Selling a junk truck, van or SUV

The truck in the photo is a familiar south suburban sight: a pickup that did years of hauling, got parked beside the garage “for now,” and slowly disappeared under leaves. Vans and SUVs end up the same way, often after the family or the business that used them moves on.

Why a bigger vehicle prices differently

Weight is the starting point. A full-size pickup, a cargo van or a three-row SUV has far more steel than a compact car, so its metal value alone is higher. After that, the same things count as with any car: whether it runs, what’s missing, and what parts are worth pulling. A diesel engine or a four-wheel-drive transfer case that still works can add to the number.

Before the tow: clear out the cargo

Trucks and vans tend to hold things. Before pickup, check:

• The bed, cab and behind the seats. Tools, straps and paperwork collect here.
• Racks, shelving and toolboxes. Remove anything you’ll reuse. Tell us what’s staying on.
• A trailer hitch or plow mount. Take it off if you want it. It’s usually worth more to you than to the offer.
• Toll transponders and garage openers. Easy to forget, a nuisance to replace.
• Plates. In Illinois they’re yours, not the vehicle’s. What happens after you sell explains plate transfers and the Seller’s Report of Sale.

Where it’s parked matters more with a big vehicle

A long truck in a narrow side yard, or a van with a raised roof inside a garage, needs a plan. Tell us how the vehicle sits, how much room there is in front of it and whether the ground is soft. We collect from driveways and side lots across Richton Park, Matteson, Posen and the other towns on our service area page.

A family vehicle after a death

Many old trucks and vans are sold by a relative after the owner has passed. Illinois has specific routes for that (a small estate affidavit, an executor’s letters of office, or a surviving spouse or joint owner), each with its own deadline. Our guide to selling a deceased relative’s car in Illinois sets them out with the state sources.

Bigger than a pickup? See box trucks, semis and commercial vehicles. Not running at all? See cars that don’t run. Stripped or rusted through? It’s priced as scrap.