Caravan sold! Can't wait for the new one to arrive

flatcoat
flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
1000 Comments
edited April 2016 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

We sold our current caravan last night after less than a week on eBay as a classified advert. The couple buying it are returning to caravanning after a short break and were very pleasant to deal with. This puts us over £1000 in front of trading-in to the
dealer so pays for a new awning. So hopefully our new van will be with us in about a month. For those on here who ask from time to time about selling privately I say go for it. You do need to be prepared to put up with the odd chancer with stupid offers and
idiot questions, such as 'will my car tow your caravan?'........ However I do know the van is going to a good home. Make sure you advertise honestly, get all the paperwork together, especially service history and get the van spotlessly clean inside every nook
and cranny and outside too. Empty everything out that is not included in the sale. Research the market for similar vans and price it realistically to reflect you are not a dealer offering a warranty but high enough to put you in front of a trade-in. 

Comments

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #2

    Good advice fc.  We sold ours through a local dealer for a fixed fee and made £1500 over the part ex deal.  When we change again I won't even bother about asking for a part ex price.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #3

    How you sell might be controlled by if you are in the market for a new or used van. If new and you are waiting on delivery, a trade in means you can carry on using your van for holidays, even if the delivery date is put back, as can happen.

    Oneputt, just out of interest, with that fixed fee deal, were you able to set a reserve. I wondered what incentive the dealer had to get the best price?

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited April 2016 #4

    Much depends on how desirable your van is. Despite previous success we had no luck with our Bailey Valencia, even at near trade price. It didn't help that it had been back to the factory twice for damp repairs. We traded it in for a new Motorhome and we
    heard that the dealer sold it OK.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #5

    Over the years we sold two caravans on a commission basis through a second hand dealership. We set the price and knew he would take x% of the final selling price. Any offers below asking price were referred to us for agreement. 

  • Qashqai66
    Qashqai66 Forum Participant Posts: 551
    edited April 2016 #6

    I think there is a degree of pot luck.  We sold a 2011 Bailey privately and got a very good price.  Then we advertised our 2014 Xplore and had no enquiries at all so  ended up doing a trade in.  I must confess that trade is is hassle free and, in our case,
    we found that our two year old Xplore had damp problems which became the dealer's nightmare not ours.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582 ✭
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    edited April 2016 #7

    Hope all goes well with the new caravan. Personally we trade ours in and take the hit  but if you can get a better result selling privately then  go for it. Bearing in mind the last three caravans we ordered all arrived late I would be reluctant to part
    with mine until I knew when the new one was actually going to arrive.

  • Qashqai66
    Qashqai66 Forum Participant Posts: 551
    edited April 2016 #8

    Our last two caravans have been late as well. With the new one we have just got the dealer assured us of no delay. In the event we had to re-arrange all our CL bookings as the delivery was delayed. Now we set off this w/e so looking forward tour our seven
    week yest run.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,677 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #9

    We've got late May as a date for our new van.  Time goes slowly!!  Laughing

    David 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #10

    We've got late May as a date for our new van.  Time goes slowly!!  Laughing

    David 

    Soon be there, David, all being well. Will be well worth the wait, I'm sure.

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited April 2016 #11

    When we decided to have a break from caravanning a few years ago we used Ebay to sell our 15 year old Swift Challenger.  People who won the auction bid unseen and travelled about 100 miles.  

    Our caravan was a good one and honestly described but we thought they were mad!! Plus we got a lot more for it than we had hoped.  

    Just p/xed our current van and pick up our 2014 Lunar Lexon next week. 

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582 ✭
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    edited April 2016 #12

    It is always risky booking ahead in anticipation of the caravan. We did this when expecting a new Eldiss and it was very touch and go. The caravan arrived at the dealers on the Friday ahead of the one we were due to set off for France but with no curtains.
    We got the caravan on the Wednesday and set off on the Friday without being able to check it out. Everything seemed fine at the handover but in the middle of a heatwave we discovered the fridge did not work although it lit up to say it was working. Had to
    live without it for the two weeks away.

     

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