Handling out of state purchases and financial transactions with private parties

[On the Go]

We’ve made a decision to purchase a pre owned AS from a private party via a cash transaction. We may even make a purchase out of state. How does one conduct this type of financial transaction safely?

Thank you

[Lily&Me]

Per my bank, I had my buyer bring a cashiers check for the full amount.

We went to my bank, the bank verified the funds were available and deposited them in my account.

We completed a bill of sale and signed over the title.

Done.

Maggie

[BikeCamper]

At a bank, and using a Purchase&Sale agreement.

The P&S agreement is signed by both parties (buyer&seller.) Among other terms of sale, it states that the buyer will transfer funds to the seller, and upon confirmed receipt of those funds, seller will sign over clear title. This is a legally binding contract between two parties.

Note the P&S is not a “bill of sale.” The P&S should (again, among other terms of sale) specify that a separate BoS will also be provided by the seller. (A signed BoS is required by many states for registration/titling.)

Avoid carrying wads of cash. Meet at the seller's local bank. Transfer the money via wire transfer. Once receipt is confirmed, seller signs over clear title as required by the P&S.

When you inspect the trailer before hand, also ask to inspect the title. Confirm the VIN matches and make sure the title does not have any liens noted on it. If you have any reason to doubt the honesty/integrity of the seller, just walk away. There are plenty of trailers out there.

[JeffKim]

From the opposite side of the transaction, we had a lien on our Bambi and sold it to an out of state party. In our case we also delivered the trailer to them. They sent an overnight check to our bank to release the lien and we picked up the title and signed it over to them when we delivered the trailer. There was an excess that they gave us in a cashiers check. I believe I supplied them with a letter from the bank confirming the payoff amount.

From their point of view there was a bit of risk, that we were legitimate and the bank was legitimate and all and they were buying sight unseen. Also, if we wrecked the camper on the way I'm not sure how that would sort out, or if the trailer wasn't what they were expecting. We did an extensive video tour beforehand and were as transparent as possible and didn't want any hiccups after we drove all that way. They were thrilled with the Bambi (sniff, sniff, sorry to see it go).

If you can't see the trailer in person, I'd add that the live video tour worked out well. It's not a perfect measure but we did get a feeling they were legitimate and we tried to be as open as possible to give them confidence in the purchase. I think we took an hour and went through every nook and cranny and pointed out scratches, etc.

There are also AS Club (WBCCI) members who will do inspections for you. I don't know any details, but you can contact the club.

Last if it was up to me, I'd look for Airstreams produced after 2021 when the composite floor became standard.

[InsideOut]

We purchased our Flying Cloud out of state, sight unseen by us. We found the ad (Airstream Marketplace), spoke with the seller on the phone extensively over a couple of days, asked for additional photos & trailer history, then sent a $1000 deposit to hold it via personal check. We arranged for a friend go inspect it and meet the sellers - they approved. It helped that we had a few acquaintances in common as well - one of the benefits of being ACI members for over twenty years!

We then sent a cashiers check certified overnight mail and arranged for the seller to store the trailer a couple of weeks for us which we paid extra for. (We had to go to CamAm to get a new hitch set-up for our Cayenne). We also switched the insurance over to ourselves. They sent us the Title & Bill of Sale certified overnight mail upon receipt of the Cashier's Check. Then, we went to pick it up...all was well. It is simpler when there's no lien, it's already paid for & the title is in-hand.

Some people may have thought that was a bit too risky - but that's where "spidey-sense" comes in. Generally, Airstreamers are "good people" - they want it to all go well as much as we did. If anything would have seemed "off" along the way, we would have canceled the deal...risk of being out the deposit. Everything worked out perfectly!

We've also sold two trailers in reverse - one was to a friend, so that doesn't count - but the other was to a stranger, same positive experience & outcome.

Shari

[On the Go]

Regarding, your composite flooring comment. Is it the subfloor or actual flooring that is composite. What is the difference between before and after 2021? Thank you

[JeffKim]

Originally Posted by On the Go

Regarding, your composite flooring comment. Is it the subfloor or actual flooring that is composite. What is the difference between before and after 2021? Thank you

It would be the subfloor that they put the covering over. It might not be too big of a deal but the plywood floors can rot or separate, I'd just not have to worry about it. If you find a pre-2021 that you love and fits your budget I wouldn't feel too bad about it but just make sure the floors are solid.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by On the Go

Regarding, your composite flooring comment. Is it the subfloor or actual flooring that is composite. What is the difference between before and after 2021? Thank you

It is the subfloor. Airstream used plywood almost exclusively (except for a few years when oriented strand board (OSB) was used, until switching to a composite that won't rot.

The floor is part of the structure. It is bolted to the frame. The shell is bolted to the *perimeter* of the plywood floor, not to the frame itself. If the perimeter of the floor rots, the trailer's structure becomes compromised. That's why leaks are bad news in Airstreams.

I don't know why Airstream took so long to switch. Perhaps many composite materials, while impervious to water, lack the strength of ¾" plywood.

[JohnTF]

I bought a trailer through the classfides here [ I would say a little edge finding through a group ] .
Then the seller was in South Jersey , I was in MN , between the add / pictures and talking on the phone , we agreed to me driving there within a week , checkout the trailer & give them $500 down , and said I would pay storage [ at the Airstream Park there ] & pay the balance in cash within a few weeks .
So finding within a forums group , finding one at a Airstream park - gives good odds .
If the value is high enough - and there is a Airstream dealer nearby - maybe a inspection ?

[Vlamgat]

Wire transfers are more and more the only timely way to accomplish these transactions. The buyer's bank has to verify the cashier's check and that can take time because there is usually a special department or individual authorized to provide the verification and either or both can be AWOL or certainly unavailable for an unknown amount of time. The wire process is fairly binary, the money is there or not. But be careful here too because an EFT or ACH is not a wire. Both have a time period before they are good value sometimes as much as 3 days as both can be recalled.

[Lily&Me]

Well, I called my bank anhead of time and asked the best way to handle payment.

They told me a cashiers check, and that this could be processed at any time during business hours.

Which was the case, the only special person needed was one who could notarize our signatures on the bill of sale.

This worked flawlessly for both myself and the buyers.

Maggie

[NorrisRM]

Originally Posted by JeffKim

It would be the subfloor that they put the covering over. It might not be too big of a deal but the plywood floors can rot or separate, I'd just not have to worry about it. If you find a pre-2021 that you love and fits your budget I wouldn't feel too bad about it but just make sure the floors are solid.

Do I understand this exchange to mean that the composite subfloor is on ALL of the AS produced in 2021 or are we into the same thing as the electric fridges that moved from the LP sometime during 2021? At least with the fridge, it is obvious from the pics.

[NorrisRM]

Originally Posted by BikeCamper

At a bank, and using a Purchase&Sale agreement.

The P&S agreement is signed by both parties (buyer&seller.) Among other terms of sale, it states that the buyer will transfer funds to the seller, and upon confirmed receipt of those funds, seller will sign over clear title. This is a legally binding contract between two parties.

Note the P&S is not a “bill of sale.” The P&S should (again, among other terms of sale) specify that a separate BoS will also be provided by the seller. (A signed BoS is required by many states for registration/titling.)

Avoid carrying wads of cash. Meet at the seller's local bank. Transfer the money via wire transfer. Once receipt is confirmed, seller signs over clear title as required by the P&S.

When you inspect the trailer before hand, also ask to inspect the title. Confirm the VIN matches and make sure the title does not have any liens noted on it. If you have any reason to doubt the honesty/integrity of the seller, just walk away. There are plenty of trailers out there.

I am in British Columbia but we have a registry to search any encumbrances on personal property called the Personal Property Security Act (PPSA). I am sure that each state has the same thing so you just get a search done before you close the deal. If you buy from a dealer you can probably avoid this search by getting a warranty that you are buying free and clear of all encumbrances.

I agree that purchasing a TT with a lien on it is more complicated and more risk for the purchaser. Hopefully you can close the deal and pay all the funds to the financial institution holding the lien after they have given you a payout amount.

The world is moving from cashiers cheques (we call them bank drafts in Canada) to wire transfers. Wire transfers are so easy I do not know why anyone would want to carry around a valuable piece of paper. You lose that thing and you are in big trouble.

As you guessed, I am a retired lawyer.

I am amazed at the number of comments here where people have bought AS sight unseen from a private seller. I would have no problem doing that with a dealer but a private seller is a different kettle of fish. Hopefully I will not be presented with that when we finally go looking within the next 6 months.

[Lily&Me]

This is the Illinois Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale that we used last month, a free form for private sellers provided online by Illinois DMV:

https://eforms.com/bill-of-sale/il/i...-bill-of-sale/

We just used the first two pages, but did one set for each of us, the notary witnessing our signatures and affixing her stamp to the bottom of the second pages.

And where the VIN# goes, I put the Dodge Sorinter chassis number as well as that for the Interstate, since we have two.

My buyer required a notarized Bill of Sale in Virginia in order to register the vehicle there and get plates.

Just fyi, as other states may also have this form.

Maggie

[aftermath]

On The Go, I was in your position way back in '09 and read many stories on the forum as to the "best" way to purchase out of state. I would suggest that, after reading all the stories here, that you go to your bank and sit with someone who is a professional and knows the safest way to do the transaction. We used a wire transfer. I called the guy and told him we were interested and gave him a date and time we would be there. He was out of state and about 7 hours from our home. I paid nothing down. When we decided, we called my banker and then we put the seller on the line and it was done. I got the bill of sale and the title signed over and we left with our trailer. Easy Peasy, and safe too.

[richard5933]

I live in Wisconsin and bought my Airstream from a private seller in North Carolina. After a lengthy conversation about the trailer, I sent a deposit check. It was only refundable in the event the seller's description was not accurate.

In order to facilitate the money transfer, I opened a bank account in Wisconsin at a branch of a bank which was also present in the town in North Carolina where the seller lived. After going out to inspect the trailer, we both went to the local branch and I initiated a transfer from my account to his. He knew instantly that the money was in his account, and then he handed me the signed title.

To me this is a low-risk way to handle things on the money end, as I held onto my cash and him the title until all was good.

[JeffKim]

Originally Posted by NorrisRM

Do I understand this exchange to mean that the composite subfloor is on ALL of the AS produced in 2021 or are we into the same thing as the electric fridges that moved from the LP sometime during 2021? At least with the fridge, it is obvious from the pics.

I'm pretty sure it is all 2021's. Our 2021 Bambi had it. I think there were some 2020's (Globetrotter, Classic?) had it too.

[gypsydad]

Transaction advise above is important for sure. Inspection on this "investment" your making for an AS, is also very important! Sure, there are safeguards on the transaction, and a "live" video can work for some. We purchased our second AS, a 2008 25' "Twin" bed model, years ago. It was located in Tucson. There was a "dealer" who had agreed to sell the owners AS, and took many pics for us. We were excited and did the transaction prior to picking up the AS. What we missed in the pics, was how beat up the rock guards were in the pics...the inside also smelt like someone had been cooking bacon.....for years without cleaning the stove exhaust filter! It was advertised to have 2000W solar, and could run the AC for 8 hours! Little did I know the twin bed was a conversion from queen; the solar conversion had 2 80lb batteries under each bed, and was not wired correctly. The dealer had been running the AC and using as an office, waiting for us to show up; it had stopped working before we got there, and could not demonstrate the system. We had already paid, and deal was "done". We were able to get everything up and going without a lot of effort, but, never again will I purchase without seeing and testing systems out.

[SunnyV]

You can use an attorney who will act as an escrow agent just like buying a house. You send the attorney money, the seller sends the title or bill of sale to the attorney, the attorney can then execute the transaction. Depending on whether their is a lien or not can determine the price, but if there is no lien or loan requirement then it might be $100. We recently did a purchase out of state this year after having the trailer inspected but before we could pick it up

[Andy543]

Originally Posted by SunnyV

You can use an attorney who will act as an escrow agent just like buying a house. You send the attorney money, the seller sends the title or bill of sale to the attorney, the attorney can then execute the transaction. Depending on whether their is a lien or not can determine the price, but if there is no lien or loan requirement then it might be $100. We recently did a purchase out of state this year after having the trailer inspected but before we could pick it up

Good point about the lien. Many RVs are financed and there could be a lien recorded against them.

There is an online escrow agent, escrow.com, that may be helpful. They look legit, but who knows? Caveat Emptor.