8 Big Reasons People are Searching " Sell My RV " in 2024

From our way of life getting back to normal, to a recession that is starting to take hold, people are seeing their Motorhome or Travel Trailer investment as a mistake and hoping they can get out fast before the bottom drops out of the RV market. Come walk with us as we dig into 8 questions about RVing and Camping and the economy to learn why people are rushing to put for sale signs on their RVs this year.   To watch this post on YouTube, click here or continue reading below.

If you’ve been to any of the national parks you may be wondering. 

How Many People Visit the National Parks Each Year?

Visitation last year was up 5% to 312 million visits.  That is basically one visit for every person living in the United States or 900,000 visits per day.  Here in the Grand Canyon over 4.7 million people visit every year.  But, do national parks seem busy to you?  They should because most of those visits occur during the Summer when kids are on break from school and all the national parks are open.  Parks in the northern part of the country like Glacier National Park essentially close for the Winter.  So, most of the visits occur in about four months of the year when people are RVing and camping during their Summer vacations.  But, people are having a hard time getting into parks.  The gridlock at park entrances and popular attractions in the parks are a big reason people are selling their RVs.  We’ll dig into the economy and changes in the workplace in a minute.   But, as we have found the national parks to be busy they generally have an unlimited capacity.   RV owners know that campgrounds are in limited supply.  So,

How Hard is it to make a Campground Reservation these days?

We spent the last three years camping at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores Alabama for Spring Break.  We enjoyed the park each year and these views bring back so many great memories.  But I don’t think we are ever going back.  Two years ago we got home from Spring Break and decided to make a reservation for the following year.  We barely got a reservation as there were only 10 sites available for our Spring Break week.  Yep, we booked a year out and with over 400 sites in Gulf State Park only 10 sites were unreserved.  This year we decided to look for a site while we were in Gulf State Park vacationing and the campground was fully booked.  Most schools are not going to share with you the following year’s school calendar for a few more months and Families only have so many weeks available to use their RV and vacation.  But if they can’t find a site for Spring Break and there is no other place to camp, they might as well just sell it.  But even if there were a site for Spring Break we’ve noticed a trend in the news that can’t be overlooked.  

Are People Being Asked to Come Back to the Office to Work?  

Now that things are getting back to normal many RVers are being asked to come back to the office.  The remote job they had before allowed them to RV more often and travel the country.  They loved working in the campground like here at Goulding’s in Monument Valley.  People were motivated to crank out work and be super efficient so they could enjoy their destination like driving through the mesas synonymous with the Old West.  But, More and more working families that chose to RV are finding that the jobs they once had are no longer available and they have to return to the office.  With headlines like 90% of companies say they’ll return to the office and 9 out of 10 companies will require employees to return, employees are hearing the message loud and clear.  But companies heavy in tech that should be embracing remote work like Amazon, Google, Disney, JP Morgan, IBM, Meta and even Zoom are making it clear that it’s time to sell the RV and get back to reality.  But if not for work, people are starting to ask this question when planning vacations.

What is the most Popular Vacation Destination this Year?

People with RVs are starting to question what other vacations are available.  Let’s dig into this question while walking through Wahweap RV Park on Lake Powell.  After a few years of owning an RV and summers of road trips eyes are starting to wander.  Some of the most popular travel destinations are London, Cancun, Paris and Rome.  Nobody in the United States can pack up their RV and take a camping trip to Europe or coastal Mexico.  But, as people are having problems with campgrounds being full and national parks overpopulated, travelers are starting to look forward to vacationing in the big cities again and find it easier to fly into cities  even in America like New York, Las Vegas, and Miami than load up the RV and drive the big rigs.  The big draw with flying is that parents aren’t required to drive and they don’t need an RV to travel.  If you don’t need an RV to travel then   

Where do you park your RV when you’re not using it?

Even when people were vacationing they had a problem storing their RV when it wasn’t in use. Instead of camping here at the United States Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville Alabama the RV sits in an expensive storage facility.  There is always the hassle of picking it up and dropping it off.  If you are like us you need to charge the batteries and run the engines monthly when it isn’t in use.  Indoor storage is expensive.  But outdoor storage puts the RV at risk due to weather and you have to buy and maintain an RV cover.  Do you know what an RV cover is?  If not we’ll put an example in our description.  Break-ins while the RV is unattended is also a concern.  People who live in apartments or houses with homeowner’s associations have some of the biggest problems with their RV because they can’t park it at their house.  All of these hassles start to weigh on people and they’re ready to sell, too.  

We’re only about halfway through, but If you enjoy hiking the national parks and traveling in your RV subscribe today, so that when you search for national park or RVing posts and videos we show up at the top of your search results.    all right back to the list and

 if you are not using the RV you start to think,

How Much Does it Cost for me to Have this RV Each Year?

The cost of an RV is significant.  It needs to be used a lot in order to make it worth your while.  Let’s dig into this question while we hike through Hocking Hills State Park.  In recent years many people have taken out loans to purchase their RV.  A simple google search will show you that banks love to loan out money for RVs.  So every month you see that payment go out making principal and interest payments on an RV that is sitting in storage because of the reasons above.  A $50,000 loan could mean a $500 per month payment.  A $100,000 loan could be a whopping $1,000 per month.  But that is just the first cost.  We know that insurance is a big cost for us.  Our class A motorhome is about $2,000 per year.  Plus we need to maintenance the generator and engine each year.  Because it is a diesel we take it in and it costs about $800 every year for general maintenance.  But, the biggest cost may be the loss in value as the RV ages.  We’ve read many articles that RVs lose 20% of their value the day they leave the lot.  But, with the number of people selling their RVs right now the market is about to plummet.  Do you want to be the last one to put your RV up for sale as this trend gains momentum?  

Let’s go to Zion National Park for our next topic.  The value of the RV might just be what families need right now when people ask

Are we in a Recession?

RVs are a bellwether for looming recessions.  This past year new RV sales are declining over the prior year.  We’re seeing articles from the RV industry that New RV sales are down 16%.  This is showing that we are headed into a recession.  People have less disposable income even while they are maintaining good employment.  We talked about more people being required to go  back to work and fewer people are looking into buying RVs.  But, many people are just struggling with inflation.  Food prices are up, clothing costs are up, insurance is more expensive and any type of service like auto repairs and plumbing are increasing significantly.  So, not only are people required to go back to the office to jobs they don’t like, their purchasing power is a fraction of what it once was.  With all these costs going up bank accounts are declining and credit card debt is surging.  But, what do a lot of people have that might help them when their wallets are empty?  Their RV.  Either the RV has value and they can sell it to free up cash to help pay their day to day bills or the costs of owning the RV are a luxury item people can get rid of.  Either way, rising costs on everyday items and the economy is forcing RV owners to sell.  But if people haven’t sold for the reasons above many are starting to question

How do you Know if RVing is for me?

This is the burning question in many RV owners' minds right now.  RVing is a way of life.  It takes you to places like Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs Colorado which we are hiking here.  But, The cost of an RV makes it a luxury item for many.  As they see the RV sitting at the storage lot, people are planning their travel plans for next year while trying to figure out how they are going to afford their credit card bill this month.  So, the best part of RVing is the camping and adventure you can have in the great outdoors.  But it is the vacation method for people who love to travel with their pets. With an RV people can sleep in their own bed every night and don’t have to worry about hotels.  If you love hiking the national and state parks and just get excited about exploring a new natural location the RV is a lifeline to where you find your bliss.  Or maybe you have the RV so that you can park at your family’s house during holidays without having to impose too much.  But some people RV to travel to their kids sporting events, or NASCAR, or college and professional sports.  But, not everyone loves RVing.  They got into RVing unsure whether they would like it.  But, after a few years the RV seems more like an anchor to other vacations than wings that set them free.  And so, the RV is going to have a for sale sign in it.   

Will you be Searching " Sell My RV " in 2024?

If you are looking to sell your RV in 2024 there are many options. We've used Craigslist and RV Trader for more expensive RVs. But, we've noticed that cheaper RVs might be better sold at the end of your driveway or through Facebook Marketplace. If you want an easy sale you might even consider selling your RV to your local dealer.

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Let us know what you are planning in 2024. Join the conversation in the comments. We'd love to hear from you.

But after all this if you are still looking forward to that next RV vacation read these posts next!