Buying at auction can offer staggering discounts for astute buyers with RVs being sold in certain cases at crazy discounts of 50% off retail prices. So, where do you find RV auctions, and how to get prepped? Let’s dive in.
Used RVs for sale, including Travel Trailers and Class A, B, and C Motorhomes, can be found at regular auctions across the nation. Major sales are held by Manheim and ADESA while Copart, IAA, and SCA handle salvage and damaged RVs.
When and Where Exactly do RV Sales Take Place
I’ll list out the major auctioneers below, and, when we come across major RV sale notices and highlights we add them to our RV and Motorhome category so keep an eye on that too.
Manheim
Most Manheim Auctions are for dealers, so you will either need to use the services of a broker, dealer or get a dealer’s license. Manheim does hold regular auctions where the public can attend and bid see manheim.com . Most of their inventory comes from dealers, manufacturers in some cases, ex-fleet, finance companies, and ex-rental.
Manheim sale dates for RV auctions
- Dallas-Fort Worth – Second Friday 9am CT
- Daytona Beach – Third Tuesday 10am ET
- Denver – Wednesdays 9:30am MT
- Indianapolis – Second Wednesday 2:30pm ET
- Kansas City – Third Tuesday 10am ET
- Lakeland – First Wednesday 8:30am ET and Third Wednesday 10am ET
- Milwaukee – Every other week 11am CT
- Northstar Minnesota – Third Thursday 12pm CT
- Pensacola – Second Tuesday 10am ET
- Seattle – Wednesdays 12pm PT
- Southern California – First and Third Thursday 9:30am PT
- Tucson – Fourth Tuesday 9am Local Time
ADESA
Most ADESA auctions are dealer only, although some lots are open to public bidding and the first auction listed here is open to the public. Most of their inventory comes from dealers, manufacturers in some cases, ex-fleet, finance companies, and ex-rental – adesa.com/rvs/
ADESA sale dates for RV auctions (inc boat, powersports, etc)
- ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton- Franklin, OH – first Friday of each month (specialty repo auction – open to public)
- ADESA Northwest – Eugene, OR – Every other Wednesday
- ADESA Colorado Springs – Fountain, CO – First Thursday of Every Month
- ADESA Seattle – Auburn, WA – Every Other Tuesday
- ADESA Little Rock – North Little Rock, AR – Every Thursday
- ADESA Las Vegas – North Las Vegas, NV- Second Friday of the Month
- ADESA Buffalo – Akron, NY – Second Tuesday of Every Month
- ADESA Dallas – Hutchins, TX – Biweekly Thursdays
- ADESA Syracuse – Cicero, NY – Monthly
- ADESA St. Louis – Second Wednesday of Every Month
- ADESA East Tennessee – Fall Branch, TN – Third Thursday of every month
- ADESA Boise – Boise, ID – first and third Thursdays
- ADESA Brasher’s – Linda, CA – Every Wednesday
- ADESA Ocala -Ocala, FL – Monthly
- ADESA PA – York, PA – Every fourth Wednesday
- ADESA Fargo – Last Thursday of Every Month
Capital Auto Auctions
You can occasionally come across RV’s at any of their four locations in Maryland, Philadelphia, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C. capitalautoauction.com
Ritchie Bros
Caravans and campers randomly appear on RB generally as parts of larger sales for business closures, liquidations etc.
- RV’s – rbauction.com
- Travel Trailers – rbauction.com
Americas Auto Auction
They have regular sales of repossessed RVs although they are dealer only. You can use the services of a broker or dealer, or keep an eye for any public sales. americasautoauction.com
Private sellers and Independent Dealers
- Auction Time – auctiontime.com
- Cranky Ape https://www.crankyape.com
- Ebay – ebay.com
Damaged, Theft Recovery and Insurance Claims
At these sales, most vehicles are storm, hail, flood, accident damaged, fire damaged, or theft recovery. Some can be repaired and put back on the road, while others cannot. Some are drivable/towable while others are not. Read the auction listings carefully which will include details on these vital facts. Some auction listings may even have a repair estimate.
Copart
The largest of all RV salvage auctioneers with anywhere from 400 to 600 lots coming up for sale by auction at any time. Their actual inventory of RVs at any time is usually in the thousands.
- RVs for sale – copart.com
IAA
Regularly have anywhere from 80-200 units going to auction across their different branches nationally.
- RVs for sale – iaai.com
SCA Auctions
SCA can have anything from 2-400 RVs, campers, and trailers for sale by auction at any time. Most are salvage title while around 20% will have clean titles. Their auctions are open to the public.
- Salvage, Repairable and Clean Title RVs for Sale by Auction – sca.auction
Types of RV – Choosing the Right One for You
A true home on wheels with sizes ranging from 21 to 42 feet and the capability to sleep up from 2-10 people depending on floor plan and layout. Class A Motorhomes are body on frame design usually utilizing a bus or medium truck chassis and powered by diesel engines with some smaller variants using gas engines. While designs vary, most commonly they feature everything you would want in a home including bedroom, bathroom, washing machine, dining and lounge, full kitchen, TV/entertainment, and so on. Many modern motorhomes feature slideouts to enlarge the dining/sleeping areas while parked.
Class C is a smaller version of Class A with sizes ranging from 20-32 ft. They are still body on frame design and commonly utilize either a Ford e-Series or Chevy Silverado cab chassis with a motorhome body fitted. They still offer a generous kitchen, shower, master bedroom, dinette, and sometimes an extra bunk bed. Some luxury models will also feature slideouts to enlarge the sleeping/dining areas. You can get diesel or gas engined variants.
Also called a campervan they are far more nimble than the Class A or C with sizes ranging from 16 to 22 feet. They are built within long wheelbase vans such as the Ford Transit, Dodge Ram ProMaster, Mercedes Sprinter etc. Engines may be gas or diesel. They are self-contained featuring a kitchenette, a couch that converts to a bed in some cases, small shower and other amenities depending on spec.
A home on wheels that you can tow with your car, SUV, or pick-up to your destination. Sizes range from 12 – 36 feet, with the size of the trailer needing to be matched to the capability of your tow vehicle. Just like motorhomes, they are self-contained with a range of amenities depending on the size of the trailer, at a minimum, offering kitchen and sleeping area.
A larger version of the travel trailer that can only be towed by a pickup truck with a special hitch in the truck bed.
A lightweight travel trailer that you raise and expand out on reaching your destination. Their small size and light-weight make them easy to tow.
Also called a slide-in, it is a camper body mounted to a mid-size pickup truck. The camper body can be unmounted in between holiday trips giving you the vehicle back for daily use. Although small, they feature sleeping area and kitchen amenities.
Buying a Used RV at Auction
There are many things to do before bidding and first of all, is to clearly understand the conditions of sale and how the auctioneer operates. Some things you’ll want to know which may differ from auctioneer to auctioneer
- What is the buyer fee?
- Are there any credit card fees etc?
- When does the vehicle need to be picked up from auction after the sale?
- Are there any fees for storage if the vehicle is not picked up on time?
- Do they assist with loading if the vehicle cannot be driven or towed?
- How much will it cost to be delivered if it cannot be driven from the auction?
Personally, I do not recommend buying RV’s without an in-person inspection. Especially older RVs or anything from damaged/salvage auctions. Repair costs can very easily stack up and be beyond the value of the vehicle. If you have to re-motor the RV, or you have extensive water damage requiring re-flooring etc, you can be up for thousands, and it may not be worthwhile at all.
With motorhomes especially, not only do you have drivetrain and bodywork to be concerned about there is also the interior condition and functionality.
Whilst RV’s can be cheap at auction, it’s a gamble to try and judge all the downsides from photos alone.
Here is a great video demonstrating just that, a bargain travel trailer that looked great, until, the water damage sustained from a leak revealed the trailer to be a total loss.
Research the RV’s History
When you have found an RV that you’d like to bid on it often pays to do some research to see if the vehicle has any history. For a fee, you can search the VIN at carfax.com who offer a report with service records, recalls, and collision repairs, if available. You can also search the VIN at autoauction.io or autoauctionhistory.com to see if the vehicle has been through auction before in recent times.
Used RV Pre-Purchase Checklist
Here is a basic pre-purchase checklist for an RV from an auction. For motorized RV’s you will also need to test whether the vehicle starts and runs, can select gears, has any check engine lights or obvious noises.
Common failure points on higher mile motorized RVs are clutches, transmissions, engine overheating issues, or “cooked” engines. Whilst you can’t drive an auction vehicle you should be able to start it, and bring it to temperature and get a “feel” for the mechanical condition. The smell of the oil, trans oil, and cooling fluid can also be a giveaway to any underlying issues.
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Basic RV Buyer Checklist |
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Identification |
Confirm make, model, age and VIN |
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Status |
Does it have a clear title, salvage title, or other? |
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Docs |
Search the vehicle for any documentation that provides more history or detail of faults/damage |
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Size & Weight |
Is it suitable for your tow-vehicle or suitable for your license type? |
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Interior |
Signs of mold, water ingress, general condition |
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Electrics |
Many auctions will allow you to take a jump pack and start and test vehicles. Test as much as possible |
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Check for water ingress of electrics |
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Chassis |
Check for rust |
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Check for stress cracks on joints, axle mounts, etc |
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Look for bends and signs of possible chassis damage |
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If its a damaged auction, you’ll need to judge if its worth attempting repair |
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Bodywork |
Check sides of trailer/RV run straight |
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Check seams for signs of the mastic/caulking drying or lifting and if there has been water ingress |
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Look for signs of stress cracking in alloy and plastics. Check plastics for cracking from age/dry rot |
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Walk on the floor to check for distortion/bouncing and, look for any signs of mold that may indicate the floor has rotted from water ingress |
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Look for hail damage, prior flood damage, or fire damage |
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Look for water ingress signs around joins or water streaks on walls etc. |
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Check window seals for drying, signs of leaks, and window operation |
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If its a damaged auction, you’ll need to judge if its worth attempting repair |
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Propane and Water system |
check for damaged lines |
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check the water system for corrosion, leaks, and mold |
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These Guys Saved 50% on a beautiful luxury RV!
Check out the Niko Brothers and their experience buying a beautiful RV with some fire damaged from auction at 50% off dealer prices.
Conclusion
RV auctions can be a great way to save money only if you are prepared to do due diligence and know your limitations. The key takeaway is that there are thousands of vehicles going up for auction monthly and there is sure to be one that suits your ability (in terms of any repairs needed), budget, and type, with solid research and understanding of potential costs being essential. At the same time, there is also nothing wrong with foregoing all the potential challenges and getting an RV from a dealer that’s ready to go and has a warranty.
