Tips For Purchasing Used Caravan Awnings

Used Caravans

For many people, purchasing a brand new awning for their caravan is simply not something that they can realistically afford. As far as accessories go, these are some of the most expensive that you can invest in, but they are highly useful for increasing the living space of your van. Instead of forking out an arm and a leg for a brand new one, you could try looking at some used caravans awnings.

• Make sure that you are purchasing a structure that has been created by a reputable company, as they will not damage their reputation by selling subpar products.
• Thoroughly check the structure over to ensure that there are no hidden surprises (such as unraveling stitching, tears in the canvas, and failing grummets) that could cost you money down the track.
• Make sure that the awning fits your used caravan. If possible, take your caravan with you and test that the structure aligns with the tracks and brackets it is fitted with.
• Try and look for awnings that come with a manufacturer’s manual, as this will ensure that you are setting up the structure properly and that you are aware of its capacity (such as wind resistance and occupancy).

Once you have found a used caravan awning that meets all of the requirements outline above, you can rest assured that you are making a sound investment that will increase the value of your van. If you ever have any hesitations or qualms about an awning, trust your gut instincts and keep looking for one that better suits your needs.

Preparing Your Caravan For Sale

Caravans

Once you have decided to advertise your beloved family caravan for sale, there are a number of things that you could be doing to ensure that you receive the best price possible. By following the below tips and hints, you can ensure that you present your caravan in the best possible light and have lines of potential buyers lining up to take a look.

·         Photographs: If you are advertising your caravan online, it is always recommended that you take as many photos as possible, both inside and outside. This will allow you to choose the best shots to display with the advertisement, as well as giving you additional ones to send to buyers.

·         Price: Always do some research into what caravans similar to yours are currently selling for. Asking too much is a surefire way to ensure that your van remains on the market for months and sees very little in the way of inspections.

·         Questions: Think about what sort of questions you would ask a seller. If you can provide thought out and easy to understand responses to buyers, you will come across as someone who knows what they are talking about and they will listen to you.

When potential buyers come to inspect the caravans for sale, make sure that it is clean, smells nice and looks like it has been well cared for. You may like to put a vase of flowers inside, make up the beds as you would if they were going to be slept in, and hang towels in the bathroom. This way, buyers can envision themselves staying in the caravan and make a more personal connection with it.

Should You Travel With Your Caravans Blinds Up Or Down?

This is a question that few people think to ask – driving along the highway during the summer holidays, you are likely to see a number of caravans with the blinds down, but you are also likely to see almost an equal number travelling with their blinds closed. For some people, the blinds simply remain the way they were when the caravan was last used; for others, the blinds are rigorously checked before each trip. But is there a right way to do it?

• During summer, travelling with the blinds down helps to keep the caravan cool, as the powerful rays are reflected back. It can, however, cause the light to be reflected back onto other drivers; some van owners are well aware of this issue and choose to travel with their blinds up as a result.
• Some caravans are fitted with a full-length or –width mirror across the back wall, which can cause confusing reflections for the driver. If you are able to see any reflection in your rearview or side mirrors that could cause you to make a mistake, it is best that you travel with the blinds down.
• During long trips, it is likely that you will need to stop occasionally for rests or toilet breaks. Many people choose to travel with their blinds down because it stops would-be thieves from having a sticky beak inside their caravan whilst it is unattended.

So, should you travel with your caravan’s blinds up or down? Ultimately, the answer to this question depends on a lot of factors and could change for each trip that you make. Before departing on your trip, ascertain whether you will need to make any stops along the way, what sort of whether you will be travelling in, and what items inside your caravan could cause distractions.

Can You Take Your Caravan On Holidays Abroad?

Caravan

One question that many caravan owners in Australia probably don’t think to ask themselves is whether they can take their can on holidays abroad. The main reason for this is that Australia is an island and that, whenever we visit another country, we are forced to take a plane (or, perhaps, a boat). Fortunately, if you are determined enough, it is possible to holiday abroad in your caravan.

Firstly, it depends what you consider ‘abroad’ to be. Whilst some people agree that the term refers to foreign countries, others believe that ‘abroad’ refers to any place that you have to travel over water to get to. If you are a follower of the latter, simply travelling to Tasmania or one of the smaller islands around Australia would count. And it is more than possible to take your caravan to these locations, namely on the ferries that join these islands to the mainland.

If you agree with the former definition of ‘abroad’, however, this does put you in a bit of a tricky situation. It is possible to travel by boat to some of Australia’s nearest neighbours, including New Zealand, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, meaning that you could probably take your caravan with you, but these are long and tiresome journeys.

The best way to holiday abroad in a caravan is to travel, by plane, to the country or continent of your choice and to buy a van once you arrive. If you are travelling around Europe or America, especially, there are plenty of neighbouring countries that you can simply drive your caravan to. Then, when it comes time to come home, you can sell your van back to a dealer or private buyer, hopefully making back most of the money that you spent on it in the first place.