Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: lgshoup on August 17, 2018, 07:45:56 am
Title: Selling advice
Post by: lgshoup on August 17, 2018, 07:45:56 am
We are going to be selling our '96 U-295 and need some advice. We are in east central Florida and would like to do this through a consignment dealer. MOT is supposed to do a great job but would need to drive there. Is there any dealer in Florida with a good consignment reputation? Maybe you could save me the trouble and buy it yourself! Thanks.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on August 17, 2018, 07:49:38 am
I've "heard" that MOT will send a driver to your location and take your coach back to NAC to sell. No idea what it would cost you for the service.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: John S on August 17, 2018, 07:51:47 am
MOT sent a driver to pick up my coach. It will sell there faster and for more money then elsewhere except this forum.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Tim Fiedler on August 17, 2018, 08:11:59 am
MOT is still the choice in my mind to maximize the $$$$ net to you - give them a call - maybe you can get them to pick it up if you don't care to drive it there.
Good luck, and let us know where you decide to take it.
DO you have an asking price in mind?
Tim Fiedler
Sure Start Soft Start (http://www.gen-pro.biz) - home of SureStart soft starters TCER Direct (http://www.tcerdirect.com) - home of Generac Approved Aluminum and Copper TCER Composite cable generator-gas-prod (http://www.generatorgasproducts.com) - home of X-Riser Gas Risers for PE installation Call me at 630 240-9139 Gen-Pro
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Roger & Susan in Home2 on August 17, 2018, 08:51:05 am
You can try oodle or rvtrader to see if you get any serious nibbles. Lots of lookers who have no idea what they are looking at but there are some that do. We found ours on oodle. There may be more buyers in Florida who would know about FTs. It is worth trying for a while.
MOT is certainly a prime spot for selling. They have the traffic and great sales people. Condition is everything when selling. Make it pretty.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: bbeane on August 17, 2018, 09:59:27 am
Where I going to consign mine it would be with MOT. Now with that said consider their fees, the cost to get it there, and so on, adjust your asking price accordingly, and advertise on several sites and see what happens. A good Foretravel at a reasonable price should sell, if you can find a buyer with cash in hand. But you will have to put up with the tire kickers, the send me a 100 pictures, and .50 cents on the dollar offer folks.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Peterson143 on August 17, 2018, 10:31:56 am
MOT is an exceptional service however keep in mind that their minimum consignment fee is $6 CB. That was 24% of my asking price. This did not include the cost of having a driver come and pick it up. No idea what that would have cost. The consignment rep was pretty honest after looking at my pictures and information that I sent. Said that the going rate for our model (the last couple that they sold) was $19,000. Minus the consignment fee and I was looking at 50 percent of my asking price and I still had the cost of delivering the rig to MOT. Figured that would run me about $1 CB. I think it is a viable option but mostly for the folks located within one day driving distance. So at the end of the day I figured I would take my chances with RV Trader and RVT. Lots of looky loos and several offers that came up dry when trying to come up with the cash. Three of the offers died due to inability to get a signature loan. Their comment was banks were tightening up the requirements. Not sure if that is true but when three different deals falling through for the same reason makes you kind of wonder. Yes, aware that our older coaches require cash in their pocket buyers but I am finding that pool has obviously grown smaller for what ever reason. Couple other deals went south due to the offers that were made and the comment that it was all the money they could come up with. What does that mean? Not sure but that is what is happening on the street in my neighborhood. Five offers in the last three months all going bad due to money accessibility. Have a sixth coming by tonight that has cash in hand so we will see how that plays out.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: nitehawk on August 17, 2018, 10:37:18 am
Hope that is our son you are talking about. He was quite interested but---you know--$$$
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: John44 on August 17, 2018, 10:48:16 am
I would try and sell it on the forum first,there have been a few looking to buy lately,decide if the consignment cost is worth it or not,eveyone is different in that respect.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: jor on August 17, 2018, 11:01:24 am
I say give the forum a chance first. Post or link to lots of high definition photos. Your many posts here will show that you are a good guy to buy from. Keep Motorhomes in your back pocket but as has been said, after the delivery fee, listing fee and negotiation with your buyer, the take home amount is much less than what your coach is worth. jor
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Carol Savournin on August 17, 2018, 11:07:35 am
We have sold all of our Foretravel coaches on the Forum. Word of mouth and knowledgeable buyers made things easier. The Born Free we recently sold was listed on RVTrader without photos. I fielded MANY phone calls and replied personally to several and sent photos directly. (The Born Free Forum is nothing like ours, and gets little traffic.) I was in no particular hurry, but one fellow kept coming back and getting more info, we established a dialogue, and he came in from Florida and drove it away after inspecting and test driving. MOT can certainly sell your coach, but they charge for having someone pick it up is $$$ per mile and a bit more. It is what it is. That being said, it is nothing anyone else won't charge for that service. they DO clean and stage your coach, I believe, which is very nice. Private sales of a coach more than 10 years old are going to require someone with a very nice credit rating who can get a personal loan. No one will finance a rig older than that on it's own merits. Best of luck with your efforts! Certainly list it here first, and get your photos and spec sheet all dialed in, questions answered, and interior spit shined before you begin elsewhere!
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on August 17, 2018, 11:10:46 am
Couple other deals went south due to the offers that were made and the comment that it was all the money they could come up with. What does that mean?
It means we live in a "I Have To Have It All Now" society. People these days don't know how to save money so they can pay cash. All they care about is "What is the monthly payment?". They live hand-to-mouth, and run up their credit cards until there is no credit left. We paid cash for our coach - not because we are rich, but because we put away a little $ every month for 40 years. Our rule is: if we can't pay cash, we can't afford it. Been 100% debt-free since we both retired in 2008.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Mike Leary (RIP) on August 17, 2018, 12:06:21 pm
I agree with everybody, especially trying the forum first. Round up and organize all you paperwork; VERY IMPORTANT for a would-be buyer! We bought ours after looking for a year, found her on RV Trader, a good way to sell, as well, as you get to communicate with the owner. I would NEVER buy a Foretravel off most used RV dealers, they know nothing about the coaches and have $$$$$ in their eyes only!
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Bob & Sue on August 17, 2018, 12:38:23 pm
We bought ours from the forum and wouldn't consider anywhere else. Paid cash. When you buy from a forum member (especially an active one) you have the ability to "look back" in forum history and if you want you can read about all the posted issues and probably the resolutions also. How valuable is that. I learned several things about our coach (owner posted) that was prolly minor to the PO but helpful to me. Go foreforum, we couldn't be happier......
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: John44 on August 17, 2018, 12:49:57 pm
Agree with post 11 except it's "wat da payment".
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on August 17, 2018, 06:16:16 pm
Since we recently purchased ours I can say that I would use the forums first if I had to sell. When I sold my Nor'Sea 27 sailboat I sold it on the forums as well. Sold fast. Price it right. Have it in the best shape you can. Take lots of photos. Be honest in your description. If it doesn't sell here, try Craigs list or RV trader next. Be aware that Craigs list will get you a ton of scammers. But you can sell stuff on it. Good luck. Bob
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: gracerace on August 17, 2018, 10:15:43 pm
Since we recently purchased ours I can say that I would use the forums first if I had to sell. When I sold my Nor'Sea 27 sailboat I sold it on the forums as well. Sold fast. Price it right. Have it in the best shape you can. Take lots of photos. Be honest in your description. If it doesn't sell here, try Craigs list or RV trader next. Be aware that Craigs list will get you a ton of scammers. But you can sell stuff on it. Good luck. Bob
Yes, and don't post your phone number on C/L. Email link only
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: wolfe10 on August 17, 2018, 10:21:48 pm
I would NOT post my e-mail on Craigslist.
Use the "through Craigslist" e-mail-- both party's identity is protected.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Gary & Jeannie on August 18, 2018, 08:24:07 am
Our neighbor advertised his 30 ft. Boat on Craigslist and in Boat Trader for several months without any real interest. Friend suggested he post it on Facebook Market Place and ended up with about 60 views and received 5 phone calls with one of the callers buying his boat.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Jeff & Sandy on August 18, 2018, 09:05:35 am
On the buying side I had an amazing experience at MOT on my consignment Coach. If the time comes to sell the forum and MOT would be the way I go.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Mike Leary (RIP) on August 18, 2018, 09:10:42 am
A 'tire kickers warning buzzer' would be handy. When I finally called about buying this coach, the PO was sick and tired of lookie lews and was not in a good mood, in fact, I almost backed away because of his attitude when he said, "are you serious, or not?" Glad I did not, though! ^.^d
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: folivier on August 18, 2018, 09:26:39 am
Our experiences with MOT have all been very good. Traded in a Newell for a newer Newell, sold that one on consignment with them, and bought our FT through them. All very good experiences and treated fairly. OTOH when we bought our FT I inquired about consigning our LazyDaze but ended up selling it on the LD forum to the first person that came to see it. She flew in from Missouri and drove it home. Yes, condition is everything.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: speedbird1 on August 18, 2018, 10:29:29 am
I had mine on the forum for a long time and as Mike says "looky Loo's" and time wasters, except that they never even came up here to Montana, probably too frightened!! One even told me he was leaving in the morning, from not too far South, to drive up, and when I called him the next day he said he was on the way to Texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That after two weeks of educating him about Foretravels!! I now have a buyer locally?? I hope, and he has his loan approved so we shall see?? If my coach was not fully equipped I would have taken it to MOT, but with everything in it I was afraid of pilfering while it sat. Speedbird 1.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: lgshoup on August 18, 2018, 10:53:55 am
I've joked about putting the title under the wipers and the keys in the ignition and walking away. We've certainly gotten our use out of the FT over the years. What is something like this basic going for nowadays? I might park it at a local RV park for a month so that it stays on AC and advertise. Where it is now will have to change in the next couple of weeks. been volunteering for a year here and that's up so is the free hookups and parking.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: John44 on August 18, 2018, 11:09:46 am
A 96 320 just sold for $17.5 on Ebay ,check Ebay and rv trader and look at all the pictures and see how they compare to yours and figure on a price from that.You can sell on Craigslist,you have to ask yourself if you want the tire kicker phone calls or not.I would put it on the forum at your hi price,you can always lower it later,it's easier to lower it then make the price higher.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: jor on August 18, 2018, 11:16:59 am
Quote
What is something like this basic going for nowadays?
I would recommend you call Motorhomes and ask what they would list your coach for? That's what I did last time. I sent a brief description and some photos and they got back to me. The advantage of dealing with them is they are intimately familiar with Foretravels and have a pretty accurate idea of what they would get for it. jor
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: wolfe10 on August 18, 2018, 11:42:33 am
One of the significant factors in pricing is CONDITION. Most overlook that.
I am talking about both cosmetic and mechanical.
Is the interior original (and therefore over 20 years old) or has someone recently spent $10k to remodel?
Stored indoors or covered or lived in in full sun.
Are known "aging" issues addressed or are they left to the new owner: Aged tires Aged batteries OE fuel lines OE air bags Bulkheads Brakes Steering box leaks Cooling fan seals Age of appliances-- 20+ year old appliances ARE at the end of their live expectancy. etc You know, the things to be checked on any coach.
We were very serious about a coach listed here on the ForeForum. But, when Dianne looked at the pictures, she said (believe me from experience), it will cost right at $10,000 to completely remodel that original 24 year old interior. Full retail/ high asking price plus $10,000 put it out of consideration.
The ONLY number I am interested in is "what will I have in it fixed up the way I/we want it". Sure, selling price is a big factor, but ...... Yes, we are still very much interested in buying another Foretravel and restoring it to its original top line condition, but are not willing to abandon fiscal responsibility.
So, who wants to see their baby go to a good home?
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Mike Leary (RIP) on August 18, 2018, 12:54:17 pm
I am talking about both cosmetic and mechanical. Yes, we are still very much interested in buying another Foretravel
Thanks so much for sending me the Pacifico and Jamesons, but, we have to say: "YOU AND DIANNE ARE NOT GETTING YOUR COACH BACK" !!!!!!! ^.^d
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Barry & Cindy on August 19, 2018, 12:25:56 am
Selling big ticket vehicles are fraught with problems, like seller never transfers and injures someone leaving the titled owner possibly liable, like getting bad money being paid or later having bank cancel check you hold, lots of scammer will respond, even selling dealer can go out of business, or sell without reporting back to you, and on and on.
We all want too much for our coaches that have been upgraded and loved. RVs are not an investment, consider sell at any price, idea is to get rid of it and stop repair, liability, insurance costs.
MOT will pickup and sell (may already have a buyer waiting). There are other reliable consignment places, but who knows where they are and if they are still a reputable place.
I recommend MOT, have them pickup and consider part of the getting rid of it. They know Foretravels better than anyone.
Even the best of intentions from 'trusted' buyer may be problematic and leave you with a liability window.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: jcus on August 19, 2018, 12:47:53 am
Selling big ticket vehicles are fraught with problems, like seller never transfers and injures someone leaving the titled owner possibly liable, like getting bad money being paid or later having bank cancel check you hold, lots of scammer will respond, even selling dealer can go out of business, or sell without reporting back to you, and on and on.
We all want too much for our coaches that have been upgraded and loved. RVs are not an investment, consider sell at any price, idea is to get rid of it and stop repair, liability, insurance costs.
MOT will pickup and sell (may already have a buyer waiting). There are other reliable consignment places, but who knows where they are and if they are still a reputable place.
I recommend MOT, have them pickup and consider part of the getting rid of it. They know Foretravels better than anyone.
Even the best of intentions from 'trusted' buyer may be problematic and leave you with a liability window.
Agree with B&C. MOT have sold 4 coaches for me, 3 did not even make it to their website before being sold. Even after their commission, probably realized more than what I could have got if selling privately. Big thing for me is test drives, sold a 35 ft bus conversion years ago to a guy who could drive "big rigs", took a corner and he put 2 back tires in the ditch, he did buy coach and did pay for wrecker to get it out of ditch.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: cubesphere on August 24, 2018, 05:54:06 pm
17,500, it has to be junk, funny! Sounds like a good deal until it takes 65,000 to make it really nice. I bought mine for 40,000 cash and then spent another 30,000 to make it right. 70,000 dollars does not buy much today and new coaches in that price range a garbage, no offense. Thats why we bought a Foretravel, great machines.
Title: Re: Selling advice
Post by: Mike Leary (RIP) on August 24, 2018, 06:04:52 pm
I spent a year looking for ours. All of them on RV Trader were in the $15,000 to $ 22,000 range. Every one had no paperwork, so it was basically like jumping off a cliff. Having had two previous Airstreams was a big help, as I knew about the '60/80 thousand mile rule'. Paid $10k more than what I'd looked at because of these: