Buying a 2nd hand camper trailer

This is a good place to start

http://www.campertrailers.org/ask_a_salesman.htm

I really found it beneficial to use a camper or two before you buy.. There are so many variables to consider.

The reality is to consider what you may wish to do with it when you have it.. I have a family so when I got mine I made sure it was up to some heavy four wheeling and took it to the Cape last month for 4 weeks. If it wasn't up to the task it would be one of the many that are left to rot in the bush up there or broken on the side of the road awaiting recovery.

Do your homework and look at plenty before you buy... it really is an investment for the outlay of your time.

Cheers

hi
dont buy secod hand buy new as the people are seling as the camper trailer is not good

We had a Heaslip for five years and it was great. Most camper trailers take to long to setup and packup. Look for something you can use in the rain, what use is a dry weather rig when you are caught out nasty weather

Things to look for.
Is the trailer 7ft or 6 ft long?
Does it have 500mm sides?
Is it an Off Road, Semi Off road or On Road?
Is it hard or soft floored. Hard is better but usually smaller than soft floored.
Does it open to the side of back?
Size of the tent Annex etc. Does this size suit your needs?
Extras like water tank, kitchen, storage box.
Type of tow hitch.
Weight, can your vehicle tow it?
Is the wheel track the same as your vehicle?
Are the wheels the same as your vehicle?
What condition is it in?
Price, I ended up buying new because anything I looked at secondhand was either old & worn out or they wanted basically new price.
from Marty.

"2nd Hand is always a compromise"

Not So. I bought my Camper second hand through the original Manufacturer and it has customised options and modifications specified by the original purchaser that I wouldn't have even known about, let alone asked for.

The seller doesn't always have to be offloading a "lemon". Sometimes their lifestyle changes and then someone else (like me) gets a bargain purchase.

I have owned mine for a little over a year now and have not found anything I need to change. Other owners of the same brand however, have approached me and asked about the longer drawbar, or the bigger storage box, or the 4 jerrycan holders, or the boat rack, or the large stoneguard, or the extra door in the annex.

I actually think buying a Camper Trailer, whether new, or secondhand, is always going to be a bit of a compromise, unless perhaps one is buying a top of the range, $30,000+ unit. Even then, my guess is, a great deal of the options are perhaps unnecessary.

Then again, wants and needs are always in the eyes of the owner/user.

Anyway, I have a very good unit that suits my requirements and was below the price range I was originally prepared to pay. So I am LAUGHING!!!

Hire one and go for a trip, at least a long weekend to see whether you will like it or not, and do it 2 or 3 times with a differant type of camper each time if you can, because they may look the same but there not.

This will give you some idea on whether it's for you, and will also test whether your 4B will tow it comfortabley, most campers will be around the 750kg to 1100kg for an offroad model, onroad will be lighter.

Try to keep the ball weight to around 100kg or less, usually the ball weight is 10% of the weight of the camper.

Happy hunting

Baz.