Why campers become junk
RVs rarely fail the way cars do. The engine on a motorhome may run fine while water has been getting in through a roof seam for years. A travel trailer has no engine at all, so it becomes junk when the floor goes soft, the frame rusts, or the cost of new tires, bearings and a roof is more than anyone wants to spend on it. Storage costs push the decision too: a camper that hasn’t moved in four summers is still costing someone a space.
We buy:
- motorhomes, Class A, B and C, running or not,
- travel trailers and fifth wheels,
- pop-up and tent campers,
- truck campers that slide into a pickup bed.
What to have ready
- The title. Illinois requires a certificate of title for vehicles in the state, with a short list of exclusions such as farm implements and special mobile equipment (625 ILCS 5/3-101 and 3-102). Campers and motorhomes aren’t on that exclusion list, so expect to need the title or a paper that Illinois accepts in its place.
- Titled in another state? A camper bought across the line in Indiana, for example, may still carry that state’s title. Our guide to out-of-state and salvage titles covers what that means.
- Insurance totaled it after a storm? Read what happens when insurance totals a vehicle before you decide.
- The propane tanks. Close them, and take them off if you want to keep them.
- Personal things, including the papers in the glove box or the dinette drawer.
Our general checklist for before the tow truck arrives covers plates and the rest.
Pickup realities: length, height and where it’s parked
Campers sit in places cars don’t: alongside a garage, on a gravel pad in the backyard, in a paid storage lot, or at a mobile home park. Size is the main thing we plan around.
| Tell us | Why |
|---|---|
| Length, roughly, and whether it’s a motorhome or a trailer | Decides what kind of tow the unit needs |
| How it’s parked: nose in, backed in, beside the house | Whether the truck can reach the hitch or the towing end |
| Overhead clearance: trees, wires, a carport roof | A tall unit can’t always go out the way it came in |
| Coupler, jack and tires | A trailer with a dead jack or flat tires needs a different plan |
| If it’s in a storage lot, the lot’s gate hours | We arrange the time with you so the gate is open |
Village rules that make an RV urgent
Several villages near us are strict about where recreational vehicles and trailers can sit. In South Holland, an inoperable vehicle can’t be kept on any property, and oversize vehicles can’t be stored in front of the living area of the house. Phoenix keeps trucks and trailers off residential streets beyond loading time. In Dixmoor, where many homes are in mobile home parks, a wrecked or nonoperating vehicle gets only 48 hours outside an enclosed building. If you’ve had a notice, call early.
Payment and next step
The driver checks the unit against your description, you sign, and you’re paid there by cash, Zelle or Cash App. Start with the form: put the RV’s year, make and model (Winnebago, Jayco, Forest River or any other) in the vehicle fields, and add the length when we call. If you also have a truck or van to clear out, one visit can handle more than one vehicle.