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Background and Before
We had purchased Axl Roads back in 2018. He was in amazing condition mechanically, and had only 16k miles at the time.
We immediately took to making him over, updating and remodeling to fit us best. You can see many of these efforts by checking out the RVing tab on the main menu.
Throughout the years, we also kept up with his maintenance and repairs. Some were quite costly, including multiple brake jobs and a roof replacement.
All of this to say that we really loved having an RV. We enjoyed making updates and keeping up with maintenance to make sure our travels were comfortable and safe.
To prep the RV for selling, we made sure all of its records were in order. We still had the original documentation and guides from the owner, plus those from the updates we had made in a special binder. We also did a thorough cleanup of the interior and exterior, removing our personal items and making sure everything was in good working order.
Some of our RV items – like the front window privacy cover, wheel covers, and winter storage cover – we decided should be sold along with it. We had purchased them specifically for Axl Roads, so we wanted to pass them on to the next owner.
To determine Axl’s market value, we used RV Trader and other RV selling sites to establish a reasonable range. While Axl’s age wouldn’t do him any favors, the upgrades and attention to repairs and maintenance would be helpful.
Getting the Word Out
Once the RV was ready to sell and the price range established, we decided post an ad on Craigslist.
Many people have a lot of feelings about Craigslist, but since we had found Axl Roads there, we thought it was a good place to begin. While we’ve had limited experience with Craigslist, they have all been good experiences.
Here’s the ad text we posted:
1997 Ford Four Winds Class C RV
$22k
Meet Axl Roads, not your typical 1997 Ford Four Winds 24-foot long RV with just under 37,000 miles! You can read all about the updates we’ve made along the way at our website – including new flooring, refinished cabinetry, brakes, steering, and at the beginning of the summer – a new roof and TV antenna. Axl recently passed inspection and had an oil change in August, and his tires and brakes are in good shape. He comes complete with a winter cover, wheel covers, privacy cover for the front windows, and high-quality mattress. Email inquiries only- happy to answer any questions.
We also shared eight pictures of the exterior and different angles of the interior.
Because we wanted to respond on my own time, we asked for “email inquiries only”. In retrospect, this really was the best option, because we got some hard (and some weird!) questions.
We took questions for about three weeks ranging from easy things like seatbelts and sleeping areas to harder ones like engine type and braking distance. We were careful to answer promptly and honestly – honesty is always the best policy!
The Sale - Goodbye, Axl!
Finally, after about three weeks, we had an interested buyer who wanted to meet up and check out Axl.
We chose a spot with a large, open parking lot along a busy highway to meet up.
He did some thorough investigating, and clearly knew his stuff! We were excited we might get to pass Axl Roads off to someone who knew how to take great care of him, promising him more miles of adventure.
The prospective buyer made a great offer, and became the actual buyer the following week. This time, we met up at a local notary and title service location to seal the deal.
We said our last goodbye to Axl, and handed the keys over to the new owner.
Ready for the Next Adventure
Even though we were sad to wave goodbye to Axl Roads, we’re ready for the next adventure!
So while Hazel and Franklin will be sad not to see the RV pull up in front of the house this summer, we’re making plans we think they’ll LOVE!
Stay tuned for more Trip Reports…and who knows what’s in the future? Maybe another RV?!
