Finding RV Salvage Yards Michigan (RV Junkyards in Michigan)
When you need a hard-to-get part, searching the different junkyards near you is smart. But not everyone leaves those places with the treasure they went to find. It is hit-and-miss when it comes to finding the parts you need at a junkyard.
Michigan seems to have a lot of RV junkyards in its different cities. What will follow will just be a short list to get you on the right track to finding the part you need at a junkyard near you. After that, it is how much time do you have to do the search.
To learn more about RV junkyards or salvage yards in Michigan, just continue to read our article. It is not an exhaustive list but it will get you started. The question will be do you have the time to do the search yourself and save some money?
List of RV Salvage Yards in Michigan
Michigan RV Salvage Hesperia Phone: (231) 854-7388
Email: mrvsalvage@hotmail.com
Schultz RV Salvage and Sales Lowell Phone: (616) 897-7388
Email: info@schultzrvsalvageandsales.com
Camp America RV Center Grand Rapids Phone: (616) 559-1546
Phoenix Trailers Northville Phone: (734) 439-1441
Email: sales@phoenixtrailers.com
Michigan Storage Centers Wixom Phone: (248) 926-1900
Email: info@storage-mi.com
Apache Sales Corporation Lapeer, 1-810-664- 9961
Camper Trailer Parts Lapeer, 1-810-664- 3080- specializes in Apache pop-ups
Cinnabar Engineering Inc Sandusky, 1-800-720- 2227- Specializes in GMC products including Chevy
Graber Industries Constantine, 1-616-279- 5288- Specializes in obsolete parts
Helm Inc Highland Park 1-800-782- 4356- Specializes in manuals
Weller Auto Grand Rapids 1-616-538-5000- specializes in wrecked RVs and carries a wealth of parts for all aspects of an RV
Then for Detroit, you can use this link to get on the right path. It is the Yellow Pages results for an RV salvage yard search. There are 222 individual salvage yards on those result pages.
An honorable mention would be Hudsonville Trailer in Hudsonville Michigan. This company focuses on trailers or campers and has over 2000 in stock in various stages.
Their trailers seem to be picked over very thoroughly by others looking for great parts at reasonable prices. One website that recommends them says they have earned a very high reputation for supplying quality parts and service.
The company has been around since 1948 so they must be doing something right. As usual, while there are many salvage yards on this list, they may or may not have the part you want or be actual salvage yards.
You just have to take the time to explore the different locations near you and see what they offer.
RV Salvage Yards in Southern MI
One name that keeps popping up on different lists is Bontrager’s Surplus Inc. This company is not a true salvage yard even though they carry surplus, discontinued, overstock, scratch and dent items, and more RV parts.
Plus, they are said to sell them at reasonable prices. You can contact them at the following options Phone: 269-483-7017 Email: surplus@bontragers.com
Address: 18719 US-12, White Pigeon, MI 49099.
Others include:
Forbes RV Surplus
Type: Hard-to-find GMC motorhome parts
Address: 1119 M37 S., TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685
Phone: 231-943-8965
Email: sales@forbes-rv-surplus.com
Johnson’s Surplus
Type: RV materials and surplus parts
Address: 12195 US HWY 12, White Pigeon, MI 49099
Phone: 269-483-2249
K and A Enterprizes, Livonia, Michigan 48152
1-248-427-0383 RV & Camping Accessories, Parts, Equipment & Supplies for all types of Campers
Spartan Motors 1000 Reynolds Road, Charlotte, MI 48813
1-517-543-6400 Manufactures the Spartan Chassis line & this is surplus list
Tom’s Borderline Bargains 67351 US South 131, Constantine, Michigan 49042
(616) 435-5533 Refrigerators, ranges, hot water heaters, furnaces, paneling, replacement windows, Amish oak, carpet, trim.
Michigan RV Outfitters 337 S Meridian Rd (US-127) Hudson, MI 49247
1-517-610-8419
Factory RV Surplus 710 Sol Morris, White Pigeon, MI 49099
1-269-464-2245 We are a growing leader in RV parts distribution across the United States. We import and buy direct in order to offer our customer lower prices.
Brad's RV JunkYard
Brighton, Michigan
Phone: 313-231-2771 Tollfree: 800-766-4422
Email: INFO@SOUTHLAWN.COM
Most of the lists you can find on the internet will have the same companies listed. There may be more than the ones we placed here but these are the ones almost everyone on the internet seems to know about.
It would do well to look at your local yellow pages or classified ads to see what is available in your smaller city or town. There may be a lot of these outfits that do not advertise on the Internet as it is not going to help them gain more business.
Buying Used RV Parts in Michigan
This task is made easier by looking at your local classified ads or different RV discussion forums. There may be individuals near you that are listing parts you can use in those media outlets.
We know that most RV discussion forums have a classified section to help their members out. The only drawback is they may not be in Michigan State. As we said, you can drive around your area to see what salvage yards are near you and what kind of stock they have.
It is going to be time-consuming to find RV parts through Salvage yards. One way to make it easier is to either look on eBay as we found one company listed above advertising their eBay store.
Another location to look at would be Visione RV as they are advertising themselves as the world’s largest used RV parts outlet. You can see their website at this location.
The drawback to that website, even though it is convenient, is that it may not be in Michigan. There was no contact information outside of their phone number and email address.
Plus, you may need an image of the part you are looking to replace when you contact them. There are other individual used RV parts stores on the internet but they may not be in Michigan either. They just broaden their sales opportunities.
RV Junkyard Michigan Tips
When it is time to look for replacement parts, going new may be a bit beyond your budget. So it is logical that many RV owners turn to salvage yards to find what they need cheaper.
But when they do this step, they and you have to budget a lot of time. Unless you are extremely lucky, you may not find the part you want in the condition you need right off the bat.
Here are some tips to help guide your search:
1. Know what you need- make sure you know exactly which part it is you are looking for. Take a photo of the old one to help you match up any used parts that look close to the one you want to replace.
2. Find a good junkyard- not all RV junkyards are the same and some are a lot better than others. Take some time to look through any available information on the junkyards near you and go to the best first.
The only thing about this point is that sometimes, the lesser junkyards may be the only ones that have the part you need. If so, then some top negotiating skills will be needed.
3. Dress for a junkyard experience- don’t wear any nice clothing including a suit and tie. Not only will you have to pay for cleaning, but the junkyard managers may also see this as an opportunity to raise their prices.
Dress to be prepared to get dirty as usually, you will have to do your own removal of the part you need.
4. Bring your own tools- some junkyards may supply tools or they may rent them. Save money and hassle and just bring your own. Make sure they are the tools you will need to use.
5. Bring a friend- sometimes getting to the right part means that you have to have 4 hands to do it right. Bringing a friend makes the time spent more fun, passes quicker, and makes sure you have help when you need it.
6. Practice your negotiating skills- not all junkyard or salvage yard prices are going to be cheap. Make sure you know how to negotiate well or bring someone who can do that task for you.
Getting the price down into your budget range and still making it beneficial to the junkyard owner is your goal here.
7. Knowing the manufacturer of the different components will help you find the right parts that you need. Many parts are not interchangeable between brands. Some are universal though and you need to tell the difference.
Some Additional Words
Junk and salvage yards are great places to find parts for vintage and retro RVs and trailers. There is not a big demand for them and you may have some luck finding the right parts if you take your time.
Make sure to budget enough time for your search. That way you may not go away empty-handed. Junk yards can be cheap but sometimes they are close to new prices so be careful when you shop there.
