What Is The Value Of My Camper Van? Camper Appraisal Options

If you’re looking to figure out how much your van is worth you’re in the right place! There are several reasons why you will need to know the value of your van – for example, if you’re buying, selling, or getting your van properly insured.

When I decided to sell my van I had no idea how much it was worth. I searched for similar vans listed for sale online and found a wide range of listing prices – a $40,000 range, in fact. 

So I was able to determine that my van was worth somewhere between $80,000 and $120,000. What was I supposed to do?

List low and potentially leave $40,000 on the table? Or list high and potentially overshoot my value – there’s not much worse than hearing crickets when you’re trying to find a buyer.

I wanted to feel confident that I was selling my van for a fair price – fair to both me and the buyer. So after a bit of research I found a perfect solution – a camper appraisal.

Below I’ll explain the benefits to having an appraisal done, scenarios for when you might need one, and my experience going through the process.

What Is A Camper Appraisal?

A camper appraisal is the process of evaluating your van in order to determine its market value. Both the vehicle and the build are evaluated to determine the total value of your completed camper van. 

Things that will impact your vehicle price include its age, mileage, vehicle improvements, overall condition, maintenance history and any mechanical or cosmetic damage.

When evaluating the build, an appraisal will take into consideration the quality of the build and the materials used.

For example, Lithium batteries will increase the van value more than AGM batteries. High quality products, like Thinsulate insulation, will also help to increase the value of your van.

An appraiser is a person certified in writing vehicle appraisal reports. They must take a course and pass a test in order to comply with certification requirements.

When looking for a camper appraiser you’ll want to find someone who is a certified vehicle appraiser and who has experience with camper and RV appraisals.

These specialized appraisers can be hard to find, but it’s worth it to get someone who actually has experience with the type of vehicle you have.

For my appraisal, I worked with Camper Van Appraisals.

Why Do You Need To Know How Much Your Van Is Worth?

Not everyone will need to know what their van is worth. However, there are a few scenarios where having the value of your van is extremely helpful.

Insurance

If you are insuring your van it can be very helpful to have a third party (your van appraiser) document the market value of the vehicle. 

Getting a DIY or custom camper van insured can be a tricky process, which varies based on which company you’re using and which state your vehicle is registered in.

Because a custom built van does not have the value assigned on the VIN (like an RV does) it’s more difficult for an insurance company to know exactly what amount of insurance will cover a total loss of your custom van. 

Being able to show your insurance company a document from a certified professional which outlines the true value of your van can help solve this problem and make it easier to find a company to insure your vehicle.

Buying/Selling

Additionally, if you are looking to list your van for sale it’s helpful to know what the true market value is. 

A camper appraisal is incredibly handy for knowing exactly what price to ask. It also signals to potential buyers that your listing price is fair and well researched, which will give them confidence in buying from you.

The opposite side to that coin is if you’re buying a campervan. Having an appraisal will ensure you feel confident and comfortable that you’re paying a fair price for the van you’re purchasing.

How Much Does A Camper Appraisal Cost?

A camper van or RV appraisal can cost anywhere from $200 to $500 or more. The cost of an appraisal depends on many things, including how custom the vehicle is, and how specialized your appraiser needs to be. 

If you have a manufacturer-made van which has many identical brothers and sisters, it’s much easier to determine the value than a completely custom or DIY van which does not have identical counterparts for comparison.

This is where having a camper appraiser who has extensive experience in the van and RV industry will be a huge benefit.

While you will pay more for the expertise, you’ll get a better appraisal report which could save you thousands on your sale, purchase, or insurance claim.

For my appraisal, I spent less than $300 and used Camper Van Appraisals because of their extensive industry knowledge on vans.

As my dad says – “don’t pinch the penny when you’re in for the dime”. It’s important to protect your investment!

Benefits Of A Certified Campervan Appraisal

There are several major benefits to having your van appraised. 

Get properly insured

By knowing the true value of your van you can properly insure your vehicle.

If you under-insure your van then you could potentially lose a ton of money in the event of an accident.

However, if you’ve over-insured your van then you’re paying more in premiums unnecessarily.

Sell at the right price

As a seller, having an appraisal of your van done prior to listing it for sale is helpful because you know how much to ask.

It’s also really helpful because it cuts the haggle and negotiation out of the deal. When a buyer knows you have a certified report stating the fair value of your vehicle there’s less room to negotiate.

Buy for a fair price

If you’re a buyer you’ll want to consider an appraisal as well.

It’s important to know before you buy that you’re getting a fair deal, and also that you’re able to insure the van for its full value.

The last thing you want to do is to spend so much money on a van only to realize it’s not worth what you paid, or that you can’t find an insurance company willing to give you full coverage.

My Experience – How Much Is My Van Worth?

When I started thinking about selling my first van and building a second van, the first part of my decision making process was determining what my van would be worth if I sold it.

I tried to do my own research, and I could find comparable listings but the range in prices was over $40,000 difference.

What if I priced in the upper half of that range and was way overpriced? No one would buy. Or worse, what if I listed in the lower end of that range and left tens of thousands of dollars on the table?

I needed to figure out exactly what my van was worth so that a sale was fair to both me and the buyer.

However, it can be tricky to get your van appraised, especially if you’re traveling around the country and require a remote appraisal. 

Luckily, I found a terrific company that is certified by the Bureau of Certified Auto Appraisers and specializes in camper van appraisals and offers virtual services!

After an initial call with Campervan Appraisals – about 10 minutes on the phone – I received an onboarding document via email which included all of the requested photos and details I would need to deliver to them so they could determine how much my van was worth and write an appraisal report. 

The document is incredibly easy to follow and includes things like a photo of the VIN, a photo of the engine, photos of all 4 sides and all 4 corners of the vehicle, as well as interior photos and parts lists.

In total, it took me less than 2 hours to compile everything that was required and send it back via email. 

After that, Campervan Appraisals started building their 15-20 page report. It can take up to a week, depending on their workload, but I received mine much faster.

Once I received their 23-page report, I had a couple of questions about the appraisal. Campervan Appraisals was very fast at responding and answering all of my questions.

The cost of a virtual camper appraisal from Campervan Appraisals was only $275!

The total appraised value of my 2020 Ford Transit with low miles, a shower, roof AC and more came in at $96,984!

Certified Camper Appraiser

I had such a great experience working with Campervan Appraisals! I highly recommend them if you’re looking to buy or sell a camper van, or if you need a camper appraisal for your insurance policy.

Be sure to select that you were referred by Everywhere With Claire when you schedule your consultation for an extra bonus!