As with buying anything new or second hand, a lot of people have their own opinions about which is better when it comes to caravans. Contrary to popular belied, there is nothing wrong with buying a second hand caravan – there are actually plenty of benefits associated with these vans over newer ones. So, which is better – a new or a used caravan?

New Caravan

• There are a number of benefits associated with buying a brand new caravan, including:
• You will be first to own your caravan, meaning that you have peace of mind (and a manufacturer's warranty to go with it) should anything happen to go wrong with your van.
• You are able to choose from the most up to date caravans on the market, as well as the most up to date features and accessories to go with it. This allows you to effectively design a van that suits your needs.
• There are also a number of hindrances associated with buying a new caravan, including:
• It will cost you thousands of dollars to purchase and quite often won't even include extras, such as a television and appliances – you will have to fork out even more for these.
• You will probably need to take your van on a few trips to work out any bugs or tweaks that need to be taken care of before your warranty runs out, which can be difficult for people who have work commitments.

Second Hand Caravan

There are a number of benefits associated with buying a second hand caravan, including:

• It gives you the chance to try out the caravanning lifestyle for a fairly small cost (in comparison to buying new). What this means is that, if you decide the lifestyle really isn't for you, you won't lose as much money in depreciation with a used van as you would with a new one.
• Used caravans are quite often considered more ‘user ready' than new ones because, if it has been well looked after, any little adjustments and tweaks have already been made by the original owner.

There are also a number of hindrances associated with buying a second hand caravan, including:

• It will generally be fitted out with older technology (such as televisions and appliances) that may need to be replaced in order to use the caravan comfortably.
• You don't know anything about the history of the caravan, even if the owner has keep service history and log books, as these documents are easy to fake or even to dispose of.

Everyone's financial situation is different and, for some, buying a brand new luxury caravan is not an option. In this case, there is nothing wrong with buying a second hand caravan – this may be the ideal choice for you, and you may find a van that is functional and you love.