A Guide To Evaluating the Worth of Your Old Recreational Vehicle

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The day will come when all RV owners will question the value of their rigs. With each passing mile and bump in the road, they’ll lose value, some faster than others. You may be curious about its resale value if you’re looking to upgrade or maybe to know if a necessary repair is worth the money. Savvy RV owners know the value of what they own, so they can make important decisions about what to do with their old recreational vehicles.

Residents of The Pilgrim State can sell a junk RV for cash in Massachusetts by offering it up for sale to a specialized RV dealer that purchases all kinds of RVs regardless of their condition. Don’t dump yours for free; call the dealers who buy them all.

Factors That Affect an RV Value

All vehicles depreciate in value, and RVs are no different. The very second that brand-new motorhome is driven off of the dealership’s lot, it begins to lose value. At the same time, that thought doesn’t upset RVers since their intention is to put as many miles on them as possible while out on adventures, it does come into play once their rigs start to show signs of age. Depreciation can be slowed down with preventative maintenance and showing your RV a lot of TLC, but unfortunately, as time goes by, it will lose value.

The most common factors that affect the depreciation of all RVs include:

  • Age
  • Mileage
  • Condition
  • Extra features
  • Current popularity (Make and model)

How To Determine the Value of an Old Recreational Vehicle

During its first year of use, the average RV will lose approximately 20% of its value. By its second year, its value will drop to around 23%, and by year three, it will have lost 28%. By your rig’s fifth birthday, it could have already lost about 37% or more of its original price. Rigs older than ten years typically have lost 55% or more of their value. At a decade old, rig owners could now be subject to some campgrounds’ ten-year rule, which could make them more difficult to sell.

Having an accurate idea of what yours is worth is valuable information when it comes to determining if it’s time to sell it or if it’s worth putting a considerable amount of money into it to maintain its roadworthiness and overall safety. Unless you’re a decent backyard mechanic, necessary repairs could cost more than the rig’s actual resale value. This is like throwing good money after ill hopes.

Fortunately, there are easy ways to get a good estimate of what your rig could fetch if you were to sell it today. By using an online RV value calculator, you’ll know what the going rate is for yours. One of the more popular calculators is NADA, the National Automobile Dealers Association. Their easy-to-use online calculator will ask you specific questions about your rig, and once you pop in all the required information, you’ll get the RV’s estimated resale value.

What To Do With an RV That’s Severely Depreciated

Owners of recreational vehicles that have lost more than half of their value may be disappointed knowing how little they can get for it. Rigs with over a decade of use could prove to be difficult to sell. Older RVs are notorious for costly repairs to keep them running, and just one major repair could easily cost more than the rig’s worth. Trying to sell it to an RV dealership or a private buyer could be difficult since there’s already an abundance of usable used rigs for sale.

Your best bet is to sell it to a specialized junk RV dealership that purchases all recreational vehicles regardless of their age, mileage, or condition. They’ll even come directly to you and haul it away while leaving you with more money than a salvage yard would pay. And the best part is that you can do all of this from the comfort of your own home.

Evaluating the Worth of Your Old Recreational Vehicle: A User’s Guide

Over time, an RV will lose most of its value. Understanding when it’s the best time to sell yours is key if you’re looking to upgrade and buy a bigger and better rig. If your recreational vehicle requires a costly repair, knowing its true resale value will help you to make an informed decision about dumping the money into it.

Those who’ve found themselves with what they believe to be an unusable or unsellable recreational vehicle will be pleased to know that there are specialized junk RV dealerships that purchase any and all rigs regardless of mileage, age, or necessary costly repair. There’s no need to deal with tire kickers or those unscrupulous businesses that offer to haul yours away without offering you anything for it. Contact a junk RV buyer today.

Jeff Campbell
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