RVs are one of the best ways to go on a long road trip while enjoying a home-like experience. Because of their rising popularity, buying or selling them has become easier. But before signing any deal, it is important to find out the RV’s true value. While Kelley Blue Book helps determine the actual value of most vehicles, there is no Blue Book RV price guide. However, there are other ways to ascertain RV prices.

Why is there no RV value Blue Book?
A Kelley Blue Book would make it easier to determine the true value of various RV models across their years of manufacturing.

Alternatives to Blue Book for RV valuation
Instead of using the Blue Book, one can opt for alternatives to determine the true value of an RV that needs to be purchased or sold.

• National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA)
  The association has lists that provide the values of pre-owned RVs. These have prices and values for motorhomes, travel trailers, truck campers, and park models. To check these lists, one can head to the official NADA website and pick the type of RV that must be sold or purchased. Once this is done, a list is displayed with manufacturers that are included in the NADA’s database and make that specific type of RV. Then, choose from the various makes, models, and years of manufacture. Finally, enter the zip code since the RV trade-in value changes according to location, similar to Kelley Blue Book. NADA will display the RV model with various suggested, average, and low retail prices.
• RV platforms
  Several platforms, like RV Trader, help people sell and buy RVs. These also have resources that help determine a model’s approximate value. Most of these platforms often have RV price checker tools and RV value calculators, which can be a good way to determine the vehicle’s original value.
• Do-it-yourself RV value
  One can use the different purchasing and selling websites and local RV dealerships to determine the actual value of RVs nearby.

Determining the value of an RV
The approximate value of an RV depends on many factors. These often include the season and weather. These may seem like irrelevant variables, but the season determines if more people would be interested in buying an RV during a certain period. For instance, the demand for RVs is quite low during the colder months, so prices are bound to drop. But as soon as spring hits and summer comes around, more people plan camping and road trips. In such cases, demand for RVs is high, and prices often shoot up.

Besides the season determining the demand, the state of the RV industry also often plays a role in the value of recreational vehicles. Depending on how they perform financially, manufacturers can increase or decrease the value of the RV models they produce. In addition, factors like the current supply of new and pre-owned RVs will also be considered. Sometimes, external economic factors, like the price of gas, interest rates, inflation, or recession, can also affect the value of RVs.

Along with these, some unique elements associated with a specific RV also influence its value. For instance, the value of an Airstream travel trailer will be significantly different from that of a Jay Feather trailer, even if both have the same model year and length. But in a situation where Jay Feather is more well-maintained than Airstream, the relative values will fluctuate again.

Finally, one can seek the assistance of experts who can determine an RV’s value based on the current market condition. These experts are professionals whose jobs are similar to those of house appraisers. Based on their research and findings, they generally provide written valuations supported by ongoing trends and data.

Looking at age requirements
Many buyers and sellers of RVs often forget to consider the age requirements. With every year, an RV ages. As soon as it hits the 10-year mark, its financing options will start dwindling. While some lenders may offer financing for RVs that are up to 12 years old, they require the borrower to have an excellent credit score. Besides this, the vehicle needs to pass an independent inspection successfully. Yet, selling an RV proves to be harder as it gets closer to 10 or 12 years old. So, even if one waits a couple of years to sell their RV, it would essentially lower the number of potential buyers. So, from a financial standpoint, it is not wise to wait to sell an RV.