Selling an RV

How to Photograph an RV For Sale

Prospective buyers want to see pictures, so you may as well have pictures ready before you start running ads for your recreational vehicle, motor home, fifth wheel, travel trailer, pop up camper or truck camper.

For internet publishing, you should size your pictures to 100 dots per inch (dpi) and make them 8 to 9 inches wide. The height will automatically adjust according to the width. Some websites that allow you to upload pictures will downsize the pictures to something smaller than your original size, but don't worry about the exact size, as the changes are usually automatic.

If you are scanning regular photographs, set your scanner to 600 dpi. This way you can enlarge the picture to the desired 8 to 9 inches wide. If you scan at only 100 dpi, and your finished picture is to also be 100 dpi, then your finished picture will be the same small size as the original.

If this goes over your head, just have a friend do the computer work, but you should be able to take your own pictures.

If you are using film, use 100 speed film, and don't take pictures until you have bright sun. If you are using a digital camera, set it to "P" which usually allows you to take a picture without flash. Do not use the "A" or automatic setting, as this will often cause the flash to fire and ruin the picture. Flash is for close-ups, and you are going to be too far away for that.

Turn the motor home around so that the sun is shining on the side you wish to photo first. Take pictues of all 4 sides, turning the motor home as needed, and zoom out far enough that the entire RV is in the photo.

Beware of weird shadows or dirty smudges that cause the buyer to think your motorhome is dented or scratched. Some buyers are very fussy and want a like new RV at a used price.

If possible, choose a colorful background free of distractions like power lines, parked cars, houses and lawn furniture. Green grass is always better than pavement. Pavement is better than gravel. Ugly pictures of dirty snow or muddy parking lots will cause your motor home to not sell, unfair as that seems.

Clean all the junk out of the inside, and replace it with a few colorfull items. Put bright placemats and a colorfull centerpiece on the table. Arrange brightly colored cushions on the sofa. A bright red tea kettle would like nice on the stove... you get the idea. This really does make a difference, so if you are not into decorating, get someone else to do it.

For your inside pictures, you might need to steady the camera against a wall to take a nice picture without flash. A tripod helps, but if you don't have one, you can always rest the camera on top of a 2x4 board. Most people can hand-hold a camera at 1/60 second speeds, but any slower than that requires some support. Whatever you do, don't turn on the flash. That's for amateurs. If you don't believe me, try taking the picture both ways, with flash and without. The pictures without flash will be softly lit and colorful, while the flash pics will be harsh, contrasty and lacking in color. Be sure to open all the curtains wide, and turn on all your interior lights. When you frame your shot, do not have a bright window right in the center of the picture, because the camera's meter will treat whateve is in the center as the main subject. If the camera thinks the window is the subject, it will reduce the brightness of the window to "normal", and everything else in the camper will be darker as well.