So, you have decided to go ahead and get yourself one of these now infamous thingamabobs called caravans. Great.
You have reached the point where you will still be doing yet more research on where to buy your caravan. Those must be leaving your brain half-dead from the never-ending options and adverts and marketing strategies thrown at your face.
Well. You can breathe now. Or can you, have you actually asked yourself – where can I buy a caravan?
This is not one of those articles that will confuse you forever more. We promise. So do read on to find out where to buy a caravan from and what you should expect.
To begin with, you need to consider whether you would like to buy your caravan from a dealership, or a privately sold caravan would be the better choice for you. We will try to help you figure out which is best for you, and why.
Why Buy A Caravan From A Dealership
• Warranties are almost always a given with anything new. So, if you run into any problems while your warranty is still valid, you just make the dealership take care of the issue.
• Dealers will offer support and backup on the caravan.
• Your access to legal rights expands exponentially when purchasing your caravan from a dealership.
• The variety of caravans to choose from in dealerships is going to be much larger than any private seller of caravans could compete with.
Why Not To Buy A Caravan From A Dealership
• For reasons similar to why online shopping prices are often lower for the same products sold in the marketplace, you can therefore expect the price tag of your caravan to be steeper when sold in dealerships vs. a privately sold one.
• If you need anything extra, you will need to get it fitted in at your own expense, which can add up, depending on the make and model of the caravan, as well as your own lifestyle needs and wants.
• You don’t necessairly know what could be hidden. Are the electrics ok, is the water ok? – no leaks or breakages anywhere that will haunt you in the future. It’s a good idea to arrange an independent inspection before parting with your hard earned money.
Benefits Of Buying A Caravan Privately
• The price can be significantly reduced when compared to caravans sold in dealerships.
• Any added accessories are yours for the taking, at no extra charge to you (most of the times).
• If you know the owner, you know exactly where the caravan has been and how it has been taken care of in its lifetime.
Negatives Of Buying A Caravan Privately
• You will most certainly not be provided with a warranty or a backup.
• The checking and testing of a caravan will not have been done according to industry standards.
• No legal protection can be offered when buying from a private seller. You have to be incredibly careful.
It would help to keep these factors in mind before deciding the route you want to pick. These are certainly not the only pros and cons of buying from dealerships vs private sellers.
Where To Find Caravans For Sale
A quick Google search will bring to you a host of different websites and ads from places near you. Plus of course everything from bargain basement to the most expensive caravans you could ever imagine!
Here are a few that are arguably the best of the lot (in the UK, mostly).
Caravan Finder: As soon as you open this website, you can see for yourself the immense details included in this platform. And indeed, it is one of the largest platforms for people looking to sell their caravans, and, consequently, for buyers as well. There is no end to the new and used caravans for sale on this website. Both dealers and private sellers can be found advertising their products.
Caravan Selecta: Akin to caravan finder, Caravan Selecta also offers you an insane amount of variety to choose your caravan from. Both dealers and private sellers can be found here, as well.
Caravan Trader: Another great website to look into to find the perfect caravan for you among the thousands available. It should make you happy to know that you can trust this website 100%, as it is a part of Auto Trader.
eBay: Suffice it to say, this website has it all, even caravans. Dealers and private sellers can be found here as well. Just be really sure you know what you are buying when auctioning, and that the caravan isn’t stolen.
Dealer websites: With the 21st century, nearly everything can be found online on some website or the other. Caravan dealerships are no exception. They too have a current stock list on their website, in most cases.
Caravan Magazines: Yes, you read that right. You will find many industry magazines advertising caravans for sale at the back in a classifieds section.
Local paper: Similar to magazines, you might find something useful at the back of your local newspaper in the classifieds section.
Notice boards: Old is gold, as they say. Notice board advertisements are still a blast from the past hanging around at public libraries, post offices, caravan sites, churches, etc.
Local dealership: Nothing beats window shopping for your future caravan like taking a nice little afternoon trip to the dealership in your area.
Beware of deals that look tooooooo good to be true, they will most likely be a scam.
When To Buy A Caravan
As important as it is to know where you will be purchasing your first caravan, it is equally, if not more important, to know WHEN you are going to be purchasing your first caravan.
More than anything that could effect the price of a caravan, is the TIMING. Offers are more likely to be better at the end of the summer season, when dealers are done with the latest models for the season and are looking to empty out space to hold in the next year’s models, which arrive in autumn.
Help them out in doing just that, and you might have lucked out and found THE one, at a very reasonable bargain.
Summary
It’s pretty easy to buy a caravan and it’s even easier to find caravans for sale. You’ll soon be heading to your static caravan on weekends and holidays or touring the open road with your caravan hooked up behind your car.
If you’re still not sure if owning a caravan full-time is for you perhaps take a look at our caravan timeshare article and explore a simple and perhaps more affordable alternative.
