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Tips on Buying a Used RV From a Private Owner

by Kathy
(Cecilton, MD)

We are looking at a 1998 Newmar diesel pusher. I read your article about your wife and negotiating. Do you think -20% from the owner's asking price is unreasonable? BTW - I'm the negotiator for my husband too.

Hi Kathy, before answering your question; I, of course, consulted with my family's chief negotiator my wife who was the inspiration for my article My Wife's Negotiation Tips for Buying an RV.

One of the first things she reminded me about is that you are currently looking at a Used RV. If you are serious about buying this used Motorhome you need to conduct a used RV inspection before making an offer. You can use my article Is an RV Inspection needed before Buying a Used RV? YES which includes a checklist of what to look for during your inspection. The checklist can be used to inspect any type of RV.

There are two reasons to inspect before making the offer:

1. To make sure that there are no serious problems with the RV that could end up being a deal-breaker.

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2. If you do find some problems with the RV that the owners did not tell you about, you can use those problems as leverage in your negotiations with the owners.

Now to answer your initial question "Do you think -20% from the owner asking price is unreasonable?" Private sellers can be unpredictable when it comes to selling an RV, so the only ones that can answer that question are the people that are selling the RV. The way you will find out for sure is to make your offer for 20% off after inspecting the RV. Again, if you find problems during the inspection, you must use them as leverage during the negotiation process. What is the worst that could happen? The sellers could say no and who knows, they could say yes.

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One constant factor in negotiations is that the buyer usually has to increase their offer as the seller counters with a lower price than they originally asked for. It is exceedingly rare for the seller to ask for more than they originally asked for and for the buyer to offer less than what they originally offered. So, your first offer and their counter will be the foundation for the rest of the negotiation process.

Good luck and I hope that this helps.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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