Am I a Cynic ??

[xcvator]

Now I don't know if it's just me but reading through the 2nd hand adds ( not just on this site) it seems that 2 out of 3 off road campers have "never been off road" and "always garaged when not in use"  .To me this sounds like having a 4wd with lift kit, diff locks and winch but was only driven to church on Sunday  by a little old lady 
So am I being cynical  or do I owe a big  to those I have doubted ?
cheers Keith

[POD]

I think you have SOME healthy cynicism going on there HOWEVER:

I think a lot of people buy a "dream", a "vision" and never actually achieve it. They may use the camper and it's not for them. They may take it to a couple of caravan parks and never go off road.

If you're looking at buying one, it's fairly easy to tell if it HAS been off-road or been out in the weather for most of it's life. If you're looking and would like someone with some "experience", just yell out, you'll probably find someone on here who will help.

I am always sceptical of "deals" that seem to good to be true but occasionally one will come up that you're amazed at because they're keen to move it on or change direction or settle a divorce or any manner of things.

[Kit_e_kat9]

I think the only time you can stop being cynical about what's written in an ad, is if you turn up to check it out, it is a little old lady who opens the door, she's wearing a crucifix or there is a picture of jesus in the hallway, she bought it brand new, and still has the receipt and all servicing records.

Do I sound a little untrusting?  Of course Not! 

I'd be checking for the obvious signs of wear and tear (underneath) ... and of course you can always do checks on registration, previous owners, whether it's been swimming or stolen, etc. 

Kit_e

[outback jack]

can't speak for anyone else but, I've had my current c/t for 11 years and i reckon its been garaged for 9 years. when i do use its 50/50 onroad/offroad

[Mace]

I think the pictures (backed up by an inspection) usually tell the story.  There are a lot of second hand campers out there that are on the  market because upon use, the experience didnt meet the vision.  That said, we arnt all GURichs who actually get out there and use their CT 50 or 60 days a year, 15 to 20 would be above average. Many wouldnt do more than a week or two a year because of changed circumstances, time constraints or because SHMBO didnt like the first experience.

These low use CT's are out there, and in plentiful supply for those looking. 4 or 5 years old with stuff all use.

[Maîneÿ . . .]

 
I had a bit of a chuckle when I read this, I bought my camper in 1996 and sold it in 2010, it had been used almost continuously in that time with maybe just a few summer months off down south, for maybe 3 or 4 times in that 14 years.
Longest period of time it was continuously set-up in the one campsite was for about 18 or 20 months in a caravan park when I got a job :'(

It's been down dirt roads, like the Gibb 3 x times and a few tracks/roads I forget the names of, that were just as bad or was that just as good

When I sold it the add just said "camper for sale" described it's make-up and size with the non-negotiable price, and that was all, the first guy to look at it took it away, he could see it had been 'off the tar roads' and I just told him it's history and showed him the work done on the springs and bearings, he lived about 3 Klm from me so we still see each other occasionally, and I know he loves it as much as I did.

[Chippy76]

I went to buy a pajero one from a dealer who told me it had never been on the beach or  off road ..... A quick check of the log book showed it belonged to Noosa shire council, and a quick check inside the chassis rails showed PILES of sand .....

A healthy cynicism is ok!

Cheers Chippy

[JCOJ]

It is ok to be a cynic and cautious when buying, however not everyone is pulling your leg.

My camper is kept in our rear garage when not used.  This is what I will be saying in my ad when I sell my camper: dust seals cleaned every day when in use, only filtered water has been used in the tank, thoroughly washed and cleaned immediately after every trip - and every word of it true!

[Symon]

When I sold my Navara a guy came around to look at it, and asked "has it done any beach work?", and I replied "yes" and then told where it has been and the things I did to prevent rust.

He thanked me for my honesty and then pulled out a bank cheque.  He then proceeded to tell me he felt much more comfortable buying where he knew exactly what he was getting.

Honesty is the best policy.

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710a using Tapatalk

[GU_Thomo]

You should be cynical, but remember, 80%+ of 4WDs never leave the cities let alone the blacktop.
Probably most off road campers never leave the blacktop.

Cheers
Parry

[BigJules]

There is an ad for one of my favourite campers, says never been offload and yet one the PHOTOS! clearly shows it offroad.

I haven't called them....

[Jenko67]

It depends what they mean by 'no offroad' Does that mean some rough 5wd only tracks or just a dirt road... I had a camper trailer that had been on dirt roads but no serious offroad work.. But as many replies have said... inspections certainly give you a heads up...

Regards

Scott