Junk RV and camper removal, paid at pickup

An RV usually becomes a junk RV slowly. A roof leak turns into soft floors, the tires crack while it sits, and one season the trip doesn’t happen. By the time the owner decides to sell, it’s often parked on a pad beside the house or in a storage lot that sends a bill every month.

Motorhomes, trailers and everything between

We buy the whole range:

• Motorhomes. The big bus-style Class A coaches, van-based Class B campers, and the Class C models with the bed over the cab.
• Towable campers. Travel trailers, fifth-wheels and toy haulers.
• Smaller units. Pop-up tent campers and truck campers that slide into a pickup bed.

A motorhome has an engine and drivetrain, so it’s bought much like a heavy truck. A travel trailer has no engine at all, and its offer depends on the frame, axles and what’s left of the body. Water damage matters for reuse, but the steel frame underneath is still steel. Our guide on scrapping versus selling for parts explains why we ask about appliances, the generator and the axles.

What to have ready

In Illinois an RV is a titled vehicle, so selling one for scrap follows the same rule as a car: the title or another accepted proof of ownership, plus two forms of ID, one of them a driver’s license or state ID card. A towable camper has its own paperwork, separate from the truck that pulls it, so look for the camper’s title rather than the tow vehicle’s. If it’s missing, our page on selling without a title explains what we can check on the call.

Weight helps a big unit, but the sticker numbers on an RV mislead the same way a truck’s door label does. The “gross” rating includes water, cargo and passengers. Our guide to finding a vehicle’s weight shows which number to look for.

Where RVs sit, and getting them out

RVs are parked in awkward places, and the details decide how the removal goes, so tell us about them on the call:

• Height and branches. A tall motorhome or fifth-wheel under low trees or wires needs a clear path out.
• Soft ground. A camper that has sat on grass for years may have sunk into it. Say so.
• Tires and brakes. Flat or dry-rotted tires and seized trailer brakes are common, and they change how the unit is moved.
• Slide-outs and jacks. Bring slide-outs in and raise the stabilizer jacks if they still work. If a slide is stuck out, let us know.
• Storage lots. Clear the balance with the lot first and confirm access.

Long units also run into street rules. In Orland Park, the village code bars leaving a vehicle with a trailer, or any vehicle over 22 feet long, on streets or alleys (§ 9-7-1(14)). The Orland Park, Tinley Park and Palos Park pages cover local parking rules and the route from our lot.

When the RV goes with a truck

Plenty of camper owners are also retiring the pickup that pulled it. One visit can take more than one vehicle, so mention the truck on the same call. The page on scrap trucks, vans and SUVs covers the tow vehicle, and box trucks and semis covers anything larger.