Why Buy or Consign Your RV at Auto Nation Canada | Don & Cole’s Tips to Get Top Dollar!
Welcome to Auto Nation Canada! In our latest video, Cole Johnson sits down with our RV consignment manager, Don Humphrey, for a no-fluff Q&A session that breaks down everything you need to know about RV consignment. Whether you’re considering selling your RV or just exploring your options, this candid conversation reveals why consigning with Auto Nation might be the smartest move you can make.
👉 Start the Consignment Process Now
What Is RV Consignment?
Don sums it up best: “It’s a program where you bring us your trailer and we sell it for you.”
Instead of navigating the hassle of private listings, random meetups, and endless questions from online buyers, RV owners can simply drop off their unit and let Auto Nation handle the heavy lifting—from marketing to negotiation to the final sale.
Why Do People Choose Consignment?
Life happens—whether it's downsizing, illness, divorce, or just upgrading to a new RV, people often find themselves ready to sell. But as Don puts it: “People get fed up with the meatballs on Kijiji and Marketplace.”
We take on the "brain damage" of selling, so you don’t have to.
Consignment vs. Trade-In: Which Makes More Sense?
If you’ve ever traded in a vehicle, you’ve probably experienced the disappointment of a lowball offer. With consignment, we help you get closer to retail value. Instead of giving your RV away for less, you walk away with more in your pocket—plain and simple.
How Much Does It Cost?
There’s no commission or percentage-based fees. Just a one-time listing fee that includes:
Professional detailing inside and out
High-quality photography
Comprehensive advertising across major platforms
Customer showings and negotiations
Safe, secure storage on our lot
What If There’s Still a Loan on the RV?
No problem. Auto Nation coordinates directly with your bank to get an accurate payout, handles the transaction, and cuts you a cheque for the remainder. Easy.
Why Selling Privately Is Risky
From sketchy buyers to scam attempts and no-shows at storage yards, selling an RV privately is a logistical nightmare. People often list on Facebook or Kijiji, only to deal with fake e-transfers, stolen listing photos, and constant back-and-forth.
As Cole says, “It’s sad how many scams are out there—it’s become the wild west.”
Consigning with Auto Nation protects you with:
AMVIC licensing and bonding
Safe, in-person showings at our secure lot
Legal handling of funds—no sketchy bank drafts
What About the Buyer?
Buyers benefit from:
Full 122-point mechanical inspection
Walkthroughs and hands-on training with a technician
Extended warranty options
Finance options at competitive rates
Your buyer gets peace of mind—and you get a faster sale at a better price.
Final Thoughts
RV consignment with Auto Nation Canada isn’t just about selling—it’s about creating a hassle-free, safe, and profitable experience for both sellers and buyers. With expert support, aggressive marketing, and high customer satisfaction, we’re proud to offer a better way to sell.
If you’re considering selling your RV or want to know more about our consignment program, stop by or give us a call. We’re ready to take on the “brain damage” so you don’t have to.
📍 Learn more or get started today at AutoNationCanada.com
Transcript: All right Rock and roll So I'm Cole Johnson Uh I'm sitting with uh our consignment manager Don Humphrey and we're just doing a a Q&A just giving people a little bit more of an understanding of what RV consignment is So uh I guess uh what is RV consignment Well it's a program we have that allows people to bring us their trailer and we sell it for them as opposed to them having to try and advertise and sell it themselves Okay So essentially like a realtor kind of set-up So people can you know take the take the thought out of having to do it or or what would be a a main- Well- main yeah people come to us for all kinds of reasons Um you know we have deal with divorces and people with uh illnesses or that are getting too old to use a unit anymore or have bought another unit for us so then we'll take theirs on consignment and get it sold for them Um so lots of reasons that people do it but probably the biggest reason is they get fed up with dealing with the meatballs on Kijiji and Marketplace with the you know the stupid questions and stuff So it it does get kinda tiring and uh and we can take care of all that and eliminate all that brain damage And we'll take on the brain damage Yeah We're used to brain damage Is this available No answer ****************** Yeah Is this available No answer ************ Awesome So I mean I guess what would be a a big advantage for somebody that's like considering buying a new RV you know and they're they're weighing trade opposed to consign Uh what why would somebody want to consign opposed to just trade in Well that happens a lot Uh people look around for a new trailer and find one they like And then when they go to trade theirs in they find out that they're getting way below market value as a trade value Mm-hmm Um which is disappointing if you've looked after your trailer and it's in nice condition Why should you give it away Uh so at that point a lot of people will bring their trade to us Mm-hmm Um and we can get them much closer to a retail value for the trade- Mm-hmm um rather than taking whatever the dealer says it's worth and So you end up with a lot more money in your pocket Yeah Okay Well yeah that sounds a lot better So you know we don't have to deal with the the brain damage of Kijiji and Marketplace and you know we can bring it in somewhere where they get a merchandise and sell it where we're getting closer to a retail number So with consignment with AutoNation um do people have to pay like a commission No No There's uh there is a a listing fee of $995 Okay Um and we agree on the price that you're going to get when it sells Mm-hmm And that's what you get when it sells There's no surprises Um there's no extra commissions or percentages or anything like that We- You just drop it off Um we take care of cleaning it detailing it sprucing it all up uh take care of all the advertising uh the showings um negotiations with the customers Uh so we kinda take ever- care of everything You just drop it off and sit back and relax um call you when it's sold Yeah Yeah And honestly like the more like previous to being involved with recreational I was always in the automotive industry and and the thought of consignment was very a gray didn't really have a full understanding of it But as you know developing our relationship and and doing more consignment with people it's it's a very unique and and awesome thing for people to be able to do It offers a a new opportunity in a traditional market where you're getting low-balled on trade You know you're able to still retain uh a good resale value Mm-hmm you're not uh you know having to have people knock on your door or or deal with the the brain damage as as we were talking about So yeah the more that we do it um the more I'm really starting to understand how valuable this is for for both customers and us And for us you know we're able to create relationships We get to meet new people all the time We get to deal with uh a lot of different unique RVs a lot of different unique trailers I I'm getting a wealth of knowledge just kind of touching and feeling and and understanding all this stuff And and obviously you're uh come with a wealth of knowledge so you're you're able to kinda give us some insight on on different units and and who those cater to And yeah it's been a real cool um a real cool set-up and a real cool development of what we're doing here and how we're able to service people And the people that we've been dealing with for the most part have been awesome so Yeah yeah And a- And a lot of people that live out of the city limits and are trying to sell their trailer it's very difficult to get people to come out to the country to look at your trailer Mm-hmm Um you know as soon as you say you're out you know on Range Road such-and-such people really don't wanna do that uh so we cater to that as well And also people that live in the city often have their trailers stored at a storage lot and to make arrangements to meet someone and then they don't show up and you're sitting at the storage lot waiting for them Or you've brought it home and parked it on the street for someone that says they're coming and they never show up and then you gotta take it back to the storage lot So it's- it's much more inconvenient to sell an RV privately as opposed to say your car that's just sitting on the driveway anyway Yeah Yeah that's a- that's a great point absolutely Yeah And uh you know uh the logistics of trying to either get it to the house for the showing or you know have somebody come out to your acreage for a showing And honestly even just like the people that we've talked to to have random people come up to your acreage it's more- you're more secluded It's just not a very good setup so I don't like having people even come to my house in the city You know- you don't know who's showing up and what they're really there for Are they scoping out you know whether you've got quads or bicycles or things that they can steal or you know that kinda thing In- in this day and age I don't really like having strangers showing up at my house Yeah But a place of work It's uh it's beautiful yeah Oh yeah enjoy having strangers come here Yeah exactly Uh okay Yeah that's- that's really cool So uh now let's say somebody has financing right And- And they're concerned about their payout Uh how does that work if you- if you are t- like currently financing your unit uh and you wanna consign it with us Can those people also come in and consign Oh most definitely yeah We deal with the banks directly Uh so when your trailer sells um we get a statement from the bank of how much is owing on it Mm-hmm Uh so we automatically pay that loan off for you so that's done Mm-hmm And then we cut you a check for the balance Nice Yeah okay So it just makes it nice and easy That way you don't have to worry about uh that you still owe money on it 'cause we take care of all Okay Yeah No that's- that's great So yeah So from my understanding no commissions or- or costs in that regard Uh it's 995 but that includes you know uh beautiful photos by our photographer Mm-hmm Uh you know uh inside-outside clean merchandise and then- and then the sales aspect of uh selling your uh unit as well right Yeah Yeah Yeah And that's uh you know that- it does cover a- a portion of our marketing costs um but uh yeah we do very aggressive marketing online on many different platforms We have a high exposure website as well that we get a lot of uh uh customers coming in from Uh so we really reach a very broad market as opposed to just say putting an ad on a marketplace and that's- your little ad ends up on way back on page 50 within a couple of days So it's uh we take care of all that We're very good at marketing Mm-hmm Um and uh and we take care of all the- the small details Yeah No absolutely And like my background is sales so I mean our objective is to sell it as fast as possible right There's- It does nobody any good to have Uh and- And from a consumer side we don't overprice stuff because it makes no sense to have a unit sit here for too long We only have 3 acres you know We have to keep things moving and you know we- we wanna make sure that we A sell the trailer and- and the buyer is able to buy a trailer So um it's i- it's important to- to keep things moving So yeah no that's- that's been uh an interesting aspect to be able to you know endeavor on so Yeah Yeah In and out as quick as possible um is- is important for- for everybody Nobody wants to have their trailer sit around for a year on- on the market and not sell Mm-hmm Uh so yes we generally turn them very quickly especially we're coming into the- the season here and things are selling fast Mm-hmm Um and we you know get a lot of exposure to your trailer We have people that just walk in and look at trailers Mm-hmm Uh we have people that come based on ads they've seen online Mm-hmm Um so yeah it's uh it's- it's a very easy way of getting rid of your trailer but not giving it away Yeah No 100% Okay Um so you kind of filled a couple of gaps but I guess what would be the value proposition for somebody to come uh or- or either buy a trailer from us or uh more importantly consign with us Well the consignment is- is just the um the convenience I think is- is you know you're protected Uh we're fully licensed bonded We're licensed with AMVIC Um we follow all the rules Uh you know we're not going to take We're not going to get ripped off by some kind of a scam of a fake check or a fake bank draft- Mm-hmm or something like that Uh so for the seller you're protected from bandits coming to your house or someone trying to scam you with a with a fake check or a fake bank draft or something like that Uh so it's- it's good protection and the convenience of not having to answer the phone and answer stupid questions and have people say they're coming and not come or come right at dinner time or- Mm-hmm It's just very inconvenient to sell an RV So it it just makes it nice and easy for someone to get rid of a an RV that they don't have a need for anymore Yeah It's it's honestly sad to see how many just to touch base on scams it's like there's so many scams now Ugh Like we're- we're constantly weeding through stuff and you know the- the scammers are getting a lot better and it's Sometimes you're getting like e-transfer text messages where it looks fully legit and uh you know you have to kind of- you have to sort through a lot of this stuff and it's- it's sad to see how prominent it is and a lot of the same marketplaces that are really good for exposure for us are just riddled in scams Like like Facebook Marketplace is just It's unbelievable how many scams are on there and it's consistent and people are ripping profiles off So you could you could have a situation where you're listing privately and somebody just rips your photos off and then they're scamming people and that could be attached to you and yeah it- it is There- there's just so many ways that they're doing it now Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Yeah Yeah And and although your trailer may be in good condition if someone buys it and the furnace quits working or something now they're back on the phone to you and wanting you to pay to get it fixed and screaming at you for selling them a crappy trailer and stuff Mm-hmm Whereas when it's sold through here um you know the both parties are at arm's length so nobody knows the other person so you're not gonna have someone coming back against you you know and complaining that they're not happy with their purchase or whatever If there's any kind of after-sale issues they come to us and we address it Yeah Yeah we've heard a lot of that from like small communities where everybody's at arm's length right Nobody wants to sell their used trailer to their neighbor because you know even 4 years down the road it's "Oh you sold me a landing because this broke." I mean uh even- even we we all do all our due diligence We have 122-point inspection post-sale but that's why we stress extended warranty because that's the only way you can you know know that you have coverage if there- anything goes wrong right So Well yeah And that- and that's a big big thing with uh buyers who are shopping for a trailer is that we offer all the services of um a more traditional RV dealer as far as uh we've got great financing programs and rates Uh we have extended warranties available so someone can be protected from from any unexpected repair costs Um we do full inspection of the trailers Mm-hmm Uh so people have that confidence when they're buying from us that it's been inspected by a journeyman mechanic and that it's in safe and- and good working order when they pick it up 0.1s: Two men sit on a blue couch, appearing to have a discussion in a room with plants and a sign reading "AUTO NATION." Um so all those things combined means of that we can sell it for more than a private individual because someone buying from a private individual is always going to want to pay a lower price thinking "Well if there is a problem I want to pay less so I can cover some unknown repair costs." Uh the beauty with buying here is it's all checked over and you know you're getting a trailer that's in good working order and is safe Mm-hmm Yeah I think that's a big thing especially as a consumer when you're spending tens of thousands of dollars and sometimes 100 you know we're- we're selling units that are over 100,000 Um the inspection is critical for sure Like to have that peace of mind when you're buying something Before I was always somebody that would be in marketplace and buying and I've had cars shipped and I've done a lot of that and I've actually been lucky I haven't really ran into Mostly unscathed I mean when I look back at some of the uh service records on some of the vehicles I bought I- I don't know how unscathed I was But to be able to buy something and- and you know know that it's in st- inspected it's coming from a trustworthy source We're 4.9 on Google like we have tons of 5 star reviews As a consumer I feel a lot more confident doing that And one thing that you've shown me that was different than- than previous was now- now we're starting to do walkthroughs with every unit So the customer leaves with confidence too You're able to test everything out uh you know exactly how to operate your unit how to load it up If you get an EQ hitch with us a technician is setting it up to proper ride heights Like it- it is an experience and I'm- I'm uh enjoying being a part of it Yeah Yeah Yeah It's nice having uh you know a knowledgeabo- knowled- knowledgeable person go through and show you that the furnace is working the fridge is working Mm-hmm Uh and knowing that everything's been checked I mean we've all driven down the road and seen a travel trailer on the side of the road with uh one wheel coming off and and the whole family sitting in the truck And it's nice to know that's not gonna be you Yeah Well I mean- unless you're going too fast you know Yeah The tires are only rated My dad was telling- me a story He said uh 'cause he 0 he he drives truck so he's on the highway all the time And he was he was driving from uh I think it was from Grand Prairie to Edmonton And uh a guy blew past him with a big toy hauler 5th wheel at about 140 150 And he's like "It's too hot today to be doing that." You know You you you can't be driving that fast And sure enough uh you know like 50 kilometers down the road the guy's pulled over He **************** So so no That's that's awesome So um yeah I I really wanted to just do this to kind of explain to people a little bit more about RV consignment 'cause you know outside of 3 years ago it was a new concept to me And the more that we do it the the m- and the more we talk to people the more we realize that people don't really realize that this is something that's you know available to them so No no And m- and you know in in a short period of time here it's amazing how many referrals we're getting- Mm-hmm from people that have sold their trailer or motor home here on consignment And we get other people coming in and saying "Oh yeah you sold my buddy's trailer I'd like to get rid of my trailer too." Mm-hmm And so they the word of mouth is out there that uh you know this is this is a great way to to sell a a RV that that you're not using anymore Absolutely And and prevent the brain damage Well for sure Yeah Awesome Don Okay well yeah thanks for sitting in with me Uh thanks for tuning in guys And uh we will uh s- talk to you guys soon Yeah I think