RV FEATURE
If your budget is sub-$40K
and you need a proper
caravan, then secondhand
is probably your best bet.
But given that new rigs
of comparable size to the
aforementioned Sterling can
be bought for around $50,000,
buying secondhand suddenly
seems less attractive.
A quick scan of the online
This Jayco Heritage had a
classifieds will prove to be a
pricetag of around $30,000.
real eye-opener. Twenty-four-
footers built in the mid-2000s
routinely have $40,000 price
Added equipment: This is a double-edged
tags. That’s a lot to spend on a 15-year-old
sword. It’s possible to find a used van to
vehicle. Heck, you could just about buy a new
which its owner has added aftermarket gear,
dual-cab ute for that.
such as a bike rack or even a DC-DC charger.
Shaking out the bugs: Presumably, but by no
means guaranteed, a secondhand van has
seen some miles and anything that might’ve
broken when new has been fixed already.
Rusted-out suspenion on a camper
from 2004. The price tag: $14,000.
Makes you wonder.
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But be careful: it’s almost certain that the
van’s owner hasn’t considered the impact of
these aftermarket items on the van’s payload
capacity. Proceed with caution.
Modifications: If you’ve settled on buying a
second-hander, be sure it is truly what you
need. There are some modifications best done
at the factory, particularly when they involve
adding weight – especially water tanks.
Adding, say, a 100L water tank will have
major implications on the payload of the van
as well as the ball weight. Sure, you could look
into upgrading the ATM, but that will involve
an engineering report and potentially axle/
suspension upgrades.