Shopping around will put you in a better position to negotiate.
BEFORE YOU SIGN
If you’ ve looked at a range of caravans and think you’ ve found‘ the one’, what next? We suggest preparing a detailed checklist to assist you with an inspection. The results might also help to negotiate a better price. Download one of the many inspection checklists found online and refer to it while taking your time as you inspect the van. Don’ t be shy – if you’ re unsure how something works, ask. For a modest fee, you can even engage an independent expert to conduct an inspection.
Manufacturers record the weight at the time of manufacture. The question you need to ask the seller is whether the van has had additional accessories fitted since manufacture, such as extra solar panels or a water tank, a bike rack, diesel heater, etc. All these items add weight and could easily mislead you as to the van’ s true weight and perhaps your tow vehicle’ s ability to tow it.
A record of a recent weigh-in is the only way to overcome this. That said, it would still be a good idea to have it weighed before purchase as a condition of sale. This might sound onerous, but it could mean the difference between being legal or illegal.
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