CONGRATULATIONS,
YOU’VE GOT A DUD
Mark Brookfield did his homework and is now
the happy owner of this Paramount Duet.
Just remember, there is no cooling-off period
for caravan sales. Once you buy, it’s yours and
so are all its problems. Consequently, don’t let
yourself be pressured. The advice is to do your
homework and search the Personal Property
Securities Register (www.ppsr.gov.au) to
check its history, and also to get an
independent mechanical inspection. If you are
buying online, never pay money for a caravan
if you have not inspected it in person or had a
professional inspection done on your behalf.
BUYER BEWARE
With some caveats, Australian Consumer
Law does apply to secondhand items bought
from a business, in this case a caravan
dealership. However, the ACL is a road
littered by disappointment and the best
approach is for the buyer to be careful when
buying secondhand.
Aussie RV’s Peter Clack says that buyers
purchasing vans interstate need to be aware
that there may be different roadworthy or
registration requirements between states.
Not everyone’s honest. Sometimes, vans are
‘rebirthed’, which involves someone removing
or changing identifying information of a stolen
or written-off vehicle to hide its identity and
disguise it as a different vehicle.
Caravan manufacturers must fix a trailer plate
to their products. The plate must be made from
durable, non-corrosive metal and must be
physically fixed to the trailer, not by glue, and
in a position that is easily accessible and
clearly visible. The plate should include at least
the manufacturer’s or importer’s name, vehicle/
trailer model, Vehicle Identification Number,
date of manufacture, ATM and a certification
statement for new trailers or imported trailers.
That means you should make sure the
information engraved on the trailer plate
matches the information recorded on the
registration papers. Check the VIN details as
the plate will always be present, even if the
van is unregistered.
CARAVANNING EXPERIENCE
Family Caravan Club of Queensland member
Mark Brookfield says he took a methodical
approach to buying his latest secondhand van
and is very happy with the Paramount Duet pop-
top he purchased for around $30,000. A similar
new van would come in at $50,000 to $60,000.
He says the trick is to do your homework and
to have an expert examine the caravan. In his
case, the expert was willing to travel to
Melbourne to examine a potential buy on
Mark’s behalf. It proved worthwhile and Mark
couldn’t be happier.
Mark and daughter Hanna Brookfield.
+ NEW VS USED