How to avoid paying too much

Wanna save a few bucks when buying a new van? Read on…

Just because you’re cashed-up and ready to buy your dream new caravan, it doesn’t mean that you have to pay through the nose for it.

There are ways and means to get a discount on a purchase that might be the biggest you’ll ever make after your house. Do it right, and it’ll leave you more cash in your pocket to spend on other stuff – like the holidays you’re planning to take with your new van.

You might think that with around 115 caravan brands competing in the market, you would find it easy to get a discount. Not quite, unfortunately -- there are waiting lists for plenty of brands, which clearly have no reason not to charge full price when so many buyers are prepared to join the back of the long queue…

That doesn’t mean there are no caravan bargains or significant discounts to be had; you just need to be smart about it.

Don’t rush

Firstly, you have to temper that urge we all get in these circumstances to rush out immediately and put your money down on that dream van. Put simply, that’s no way to get a good deal. You have to be willing to take your time – months, even – to get the best deal on a ‘van, or any type of RV.

Get a spreadsheet going so that you can compare vans that you’re interested in – and even some similar vans that you’re not so interested in – for now.

What you need to enter are all the basic specs, such as weight (Tare and payload), size (both internal and external measurements) and key standard features. Then, of course, the prices. You can get prices from recent reviews of that model, or else ring the caravan manufacturer or dealer direct.

Now you’ll have it in black and white a comparative list, from which you can start to see which van represents best value. Sometimes it’s as simple as more space for the same money, or more features – or both.

That left-field van that you weren’t so interested in to begin with might start to lead the pack when you realise it offers more features and/or space for the money.

Avoid shiny new models

There are usually certain caravans to avoid if you’re looking for a better deal. If a manufacturer has just released a new model, it follows that they won’t be cutting prices – for now.

If however, a fairly big brand has already built some stock to get out there to dealers to display the new model, you might be in luck down the track. If the dealers are stuck with a new caravan model that wasn’t as popular as they had hoped, then when it’s been floor stock for a while you’re in a good position to start negotiating on price.

While many caravan manufacturers tend to build-to-order (and therefore won’t be interested in cutting a deal), it’s worth asking if a buyer has backed out of a contract on a van that the manufacturer has already started to build. While the layout and colours might not be ideal, you might be lucky and score a discount – and have a van built more quickly than you’d hoped.

Eliminate unneeded extras

If you’ve got your heart set on a caravan that has to be built-to-order, and you can’t take over someone else’s order, have a look at the standard features and specifications to see if there’s anything there that you really don’t want or need.

It’s worth asking the dealer if that feature can be deleted from the job sheet – and save you some money in the process.

Save with show specials

Caravan shows can be an excellent place to nab a bargain. Often dealers or manufacturers will offer show specials, whether to whip up some excitement for their brand or to move a slow-selling layout or model.

Whatever the reason, make sure you go in with eyes open and have done your research. Get some background on the van in question – find out what its usual selling price is from dealers not at the show in case that ‘show special’ is offered more widely.

Chase the orphans

Every industry has its orphan brands, and the caravan industry is no different. It’s worth having a look at slow-selling models and determining why they don’t sell so well. Sometimes it’s just down to market perception, or the layouts aren’t popular.

Provided it’s not because of a shoddy reputation for build quality, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t jump in and bargain with the dealer on such a van – and save a wedge of money over buying a popular brand.

Just be aware that when it comes time to sell, you might be hit with stronger depreciation than more popular brands and it might take a while longer to sell.

However, the best deals are usually available on ‘vans that are already built and that have been sitting in a dealer’s lot for a while. The dealer will be paying for that floor stock and will reach a point where the van needs to go – and the best incentive a dealer has is to drop the price.

Sure, you probably won’t get your exact colour or features’ choice, but the savings can be substantial. You might save enough to re-trim the van and add features that you really want.

Look further afield

Looking further afield is an excellent way to save cash on a new van. What’s a hot seller in one state can be something no-one wants in another – and like the example above, the dealer will start to drop the price to move the van on.

Do an online search to see if a dealer in another state is offering the van you want at a discount. It can be worth the price of return flights to check it out and to either tow it home or have it freighted back.

Old-fashioned haggling

When you’ve found the van you want (and it’s in dealer stock) then there’s nothing wrong with haggling. But you have to make it clear to the dealer that you’re cashed up and ready to go and that you’re prepared to sign up today if a price can be agreed on.

Provided you’re respectful and not aggressive about it, negotiating a better deal won’t upset a dealer or make him not sell the van to you – you won’t be the first or the last customer to haggle on a caravan deal.

A brand-new caravan is a big investment and closing on the deal is a pretty exciting time for even the most mild-mannered of us. Taking your time and doing your research can make the deal even sweeter with the savings you make…

How to avoid paying too much

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