buying from a private seller - RV-Dreams Community Forum

juls26 · RV-Dreams Community Member

buying from a private seller

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

IMHO you don't need a contract, it's no different then buying a used car. If you're an extended warranty person, I think they will want to do an inspection before offering the warranty, for a fee of course. Make the systems education part of the deal, 3 or 4 hours should be acceptable to them but you can't absorb it all that fast, it just takes time to learn. About the deposit, they should know you're serious if you're spending money on an inspection, but you might have to anyway to hold the rig.

Hope this helps.

Red

John U · RV-Dreams Family Member

IMHO Agree with el rojo and Pam but would make sure that you mention (Texas 1 party state to legally record conversations) or put into a contract if you do one that the seller does not get a copy of the inspection report to use on other potential buyers if you do not buy the unit for whatever reason/s but would use same as a home inspection report to try and negotiate a better price (/repairs) if repairs are necessary. But the report can be purchased for a fee from you! :)

John

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

We bought our Foretravel from an individual. I had prepared a Bill of Sale using a form from the Missouri Secretary of State's office (we lived in MO at that time). When we arrived the seller just added their information to the form and all was done. We brought a bank check with us, which their bank accepted immediately, so we left with both the coach and the title. Otherwise, the buyer usually takes a Bill of Sale and the coach, while the seller keeps the title until the check clears.

We now have that coach for sale, and expect to do something similar.

Lucky Larry · RV-Dreams Community Member

Both of us went to the DMV and did tax-tag-title - Florida wants her tax - and I walked out with the title and tag.

If I was seller and someone handed me a contract my reply would be "As Is".

You have to do an exam first and I look for these things-

1. leaks - any sign of water damage on the ceiling or at the baseboard (no deal, bargain or not).

2. fridge works.

3. AC works.

4. I take a stepladder and check the top - if it's in bad shape or patched no deal.

The engine - only a mechanic can tell.

CynthiaPettit · RV-Dreams Community Member

How did you managed? Did you lawyers drew up the contract? Same situation happened with my friend. He told his lawyer (Bechara Tarabay) to draw up a contract to be on a safer side.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

CynthiaPettit wrote:
How did you managed? Did you lawyers drew up the contract? Same situation happened with my friend. He told his lawyer (Bechara Tarabay) to draw up a contract to be on a safer side.

Cynthia,

To whom was your question directed? 3 of the 5 people who have previously posted in this thread haven't signed in since 2016. They might not even be actively looking without signing in.

Be sure and look at the date of any thread to which you want to comment to check the dates. We prefer than people not comment on threads that are over 1 year old.

Terry

Danny and Cheryl · RV-Dreams Family Member

You can download a Bill Of Sale of the internet, You don't need any Lawyer to draw up a contract. It is a Used vehicles just like a used car. Inspect it to your hearts desire. then give the seller your money and they will give you the Title. Done Deal

LiveSmallWander · RV-Dreams Community Member

juls26 wrote:
Hi all,
We have been looking and researching Class A motorhomes for almost 2 years now. Finally we are going to start looking at rv's that we might actually buy. What should we expect from a private seller? Should we have our lawyer draw up a simple contract? Is it reasonable to have a local mechanic inspect it first? Should we put down a deposit in order to take the time to get all this stuff done? I want them to show us how all the systems work. Are these reasonable expectations?

Juls26

What should we expect from a private seller?

It really depends on the seller. Not all sellers will be the same and it's not like a dealer where they have a specific policy they follow with all sales.

Should we have our lawyer draw up a simple contract?

Maybe. If you're shopping at a higher price range, this could make sense. However, it's more like a car purchase than a house purchase so the title and a bill of sale are usually all you need. Check with the BMV in your state for any other requirements for registration, however.

Is it reasonable to have a local mechanic inspect it first?

Perfectly reasonable and something you should do. This may not be the easiest thing in the world, however. RVs are not the same as cars or trucks. They have a ton of extra systems and finding a good RV mechanic that isn't booked solid isn't easy.

Should we put down a deposit in order to take the time to get all this stuff done?

If necessary, yes. This all depends on what you want to do and how long it will take. If you put down a deposit, make sure you have a signed receipt or bill of sale for the deposit.

I want them to show us how all the systems work. Are these reasonable expectations?

Yes and no. Again, this depends on who you buy from and how much you're spending. No worries, however, as YouTube becomes your best friend when you can't figure something out. You can also download the manual for most RVs online.

It's hard to really give you too much advice as most of this will depend on the seller you work with. It also depends on the price range and how new/old you're looking at for an RV. If you're buying something a few years old that hasn't been driven much, you may not really need a mechanic to check it out. However, something older, it would be a good idea to have it checked out.

It's best if you can check out the RV when it's hooked up so that you can see how everything works and test that it all works.

Best of luck with your upcoming purchase!

Benjamin Ehinger