Buying a Used Caravan from a Dealer: Why It Worked for Us

Buying a used caravan can be a much less frightening way to enter the caravanning world. This is especially true for first-time buyers still working out what they really need. Our experience buying a five-year-old caravan from a reputable dealer taught us something important: used does not necessarily mean worn out. More importantly, the right dealer can add surprising value to the deal.

Buying your first proper caravan usually begins with tremendous enthusiasm. However, after about 20 minutes browsing online, it can develop into something resembling a minor administrative crisis.

There are thousands of caravans.

Some are designed to cross the Simpson Desert. Others appear better suited to crossing a powered caravan park to reach the amenities block. There are single axles, tandems, lithium batteries, solar panels and independent suspension. Then there are washing machines, diesel heaters and enormous televisions. The variations in ensuite layouts alone can make you wonder whether caravan designers spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about bathrooms.

Then there is the price.

Buying a Used Caravan: What to Look For Before You Buy

If you’re buying a used caravan, particularly your first one, there is more to consider than whether the upholstery matches the curtains. A well-maintained pre-owned caravan can offer excellent value. However, condition, payload, servicing history and aftersales support can make the difference between a bargain and an expensive lesson.

Used Caravan Buying Checklist

Before putting down a deposit, check:

• Water ingress: Look carefully around windows, roof hatches, doors, corners and cupboards for staining, swelling, soft timber or musty smells.
• Weights and payload: Check the caravan’s Tare, ATM and available payload to make sure it can legally carry your water, food, gas, batteries and travelling gear.
• Chassis and suspension: Inspect underneath for corrosion, damage, worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers and signs of poor maintenance.
• Tyres, brakes and wheel bearings: Check tyre age and condition, not just tread depth, and ask when the brakes and bearings were last serviced.
• Electrical system: Test the batteries, solar charging, inverter, 240-volt system and major appliances.
• Gas appliances: Make sure the cooktop, hot-water service, refrigerator and heater operate correctly and ask about servicing or certification.
• Service history: A documented maintenance history can tell you a great deal about how the caravan has been cared for.
• Fitted accessories: Solar panels, batteries, awnings, annexes, diesel heaters and other equipment can add considerable value to a used caravan.
• Warranty and aftersales support: If buying from a dealer, find out exactly what is covered after you drive away and who handles any problems.
• The handover: A proper caravan handover should explain how the electrical, water, gas, heating, awning and safety systems actually work before you head off.

First-time Caravanners

We went through most of those questions when we bought our own used Essential Exceed Series II in 2023. What surprised us was that the caravan itself was only part of the equation. The dealer, workshop preparation, handover and ongoing support turned out to matter just as much.

For first-time caravanners such as my wife and me, that was one of the big reasons we started looking seriously at buying a used caravan rather than ordering a brand-new one.

A good second-hand caravan gave us the chance to discover exactly how we wanted to travel. Better still, we could do it without investing a small suburban mortgage. We might otherwise have discovered later that we’d bought the wrong layout, insufficient payload or a bathroom door positioned precisely where your elbow wants to be.

Taking the caravan plunge

We had already spent plenty of time travelling with our trusty MDC camper trailer, but each time we started rolling in the canvas, the idea of moving into a fully equipped caravan kept popping up. Especially when it rained.

We talked about it around campfires, over coffee and, most importantly, with experienced caravanners.

What would they buy again?

Which features would they change?

What looked essential in the showroom but turned out to be completely unnecessary?

And what was the one feature they didn’t think they needed until they had spent three wet days camped somewhere with no power and a wind strong enough to relocate the awning to New Zealand?

The more people we spoke to, the more obvious it became that buying the right caravan requires considerably more thought than simply deciding how many cupboards you want.

Our own list gradually took shape.

We wanted a late-model dual-axle caravan somewhere between about 19ft 6in and 21ft, with at least 600kg of payload, an ensuite and enough onboard electrical capacity to spend several days away from mains power.

We didn’t need a full-blown extreme off-road caravan. Our modified 4WD tow vehicle was already set up to handle the rougher excursions, so our thinking was that the caravan could become our comfortable base camp while the ute did the adventurous stuff.

In other words, we wanted something capable without dragging half a tonne of hardcore off-road equipment around Australia simply because it looked impressive in the brochure.

The accidental caravan-shopping expedition

Like plenty of Tasmanians who have looked at a thermometer in July and wondered whether Queensland might be worth investigating, we’d headed north for winter.

We were staying on Brisbane’s northside, not far from the long collection of caravan dealerships lining the Bruce Highway around Burpengary.

One morning my wife announced she’d like to have a look.

Experienced husbands will understand that there are several different meanings attached to the phrase have a look.

There is the casual version, where you genuinely look at something.

Then there is the version involving caravans, houses, furniture or puppies, where looking is merely the first stage of a process that may ultimately involve finance paperwork.

She stopped at Lawrence RV and soon struck up a conversation with salesperson Catherine Lawrence.

Before long, Catherine and my wife were sitting inside a caravan going through our wish list.

Catherine didn’t simply point us towards the newest or most expensive van in the yard. Instead, she spent time working out what we actually wanted to do with it.

That, as it turned out, was important.

About half an hour later she suggested we inspect a used 2017 Essential Exceed-II that had arrived only the previous day.

Looking beyond the shiny bits

The first surprise was how well the five-year-old caravan compared with the brand-new vans parked nearby.

Even before the dealership had detailed it, the van presented extremely well inside and out.

But shiny cupboard doors don’t tell you everything.

I crawled underneath.

This is something I recommend when buying almost anything with wheels. Although doing it at a Mercedes-Benz dealership apparently attracts considerably more attention.

The suspension and underside looked well cared for, and the spring bushes were generously greased. To me, that suggested the previous owner had paid attention to maintenance rather than simply polishing the outside before trade-in day.

It was also fitted with AL-KO ESC stability control and had been treated with RVGard protective coating.

Then we discovered the diesel heater.

For Queensland buyers, a diesel heater might be regarded as a pleasant accessory.

For Tasmanians, it sits somewhere between refrigeration and oxygen on the list of necessities.

The front tunnel boot produced another surprise. Neatly stored inside were anti-flap bars, awning shade walls, a shade sail for the right-hand side of the caravan and a new caravan jack.

These were all things we would otherwise have needed to buy.

That is one of the often-overlooked advantages of a well-equipped used caravan. Someone else may already have spent several years discovering which accessories are genuinely useful and then kindly included them in the sale.

Where the dealer started earning its money

The caravan itself had caught our attention, but what really changed the equation was what came with it.

At the time of our purchase, Lawrence RV included 12 months registration and a 12-month bronze caravan warranty covering specified chassis, axle, suspension, electric brake, water ingress and appliance items, subject to the limits and conditions of that particular warranty.

Those were the terms applying to our purchase at the time, of course, rather than something buyers should assume will automatically apply to another caravan today. The lesson is to ask exactly what warranty is included, what it covers, what it excludes and who you call if something goes wrong.

The van was also going through the dealer’s workshop for a pre-delivery inspection and service before we collected it.

Then Catherine mentioned something I think is particularly valuable for first-time caravan owners.

We would receive a two-hour handover and training session with their resident caravanning guru, Damo.

Two hours might sound excessive until someone begins explaining water pumps, hot-water systems, battery chargers, solar regulators, gas isolation valves and toilet cassettes. But there is more, much more like stability control, awnings and the mysterious collection of switches caravan manufacturers scatter around their products.

Suddenly two hours doesn’t seem nearly enough.

The little things that make a big difference

The way we camp also influenced the deal.

A lot of our preferred campsites are beside rivers, lakes or the coast, so Catherine offered to have a rear gas bayonet installed as well as the front connection.

Graham Lawrence explained the thinking perfectly.

If you’ve backed the caravan into a beautiful riverfront site, why stand at the front cooking your barbecue while admiring the towbar, gas bottles and back of the ute?

Put another gas connection at the rear and you can cook while looking at the river.

It is such a simple thing, but it illustrates something worth remembering when buying a caravan.

The best features aren’t necessarily the ones that look impressive on a specification sheet. They’re the ones that make the way you travel easier.

The dealership even included a BBQ Arm Mate that attached to the caravan’s rear bar and provided a platform for the barbecue and cooking utensils.

At this point my wife had moved considerably beyond having a look.

The red bow moment

A deposit was paid and collection arranged for the following week, giving the workshop enough time to complete the service and pre-delivery work.

When we returned, sales coordinator Bri Cason took us through the paperwork before handing us over to Damo for the promised caravanning lesson.

We were also offered the option of extending the warranty from 12 months to five years. We took that option because, under the arrangement offered to us, the remaining warranty could be transferred if we sold the caravan before it expired.

Again, warranty products and terms change, so anyone considering an extended warranty should read the current conditions rather than relying on what applied to our van.

Then came the actual handover.

The team had put a large red bow on the door and rolled out the red-carpet treatment.

It sounds like a small thing, and technically it was. A bow doesn’t improve wheel bearings or add battery capacity.

But buying a caravan is a significant event for most people, particularly their first one.

Treating the handover as something special made the whole experience feel less like we’d bought somebody else’s old caravan and more like we’d started our own adventure.

There was just one small problem

We now had our caravan.

Unfortunately, we also lived on an island.

When we contacted the Spirit of Tasmania to amend our booking and take the caravan home, we discovered there was about a six-week wait for a suitable vehicle space.

This is the sort of minor geographical detail that mainland Australians don’t generally encounter when buying recreational vehicles.

The sensible thing would probably have been to become annoyed.

Instead, we found ourselves with an unexpected excuse to spend several more weeks travelling slowly down Australia’s east coast. It’s a wonderful journey from Brisbane towards the Spirit terminal in Geelong.

There are worse problems to have.

More importantly, it gave us an immediate opportunity to test the caravan properly.

The used Essential caravan performed faultlessly on the journey south and, by the time we reached the ferry, it already felt like ours.

My wife began making her own modifications almost immediately, including homemade detachable window shades that provide additional privacy and shade while still allowing us to open the windows.

And that is perhaps the point.

A caravan starts becoming your caravan not when you sign the paperwork, but when you begin adjusting it to suit the way you travel.

Why buying a used caravan from a dealer worked for us

Would I automatically recommend buying every second-hand caravan from a dealer?

No.

There are excellent privately owned vans available, just as there are good and bad examples sitting in dealership yards.

But for first-time buyers, there can be genuine advantages in dealing with a reputable caravan business. Particularly if you don’t yet have the experience to identify every potential problem yourself.

Here are the five things that mattered most to us.

1. 1. More caravans to compare

A large dealership allows you to walk from one caravan to another and quickly discover what you like and dislike.

This is enormously useful.

A floorplan that looks wonderful online can feel completely different when two people are standing inside it attempting to pass each other between the kitchen and ensuite.

Looking at several vans also helped us refine our priorities rather than becoming fixated on a particular brand.

1. 2. Workshop inspection and preparation

One of our biggest concerns with buying used was not knowing how the caravan had been treated previously.

Buying through a dealer meant our van went through a workshop inspection, service and pre-delivery process before we collected it.

That doesn’t mean buyers should stop inspecting the caravan themselves. Look underneath it. Check the seals. Inspect the tyres. Ask about servicing and repairs. Look for signs of water ingress.

A dealer inspection should add confidence, not replace your own homework.

1. 3. Paperwork and history

A good dealer should be able to explain what they know about the caravan and provide the appropriate paperwork for the sale.

Ask about service history, previous repairs, fitted accessories, registration, warranties and anything else relevant to the van.

The more information you have, the easier it is to decide whether you’re buying a well-maintained caravan or inheriting somebody else’s collection of mysteries.

1. 4. Warranty and after-sales support

This was particularly important to us as first-time caravan owners.

Our caravan came with warranty coverage and we had the option of extending it.

Equally valuable was knowing there was a business we could contact if we had questions after driving away.

Caravans are complicated things. They’re effectively small houses that spend their lives being bounced along highways and occasionally shaken over gravel roads.

Things eventually need adjustment, maintenance and repair.

Having somewhere to start that conversation can be reassuring.

1. 5. A lot of caravan for the money

Perhaps the biggest attraction of buying used was value.

The caravan we bought compared extremely well with the new vans sitting beside it but cost considerably less.

It was also already fitted with accessories we would otherwise have needed to purchase separately.

That left us with more money for travelling, fuel, campsites and the steady accumulation of equipment that caravanners somehow acquire despite repeatedly promising themselves they have everything they need.

Aftersales Service

I originally wrote this article in 2023, not long after we purchased our Essential caravan. Since then, we’ve towed it all the way back up the east coast of Australia to Brisbane several times, all the while putting plenty of kilometres under its wheels along the way.

Whenever we’ve been in Brisbane, we’ve taken the opportunity to have the caravan serviced and checked over in Lawrence RV’s workshop, and the aftersales service has been terrific.

A fair indication of how busy their workshop is, comes when you try to make a booking. We’ve learned to organise ours at least a month ahead, which is probably a pretty good endorsement in itself.

Lawrence RV also helped us have the caravan re-rated, giving us a generous three-quarters of a tonne of payload. For the way we travel, particularly when carrying water and spending extended periods on the road, that extra carrying capacity has been extremely useful.

Perhaps most importantly, that ongoing relationship gives us peace of mind when we’re thousands of kilometres from home. Three years after buying the caravan, we’re not simply customers who disappeared out the gate after the handover. We still have people we know and trust who can service the van, check it over and help when we need advice.

One other thing we’ve noticed is that you don’t often see Exceed models come up for sale. When they do, they usually seem to be snapped up within a matter of days, which perhaps says something about how well owners regard them.

Would we buy used again?

Our first experience of buying a used caravan taught us something that is easy to forget when surrounded by glossy brochures and rows of brand-new vans.

The newest caravan isn’t automatically the best caravan for you.

What matters is layout, condition, payload, equipment, how you intend to travel and whether the van genuinely suits your needs.

For us, buying a well-maintained used caravan from a reputable dealer reduced much of the uncertainty that came with being first-time caravan owners.

We got the van we wanted, useful accessories, workshop preparation, a proper handover and some reassurance if something went wrong.

We also got an unexpected six-week caravan holiday on the way home.

You won’t necessarily find that listed under dealer benefits.

But I certainly wasn’t complaining.

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