Motorhomes For Sale

Motorhomes For Sale At Police Auctions And Seized Auctions

One of the best places to get a really well priced used motorhome is at a seized auction or police auction. These are held just like any other type of auction but the vehicles have been repossessed due to non payment of finances or have been confiscated due to illegal activities or have just been repossessed in a bankruptcy or similar. Whatever the history of the previous owners, the fact is that most of the vehicles available at these auctions have low mileage are are in good condition with many being virtually new.

Most of the starting bids at these auctions are extremely low and at times incredible bargains can be had. It is easy to become blinded by these low opening prices and you should take a  lot of care when choosing a vehicle and subsequently bidding on it.

First of all you need to check over the vehicle thoroughly. Just as you would in a private sale, take a mechanic with you to check over the mechanical side of things. Make sure that everything inside the motorhome works. Check the refrigerator, microwave oven, air conditioning, heating etc. Make sure that every cupboard and locker open and close properly (including outside ones), turn every switch on and off to make sure they all work. Keep an eye out for damp patches which will undoubtedly be hiding structural damage. In short, give the motorhome a thorough check over and make notes as to everything that doesn't function or that needs attention.

Once you have checked over the vehicle you then need to work out its approximate street value. If you have bought a motorhome before you will know that the 'NADA' and 'Blue book' prices are not that accurate. This is because they only take into account the vehicle age, mileage and condition and do not account for the living side, fixtures and extra fittings. To put a price on a motorhome you need to be armed with the local press and the specialized RV magazines where you can find similar models for sale. Look for a similar model, year and condition and then go through the extras or features that that model has or has not in order to work out an approximate price for the one you would like to bid on.

With an approximate idea of how much the motorhome is worth you then add on what you believe will be the cost of any repairs based on the notes you made whilst looking over the vehicle (there will always be something that needs attention). Also add the auctioneers fees and commissions (normally about 10%). You now have your absolute top price for bidding. To bid over that price you might as well buy in a private sale.

In most cases the auction house is trying to get through as many vehicles as possible and as such all of the starting prices will be extremely low. There are often very few people attending who are in the market for motorhomes. Most of the attendees are looking for luxury cars. This means that you should be able to get your chosen vehicle for a fraction of the price you have calculated as its street value. There are times however when the price gets pushed up by inexperienced and over zealous bidders. In this case just gracefully bow out and wait for the next vehicle or the next auction. Do not get tempted and sucked into a bidding war once your upper limit has been reached.

There are seized auctions and police auctions held regularly all over the country. You can get access to a regularly updated database of where the auctions are and what vehicles will be on offer at  the Seized Vehicle Auctions web site and at the Auction Pass web site. These are both reputable websites that offer more or less the same service.

To sum up, when buying from any auction you need to take great care that the vehicle you are bidding for is in good conditions. Take a mechanic and a seasoned RV-ers with you to help you look over the motorhomes on offer. Work out how much the vehicle is worth, add on auctioneers fees and commissions and the cost of any repair or modifications to work out your maximum bid. Don't get trapped in bidding wars.

For more information and ideas on how to find used campers for sale and how to value them see the Campers For Sale page or go to our web site
http://americanmotorhome.net