11 replies to this topic

[BrianT]

Has anyone ever SOLD their rv through PPL?

I need to sell an rv. We have two of them. We've had two for a couple of years now. At first, we lived in one and used the other as our "guest house" and for the occasional short jaunt where we didn't want to haul the larger one around. But our MS landing place is now under contract (hopefully soon to be sold) and we're getting tired of paying storage fees, registration fees, insurance, etc., on an rv we're not using.

It being a less than perfect rv, I wasn't sure if PPL would even want it. I've tossed around the idea of putting it on ebay with as much honest info on it's deficiencies as I know and seeing what it would bring with a no reserve, as is auction. (It's got frame damage... bent... and some water damage. But for the right person, it could have a lot of use left just as it is and I believe is fixable if someone wanted to spend the $$. I don't want to deal with it and realize it'll likely be sold at a very deep discount.)

Anyway, I kinda wondered if anyone has an opinion on PPL or possibly other ways to sell a less than perfect rv.

We're trying very hard to tie up the loose ends of our lives and this is one of the larger ones.

Thanks for the input.

Brian

[Rif]

We sold two 5ers with PPL. Both experiences were great. They helped us price it fairly, and we were very satisfied with everything about the transactions.

That said, given the description of your trailer, I'm not sure PPL is the best option for you. People shopping there are usually not looking for rigs with bent frames and water damage. You may do better with eBay or even Craig's list.

Good luck.

[Newt]

PPL currently has well over 400 RVs for sale. How far would you have to haul it to get to PPL? It might not be worth the trouble. With a bent frame and water damage, not too many people will want it.

Newt

[BrianT]

That trailer is parked a little under 400 miles from PPL.

Hmmm... Kinda sounds like I gotta either fix it or find someone that doesn't mind the damage.

That's gonna complicate life again. Dang, I'm trying to uncomplicate it.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Brian

Edited by BrianT, 15 February 2012 - 04:37 PM.

[Al Florida]

PPL does reserve the right to not accept an RV to put on consignment. They may not want one that is in poor condition. Also I'm pretty sure there is a minimum consignment fee, which might price you out of selling a rig only worth a couple of thousand to a few thousand. 10% is the normal fee, I don't remember the minimum fee.

[BrianT]

That's ok. I have an acquaintance I want to visit in the next week or two that works in a large trailer shop. He might have a suggestion on how to fix the frame. That's definitely something I can't do myself.

The water damage is not that severe and I think I can probably fix that myself. The hardest part will probably be finding the interior wall board that will match what's there.

Just another project to add to the list...

Thanks,

Brian

[Brianwl]

Brian,

I'd put it on eBay and be honest about its condition and put a reasonable minimum bid on it. Can't hurt to try and certainly cheaper than fixing it first since you'll likely not get your money back out of it.

[BrianT]

Thanks, Brian. That's probably the direction I'll go initially. For someone who doesn't travel a lot or wants an rv for occasional use, it would sure beat the heck out of a fema trailer as is.

We'll see. If that doesn't work, I'll have to look at making some repairs. I won't be able to go too far with that, though, considering that in premium like-new condition, it's probably only worth about $20k.

I hadn't thought about it before, but I really don't know if there could be an "insurance event" here or not. It might be a stretch but if blowing out a tire and the tread wiping out a fender isn't too big of a stretch, the bent frame might not be too big of a stretch beyond. And the water damage came from a crack in the fiberglass because of the bent frame... Hmmm. I gotta give that one some thought.

Brian

[Brianwl]

Brian,

Definitely pursue the insurance claim.

[Rover]

Brian: If the claim don't happen to pay off. Is there a real good welder close by who can fabricate a new section into the frame. With some thought, you could possibly repair the rest of the damage. The fiberglass crack could be filled, repair kits come with resins that can be colored to close to the original color of the camper. Use Luan paneling inside, it can be prepped with Kilz and painted or you could possibly use wall paper or vinyl contact covering on it. If it looks better it will sell easier at a higher price. I know, it will take time from your mowing career! You would be better to sell it through RV Trader, Craigslist or local media. Get a copy of RV Trader, use Online sites and see what like units are selling for. Consignment Dealers want to make to much profit and if you don't sell than it will be back on your property again.

Edited by Rover, 17 February 2012 - 08:29 PM.

[BrianT]

Thanks, Rover. I don't know a good welder close by but I'm hoping that when I move our current rv to the same area as the one needing repairs, I can talk to someone there who may know someone. You're probably on the right track with welding in a new section of frame or some kind of reinforcement. I kinda need to get the thing straightened, though. It's basically hanging low in the back.

The way it's bent, it put a lot of stress at a spot on the side wall, right at the rear corner of the curbside slide. It's only about 7" of space between the top of the slide and the roof and is a weak point for a break when the frame moved. Fixing the fiberglass on the outside isn't that big of a job but the frame needs to be straightened to support it properly before I get too excited about pretty details. It's basically "schmutzed" with some exterior caulk until it gets figured out.

I wasn't sure whether I could get a piece of the luan panneling and perhaps some of that matching tape like stuff that they use for joints on the inside or not. There's only a small section that's noticably damaged. (The distance from the back of the slide to the end cap is only about 2 ft and a piece about half the size of that would cover all of the damage very nicely. Knowing what I know about the construction of it, it really wouldn't be that difficult. Probably a bit of a pain, but not exactly rocket science. Matching things up again would be some of the hardest of it.

I haven't approached the insurance agent yet. I'd like to be there at least to be able to take some pictures and perhaps go from there.

Hey, I do appreciate the thoughts. Thanks.

Brian

[Mike and Claudia]

We sometimes stay in a "college" town. If there is a "college" town near where your trailer is, that might be a good market for you. In the RV Park we stay in, I bet there are 15 --20 trailers that the college kids live in. They don't seem to mind the condition as long as they have a bed, they work, and they are cheap!

Just a thought.

Good Luck!

Edited by Mike and Claudia, 28 February 2012 - 12:21 AM.