Caravans On Site in Australia – Ten steps to follow before buying one

The main points are:

1. Do not buy the camper without first talking to park management. Remember, you are buying a camper from the owner. Then you need to know the conditions for it to stay on the site in the park.
2. Ask for a copy of the Occupancy Agreement. It includes park rules, annual costs, inclusions, and other details. It should be long. If it is only 2 or 3 pages, the agreement may not comply with the legislation regarding caravans on the site. The NSW Government Act relating to vans in holiday parks is: “Occupancy Agreement. Holiday Parks. (Informal Long Term Occupancy) Act 2002”.
3. Discuss future plans with park management. How long can you anticipate having your camper at your park? Do you have plans to replace your camper with a cabin in 1-3 years? If so, will you be asked to remove your camper or will they be moved to another site within the park?
4. Does the caravan comply with the regulations of the council and the park? Discuss this with park management. Sometimes caravans can be sold because they are not in compliance so you may need to have this work done.
5. Discuss what you can or cannot do with your camper. If you want to add a platform, for example, you’ll need to make sure it’s within the site boundaries. You may even need to get approval to paint your camper.
6. Check out other RVs for sale within the park and nearby parks. If there are a lot of them for sale, try to find out why. A good park should have a low turnover of RVs for sale.
7. What is included in the sale? Some include all the furniture. Take photos of the interior at the time of inspection if you do.
8. Do your sums! If you are not going to use the caravan on a regular basis, it may be cheaper to stay in one of the cabins in the park than to spend all your money for a couple of weekends a year.
9. Do more research on the park. Will it be full when you plan to stay? What type of clientele do they attract? Is it geared towards children? Do you allow pets? We suggest you stay in an on-site cabin for a night or two to get a “feel” for the park.
10. Does the sale price sound reasonable? If it’s too much, don’t be afraid to ask why. Compare your price with other caravans in the same park or nearby.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are generally buying from the person who owns the title to that camper. It can be towable (a requirement if the caravan is in a flood prone area) or it can be on stumps or “ground tied”. Typically you are not buying rights to the space you currently occupy, just the camper itself. You then have to pay an annual fee to the caravan park management for the privilege of having your caravan on site. This fee and what it covers varies from park to park.

By following these ten steps, you’ll be much less likely to be disappointed with your purchase. Remember, you are not just buying a used camper. You are investing in your spare time and your vacation aspirations.