RV Buyers are coming out of the woodwork and many of you are seriously looking for the RV of their dreams right now. I do not want to scare you, but I will warn BUYER BEWARE! If you are looking for a used RV, take time to come up with a list of your “wants and don’t wants” in that RV. I encourage you to walk through many RVS and try to imagine yourself, eating, sleeping, bathing and watching TV in that RV. Is it spacious enough, is it too big to tow, too small to move around? Is your head in the skylight when you shower? Are you too tall to sleep on the bed without your feet hanging off? E are just a few of the questions.
Once you have found the RV you want to buy, it is time to make sure your paperwork is in order. Whether you are buying from a dealer or an individual, know what you are buying. Is the year model correct, does the vin on the title match the vin on the RV? Is their a lien on the RV and, if so, how are you going to get a clear title? And, one question that comes up more often than you can imagine is, where is the title? You are at the sellers house, you fall in love with the RV, you negotiate a great deal, you’re ready to go RVing and….you hear the panic of “Oh, heck…where did I put that title?” Is it in the file cabinet? Is it still at the bank? Where is it?
DO NOT…let me repeat, DO NOT, negotiate this deal and pay any money until you know how the vehicle is titled, where the title is and if it is clear.
It is much better to agree on the price and wait a few days for the seller to produce a title than it is to rush and then have a vehicle you can not register in your name.
If there are two parties listed as owners on the title, you need to make sure that both of those people are there and are negotiating the title. Request a copy of each of their drivers licenses for your records to make sure you know who you are dealing with. I have heard some horror stories about couples going through a divorce and one sells the RV right out from under the other one and signs their name. I have also heard about kids who have mom or dads RV and are trying to sell it and pocket the money. And, don’t forget the people who actually steal RVs and try to sell them.
I think all of this can lead up to the 9 steps brochure and PPL helping them.
I also think I want to take time to say that, just like all dealers, we cannot make everyone happy every time, but we do try and we do care. We will make some mistakes along the way, but we will also try to learn from those mistakes.