Buying Advice for Touring Caravans
Tourer Select recommend that you follow the advice below when buying your touring caravan.
Buying used Caravans
- Research the market place - Compare prices between advertisements and your local dealer. Don’t forget to budget for insurance and routine maintenance.
- Match your caravan to your car - Conduct a Towsafe Multiple Match Weight - matching cars and caravans can be confusing. Towsafe takes the mystery out of the process. Don’t waste your time visiting caravans that are not a legal match for your car. The Towsafe Multiple Match gives you a list of safe options to base your choice on. Visit Towsafe to do your match.
- Don’t deal in the dark - If you don't buy from a dealer, make sure you view the caravan in good daylight and don’t go alone. Meet at the seller’s house and NEVER agree to meet at a service station or lay-by.
- Request all documentation - Ask to see the caravan’s service history and CRiS registration document.
- Check the seller’s details - Make sure the owner is who he says he is. Contact CRiS with a description of the make and model of the tourer and the owner’s details to be checked against the information on the CRiS database.
- Check if the caravan is on finance - Ask if there is outstanding finance and verify by checking through CRiS. If the caravan has not been paid off, it could still be the property of the finance house that could reclaim it.
- Don’t buy a write-off - Has it been in an accident? Check panels closely for signs of repair and check the caravan’s history with CRiS to ensure that an insurance company has not previously recorded it as a write-off. Write-offs that are rebuilt may not be safe to return to the road.
- Check the locks - Inspect all door and window locks for signs of force or replacement. This may mean the caravan has been stolen and look carefully at the CRiS window markings for signs of alteration or removal.
Sold Secure Approved Security Products
Sold Secure is an independent service, set up by the police and with the backing of the Home Office, now administered by the Master Locksmiths Association. Sold Secure attack tests all types of security products - from padlocks to alarm systems - and rates their findings as Gold, Silver or Bronze. Caravan security products already approved are maintained up to date on the Sold Secure website. It’s better to pay a little bit more for a security device that works. Contact Tourer Select for details of insurance approved products and discounts you can get when you insure your touring caravan with us.
Register your caravan
If the caravan you have bought is not already registered with CRiS, you may want to give serious thought to registering your caravan and having it electronically tagged, as this will help the police to identify and return your caravan if it is stolen.
Selling your Caravan
Don’t forget the possibility of fraud. Thieves have used stolen cheques to buy caravans from unsuspecting owners. Never part with your caravan until the cheque has cleared your account. Remember to tell CRiS about the change of ownership by filling in the Notification of Sale section on the back of the Touring Caravan Registration Document.
