Buying an old RV or trailer

Ask for photo ID every time

Ask to see the seller's driver's license or state ID and read the name on it. The name on the ID should match the name printed on the title exactly. If it does not, stop and ask why before you go any further.

Match the VIN on the title to the VIN on the rig

Read the VIN off the vehicle yourself — on the dash or door jamb of a motor home, on the frame or tongue of a trailer — and check it character by character against the title. A title for a different vehicle is not a title for this one.

Check the title for a lien

If a lender is named on the title, the seller may not be able to transfer it until the loan is paid off and the lien released. Ask for a lien release, or a clean title in the seller's name, before you commit to anything.

Make sure the seller can actually sell it

If the person in front of you is not the person named on the title — a relative, a friend, someone flipping it — ask whose name will appear on the new title. A title that skips a name can leave you unable to register the rig at all.

Get a signed bill of sale

Even where it is not required, write out a simple bill of sale with the date, the price, the VIN, both names and both signatures. Many states ask for it at the counter, and it settles arguments later.

Keep everything

Photograph the signed title, the bill of sale, the VIN plate and the seller's ID at the meeting, and keep the originals somewhere safe. Never treat a photocopy of a title as the transfer document.

The rules are different in every state

Notarized signatures, witnesses, specific forms and inspections differ widely from state to state. A sale that is routine in one place can be hard to register somewhere else as-is. Look up your own state's requirements for an out-of-state purchase first.

Some states want a notary or a witness

In several states the seller's signature on the title must be notarized, or signed in front of a witness, or both. If your state needs it and the seller's does not, plan for that at the meeting rather than discovering it afterwards.

Expect a tax bill at registration

Most states collect sales or use tax when you register, and some base it on the price you declare or on a book value rather than what you actually paid. Budget for it on top of the purchase price.

Trailers have their own rules

Small trailers are treated differently from motor homes. Some states do not title them at all, some do not require registration, and some want a weight or safety inspection. Find out what paperwork exists for the trailer before you assume you can plate it.

Plates usually stay with the seller

In many states the plates belong to the seller and come off the vehicle, so do not plan to drive home on them. Ask before the day of the sale.

You may need a permit or a tow

If the rig is not roadworthy, or cannot legally be driven without plates, you will need a temporary transport permit or a flatbed. Line that up and price it before you commit to buying.

Inspection and emissions

Some states require a VIN inspection, a safety inspection or an emissions test before they will title or register an older vehicle. An old motor home can fail a test it was never designed to pass.

Insurance before plates

You generally cannot register a vehicle without proof of insurance. Get a quote using the VIN before you buy, so a surprise premium does not sink the deal.

Water damage and rot first

Look at the ceiling, the corners, around vents, skylights and roof seams, and inside the cabinets. Press the walls and floor for soft spots, and watch for a musty smell or fresh paint hiding a stain. Rot is the most expensive thing you can miss.

Tires age out

Find the four-digit date code on the sidewall — week and year. RV tires can look fine with plenty of tread and still be years past safe. If they are old, price a full set of replacements into your offer.

Check the roof and every seal

Old sealant fails. Look for cracked or patched caulking, missing vent covers, and staining around anything that penetrates the roof.

Ask to see the appliances running

Fridge on both propane and electric, water pump, furnace, water heater, air conditioning, stove and oven. Watch them start rather than taking a description. Whatever does not work is a discount or a repair bill.

Plumbing, tanks and propane

Check the fresh, grey and black tanks, the valve handles, and around the toilet for stains or a soft floor. Ask when the propane tanks were last recertified.

Motor homes: the mechanicals

Engine, transmission, brakes, cooling, rust on the frame, and the generator. A pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic who knows older rigs is often the best money you will spend on the whole deal.

Trailers: frame and running gear

Check the frame for cracks and heavy rust, the hitch and coupler, the lights and wiring, the floor near the door, and the brakes — many trailers have electric brakes that have not been touched in years.

Get the what-does-not-work list in writing

Ask the seller to write down what is broken, what leaks and what has been replaced. It is fair, it is quick, and it is useful when you decide what to offer.

Pay in a way that leaves a trail

A cashier's check, a bank transfer at the counter, or cash against a signed receipt. Be careful carrying a large amount of cash to a meeting you have never had before.

Never send a deposit sight unseen

No deposit, no holding fee and no good-faith transfer before you have stood in front of the vehicle and read the title.

Money moves after the paperwork does

Hand over payment only once the title is signed over to you, the bill of sale is signed by both of you, and the keys are in your hand.

Arrange transport before you buy

If it cannot be driven legally or safely, know how it is getting home before money changes hands. A surprise tow bill can erase the bargain.

Meet somewhere sensible

Daylight, a public place, and ideally not alone. For anything expensive, meeting at a bank or a motor vehicle office solves the payment and the paperwork in one trip.

A price far below everything else

Sometimes it is a genuine giveaway. Sometimes it is a wreck, a scam, or a title that does not exist. Ask the questions anyway.

Pressure to move fast

"Someone else is coming this afternoon", a deposit needed today, cash only. Urgency is the oldest tool there is.

A seller who will not meet or will not show ID

If the person will not meet in person, will not show ID, or will not let you read the title, walk away.

Wires, gift cards or payment app codes

No legitimate vehicle sale requires a wire transfer, a gift card or a code sent to a stranger. Treat any request like that as fraud.

Title stories that do not add up

"The title is in my cousin's name, I will get it signed later." A title that is not in the seller's name, or that you cannot see, is the single biggest risk on this page.