1. Firstly give your caravan a spring clean. Empty it of all your personal belongings and clean it thoroughly inside and out, including all appliances.

2. If there are any small low cost jobs to be done consider doing them! This will create a good impression for any prospective buyer.

3. Carry out all of the checks that a prospective buyer would. This way you can set a fair price and remind yourself of all the great things about your caravan, as well as areas that need improvement.

4. Write an accurate and enticing description, include as much relevant information as possible in your description. Be completely honest and you will save time in the long run.

5. Take pictures. Provide a number of pictures showing as much of the caravan as necessary to give prospective buyers a good idea of what your caravan is like and the condition that it is in. Adverts with pictures attract significantly more attention than ones without.

6. Ensure that you have all the necessary paperwork. Including CriS documentation, service history and any repair receipts. Any customer will want to see these so that they know they are not making a bad purchase.

7. Place the caravan in an easily accessible place. Anybody that is coming to view your caravan will be pleased if it is located on flat ground and they can walk all the way around it.

8. When all of these tasks have been completed your caravan will be an attractive prospect for any potential buyer and with the huge number of customers who search on the web for used caravans it will surely not be long before your caravan has found its new owner!

9. After making the sale you should arrange a secure way to take payment. If necessary ask your bank about how to safely receive money from a customer. Be aware that taking cash, cheques or bankers drafts can in some instances leave you vulnerable to unscrupulous buyers.

10. The final job is to make sure that you have provided the new owner with all of the relevant paperwork. Don’t forget to transfer CRiS ownership, if applicable, with the CRV2 registration documents. This must be filled out by both the seller and the new owner and sent to CriS who will charge a small fee to register the new owner of the caravan.

]]> http://www.c4caravans.com/blog/10-steps-to-selling-a-used-caravan.php/feed 0 http://www.c4caravans.com/blog/a-guide-to-buying-a-used-caravan.php http://www.c4caravans.com/blog/a-guide-to-buying-a-used-caravan.php#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:02:34 +0000 admin http://www.c4caravans.co.uk/blog/?p=122 C4Caravans is a marketplace for the sale of caravans. We provide a marketplace for both dealers and private sellers. There are advantages to buying from each, private sales can be considerably cheaper but you will not get the after-care service that you will get from a reputable dealer. Either way there are a number of things that it is advisable to check out when buying a used caravan so that you can accurately gauge the cost of any work you may have to do to it and avoid unforeseen and potentially expensive problems.

• Always check it first! Do not buy a caravan or part with any money without spending some time looking at the caravan and evaluating the condition. Carry out as many checks as possible, after all this is going to be your home away from home as well as being a significant financial investment so it is worth getting it right.

Firstly ask to see the paperwork.

1. Ownership Documentation – ownership can also be verified through the CRiS scheme (started in 1992). Make sure that both the windows and the chassis are etched with the same CRiS number. Do an HPI check. This ensures that your caravan does not have outstanding finance, it guarantees its provenance and checks that it is not stolen or recorded as an insurance write off.

2. Service History – including any documentation and receipts for repairs done. Any pre-owned vehicle should come with a complete service history.  It is preferable that it does because an owner that has looked after the paperwork is likely to have taken care of the caravan as well.

3. It is always worth finding out how easy it is to source replacement parts for the caravan in the U.K. particularly if it is a foreign make, old or made by a manufacturer who is no longer in business.

4. Ensure that your paperwork is in order as well.  Larger and heavier caravans require a different driving license.  Make sure that your car can safely and legally tow the weight of the caravan you are looking to buy.

Examine the exterior of the caravan. Make sure that it is placed on a flat surface and that you are looking at it in good light.

1. Ensure that the caravan stands level when on even ground. Check the chassis underneath and have a quick look on the roof to see that everything is in order.

2. Look at the bodywork of the caravan, inspect for rust, cracking, dents and scratches.

3. Check the tyres and the spare tyre. They should be changed at least every four years, ask when this was last done.

4. Examine the grab handles, awning rails, waste outlets, external sockets, corner steadies, the jockey wheel and any other running gear. All of these should be in good working order. Make sure that the mechanisms are not bent and work smoothly.

5. Gas and electrical connections – If possible check all external sockets are working and connect the caravan to a car to ensure that the electrics will work properly both whilst driving and when the engine is off.  Connect the gas to make sure that this works as well.  If there appears to have been any D.I.Y. on either the gas or electrical systems it is advisable to call in a qualified person to check them over.

6. Look at the windows and doors. They should fit perfectly and not be displaying cracks or other signs of wear. They can be expensive and difficult to replace dependant on the model. Don’t forget to check the hinges as well.

Thoroughly inspect the interior.

1. Damp – Check everywhere for damp, this is one of the biggest issues with used caravans, particularly if they have not been used for some time. Beds, corners and lockers should all be inspected. If you miss something it could be costly to repair.

2. Inspect the seals. The lifetime of seals varies depending on what they are made of, it can be anything between 5 and 20 years. Check what they are made of and find out when they were last replaced.

3. Examine the floors – they should be evenly laid, neither spongy or sagging. Weakness can be rectified but it may be costly.

4. Locks and fittings should be sturdy and in working condition on all doors, windows and lockers. Make sure that you receive a full set of keys when you buy the vehicle.

5. Investigate the smoke alarms, water pumps, ovens, electrical sockets, lights, vents and all other accessories and fittings. Ask the previous owner to show you how they work and see everything in action.

There are lots of advantages to buying a used caravan. Be thorough and you will avoid problems in the long run. You should expect that there will be some things that you will need or want to change on your caravan. When you have all of the details you can make an informed choice about what work you want to do. Then you will be able to buy yourself a used caravan assured that you will be a satisfied customer of a caravan that will keep you happy for many years to come.

Caravan Security CRiS

Vehicle theft peaked in 1992, but since then has been steadily declining. Still upto 1900 touring caravans are stolen each year in the U.K., and there are over 10,000 unsolved cases of caravan theft.

The Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme was established in 1992 in an attempt to combat the high numbers of touring caravans that are stolen each year. CRiS was set up by HPI and the National Caravan Council (NCC). HPI have a long history of checking the registration of cars as they have been doing it since the company was created in 1938.

Every caravan manufactured after 1992, by members of the NCC, now has a 12 digit Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N.). This number is put on the chassis and on the windows. And since August 1997 all are fitted with an electronic tag that is embedded somewhere within the main bodywork. This means the police can easily access the information about your caravan should there be an incident. Similarly if the police find a caravan that has been stolen they can easily identify it by using the V.I.N. number.

The advantages of this scheme to buyers and sellers are numerous. Firstly if you are buying a pre-owned caravan you can check that the CRiS numbers all match, thereby identifying its provenance. Secondly you can contact CRiS and have the history of the caravan checked. This enables you to see if it is has been stolen, if it is an insurance write off, if the seller is the registered owner or if there is outstanding finance on it.

CRiS charge £14.95 for this service, but by using it you can rest easy knowing that purchasing the caravan will not cause you any problems later on. Although it is imperative that you make the check before purchasing the caravan.

When buying a CRiS registered caravan you must ensure that you are issued with a Touring Caravan Keeper Registration Document (CVR2). This will be essential should you wish to sell your caravan or should it be stolen. When selling a caravan you must make sure that it becomes registered under the new owners name, CRiS charge a £12.00 fee for this, normally payed by the purchaser.

Of course there are many caravans that were manufactured before 1992. If you own one don’t panic you can still register with CRiS and are advised to do so. Not just for the obvious security benefits but because many insurers will not insure a caravan that is not CRiS registered and it should add value to your caravan.

You can contact CRiS seven days a week on 01722 411 430.

8am – 8pm Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm Saturday
10am – 5pm Sunday