10 Tips for selling your caravan or motorhome

These are our tips for selling your caravan or motorhome based on owning and buying/selling caravans for ourselves (not commercially) for over 30 years. We also constantly monitor the market.

The overall goal when selling your caravan is to make it easy for buyers to trust you, understand the caravan/motorhome, and imagine themselves travelling in it. So here are our tips on how to achieve that.

1. Make it look its best Empty all your personal items from the caravan and only leave in it what will be going with the caravan. Give the caravan a through clean inside and out before taking photographs. Clean the awning, windows, wheels, storage compartments, kitchen, bathroom and upholstery. Small jobs such as replacing blown lights or tightening loose handles can make a surprising difference. Depending on your seller market, you may wish to style the caravan with linen, accessories etc. Be aware buyers may expect any items photographed to be included.

   Personally, when buying, I prefer to look at an unstyled van as I find it easier to imagine my own things in there and I like to easily look at the condition of the mattress(s) etc.
   

2. Gather all your paperwork Get together a folder of all your service records, registration details, manuals, appliance information, receipts and any relevant certificates ready. A well-organised folder makes the caravan feel cared for and gives buyers confidence. Smart buyers always want a caravan weighed "empty" before buying to determine how close the empty weight is to labelled tare. Arranging this yourselves and having recently paperwork available and in your folder will also give your buyer information and confidence without them having the hassle of having to arrange this themselves on a van they don't own.
   

3. Take lots of good-quality photographs Don't just photograph the outside. Take photographs in good natural light showing:

   • front, rear, and both sides

   • compliance plate

   • interior from several angles

   • kitchen and appliances

   • bathroom

   • bedroom

   • storage areas

   • electrical system

   • tyres and wheels

   • awning

   • underside/chassis

   • any accessories included

   • any damage or imperfections

Don't photograph anything you are not including in the sale (eg. Annex) as that is false advertising and buyers will expect photographed items to be included.

If your chosen advertising platform only allows a limited number of photographs, choose the ones you think best and retain the rest for quick access when buyers ask questions ("a picture tells a thousand words").

4. Decide where and when you are going to advertise We have always found Facebook Marketplace the best place to sell and buy. If your caravan/motorhome manufacturer has a specific Facebook Group that allow sales posts, this is a good option, along with local Facebook selling groups. Caravans sell best 4-6 weeks before major holidays including Christmas and Easter. Spring is also a good time to sell. The winter months are slow, especially in the southern half of Australia.
   

5. Write an advertisement that answers questions before they're asked Include the things caravan buyers really want to know, details such as the caravan's ATM, tare, length, number of berths, build year, registration status and VIN. For example: 2019 Family Caravan - 21ft - sleeps 4 Well-maintained and ready for its next adventure. Features include air conditioning, ensuite, queen bed, solar, large fridge, plenty of storage. Current registration until [date]. Full service history available. Tare 2000 ATM 3000. Specifications:

   • Cruisemaster CRS independent suspension

   • Al-Ko Esc, electric brakes

   • 2x95w solar panels

   • 2x115 AGM batteries, 2000w inverter

   • Webasto diesel heater

   • IBIS air conditioner

   • Swift instantaneous stainless steel electric/gas hot water

   • 2x95l water tanks

   • dometic 190lt 3-way fridge

   • microwave

   • full annex

   • last service [date]

   • new tyres [date]

   • VIN [identifier]
     

6. Be upfront about condition and finance Don't hide faults. List both the good points and anything that needs attention. Honesty builds confidence and reduces problems or doubt during the sale. For example, if you've recently had to replace the suspension bushes, state "new suspension bushes installed [date]" and have the paperwork available in the folder discussed above. If you owe money on the caravan, state "finance owing". We have walked away from caravan purchases because the buyer has not disclosed this information - and we've discovered it during a PPSR check (which any smart buyer will do). Be prepared to share a current financal statement related to the caravan with potential buyers. Having a plan in place with your finance company for how you and the buyer will manage this finance is also reassuring to potential buyers.
   

7. Be clear about what is included In your advertisement, be clear if the sale includes things such as:

   • anderson lead

   • weight-distribution hitch

   • sway control

   • solar panels

   • batteries

   • generator

   • tv

   • outdoor kitchen

   • BBQ

   • crockers

   • camping equipment

   • annex

   • spare wheel cover

Potential buyers do not like discovering halfway through the process that something shown in the photographs isn't included in the sale.

7. Price realistically Before listing your caravan for sale, look at similar caravans currently advertised, taking into account age, condition, layout, brand, kilometres, accessories, and servicing. Just because you paid an exorbitant amount of money for a caravan fully customised to YOUR requirements, doesn't mean another family has the same wants as you - especially if you have deviated quite far from the norm (e.g. your caravan has a tare of 3500 and ATM of 4500 and you require a truck to tow it). You should also decide your ideal price, acceptable price, and absolute minimum before negotiations begin. Buyers don't want to be kept waiting while you figure this out.
   

8. Make the caravan easy to inspect Have the caravan on show in an easily accessible place and be prepared to be available at all times buyers may want to inspect (but especially weekends). If potential buyers can't look at your caravan this weekend, they will look at others. Everything should be immediately accessible when potential buyers arrive. Let them lead the inspection process but be willing and available to demonstrate major systems - lights, fridge, air conditioning, hot water, water pumps, awning, solar & electrical equipment, and annex (if available). Be patient during the inspection - the longer a potential buyer looks at your caravan, the more likely they are to make an offer. If people are travelling a long distance to look at your caravan, give them confidence that their trip is worthwhile, that you will be available for as long as it takes, and that no one else is going to be inspecting at the same time. We once travelled 4 hours to inspect a caravan that we were 99% going to buy (we had even had the seller send the wiring information and installed electric brakes on our tow vehicle), only to arrive and find the owners not at home! There is no easier way to signal to potential buyers that you aren't serious about selling.
   

9. Be prepared for questions Caravan buyers may have a lot of questions. Be across all the answers about your caravan including tare, ATM, ball weight, dimensions, solar & electrical system. Back up your answers with examples of how you do things when you are using your caravan, these will help the potential buyer understand your caravan. If potential buyers are new to caravanning, you may need to go into a lot more detail about the features of your caravan (e.g. the benefit of having a 1000 payload, or a compostable toilet). Be honest answering questions from potential buyers. Have solutions at the ready for anything negative they may raise. For example, if your caravan has an ATM of 4500, hopefully you have your truck for sale also, or can at least give potential buyers information about what vehicle(s) they could use to tow your caravan.
   

10. Don't make your buyer work to find information A great caravan advertisement and responsive seller will always achieve a faster sale. For example, telling a potential buyer to "go away and understand caravan weights" will absolutely scare them off your van. Take the time to explain why your caravan has the tare and ATM it does and why it's important - you will find they will be much more confident in your caravan after hearing your experiences.

Finally, be wary of scams. NEVER hand over your caravan, keys or ownership document until you are satisfied that payment has genuinely cleared and you've followed the appropriate registration/transfer process for your State. I would personally never sell a van to someone who hadn't come and inspected it.