Used RVs for sale by owner can be a great deal. They can also be very, very tricky. Purchasing anything used means that the new buyer is unaware of the full history of the product. And the implications of this lack of knowledge can be especially long lasting for the new RV owner. Used RVs for sale by owner are known for two things equally:

1. Offering random, fabulous prices on good RVs.
2. Sticking new owners with “lemons.”

The “lemon” is a vehicle that was purchased at an apparently good price, but that very quickly began to require a lot of time, work and/or money be dropped in to the vehicle to keep it in good working order. And there is a reason that used RVs for sale by previous owners fall into this category. They are being sold for a reason. And there’s really no way to determine exactly what that reason might be. You can ask. That’s the obvious answer, for sale by owners that are going to be lemons are very rarely identified as such prior to the close of the transaction. So asking for the reason behind the sale is a fairly moot point during a used RVs for sale by owner deal.

What can you do to avoid finding yourself in a sticky situation? The easiest way to avoid the difficulty of for sale by owner transactions is to avoid dealing directly with owners altogether. There is almost no recompense for a bad transaction that is conducted between two random consumers. But dealing with a reputable dealership means that there are checks and balances in place to ensure that the vehicles in the inventory are accurately represented. Expert RV mechanics on staff check each and every vehicle for common problems related to the age of the vehicle, the type of motorhome, and problems that are more prominent for each specific manufacturer.

When you’re working with a reputable dealer you also have the benefit of knowing that there are a number of vehicles available. You have the benefit of comparison between available vehicle and knowing that you will get a straightforward answer because all the vehicles being compared are coming from the same pooled inventory. This is the type of information you can’t access when trying to find that one, elusive “good deal” amongst all the used RVs for sale by owner.

And if you are set on dealing with used RVs for sale by owner then just remember to be cautious. And remember that you have every right to request that the vehicle be given a full “once over” by a mechanic of your choice prior to shaking on the deal.