At a glance
- Motorhome odometer disclosure
- Model year 2011 and newer, unless GVWR is over 16,000 lbs
- Towable RV
- No odometer disclosure
- Motorhome VIN
- Usually the chassis maker's
- Notary
- Only where the state requires it
On this page
Motorhome or towable: what changes on an RV bill of sale?
RVs split into two groups, and the paperwork follows the split. A motorhome drives itself, so it's a motor vehicle with an engine, an odometer and a VIN that usually comes from its chassis. A travel trailer, fifth wheel or pop-up camper is towed, so federal rules treat it like any other trailer. Selling a utility or cargo trailer instead? The trailer bill of sale is set up for that.
| Item | Motorhome | Towable RV |
|---|---|---|
| Odometer disclosure | Required for model year 2011 and newer until 20 years old, unless the GVWR is over 16,000 lbs | Not required, because a towable isn't self-propelled |
| Whose VIN | Usually the chassis maker's, because a vehicle built in stages keeps the VIN the first-stage maker assigned | The trailer manufacturer's |
| Certification labels | A label from the chassis maker, plus a final-stage label from the company that finished it, placed so it doesn't cover the earlier one | One label on the front half of the left side, readable from outside |
| Also worth listing | Mileage, generator hours, and any tow dolly or towed car in the deal | Hitch, sway bars, awning and anything else in the deal |
Federal rules: 49 CFR 580.17 for odometer exemptions, 565.13 for VINs on vehicles built in stages, and 567.4 and 567.5 for labels.
Does an RV need an odometer disclosure?
For a motorhome, it depends on its age and weight rating. Federal rules require the seller to disclose the mileage on the title for model year 2011 and newer vehicles until they're 20 years old. Two exemptions matter here: model year 2010 and older motorhomes are exempt, and so is any motorhome with a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds. The GVWR is printed on the certification labels, so read it before you skip the disclosure.
For a towable, no. Travel trailers, fifth wheels and pop-ups aren't self-propelled, so federal rules don't call for an odometer statement, and the form leaves that section off when you choose towable.
Generator hours aren't part of any of this. Record them in the form anyway if the motorhome has a generator: buyers ask, and the hours tell them how hard it has worked, the way mileage does for the engine.
Where to find the VIN and weight ratings on an RV
Use the VIN printed on the title, and match it to the RV before you sign anything.
Many motorhomes are built in stages: one company builds the chassis and an RV maker finishes the coach. Federal rules say a vehicle built in more than one stage keeps the VIN assigned by the maker of the incomplete vehicle, so a motorhome's VIN often traces back to the chassis maker, not the brand on the side. That's why the form asks for the RV maker and model separately. The chassis maker puts an information label on the incomplete vehicle, and the company that finishes the motorhome adds a certification label without covering the earlier ones. That final-stage label names the company that finished the motorhome and the month and year it was completed, and lists the GVWR, the axle ratings and the VIN.
On a towable, the certification label sits on the front half of the left side, where you can read it from outside, and lists the VIN and the weight ratings. Want the VIN decoded first? Run it through the RV VIN decoder.
What to include in an RV bill of sale
An RV sale has more parts to argue about later than a car sale, so write them down:
- The seller's and buyer's names and addresses
- Year, make, model, VIN and color, plus the RV maker and model if they differ from the chassis
- For a motorhome: the odometer reading and its status, the GVWR, and generator hours if it has one
- Date of sale, price and how the buyer paid
- What's included: hitch and sway bars, awning, furniture, a tow dolly or towed car, spare keys
- An "as is" clause, which matters on a vehicle with plumbing, propane, electrical and slide-outs
- Signatures, and a notary block if your state needs one
This is general information, not legal advice. Your state may want its own form or more details, and its page in the bill of sale state list covers what we've confirmed.
How to sell an RV privately, step by step
Gather the paperwork
Find the title, any lien release and the service records for the engine, generator and appliances. If a lender holds the title, get the payoff amount before you list, so you can tell buyers how the payoff and title will work.
Test every system
Run the slide-outs, awning, generator, water heater, furnace, air conditioning and lights before you list. Buyers will check them, and a clean walk-through backs up your price.
Photograph it inside and out
Take wide shots of each room with the slides out, plus both sides, the front, the rear and the roof if you can reach it safely. For framing and light, the tips in how to take pictures of a car to sell carry over.
Put the deal in writing
Choose motorhome or towable in the form, enter the price and everything included, then print it or save it as a PDF.
Sign and transfer
Sign the title over, record the mileage on a motorhome's title if it's required, and sign the bill of sale together. Then follow your state's rules for the plate and for reporting the sale, and keep copies.