Get FinancingPristine Vanleigh Toy Hauler Sold In Week 5 With An RVUniverse Editorial Ad
In the RV world, it’s unusual to find a three-year-old toy hauler that has never hauled any “toys.” These extra-long trailers and motorhomes let travelers bring along their ATVs, bikes, golf carts, and other outdoor gear, protected by an enclosed rear garage. That is, if they want to.
“Actually, we did not plan to haul any toys in it,” says the recent seller of a 2023 Vanleigh RV Ambition 399TH fifth wheel trailer in Bonnie, Illinois. “We were looking for the biggest camper we could buy and sleep as many people as we could.”
An RV With More Elbow Room
“We wanted a full bath and another restroom at least,” continues the former RV owner. “Most of the large campers we could find were set up to be a large living space for two people or possibly four, and only had a full bath. We also wanted an area we could use as a mud room-type space.”
With very few miles and no pets allowed, the one-owner Vanleigh was in very good condition. The 44-foot, 7-inch (13.6-meter) camper had three slides, sleeping berths for five, and a 13-ft (4-m) garage. The trailer also featured a heated and enclosed underbelly, solar prep, generator prep, and four years remaining on an extended service plan.
“It was a higher quality than a lot of other manufacturers,” recalls its former owner. “I liked that the exterior was painted, and it had a real, live refrigerator and cook stove, not RV-type appliances.”
Another reason the late-model toy hauler was in great shape was that it had spent most of its short life indoors. “We kept the heat on in the winter months 24/7 and the AC on in the summer months 24/7. That keeps the interior climate controlled and keeps everything in good condition. No damp humidity and woods expanding and contracting,” says the seller. The trailer also didn’t travel much.
“It made one trip to West Texas for a friend’s wedding event, and one trip to Lake of the Ozarks for another wedding. Other than that, it was set up in one spot,” he continues. “We live in Illinois, and waterfowl hunt in western Kentucky a lot. The main reason we bought the camper was for a place to live while in Kentucky hunting, and we didn’t have to drive the two-and-a-half hours back and forth as often or go to a hotel.
“Other than the two wedding trips, it was parked in our building here at home.”
Then something happened that made the RV’s owner feel it was time to sell. “A house came up for sale literally 300 feet from where we always parked the camper, and we bought it. Didn’t need the camper any longer,” he says. “We aren’t camping people. I like to do it, just didn’t have time to do so. And while not using it in Kentucky, it was taking up room in the building.”
The next step was to figure out how to sell the pristine toy hauler. For the owner—the president of a plumbing and heating business—the answer stemmed from his history with Sandhills equipment platforms.
“We have bought and sold several items on TractorHouse, AuctionTime, and Machinery Trader,” he says. “Andrew Jiron, our rep, always does us a good job and is very helpful, so we went straight to RVUniverse to sell it.”
Selling With RVUniverse
Initially, the RV owner put his Vanleigh in a photo listing in the Eastern edition of RVUniverse magazine. He also opted for an instant featured listing, so his toy hauler could appear online right away rather than waiting until its first print issue.
“We started out with a standard ad to see what would develop,” says the seller. “But there are so many RVs to look at, it is easy to get lost in the mix.”
"He was priced well, but not aggressively,” says RVUniverse rep Jiron. “After a month, he hadn't had anyone contact him, and his WebStats were decent but rather low. We upgraded him to a half-page editorial ad,” and lowered the asking price for the second month.
How Editorial Ads Get Buyers’ Attention
An editorial ad is several times larger than a photo listing, allowing for a much larger image of an RV. There’s also room for a bullet-point list to showcase its best features and selling points.
Even better, an editorial ad’s online listing shoots to the top of the heap as a premium listing, so RVUniverse.com shoppers see it first in its category. Once again, the seller opted to start the new, improved online ad without delay. Jiron said the Vanleigh pulled in “great stats” after this.
“Andrew suggested we step it up and go next-level advertisement to get it in front of everyone without them having to search it out,” the RV seller says. “We have done this with other Sandhills publications, and it worked well.”
RV Sold To A Florida Buyer
Not long after the RVUniverse editorial ad and premium listing elevated the 2023 Vanleigh’s visibility, an interested party called from Clearwater, Florida. “He wanted to travel some, was retired, and wanted to take his motorcycle with them, so it was perfect for them.”
Before the Florida caller committed to buying the toy hauler, he wanted a professional to take a look at it. “The guy hired an inspector to come last week and do an inspection, which I welcomed,” says the former RV owner. “I highly recommend this if buying something like this, and I welcome it as the seller.
“I sold a large boat a few years ago, and the buyer was from Michigan, and he did the same. Works great for both parties. It eliminates the ‘he said, she said’ and ‘you didn’t tell me that’ issues. Now, when something doesn’t work, we all know it was working when the inspector was here.”
Barely a month after initially advertising the RV, the seller emailed Jiron that the Vanleigh had sold for $92,500. The seller credits the sale to the extra exposure from the RVUniverse editorial ad and premium listing upgrade. “Like a lot of other things in life, the cheap way is generally not the best route. I am confident that had we not upgraded, we would still have it.”