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Old 10-20-2016, 06:44 AM   #1
Charlie
 
2016 25' International
2014 30' FB FC Bunk
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Canaan , New Hampshire
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Need Selling Advice

Hello fellow Airstreamers!

I have been a member of the Air Forums for several years now. I mainly lurk on these forums and really have never had to ask questions because someone else has usually asked and got the answer that I want to ask. However, I am in need of advice.

This is going to be somewhat long so grab a cup of coffee and read on......

We want to sell our 2014 Flying Cloud 30FB Bunk. We have 1 child and she is in high school so we take shorter trips now that she is busy with sports, etc and we want something smaller. Something that we can use when she goes to college.

We have it listed on both Air Forums Classifieds and RV Trader. It's been listed for approx. 8 weeks now.

We've had a lot people contact us from around the country. We've had several offers. Some of the offers have been low ball offers from people who think NADA is the bible and have no clue what a good used Airstream sells for.

We lost 3 weeks early on because we signed a purchase and sales agreement with a guy in NC who never told us that the deal was contingent on the sale of his motorhome and jeep. His deal fell through the day before he was supposed to pick up our Airstream. We bent over backwards to make this deal work and in the end we ended up terminating the contract with him all while turning other potential buyers away.

Since then we've had several physical showings and a couple of facetime showings. Everyone loves it but I think funds and/or location are the main factors. Most folks have done their homework and know that good used Airstreams are hard to find…….especially our bunk model.

Currently we have a couple from the midwest who really want it. They are selling their house and want to travel for a year with their 2 small children. Our bunk model would be a perfect fit for them.

We did a facetime showing with them, they loved it and made an offer. They offered our full asking price but asked us to hold it until their house closed. We are willing to do that.

However, since they are new to RV'ing they want an inspector to come and inspect our Airstream. I can't blame them. It's a big investment. We have no problem with an inspection even though it would mean that we would need to de-winterize it to show the inspector everything is in working order.

We even offered to fly the couple up and do a complete walk through to show them that everything works to help alleviate any fears they have.

The problem is that we live in the Northeast. There are no RV dealerships close by. There are 2 dealerships that are a little over an hour away but neither sell Airstream. The closest Airstream dealership is an hour and a half away.

The buyers contacted the least knowledgeable person. He doesn't have a website and uses Facebook.

I contacted him yesterday to set up a time to come to our house to do an inspection (we switched the insurance over to storage and frankly don't have the time to invest to bring it to his dealership).

The guy was extremely rude. He started the conversation off in a harsh tone, then proceeded to tell me: "you are asking too much, the buyers are paying $10,000 over NADA, it better be in immaculate condition, where the heck do you live, give me directions, I don't use technology based maps only paper, I don't have time for this and probably won't be able to come until late next week, yaddy, yaddy, yeah..." Then he says I have a customer here I have to call you back later. I nicely said, "I will call you tomorrow." I have no intentions of calling him.

Stop by to say hi to this guy in Newport, NH at B & B Campers & Rv's he's real pleasant to talk with!

Ok, first of all he doesn't know squat about Airstream and their value. Secondly, this makes me think he will have no clue as to how to do a proper inspection.

We have told the buyers that we will NOT work with this guy. I am going to send them an email and tell them that if they cannot find a knowledgeable Airstream inspector then the deal is off.

1) We are not in a position where we have to sell our Airstream. We want to sell it because we want something smaller. That doesn't mean we won't still enjoy it if it doesn't sell.

2) The buyers offered full price because they want us to agree to hold it until their house closes - an agreement between us and no business of the inspector. I have no idea if the buyers asked his advice on pricing or if the inspector found our Airstream on RV Trader.

3) We are willing to work with buyers but within reason.

Does anyone know an inspector that lives in the Northeast that can do an inspection for these folks? We live 1.5 hours North of Manchester NH in central NH.

I'm sure they would be willing to pay the going rate.

Please contact via any of the methods below:
thank you,
-Bonnie
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Old 10-20-2016, 07:03 AM   #2
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2017 25' Flying Cloud
west plains , Missouri
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 202
If you want a smaller trailer consider making a trade with an established Airstream dealer who understands values and knows how to market your trailer. This can be an advantage re sales tax, issues arising post sale from individuals, repairs to prep for sale and financing. You can also get warranties on the trailer you are getting. Also, consider refreshing your ad so it will not migrate to the company of stale offerings. Good luck.
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Old 10-20-2016, 07:10 AM   #3
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Currently Looking...
Livingston , Texas
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My advice is, if the buyers want a contingency then a nonrefundable deposit of $500 should be made, at the very least. There should also be a time limit, say two weeks, then the deposit is forfeited and you can accept another buyer. You are losing potential sales. See if Colonial Airstream in NJ has any contacts for inspections, they would be my first go to.

After that, you should state first money in the barrel takes it.


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Old 10-20-2016, 07:38 AM   #4
The Myth
 
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Killeen , Texas
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Just find an RVIA certified mobile technician and have him get the Airstream warranty inspection checklist by emailing in to AS. I know you aren't transferring a warranty but it is an official and complete inspection check list that any RV tech can follow as long as you can show him the component locations. Having him follow that list should help give the potential buyer that warm fuzzy feeling.
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Old 10-20-2016, 08:06 AM   #5
Charlie
 
2016 25' International
2014 30' FB FC Bunk
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Canaan , New Hampshire
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Thanks all for your advice.
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Old 10-20-2016, 08:37 AM   #6
Charlie
 
2016 25' International
2014 30' FB FC Bunk
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Canaan , New Hampshire
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Thanks all for your advice.

We have considered trading but haven't pursued that avenue yet.

The buyers want us to hold it for another 30-35 days. I'm not sure we should pass up other potential buyers for that long. They are willing to give us a non-refundable deposit.

At this point we haven't signed any agreements/contracts so we have the option to decline and either keep it or trade it.

Or if anyone is interested in a 30FB Bunk......sell it to them!
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Old 10-20-2016, 09:16 AM   #7
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1966 26' Overlander
Woodstock , Georgia
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I tried to buy an Airstream that was 1500 miles form my home. The seller did an excellent video of all the systems and showed every section of the unit, and a complete walk around.

This was a great tool for me to assess the condition.. I ended up not getting the thing because I didn't pull the trigger soon enough. Might be a useful tool to sell it long distance.
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Old 10-20-2016, 09:24 AM   #8
Charlie
 
2016 25' International
2014 30' FB FC Bunk
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Canaan , New Hampshire
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
thank you ALANSD. We did a facetime video session with the buyers. I went slow and pointed out all the features of the Airstream. I walked around the outside, showed them underneath (as far as I could reach) in several places and then went inside (opening cabinets, the frig, etc).

We could do another walk through to demo all the systems but they insist on having an inspector come out. I have no problems with an inspector but the first one they recommended was extremely rude. I refuse to work with someone like that.

The inspector was lucky he got to talk with me and not my husband or he would have heard a few choice words!!! ha ha

I'm afraid the buyers will be in the same boat as you and they will lose out on this Airstream. There aren't a lot of these models out there unless they want to buy new and they will be paying a lot more.

After dealing with the inspector yesterday we have decided that we are no longer willing to sign a contract stating that we would hold our Airstream for 30-35 more days. Non refundable deposit or not.....it's not worth the hassle.

It will sell or not. You can only be so nice.

Again, if there are any inspector's who live in the Northeast, please let me know. I'm sure there will be other buyers who want an inspection and this time I will be prepared to recommend one.

thanks all,
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Old 10-20-2016, 10:03 AM   #9
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You are being more than kind. The onus is on the buyer. We purchased our used 30' bunk earlier this year. After many talks and emails we flew from SW Florida to Chicago to personally inspect. After that the deal was done within a week or two. If the buyer cannot personally inspect, it should be up to them to find and pay for an inspector. At the same time there should be no reason for you to hold up the sale during this process.
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Old 10-20-2016, 10:57 AM   #10
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Loretto , Ontario
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Tell the buyer you can't hold it for them as you have no idea if their house will sell or any details of their house. Who knows maybe they are asking too much for it. Offer them the right of fist refusal. Continue to market your trailer and if you have an acceptable offer from some one else the first people can either firm up their deal or walk away.
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Old 10-20-2016, 12:51 PM   #11
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1966 26' Overlander
Woodstock , Georgia
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yes I would not hold anything for anyone that long. We sold our house and had a hold on it for awhile, it drove me crazy...Luckily when the buyer dropped the deal because of some inspection thing he did not like, another was waiting to step right in.
Admittedly Fall is tougher than Spring to sell a camper, but then Winter is the toughest for obvious reason.. Best of luck
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Old 10-20-2016, 02:35 PM   #12
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Biloxi , Mississippi
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I had a similar request to hold trailer for 30 days from a buyer for my Bambi II. I told him money talks. First person to put cash in my hand owns the trailer. I sold it 2 days later to a broker from Dallas for my asking price.
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