Can you sell a motorhome that does not work?
Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.
What actually goes wrong with motorhomes
These are the faults that move a motorhome down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:
- Damp in walls, floor or ceiling
- Base vehicle with no service history
- Perished window and roof seals
- Soft floors indicating delamination
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £2,700 to £13,500. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £1,500 to £7,500. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.
Working out what you actually have
Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:
- Commission a damp survey and share the readings
- Walk the floor feeling for soft areas
- Gather both vehicle and habitation service records
Photographing the fault
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The whole vehicle outside, from both front and rear three-quarter angles
- The full interior including beds made up and the washroom
- The cab, the odometer reading and the engine bay
- The habitation service paperwork, plus any damp, rust, delamination or repair
What to state in the listing
Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken motorhomes want these confirmed:
- Make, model, base vehicle, year, mileage and berth
- Layout, and licence category needed for the weight
- Service history for both the base vehicle and the habitation area, with dates
- Everything included — awning, bike rack, solar, gas bottles, accessories
Make, base vehicle, year, berth and layout: “[Make] on Fiat Ducato, 2017, 4 Berth, Fixed Rear Bed, 46k Miles”. Berth, layout and mileage are the searches. Habitation service history and a recent MOT belong in the title because they materially move the price.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Answer plainly and be ready to prove it. On a vehicle at this value a buyer will always check, and any ambiguity ends the conversation.
Give the date and show the certificate. Habitation servicing is separate from the engine service and buyers who know motorhomes ask for it specifically.
Expect this and plan for it. Check the buyer’s licence and insurance cover first, go with them, and treat a refusal to show a licence as the warning it is.
Is it worth repairing first?
Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:
- Recent damp report with clear readings
- Full service history for the base vehicle
- Habitation check certificate
- Complete with awning, hookup and accessories
If the work would cost more than the gap between £7,500 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
February to August, peaking in spring. Autumn listings take longer and achieve less, so if it is late in the year, storing until spring is usually worth more than accepting a winter offer.
Getting it to the buyer
Never release the vehicle or the registration document until funds have fully cleared in your account. Complete the registration transfer promptly, write a dated receipt naming both parties, the registration and the price, and keep a copy. WishThrift does not process or hold funds at any point.
WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full motorhome selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Is a broken motorhome worth anything?
Yes — typically £1,500 to £7,500 at For Parts against £6,000 to £30,000 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Damp in walls, floor or ceiling
Should I repair it before selling?
Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are recent damp report with clear readings and a repair rarely restores those.
What do buyers ask about a faulty motorhome?
The fault itself, in detail. Answer plainly and be ready to prove it. On a vehicle at this value a buyer will always check, and any ambiguity ends the conversation. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.
See also: what motorhome is worth by condition · how to sell motorhome · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.