Determining Your Rv's Trade-in Value to a Dealer

Determining your Rv's True Wholesale Value

The first thing you need to know is that the Online valuation guides for Rvs are ordinarily much higher than the values in the dealer's copy of the Nada guide. In other words, what You think your Rv is worth is probably much, much higher that what the Dealer will literally allow for it.

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This is the same for the automotive, boat or Rv industries. The dealer Must take trade-ins at or below wholesale to ever hope to eventually make a uncostly profit. He must allow for interest payments on his used inventory, commissions to sales people, overhead, and much more.

Determining Your Rv's Trade-in Value to a Dealer

A typical mid-sized Rv dealer will have a monthly overhead of ,000 to 0,000... Or more per Month! Believe me, it's not an easy game. He has laid out millions of dollars to allow you to browse a decent selection of Rvs, so please... Don't think of him as the bad guy.

Online Rv Valuation Sources

Lets take a look at the online Rv valuation sources and how to use them in order to place a realistic wholesale and sell value on your Rv.

The best place to get fairly strict online values for Rvs is at: [http://www.nadaguides.com]

Go to the Rv section and elect the thorough letter that corresponds to the make of your Rv.

Now is where you're going to have to grit your teeth and do something completely against your nature. Don'T Add For Any Options! The dealer won't, so in this case we won't either. Understand that we are only trying to decree what the dealer will allow for your trade-in. This doesn't mean that you have to take it. In fact, you will be many dollars ahead if you decree to market your Rv on your own, and then coming the dealer on a cash only basis.... But that's another topic we'll address in another article.

At the lowest of the Nada page, click on the "Get Price" button. Now, let you your jaw drop as you look at the value for: "Low Retail."

Now emit a mild groan, because it gets worse from here. Deduct another 7% to 10% of that figure to design the wholesale value in the dealer's copy of the Nada book. This is the value that the dealer will be seeing at. If your Rv is an upper-line or luxury Rv, or if it is a specialty Rv you will need to deduct even more - 10% to 15% of the "Low Retail" figure. Since the online Low sell prices do not match the wholesale prices in the dealer's Nada guide, this is an educated guess for you. It will however, get you close adequate to decree either or not you are willing to trade your Rv, and accept the actual cash value the dealer will allow.

Remember Not To Add For Options! I know you tried to sneak a few in there didn't you? Remember... The dealer Never adds for options when determining an Acv on a trade-in. In some rare cases such as hydraulic leveling jacks or other options that are very expensive, he May allow a exiguous more, but nowhere near the actual cost of the option.

Your best bet in determining what the dealer is allowing you for your trade-in is to take the "Low Retail" figure minus 10%. (More for upper-line or specialty units.)

Certain factors such as mileage, health and unit popularity and salability my influence the actual cash value allowed for your vehicle. Remember that we are dealing with an inexact science. We are plainly trying to design a guideline for estimating the actual whole allowed for your trade-in. either or not you decree to trade, is completely up to you. Now you have a way to weigh one against the other. The final decision of course... Is up to you.

Barry Wilder

President, Best Rate, Inc.

Determining Your Rv's Trade-in Value to a Dealer