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Used car sellers and buyers have a convenient resource for uncovering a fair price: The Kelley Blue Book. RV sellers and buyers have a slightly different process for an RV blue book, but it’s easy once you know where to look.
One of the most common questions when selling or buying a used RV is if there is a Kelley Blue Book for RVs?
The answer is no, but there is another option — it goes by a different name, and it’s not the only place you should look. Let’s take a deeper dive into RV valuation.
What Is the Kelley Blue Book?
Kelley Blue Book is a vehicle valuation and research company with an online database for consumers and dealers to help price used vehicles. Kelley Blue Book is one of the top resources for valuing used cars.
This database can help you determine how much you should get when selling your used car, both as a private party or for trade-in value. You can also use it to determine whether or not you receive a fair price when buying. The Kelley Blue Book has all kinds of makes and models, but does it work for RVs?
Is There a Kelley Blue Book for RVs?
Kelley Blue Book does not have prices for RV’s. For RV prices, you will need to check what is called the “NADA value”. There are many factors to consider when pricing a used RV, but like when buying or selling a used car, starting with a ballpark valuation from a trusted 3rd party really helps with your negotiation.
This used to be the NADA (National Automobile Dealers’ Association) Guides, which have been sold and rebranded to the JD Power RV Price Guides. Everyone still calls them the NADA guides though, so you may hear that name still. Just know that NADA Guides and the JD Power RV Price Guide are the same thing.
The JD Power RV Price Guides have pricing information for all vehicles, including boats, RVs, and even manufactured homes. Remember, it’s a good starting point, but it’s not the end-all-be-all for pricing a used RV.
About the J.D. Power RV Price Guides
The J.D. Power RV Price Guides compare to the Kelley Blue Book to help you with price, research, and compare different models and makes of cars, RVs, boats, and more.
You should look at J.D. Power RV Price Guides valuations as a starting point. This means you will need to do further research when pricing your own used RV for sale or determining whether or not you get a fair price when buying.
How Do I Find The Trade-in Value Of My RV?
Are you trying to determine how much your used RV is worth? You can use the JP Power RV Price Guides similarly to how you use the Kelley Blue Book for cars to help you price your used RV. But you also have other options. Here are some steps to find a reasonable price for selling your RV.
Check the JP Power RV Price Guides
First, check the JP Power RV Price Guides to find your RV year, make, and floorplan. You may not find your specific floor plan or model if you have an older or less common RV. If that’s the case, find a similar unit or model to start your base pricing ideas.
Like Kelley Blue Book, JP Power RV Price Guides will have you enter your zip code, as different locations can affect RV pricing. You can choose to see the base pricing for your model or click through and add other features and upgrades.
JP Power RV Price Guides gives you a low and average retail price and suggested listing price for your RV year, model, and features. Now that you have these prices handy, it’s time for the next step.
Take the values from JP Power RV Price with a grain of salt. In our experience, they are a great place to start, but they are not as accurate as KBB values.
When we were looking to sell our less-than-five-year-old fifth wheel, we found the valuation to be accurate with current market rates.
However, when we were looking at the NADA value to purchase our 17-year-old truck camper, the valuation was widely inaccurate and was more than double what we found they were listed for on different marketplaces. That leads us to the next step of the valuation process.
Check RV Sales Marketplaces
Next, it’s time to search the popular RV sales marketplaces to help determine the fair value for your used RV. Popular marketplaces include RVT.com and RVTrader.com.
Search for similar years, makes, and models. If you can’t find your specific RV, find a handful of the closest models in similar conditions. Check these prices against the prices you found on the JP Power RV Price Guides. Are they similar?
If your prices vary widely, you may need to alter your search or sales price. It’s a good idea to keep your figures aligned with the current market.
Determine Factors That Affect Value
Many factors can affect an RV’s value. Upgrades like solar, renovations, new tires, and more can all add to the price of your RV.
Alternatively, wear and tear damage and discoloration can take away from your RV’s value.
Be honest and fair when considering what factors affect your RV’s worth. The JP Power RV Price Guides work similarly to the Kelley Blue Book but for RVs, you can use the checkboxes for additional features on your RV to see how they affect the price.
For example, multiple AC units, special tires, residential refrigerator, lithium batteries, solar, etc.
Sell It Yourself to Get the Best Price
If you want to get the most out of your RV sale, sell it yourself. Selling an RV yourself is more difficult and takes more time, but doing so allows you to keep the full sales price.
Other options for selling your RV include selling it on consignment, where a dealer sells it for you but keeps a chunk of the sale. You can list your RV on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, RVT, RVTrader, and more.
Getting a Fair Price When Buying a Used RV
If you buy a used RV, you can do a few things to ensure you get a fair price. The NADA Guides work like the Kelley Blue Book for RVs, but you have more things to do to get a fair price when buying a used RV. Always do your research before buying.
Compare With Similar Models and NADA Guides
Before looking at a used RV for sale, compare the price against similar models on RV-selling marketplaces.
Also, check it against the JP Power RV Price Guides. Is the RV severely over or underpriced?
If so, it may have damage not shown in the listing, or the seller is offering an unfair price.
Get a Third Party Inspection
Always purchase a third-party pre-purchase inspection once you find an RV that you want to move forward on. These pricey inspections start around $500, but they’re worth it. An inspector not affiliated with you or the seller will give you an unbiased report of the RV and its condition.
Having an inspector check out the RV and provide you with a report will help you understand what you’re getting yourself into and can also give you leverage to negotiate a lower price if they discover defects.
Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Away
Lastly, don’t be afraid to walk away from an RV sale if you don’t feel like you’re getting a fair price. There will always be another RV, so don’t let your emotions get the best of you. You want to be happy with what you get.
The JP Power RV Price Guides work similarly to the Kelley Blue Book but for RVs. Always reference JP Power RV Price Guides when buying or selling, but look at other sources too.
Accurate RV valuation has many factors to consider, and sometimes arriving at a fair price is an art, especially when it has upgrades or renovations. Always do your research when buying and selling, and above all else, get an inspection!
