The wife and I would like to get an RV trailer next year. We’re very early into planning a purchase but we’re thinking a used trailer (5<SUP>th</SUP> wheel or regular hitch) would be fine for now. We used my folks 1968 14’ (maybe 16’) Aristocrat Low Liner when we were first married and had a ball. That’s 19 years ago and we’re ready to get back out there in something a lot larger and self contained. My question is this, where is the best place to look for a used trailer? I’ve looked online and there are several sites devoted to used RVs. But I was wondering if some of the southwestern areas (ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comlace>Yuma</ST1lace></st1:City> maybe) would have used trailers for sale that aren’t on the net? We live in <ST1lace><st1:City>Palmdale</st1:City> <st1:State>CA</st1:State></ST1lace> and I’d be willing to take a road trip (CA, AZ, NV, UT, OR) to go look at trailers if I could find a large quantity in one spot.
Anybody have any tips on hunting for one?
Thanks for reading and any advice you have to share.
Augie

 

I see a variety on craigslist in my area all the time.
You are at an advantage in that you are not in a rush to buy one.

 

Yeah it’s probably going to come down to just watching for one in the paper, net, and Craig’s List.
I thought my truck info was in my sig, I was wrong and till I figure out how to put it there here it is; 2008, PSD, CC, SB. And man we love this truck!

 

Portland Ore, has lots of dealers. But that dosn't ensure they have what you like. I looked on RV Trader, you type in how far from your zip. you want to search. used or new, size, type, years,brand if you have a specific kind,price.Lots of dealers list on there and it is updated regularly. If it is a decent rv they will have lots of info and pics.

 

Did not see where you are from but go to Used RVs, Motorhomes, and Consigned sales - PPL Motor Homes. They have floor plans online, along with pricing and all the other info. They are located in Houston, they have one of the largest selections of used, consigned RV's in the U.S. I was in Houston this last week and looked for hours at their selection. Everything from Travel Trailers, 5th wheels, coaches, you name it and price right. People come in from all over the U.S. to buy from these folks. My experience has been top notch as I buy most of my RV supplies from them also.

 

If you are lkooking for something just a few years old, I would recommend buying new. The price is not a lot different and you will find the wear and tear is significant even for just a few years. Plus you would need to replace tires if they are about 8 years old.

The industry has taken a beating so most dealers will deal. Also there are a lot of new factory repos since dealers have dropped out and left a lot of new units just sitting around.

Most big cities seem to have an RV Row, check around. There is one along the I 10 around claremont/Montclair Calif, not too far from you. I bet the LA Suburbs have some RV rows.

Check Trailer Life magazine they have a used section and I think they also have a webpage with used rigs for sale.

For older units I would check the places mentioned and the local papers.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

RVTraderonline.com

 

I agree with Jim. Price diff betweeen a couple of years old and brand new is minimal right now. However, if you are looking at used, I'd start looking at the dealers. Take note of their prices, and keep in mind that they paid about half of what they're asking for that unit. Also keep that in mind when you go shopping private. The private owner knows what their trailer is worth on a trade-in, and it's pretty depressing! For example, this summer I upgraded from an '04 Prowler 28' bunk model to an '09 Prowler with double slide. I had my trailer on the internet for $12k and couldn't sell it. The dealer gave me $10k for it on trade when the real trade-in value was $8k. He's now trying to sell it for $16k. The trailer I bought had a sticker price of $45k - I gave him my trailer and $23k. In my opinion, you should be able to really hammer down the price on a used unit, as they are hard to sell.

 

Thanks guys, this is the type of advice I was looking for before we look at the first trailer. We don't even know what floor plan we prefer yet. But you know how it can be, you can fall for the first one you look at and not know if your getting a fair deal or not.

 

I have managed to locate trailers for several of my friends by using the internet--but I knew exactly what they were looking for.

Used RVs, Motorhomes, and Consigned sales - PPL Motor Homes always has a lot to choose from, and they list previous sales
prices

RVTraderonline.com a great place to figure out what the market thinks a trailer is
worth, and lots of pics also

National Multi List, The Largest Database of Used RVs & Your #1 Source to Buy and Sell Used RVs | Homes | Boats | Fifth Wheels | Mobile Homes | Campers | Mobile & Manufactured Homes | Real Estate | Land | Rental Properties lots available there

You will never know when the "deal-of-a-lifetime" comes along if you don't know the range of values for used units, and you can't get that without knowing what you want so you can compare units/deals. That knowledge only comes from time spent looking at units in ads and in person. RV shows are great places to look at new units and floorplans, being careful not to get caught up in the sales hype at those shows. If looking at new, 25% off MSRP is lowest discount you should consider, I think. I have seen over 40% off during the worst of the slowdown in the RV industry--unfortunately, it is showing signs of pricing coming back up. Patience and research, starting now, and you will have a good sense when the "deal" comes along.
As an instance of knowing a "good deal"--I was looking to upgrade from a TT to a fiver in late '06, but couldn't choke down the prices I was seeing for what my wife wanted. I came across an '05 Mobile Suites in Jan '07 that was priced at $46000--the exact SAME trailer in an '07 model was $104000 list, and used ones were at $55-60000. That is what I considered a ''great deal" and I now have a trailer that is everything we ever wanted. Wouldn't have found it without nosing around and spending a LOT of time on the internet and going to RV shows.
Good luck in your search.
Joe

 

Current Schedule of RV Shows in United States & Canada

The above is a link to a listing of major RV shows across the US.

 

One thought is to find or hire an RV tech to look at the trailer when you find one you like. I have done quickie pre purchase inspections for friends for free. Someone that works on them all the time will have a pretty good idea of potential problem areas that the seller may not be up front or even know about.

I have a copy of the pre delivery inspection checklist from the dealership I used to work at, let me know if you would like a copy and it could give you a starting point of what to look for and questions to ask.

One big advantage of going new is the factory warranty. There are lots of systems that can go wrong and having a dealer to fall back on can be a good thing.

There are some real bargains to be had right now from dealers and even private parties. With another big gas hike looming on the horizon prices may even come down more!

 

Thanks for the info Mike and yes, I would definitely like a copy of that checklist. I will send you a message (he says with confidence like he knows what he's doing) with my email address. By the way you live in a beautiful area of the country. My wife has lived in the Medford area before and still has family there.
Oh, one question I thought of yesterday……generators. How common is it for a generator to be built into the trailer? I see a lot of generators hanging on rear bumpers. A friend of mind had his stolen off of his rear bumper. I'd like to get something with a generator built into the chassis.
Thanks

 

i agree with mud doc. the only way to know what works for you is to get in the unit and act like your living there. ex: is kitchen functional for your life style, are chairs, couches comfy and can you see tv without twisting your neck. can you read the paper in the head. can you walk around bed without breaking a toe. the only way to do this is to go to rv shows and act like you own it! take as much time as you need in each unit to figure it out, and then------ go back and do it again! you'll find second time around that it's different. good luck

 

I'd buy new and don't pay anything near what they are asking. I bought my new 09 30' 5th wheel for $21k delivered (1100mi). The MSRP was $35,400.