Buying used How to find a brilliant pre-owned bargain
Buying pre-owned can save you money, but you’ll need to take care. John Sootheran has some top tips to help you minimise risk and bag the bargain caravan of your dreams!
1 Typically, a used caravan can be bought from a major dealership with full facilities (A), from a smaller dealership (often found on former petrol station forecourts), or from a private individual via a small ad or a portal such as ebay or Gumtree.
If you are buying from a dealership, aim to pay for all of your purchase, or even just the deposit, on a credit card. This ensures your entire outlay will be covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (between £100 and £30,000). Different legislation offers protection above this amount.
2 Large dealerships have reputations to protect, so buying from one is seen as being a pretty safe bet. Check our Owner Satisfaction Awards results (issue 423) to find dealerships that have impressed other readers.
3 Private purchases are covered by the principle of ‘caveat emptor’ (buyer beware): the responsibility for checking any purchase’s suitability or condition lies with the buyer. You will have very little comeback if something proves to be wrong.
4 Private sellers often throw in lots of extras with the sale, but with dealers, you’ll have to negotiate fairly hard. They can make money on your part-exchange, finance, the new van and extras they sell you, so negotiate on all of these to get the very best deal.
5 Don’t forget to double-check that your tow car can safely and legally pull the caravan you are thinking about buying. Next, consider the layout very carefully. Is it right for you and your family? Sounds obvious, but getting basic decisions such as these wrong could prove costly.
6 Meet the vendor at their home to view the caravan, not in a random car park or service station.
7 Research similar vans for sale, to get a rough idea of the price you should pay. Print out a screen grab to check the caravan you’re viewing is the same year as that stated in the advert.
8 Online forums can offer a great deal of very useful advice and in-depth detail about problems to look out for with specific ranges and models.
9 View the caravan in daylight and when it’s not raining. Give the exterior a good once-over, looking for evidence of problems such as dents and damage, cracks, scratches, filler and mismatched paintwork.
10 If you’re operating on a tight budget and don’t want to pay an independent expert to check your prospective purchase, do make sure that you give the caravan a thorough inspection yourself. This should include all of the electrics (when plugged into the mains and on leisure battery). Ask the vendor to chill the fridge before