Should You Sell Your RV Now or Wait Until Next Season?: A Real Look at the Numbers

July 21, 2026 |

Category: Sell Your RV

Prime Season to Sell

Certainly, there are optimal seasons for selling an RV. By observing the annual RV show schedules around the country it’s evident that there are more shows in the spring than at other times of the year, although there are also many end-of-the-season shows scheduled in places like Hersey Pennsylvania and Portland Oregon. But enthusiasm for all things RV increases as the winter weather gives way to spring and the days get longer and warmer.

People get cabin fever and need to get out into the outdoors to go camping. With this annual change in the weather people are suddenly more interested in getting their RV ready for a new year of fun and adventure. Enthusiasm grows, interest surges, and people start to consider upgrading their existing RV or buying a new one. RV manufacturers know this trend exists and in fact they are counting on it.

Does this mean there’s only one time to sell your used RV? No! There may be an optimal season to sell your RV but it is not the only season when you could sell it. We know numerous people who either bought or sold an RV in the winter, fall, and even in the middle of summer. There is only one right time to sell your RV and that is as soon as you are done using it. If that’s at the end of the camping season, so be it.

When you’re ready to move on from your current RV, whether that’s a move to modernize your equipment or just to stop RVing altogether, then the right time to sell it is right now. Now is your personal “prime selling season”.

Advantage of Waiting

But let’s look at the numbers. Let’s say it’s the end of the camping season and you’re ready to sell your 2018 Airstream trailer and invest in a newer trailer. If you wait until next spring to take advantage of the prime RV season, you’ll need to maintain and store the Airstream for several months when it could be damaged by ice, snow, wind, or falling debris.

Or you might need to pay for storage and insurance for several months when you’re not even using the trailer. These are costly realities and the difference in price might be minimal. Today your Airstream trailer might be valued at $50,000 but next spring it will be another year older and the difference between an eight-year-old RV and a nine-year-old RV could be as much as $5,000 to $10,000 which would erase any advantage you might have by listing it in the spring. Additionally, it might be harder for a buyer to qualify for a loan on the older RV because most RV lenders won’t even underwrite a loan for older RVs.

The only time there’s a real advantage in waiting for a better selling season is if you use that time to upgrade your RV. During the waiting period fix everything that’s broken or not working correctly. Perhaps the fan on the fireplace doesn’t work anymore, or there is some fogging in between the panes of glass on a window, or the chassis battery needs to be replaced. If these things can be replaced or repaired during the months you are waiting for the peak selling season then you have increased the value of your RV and it will be much easier to sell when you do list it.

The other advantage of waiting is not that it will sell for a higher price but you might be able to reach a broader pool of potential buyers and thereby increase the likelihood that you will find a willing buyer. The larger pool of potential buyers is what the RV manufacturers are counting on at their spring RV shows.

Costs of Waiting

The decision to wait for spring to sell your used RV is a costly mistake. During the time you are waiting your RV is aging and losing value not just in how many years old it is, but also in terms of all the parts and systems.

The batteries that power all the systems in your RV have a limited life span, as do your tires, windows, drapes, refrigerator, microwave, jacks, and slide outs, etc. etc. etc. There’s a reason, extended warranties have expiration dates and RV lenders will not lend money for older RVs. RVs wear out and that deterioration continues even if your RV is not in use and you’re just waiting for the spring RV season to begin. Waiting can be costly.

rv leaves on ground — Delaying the sale is costly. Your RV loses value as its systems and components wear out.

Risks of Waiting

In addition to the costs associated with waiting to sell your RV there are also numerous risks that you’ll need to consider if you think waiting, is a good idea. Most of the time the waiting will be during the winter months and that’s when all kinds of weather-related damage could occur. Your RV could easily be damaged by high winds, ice, snow, or falling/blowing debris.

Additionally, your idle and unoccupied RV could attract the attention of thieves or vandals. Even in a gated storage facility, someone could steal your batteries, tires, and other equipment. A new set of batteries could cost several hundred dollars and the inconvenience of having to replace them must also factor into your calculation of the value of waiting for the optimal season to sell your RV.

Compare the Numbers

If you let your RV become another year older the difference in the valuation could be $10,000-$20,000, depending on what type of RV, the make, model, and floorplan. To write this article I researched several used RVs to get a comparison and to better understand the impact of the age of the RV on the valuation. The difference between a 2016 and 2017 Tiffan Phaeton motorhome was over $10,000. Some of that difference may have been other features or floorplans but I saw that the age issue was clearly impactful on the prices across many types of RVs and brands.

My conclusion is that waiting 6 months for a better season to sell your RV could result in the description being a 7-year-old RV vs a 6-year-old RV and that distinction will easily erase any advantage you might have realized by waiting for spring. The bottom line. If you have an RV to sell do it as soon as possible. Even if it’s been idle for a few months, you can’t roll the clock back and sell it 4 months ago, but you can stop the bleeding (of value) by selling it now. If you don’t have a clue how to do that, contact the professionals here at National Vehicle to get the process started with a free valuation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time of year do used RVs sell for the most money?

The best time to sell your RV to get the highest return on that sale is when camper enthusiasm is at it’s peak. Typically, this is at the beginning of the camping season, April, May, and June. Just study the RV show patterns. RV manufacturers know what the market is doing and they schedule their sales activity to take advantage of these trends. They also advertise extensively to increase RV awareness before these shows and you can take advantage of all this free advertising by selling your used RV during the RV show season. Spring and early summer is the peak season for RV awareness. But we know people who have capitalized on other people’s desperation to get away from severe weather events, like prolonged cold, windy, snowy, and icy conditions that develop and linger over vast swatches of the continent. These sellers tap into other people’s frustration and sell their RV during the fall and winter months. Most winter RV buyers are people who are fed up with these brutal weather conditions and are looking for an easy way to escape to a warmer climate. Most of these buyers are previous snowbirders or are soon to be new ones, and their desire to get to warmer climates makes them motivated winter RV buyers.

How do storage and insurance costs affect waiting to sell my RV?

You may think it’s advantageous to wait until next spring to sell your used RV, because the public’s interest in RVing is at its highest level at the beginning of the camping season but this delay might just be procrastination and it could be a costly decision. During the months you are procrastinating your RV is getting another year older. The extra year in its age will cost you in terms of its value. Plus, during that time period you will still need to make payments on your RV loan if you don’t own the RV outright and most insurance policies cannot be suspended in the off-season so you’ll still need to make those payments. And what about storage costs or the wear and tear due to harsh weather if it’s stored outdoors. There is also the possibility that your RV could be damaged during those months when you’re waiting for the right time to sell it. The damage could be caused by falling limbs or wind scattered debris, or even vandals. You need to add up the accumulated expenses associated with your decision to wait to sell it later then compare that to your anticipated “extra” return to be realized by selling it during the peak RVing season. I think you’ll discover that the hard costs will exceed the benefit. We haven’t even considered the degradation of the various systems, and components of your RV, that will be adversely impacted by the delay. The tires will have more time to rot, the engine lubricants will degrade, the starter and alternator, the roof, slide outs, jacks, generator, water heater, and windows will all degrade during the delay. You know that nothing in or on your RV will be in better shape after several months of disuse. Waiting for a better time to sell your RV is a costly decision.

Can selling my RV now actually save me money compared to waiting?

Yes, for all the reasons listed above, waiting for a better future time to sell your RV can be a costly mistake. The best time to sell your RV is as soon as you’re done using it regardless of the season. Winter sales may attract snowbirders as potential buyers. Fall sales will appeal to bargain hunters and selling it during or before the off season will keep you from having to pay for insurance and storage costs through the idle months. The best advice for anyone thinking of selling their RV is do it now. Don’t wait. Your RV is more like a car than a house. You can reasonably expect your house to appreciate in value over time, but your car and RV are just getting another year older and both depreciate with time. Most RV lenders won’t even underwrite an RV loan for RVs that are 10 years old or older. Some will stretch that to 12 years but the interest rates for the older RVs might be higher. Therefore, waiting for a better season to sell your RV is counterproductive and will not increase your overall return. If you’re done using your RV sell it now.

If it seems too daunting and you don’t know where to start, then reach out to National Vehicle and take advantage of their free valuation service. At least then you have a clear idea of what it’s worth and for a small fee they will help you through the process of prepping your RV for sale and getting it listed in all the right places to attract buyers. They will even create the ads and place them in national RV publications. Sell it now to get the most out of your used RV. As a point of information, I just went through this process and with National Vehicle’s help we sold our 2019 Newmar Canyon Star is about a month. We knew what it was worth and we were pleased with the process and the results. I can’t say enough good things about this company and their service. If you’re ready to sell, “just do it” as Nike would say.