Even though you may think it is more fun and easier to buy new travel trailers for sale, you can get a better deal on them when you buy them used. When you buy a new travel trailer, you can enjoy the new car smell and be the first to sleep on the new mattress, but is it worth it having your motorhome lose 25 to 30% of its value during the first year if? Imagine if you paid $50,000 for brand-new motorhome. At the end of the first year, it is not going to be worth $50,000 anymore. It is going to be worth $35,000. If you had bought in that same model three years old, you probably would have been able to buy it for $25,000. It seems like a great way to save money.
Most of the time, you can buy a three-year-old travel trailer that is still in really good condition. It will probably last you for a long time. Assuming that the average trailer lasts about 15 years, you’re getting the last 12 years for the price of the first three. Depreciation is a real cost, because as you pay down the interest and principal every month, most of your principal is going towards paying for depreciation and not building you any equity.
When you buy used travel trailers for sale by owner, there is a much better chance of you getting a good deal. Not all owners are interested in getting the most for their travel trailer. Some are more interested in selling quickly than in getting top dollar. When you find these types of people that are motivated to sell, you can help them out and also save money. With a motivated seller, you should deal to spend 15 or 20% less than the market value. This translates into being able to buy a motorhome for $5-$10,000 less than the private party value.