There are several reasons why you might want to bid goodbye to your long-term travel buddy– your motor home. It can be anything – from a desire for a better and bigger model to an immediate need for cash. But whatever may be the case, it may not be wise to ask just anybody for help. Even if you have to say, please help sell my used RV, always approach the right person. Revealing your intention of selling your wheeled home to a stranger can not only be detrimental to your interest but may also be tantamount to sending an open invitation to scammers. And this is where the question of safe-selling cuts into the scene. Buying and selling something as magnificent as an RV is intimidating in its own right. If, on top of that, you fail to follow the safety precautions, you may not ever be able to conclude the sale successfully. Well, there is no reason for you to end up in the lead role of the next horror story of your town. Instead, keep some important points in mind to keep yourself protected and let the sales process go smoothly.

First Thing First – Be Careful With the Information You Offer

You are not required to provide your contact details while placing an advert on any RV selling site. It is absolutely okay to withhold your identity as long as you are not convinced of the intention of the person/s showing interest in your rig. Some listing sites allow you to use mail ‘anonymizer’ until you are ready for direct communication with the prospect. If a particular site does not provide this facility, use a secondary/ temporary email ID for the purpose. Take precautions while posting the picture of your RV online. Remember to blur the number plate to hide your rig’s identity.

Evaluate Your Prospects – Use Your Brain and Not the Heart While Screening Buyers

If your rig is in good shape and the pictures in your advert are able to rightly communicate its actual condition, expect to be inundated with emails requesting for on-spot inspection and test drives. Use your discretion to sieve out the most serious buyers. And how do you tell the serious buyers from those who are not? Ask them questions including their needs and their plan of financing the purchase. Don’t continue with anyone who offers to buy your vehicle uninspected. Set your rules how you would like your prospects to revert to you. For example, you may instruct interested buyers to email you back with their contact information so that you can get in touch them. Simply block anyone who fails to follow instructions. Their inability only indicates their lack of seriousness about the matter. Also, while, screening their mails, check if the respondent’s email address matches the name of the person responding. Avoid answering a person whose mail ID does not match with his/ her name.  For example, don’t correspond with a person called Alex Smith if his emails come from petersmith@gmail.com. Call up those who you think have the right intention, and then schedule an appointment for the technical inspection/test drive. And while calling him/her for the first time, use your office or public phone instead of using your home or cell number. If it’s the answering machine that always responds to your call, understand that the conversion potential of the lead is very weak and simply move on.

Plan A Safe Test Drive – Stick to Your Home Turf

Fix a test drive appointment. It is you and not your customer who should decide on the date, timing, and location of the meeting. Choose a crowded location where you can be seen. Parking lots of any commercial establishment would be your best choice. Also, prefer daytime for meeting with your prospect. If it’s not possible to hold the meeting during the day, make sure you choose a place which is well-lit. Plan the route and duration of the test drive in advance. Make it brief and stick to streets that you know well. Make sure you check the license of the customer before handing the keys to him. Even then, accompany the person on the test drive. Do not agree to offer a solo-test drive under any circumstance. In fact, you should ask a friend or family member to accompany you on the ride.

Finalize Transaction – Play Safe

If a buyer is really interested in buying your vehicle, he may want to negotiate. It’s only natural. After all, who does not want to maximize his gain? So, add a margin to your asking price. But don’t accept any unreasonable demand such as including the transfer cost in your sales price. Once you agree upon a price, prepare a bill of sale. The document should include vehicle info including make, model number, year of manufacturing and odometer reading. Besides, it should also include the date of sale, price, and both buyer’s and seller’s names. Don’t entertain your buyer if your (s)he asks for a change in the figures in the bill of sale to enjoy some cool tax benefits (In some states, it is mandatory for the seller to sign the back of the bill along with putting down the sales date, price, and exact odometer reading while handing over the title.) Remember, if you accept this demand, you will be a party to tax fraud. Follow a safe, legitimate transaction process. Although it is the safest to take cash, sometimes carrying or depositing such a huge amount of money might be problematic. So, the next best option would be a bank check. For the latter case, verify by calling the issuing bank. There is another way to make sure that the check is legitimate – visit the FakeChecks.org, a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation initiative. You can also opt for escrow or third party payment services. Research the service in advance. Deal with an organization that is affiliated with a trusted organization like Kelley Blue Book.

Don’t forget to create and maintain a paper trail when selling your rig. A little effort upfront can save you from a lot of hassles in the future. If you are unsure about carrying on the sales process all by yourself, contact an RV broker. A trusted broker can help you sell your RV without going through the hassles of dealing with individual buyers. You can expect to get the prevalent market rate and may not be able to make a huge ‘profit’ out of selling your rig. However, you will get a fair deal, instant cash, and a hassle-free selling process which are often enough for many people to compensate a little less money in the deal.