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Just another quick question I would like to throw out there - I am debating maybe buying a travel trailer (if I can get a good deal on a used one) for use with seasonal jobs and possible use as an office on my property here in Phoenix. Does anyone have any good ideas where I might want to check for deals? Just curious, as you never know what good ideas you may get here.....Rob of the North Rim May 2011
Here is a link to a nation wide search engine for rvs. http://www.rvt.com/
check out Craigslist, too. Better than RV trader, etc. Also, don't be afraid to check with dealers, consignment lots, etc. You're heading right into the peak winter season right now, so best bargains may be later in the spring, but it's a buyer's market right now, that's for sure, so you should be able to find something. I'd haunt Craigslist everyday if it were me. The good ones get snapped up fairly quickly.
I like to look at recreational vehicles at www.crankyape.com
It's an auction site for bank repossessed or insurance repairable RV's, trailers, motorcycles, watercraft, etc.
This is probably where we'll pick up our next motorhome when the right one comes along.
We are also looking for a travel trailer and have checked out local Craigslist.com listings, rvtrader and just look along the roadside as we drive around. Also, check out RV storage places. I've noticed some trailers in storage areas with for sale signs on the. I also stopped at a RV repair/supply center and they had some listed for sale on an announcement board. I also check announcement boards of grocery stores, pet stores, sporting goods stores, etc.. When settling my parents estate in Florida there were a lot of travel trailers for sale in that 'snowbird' town but in the area we live there are few. I've noticed Craigslist.com (in this area) is quite seasonal and right now there are 20-30 snowmobiles listed per day whereas last spring it was travel trailers so maybe in the next few months the travel trailers will appear again.
Thanks for the ideas! I have found a listing for one that I think is very sweet and is a little out of my price range, but there is incentive to save more, what can I say? Rob of the North Rim May 2011
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Trailers...=p4506.c0.m282
ebay motors. This is the trailer link, there is also an area for RVs and Campers. If nothing else it gives you a good idea of price range.
Another vote for Craigslist here. You have to stay on top of it though and pounce fast when a good one appears. I got my 1987 truck camper that way. It was in great shape and the guy only wanted $900 for it. I've had it for 3 years now and love it. Also got my 5th wheel that way. It's a 29' Alpenlite with one large slide that I picked up for $4400. It's older (1994) and needed some cosmetic work (which I did myself) but other than that it is great. I don't travel with it - it's parked permanently on my property and is used as my home.
Ebay is a good place to see what things are selling for, but I would never buy a used RV sight-unseen. A friend won an auction on a used motorhome that was listed as "mint" condition on eBay, but when he drove down to see it (over 400 miles away), it was anything but. Oil leaks, worn and stained carpet, worn cabinetry, etc. Luckily he was able to back out of the deal.
Another vote for Craigslist. We did a nation-wide search for both our 5th wheel and for our new truck. There is a way that you can do the search in craigslist so that the search will go through all of the cities of craigslist, I will have to find out how my DH did it.
What was cool was that when we got our 5th wheel, we found someone else who wanted out truck camper, so we were able to do a switch! We of course paid him extra but he got our truck camper and covered utility trailer, and we got an excellent home. This was in Idaho!
With the truck, we again searched all over for a specific truck and DH found it in Bullhead City, AZ. We were able to trade in our 2005 F350 SRW, for a 1999 F450 DRW, plus get money from a DEALER! Unheard of, everyone told us, but hey, the dealer was able to turn it around pretty fast, and he made a little money on it too.
There is a site called Crazedlist, that can search multiple craigslist cities at once...very useful! You have to use firefox and set up your settings to work with it, but it is great.