An RV bill of sale records the private sale of a motorhome or towable camper: VIN, mileage for motorized units, the equipment that stays with the rig, and the price the DMV will tax. For most families it is the second largest vehicle purchase after a house, on a one-page document.
RVs mix a vehicle with a dwelling, so the paperwork covers both: the drivetrain like a car sale, and the appliances and equipment like a home sale. This template handles motorhomes and towables alike.
Motorhome or towable: what changes in the paperwork
A motorhome (Class A, B, or C) is a motor vehicle: it has an odometer, needs the federal odometer disclosure if it is under 20 years old, and transfers like a car. A travel trailer, fifth wheel, or pop-up has no engine and no odometer, but it still has a VIN on the frame near the tongue and its own title in most states. This template adapts: fill the odometer for motorized rigs, leave it blank for towables, and the document adjusts its wording.
Fifth wheels and financing
Many RVs carry loans longer than car loans, sometimes 15 or 20 years. Before money moves, the buyer should see either a lien-free title or a written payoff arrangement with the lender, ideally closing the sale at the lender's branch.
List the equipment, or expect a dispute
- Generators, especially portable ones, walk away from deals that do not mention them
- Solar panels, controllers, and lithium batteries are high-value and easily removed
- Hitches (weight distribution or fifth wheel) belong to whoever the paper says
- Awnings, ladders, spare tires, and propane tanks should be listed or excluded
- Anything the listing photos showed but the seller intends to keep must be excluded in writing
The equipment paragraph in this bill of sale exists because RV disputes rarely concern the rig itself: they concern the $1,200 generator that was in the photos and gone at pickup. Write down what stays.
Inspection, water damage, and the title transfer
Water intrusion is the RV killer: check roof seams, window corners, slide-out seals, and floors for softness before signing, or pay for a professional RV inspection on units above a few thousand dollars. The as-is clause means the buyer owns whatever the inspection missed. After signing, the buyer titles and registers the RV in their state and pays sales tax on the recorded price; the seller files the notice of transfer where their state offers one and cancels insurance once the title has moved.
As-is does not cover concealment
A seller who patches and paints over known water damage to hide it is committing fraud, and no as-is clause will protect them. Disclose known problems in writing; it is cheaper than the lawsuit.
The legal deadlines around an RV transfer
For motorized RVs, the federal odometer disclosure in 49 CFR part 580 applies for 20 model years, exactly as it does for cars, and the reading belongs on the title and the bill of sale. State deadlines then frame both sides' duties. In California, Vehicle Code section 5600 defines when a transfer is legally complete, and the seller must file a notice of transfer and release of liability within 5 days while the buyer has 10 days to apply for transfer. In Texas, Transportation Code chapter 501 gives the buyer 30 days to title the rig through the county tax office. Whatever the state, the dates on the bill of sale start those clocks, so date it accurately and keep a signed copy on each side.
- Verify the VIN (dashboard or frame near the tongue) against the title and check for liens
- Inspect for water damage, test every appliance and slide-out, and road test motorized rigs
- Agree on the price and list every piece of equipment that stays
- Complete the bill of sale with VIN, mileage (motorized only), price, and as-is terms
- Verify funds, sign the title with the odometer disclosure, and hand over keys and manuals
- Seller: file the notice of transfer or release of liability, then cancel insurance
- Buyer: title, register, and pay sales tax within the state deadline, then insure the rig before the first trip
Frequently asked questions
Does an RV bill of sale need to be notarized?
Most states accept plain signatures from buyer and seller. A few require notarization for title transfers, and for high-value rigs it is worth the small cost regardless. Check the titling rules in the buyer's state.
Do travel trailers have a VIN?
Yes. Towable RVs carry a 17-character VIN on a plate or sticker on the frame, usually near the tongue or on the front left side, and the VIN appears on the title. It identifies the trailer exactly like a car's VIN.
Is an odometer disclosure required when selling a motorhome?
For most motorhomes under 20 years old, yes: federal law treats them as motor vehicles. Towables have no odometer, so no disclosure applies. This template includes the disclosure automatically when you enter a mileage.
Who pays sales tax on a private RV sale?
The buyer, at registration in their home state, generally based on the price in the bill of sale. On a $40,000 rig that is real money, which is why the recorded price should be the real one: understating it is tax fraud.
Can I sell an RV that someone lives in?
Yes, an RV is personal property and sells with a bill of sale and title like any vehicle. But if the buyer or a tenant occupies it on your land, landlord-tenant rules may apply to the occupancy separately from the sale.
How long does the buyer have to register the RV?
State deadlines run roughly 10 to 45 days from the sale date: 10 days in California, 30 in Texas. Towables and motorhomes usually follow the same vehicle-title deadlines, and late transfers add penalty fees.
Can I sell an RV that still has a loan on it?
Only by clearing the lien. The cleanest path is closing at the lender's branch: the buyer's funds pay the loan, the lender releases the title, and the balance goes to the seller the same day.
Does the bill of sale cover the towed car or the hitch?
Only if you list them. A dinghy-towed car is a separate vehicle with its own title and needs its own bill of sale. Hitches and tow bars are equipment: put them in the included-equipment list or expect them to leave with the seller.
What if the RV is co-owned by two people?
Every owner named on the title must sign both the title and the bill of sale. If the title says two names joined by "and", both signatures are mandatory; "or" usually lets either owner sign alone, but both signing is always safer.