that the prices you will see at RV sites are commercial pricing by a dealer, which will usually be higher than a private sale. I have bought both of my TMs from private owners and went some distance to get them, so try not to limit your geography if you can.

Like all vehicles, RVs of all types depreciate quickly then level out somewhat. You will never sell for the amount you think it's worth, so either price higher and be patient or stay on the lower side of the prices you see on the market and you will sell it faster.

[grill-n-go]

After looking at comparables in the sites mentioned my MisterP you may also want to visit NADA.com and get a feel for what they have to say.

[cindywalsh]

Thank you both very much!

[B_and_D]

A lot depends on the condition of your TM. I have found that the NADA guides can be low for very clean, older low-use units; they are rare but people are willing to pay more for them.

[Bill]

NADAGuides can be tricky to use, because as part of the process, they present you with a huge page of "options", and ask you to check off the ones you have. However, almost every item on the page is standard on a TM, not an option, and should not be checked. Depending on the year of the TM, the common options are air conditioner, awning, and TV antenna. There may be a few others, but they have low dollar value, and so don't change the bottom line much.

The good things about NADA Guides (assuming you are the seller and you like the value it comes up with) are that it is a single source, it at least looks authoritative, and it carries the name of one of the Value Guides that is recognized by everyone who has ever dealt with a used car. The other is Kelly Blue Book, but they don't do RVs.

Bill

[Joesjunk]

I look at NADA values for the base and add the extras by guess. If it is an option that I don't want, I don't add value to it. Naturally a 2009 model options are worth more than a 1999 model.
I also do nationwide searches using "craiglook.com" and "oodle.com" for comparable TM's.
Good luck Cindy.

[Bigbit]

What people are willing to pay varies by region. I had a Coleman pop-up that I had bought used in NH for $3500 and used myself for about 2 years. I relocated to CA from NH and we decided to sell the trailer in CA, and placed an ad in RVTrader, asking $3200.

As soon as the ad hit the internet, my phone lit up like a Christmas tree. One guy literally raced to my house to buy it, coming with a certified check for my full asking price. SOLD! Then the counter offers started on the phone, offering higher prices than I had accepted. I'm a man of my word, so the trailer sold to the original purchaser for the agreed price, but I often wonder how much more I could have gotten...

This was 2003, and times are tougher now, but my advice is to ask on the high side. You can always lower your price, but it's near impossible to raise it once you've set it.