RV FEATURE
Matching the tow tug: Buying a new van
instead of a used van will provide more scope
to properly match your needs with your
existing tow vehicle.
Your rights: When you buy a new van – or
any product, really – you have rights under
Australian Consumer Law (ACL). This means
you are automatically guaranteed that the
product will work and do what you expect.
Should the product, a new caravan in this
case, be defective or otherwise fail to meet a
consumer guarantee, it is within your rights to
demand it be repaired or replaced, or to have
your money refunded; however, the remedy
depends on the severity of the problem.
ACL offers numerous other protections that
don’t apply to private sales. It is important
to note, however, that ACL does apply to
secondhand items bought from a business,
in this case a caravan dealership.
Numerous caveats apply, however, to the
ACL when it comes to secondhand goods, but
among the protections, a buyer is guaranteed
that the product will match its description and
that it will come with ‘undisturbed possession’
(a guarantee that no one will claim ownership
or attempt to repossess the product – which
also applies to private purchases).
BUYING USED
It’s extraordinarily common to buy our vehicles secondhand. Why not our caravans?
Immediate holiday: The van park is booked.
The kids are excited. One problem: the
caravan manufacturer just phoned to say
the van wouldn’t be built in time. The fact is,
it could take up to six months for your new
van to be built from the time you paid your
deposit. On the flip side, you theoretically
could tow a secondhand van home after your
first inspection.
This Gazal from 2000 had
an asking price of $17,000.
Price: No doubt, a secondhand van will be
cheaper than its brand-new equivalent.
However, in the RV market, buying on price
alone is not necessarily wise. This is because
caravans hold their value exceptionally
well. For example, an 18ft 2015
Kokoda offroader could fetch up to
$50,000, while a 21ft Jayco Sterling
from 2011 could command $35,000, as
could a Coromal pop-top from the same year.
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