How to Get the Most Value Out of Your RV

Since you are reading this, higher chances are that you own an RV or you are at least planning to get one. Regardless of the case, you will find this article worth the few minutes you spend reading it. 

Whether you are considering selling your RV or making a trade-in, you will want to make sure you are getting the maximum value from it. It is most likely that you won’t get the same amount of cash you had bought it for, but you wouldn’t want to settle for something too far from that. If that is the case, then you need to know it won’t just happen. It will take some effort on your part before you decide to let it go for a good price. While at it, there are also a few hacks to help you make the most out of it. In this piece, we shall look at a few pointers on how to get the most out of your RV.

Perform Regular Maintenance 

When every component of whatever you are selling is working properly, you have ground to negotiate for a higher price. The same applies to your RV. Performing regular maintenance activities like changing oil, ensuring the roof and the side walls are well-sealed, and cleaning the air filters are some of the things that will help attract a better selling price for your rig. There is no better experience than enjoying your RV for years and getting to resell it for top dollar. Apart from promising a good resale price, maintaining your RV also ensures a satisfactory service for both you and the next owner.

Watch Your Mileage 

Just like the standard vehicle, anyone willing to purchase a used RV will consider the mileage. For starters, better gas mileage means more economical fuel consumption during the use of your rig. Moreover, lower mileage will fetch you a better price in the resale market. Nonetheless, a few things you can do to keep it on the low include:

• Minimize weight
• Observe your speed
• Turn off the engine while on long breaks
• Observer regular maintenance (as above)

Use Your RV 

Sounds weird right? Let’s reason together. If you acquire your RV and have it parked in your garage most of the time, this will do you no good. An RV has several systems that being kept at bay will corrode, stiffen, and collect dust, all of which are detrimental to the value of the vehicle. As much as you need to reduce mileage, you need to make use of your RV frequently so the important parts get some “exercise”. 

This gives you the motivation to service it and clean the systems. Brush the thought that not using your RV will leave it brand new and that it will fetch you the highest price in the market. It might go cheaper than one that has never been parked for a day. The main point here is to make use of your RV so that everything is in working condition when you are ready to sell it.

Avoid Changing the Décor 

The joy in owning something is that you have the liberty of doing whatever you want with it. Well, in this case, nothing is more fun than taking an RV vacation when your schedule is finally all free for a few days or weeks. If, however, you don’t plan to own it forever, your modifications may not be what the next owner wants. Beautiful and classy as they may seem to you, they may affect the resale value of your RV. Indeed, RV manufacturers aren’t always perfect but they will always integrate designs that look good and sell. 

When you are making your decorations that can’t be returned to the original, think again. They will greatly affect the resale value of your RV. Avoid things like painting in the walls and the ceiling, adding vinyl wallpaper, or any other modifications that may need to be reversed to default when you want to sell your RV.

Leave the Exterior Original 

RVs are mainly for long-distance travel with your family where you want to avoid the hassle of having to book hotel rooms now and then. Those adventures in your RV are just fascinating. During these travels, many people find it fun to know the places they have been to by putting national park stickers on their RVs. They tell themselves that they will peel the stickers off when it’s time to resell.

Well, one thing you need to know is that even if they peel off (which they won’t), they will alter the finish of the rig. Commonly referred to as ghosting, this finish protects the exterior from sun rays, which gradually causes fading. The points you have stickers on tend to fade faster than other parts of your RV. This is something that any buyer will note and could use to negotiate a lower price. If you want to have these stickers on your rig, stick them on the windows where they can be easily removed by the use of a razor and won’t degrade your recreational vehicle’s body.

If you ask any seasoned rver, they’ll tell you one thing. There is no better feeling than being out there in the wild or unfamiliar places with your rig whenever you can. An RV is a valuable asset that you could also sell when you have a cash emergency. This is probably why most people only sell the “mobile house” when intending to upgrade to a bigger, more powerful, or more equipped beast. 

All the same, getting top dollar on the resale of your RV is dependent largely on how you take care of it. The same case applies to the service you get from your country navigator. Nobody will want to acquire something that right from the sight of it spells trouble. While integrating the few tips discussed in this piece, take it as a personal responsibility to take care of your RV whether or not you intend to sell it someday. Hopefully, you are now equipped with a few handy tips to help you get the most out of your recreational vehicle.