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Sanity Check

Auburntsts

Auburntsts

Well Known Member
OK, so I’ve have long said I wanted to sell my 10 and get into a larger high wing. Unfortunately the path we were considering isn’t going to happen (PM me if you want the whole story). So now we’re going to pivot to either a Sling HighWing or a tricycle gear RV-15 (Which should be available early next year). Regardless of what path we choose, I’ll need to sell the 10 which brings me to our quandary. I have a 2-screen non-Touch G3X, G5, GTN 650, SL 30 and TruTrakGX Pilot 2-axis A/P. The PFD is on its last legs and is probably not long for this world (bottom row of soft key buttons), the Autopilot isn’t much better off plus and all of my wiring is atrocious (again the subject for separate discussion as to why).. If we are going to sell, I’m reluctant to drop a whole a bunch of time and money into it, but it may make sense to do so. The way I see it I have 3 options:
1. Do nothing or only try and find a replacement GDU 370/375 to fix just the PFD issue and let the new owner figure out what they want to upgrade
2. Pull the whole old G3X and Trutrak A/P and upgrade to G3X Touch components and A/P servos
3. Same as 2 but upgrade to an Axis system as it’s gonna be about the same amount of work on my part.

My 10 is nothing special and won’t command a premium price no matter what I do, but I unsure as to whether the panel upgrade juice is worth the squeeze. I know which way I’m leaning, but what say the brain trust? Or are there other options I’m overlooking?
 
Offer it for sale as is, you will never guess correctly what the next buyer wants in his RV. As soon as you finish the panel upgrade the potential buyer will say he is looking for an Advanced Panel or Dynon. Whatever you put in will eliminate half the buying public and reduce your prospects. Also ask more than you think it is worth and be ready to negotiate for an all CA$H purchase. Ed S.
 
In my experience working with 20+ buyers, the majority of buyers are not looking for something that requires an upgrade or work. Better than 3/4 of your buying pool cannot do this work and that scares them. It also really adds to the projected cost, as these avionics shop charge serious labor rates. They want something they can fly now and consider upgrades later. Some are looking for a project, but they tend to also be looking at well under market prices.

Its a tough call. Doing that upgrade in today’s dollars is not low cost and there is no good way to understand what the price spread is. My sense is you will do better with the upgraded system. Far more potential buyers and therefore better chance of supply and demand working in your favor. Plenty of folks are happy with a run of the mill plane, as long as its priced accordingly and everything works as it should. That segment of the buyer pool is robust.

If you leave it as is and tell them they need to address it, as you should, they will run home and call gosh knows who for a price to replace it all. They will come back the next day and say i am interested if you dropp the price by $100,000. If you go that way, be prepared to recommend someone to do the work, so the buyer gets a quote that is consistent with how you priced the plane and plan to show how your price plus the work equals market price.
 
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lr172 said:
In my experience working with 20+ buyers, the majority of buyers are not looking for something that requires an upgrade or work. Better than 3/4 of your buying pool cannot do this work and that scares them. It also really adds to the projected cost, as these avionics shop charge serious labor rates. They want something they can fly now and consider upgrades later. Some are looking for a project, but they tend to also be looking at well under market prices.

Its a tough call. Doing that upgrade in today’s dollars is not low cost and there is no good way to understand what the price spread is. My sense is you will do better with the upgraded system. Far more potential buyers and therefore better chance of supply and demand working in your favor. Plenty of folks are happy with a run of the mill plane, as long as its priced accordingly and everything works as it should. That segment of the buyer pool is robust.

If you leave it as is and tell them they need to address it, as you should, they will run home and call gosh knows who for a price to replace it all. They will come back the next day and say i am interested if you dropp the price by $100,000. If you go that way, be prepared to recommend someone to do the work, so the buyer gets a quote that is consistent with how you priced the plane and plan to show how your price plus the work equals market price.
Click to expand...
Should have had added that my comments were geared toward the lower cost touch system or even 370 replacements.
 
lr172 said:
Should have had added that my comments were geared toward the lower cost touch system or even 370 replacements.
Click to expand...
First, I wish every seller was like the OP. He wants to maximize his return, totally fair, AND he doesn’t want to sell someone a pig in a poke. Too often only the first part gets consideration. It’s a jungle out there.

Agree, option “1b” makes the most sense to me. Get the plane in a state where everything in it is working to your satisfaction, and where no caveats for the buyer (e.g. “PFD is on its last legs”) are morally required.

If the current state of the wiring would generate a morally required warning, stop flying it yourself (!) and address that without upgraded hardware if doing so is cost effective. Otherwise go with new wiring and a used touch system. Lots of those for sale recently.

Having a G3X touch recently installed by a reputable shop, resulting in a well-wired turnkey airplane with literally “yesterday’s” top avionics, will probably put you in a better selling position than eating the depreciation on a new Axios.
 
As others have said if your determined to sell it, sell it as it is without ploughing a lot of money into it as you probably wont be better off financially and will have a load of labour time lost.

Out of interest what's the rationale for going from the RV10 to a RV15A? Other that possible easier access or back country ability it seems a expensive option to be changing as opposed to properly upgrading and keeping your RV10.

Another thing to bear in mind if going down the sell the V10 and build the RV15A route is the years without a plane to fly unless have access to something else

Nige
 
I'd normally agree to sell as is. But with the recent volume of brand new G3X touch's available at bargain prices I'd consider swapping out the displays.
 
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