Buying your first motorhome is a thrill — it’s the satisfaction of finding the perfect vehicle and the excitement about future adventures. But inevitably, your needs and tastes change, and so buying your second (or third) motorhome becomes a natural progression as a motorhome owner. This may leave you wondering the best way to trade in your current motorhome.
Trading it in is an excellent, fuss-free option. But there are a few things you should be aware of before you drive off into the sunset in your next motorhome. We have gathered expert advice from our KEA certified dealers to tell you everything you need to know about trading in your motorhome in Australia. That way, you have all the tools and knowledge about trading in your motorhome when the time comes.
When you trade in your motorhome, you’re essentially selling your existing motorhome and upgrading to a newer model. Typically an owner will approach a dealer about a trade-in when they are interested in buying something from the dealership sales yard. When you’re ready, you can then begin the hassle-free process of trading in your current motorhome for one of the motorhomes for sale at the dealership.
There are plenty of reasons why you may want to trade in your existing RV for another motorhome.
Sometimes people buy a smaller motorhome because they don’t know if they would like the lifestyle or not and don’t want to over-invest. If you are a first-time motorhome owner, you may notice after some time on the road that you want a bigger motorhome for better livability.
Your family may grow or shrink over time, and so you may require a different-sized motorhome for your adventures.
Some may realise that their existing motorhome is too large for their travel needs and decide to trade-in for a smaller one. This can happen when owners buy a bigger campervan to go travelling around the countryside extensively, and then when they are done, they just want to go back to something they can just use on weekends. If this is you, a trade-in may be the perfect chance to swap to a smaller RV.
In other cases, it may just be a case that an RV owner wants to update for a more recent model.
There is such a wide range of reasons why you may be interested in trading in your RV. No matter what the reason, trade-in is the peace of mind that no matter how your circumstances change, you will be able to continue travelling around Australia with ease.
There are plenty of benefits to trading in your motorhome:
When you sell a motorhome privately, you will need to advertise it, organise a roadworthy certificate, and handle all enquiries. This can be a stressful and lengthy process. Trading in your motorhome takes a lot of the stress and strain out of upgrading to your new motorhome.
When listing a campervan for sale, there is a possibility the buyer will live in another city or another state. This can cause a headache with trying to work out how to meet up around each of your personal schedules. When you trade in, that’s one less thing to worry about. Phew!
When you find a KEA certified dealer near you, you can trade it in and get your brand new motorhome all in the same place. Saving time and energy, you’ll be back on holiday in no time.
If you are ready to make the leap into buying a campervan without the hassle of having to sell the existing one yourself, then trading in may be the perfect fit for you!
When trading in a motorhome, there are a few things that are different to selling privately. Understanding the process and requirements of trading in a motorhome will make the process as smooth as possible.
When you are ready to look at RVs for sale, and trade in for your existing RV, you will need to have your current RV valued. A dealer will work out the price they will offer you based on the type of vehicle you have. This price will be calculated based on the following:
The price that is offered is what is known as a wholesale price. The dealer will then have to consider other costs such as:
This will help them develop a retail price to list the motorhome in their sale yard. Depending on a few other factors, such as market demand and so on, the trade-in price is usually a little less than the quoted retail price for which it will be listed.
The trade-off for this lower margin means that you can rely on the RV sales professionals to handle all the nitty-gritty of selling your existing RV. Making the process of upgrading your RV as stress-free as possible.
Before you begin the process of trading in your RV, it’s a good idea to have a look at campervans for sale and see what is currently available. It pays to shop around and see what RVs you’re interested in, then have these in mind when you start the process.
When you are ready to trade in, you can come to your local KEA dealership and show the dealer your RV. If the dealer is interested, they then can work out a price to begin the process.
If you are unable to get to your closest dealership because you live too far away, you also have the option to send detailed photographs and information to the dealer. This is what is known as a ‘self-assessment’, in which case you will need to be brutally honest about the RVs condition so they can quote an accurate price.
If everyone agrees on the trade-in price and the sale price of the chosen new vehicle, then the deal is done. Easy as that!
One of the most common challenges is when a customer wants to trade in a vehicle that the dealer would not usually keep in their yard. In this case, the dealer would need to find another party to buy the vehicle from them, such as a wholesaler. This can add another level of difficulty to the process.
These are some of our most frequently asked questions about trading in a motorhome in Australia.
In the car industry, there are thousands of car dealerships and millions of cars and thousands of car wholesalers and dealers, so it is not that difficult for the dealer to find a wholesaler to take the vehicle off their hands.
Because the RV industry is much smaller, it may not be as easy to find a wholesale buyer. For this reason, it’s worthwhile doing your research to investigate if the dealer you want to buy from is likely to deal in the kind of RV you want to trade in. This will mitigate the challenge of the dealer having to source a wholesaler.
Not all dealers will accept every kind of motorhome. As a general rule, the more mainstream and the more readily acceptable the brand is, the easier a trade-in will be. There are some things that would be standouts that dealers wouldn’t take, these include:
With all that in mind, there are no definitive criteria — it is more of a case-by-case basis.
At RVSC, we have a diverse motorhome offering in our yard and a wide range of stock sold under the KEA banner. There will be something for everyone. We sell a range of vehicles that have proven themselves to be popular in the rental market and fulfilled the needs and wants of travellers all around Australia.
Why you may want to consider RVSC for your upcoming trade-in:
Most people who want to trade in a vehicle may not think first off about buying one of the KEA ex-rental campervans for sale on-site. But it's worthwhile considering these as an option. These ex-rentals are generally two to five years old and come with the added security of a warranty. Choosing to buy second-hand from a trusted and publicly listed brand such as KEA, is a great way to ensure you are getting value and quality when you trade your RV.
Trading in your motorhome has never been easier. With our nationwide list of KEA certified dealers with a diverse range of motorhomes for sale (including KEA ex-rentals), you're bound to find the motorhome that is perfect for your Australian road trip adventures.
If you are looking for more information on options for your upgraded interior, RV buying tips as well as the process of buying through trade-in, then speak to one of our KEA team in the office or online today.