Trouble selling Camper?

[kalex]

Is it just me or are others out there having trouble selling there soft floor campers?
I have a custom Tambo camper i've been trying to sell for 3 months advertised on here, Camping and Caravan Sales and eBay and have only had 2 calls and no lookers.
I have lowered the price from $7500 to $4900 and still can't sell it. I think it's a bargin.
Any idea's of what to do?
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=17040.0

[JCOJ]

It might just be your timing.  The last 3 months have seen the lead up to Christmas and then Christmas and New Year itself.

Hopefully things will improve for you (and others) come mid-late January when things start getting back to normal again.

[D4D]

I keep an eye on the 2nd hand Goldstreams on eBay, Trading Post and Camping and Caravan Sales, none of them are moving either. There's also a full Tambo that has been for sale for a while too. I think the market for $5000 campers is new rather than 2nd hand.

[sparey]

Hi have you tried gumtree, I sold my camper last year on there only took a couple of
weeks and plenty of calls, got the price I was asking as well. Good luck.

[dooguss]

your not alone mate we been trying to sell our old camper for a while to now...... here, the trading post, camper trailers.org and only had 1 email thinking of stripping it down and just keeping the off road trailer.

[McGirr]

Being in the selling game it all comes down to price. Even if a seller thinks its a bargain buyers don't. Add to this people are jiuggling credit card bills from Xmas and the expense of back to school.

2 options  take it off the market till march when things settle down or be prepared to keep reducing until you get a buyer.

Mark

[singo-26]

I'm holding off till mid Jan before trying ebay again with mine, I'll wait till peoples get over christmas.

[dazzler]

I think you are up against the chinese rubbish that looks good and sells for similar prices.

Aussies have fallen for chinese junk hook, line and sinker.  Our grandpas would be shaking their heads.   

[Robertsons]

Yes we are another trying to sell ours. We just bought a caravan. Thankfully we are not in a hurry to sell. I think with all the cheap ones (poorly built) around it makes it hard. Just got to wait i guess. Its a pitty though we are running out of shed space.

[ondaboat]

Aussies have fallen for chinese junk hook, line and sinker.  Our grandpas would be shaking their heads.   

Not here, brought a high quality auzzie built camper. I'm certain no Chineese crap would deal with what I'm gunna do to this thing

Regards Adam

[Wandering Tassie]

As others have said, you are competing against new ones in that price range. Even though thay are not the quality many people buying in for the first time are not aware of this.
Maybe use these points to try and sell yours.

Trevor

[kylarama]

Even though thay are not the quality many people buying in for the first time are not aware of this.

I would say 95% of people would be aware of the quality.  The thing is the people gererally buying these $5000ish campers are young couples/families on a tight budget and with the reality that it will probably only ever get used at Christmas, Easter and maybe 1 or 2 long weekends.  So Chinese quality will probably hold up for its intended use and they figure their getting more bang for their buck with a cheap new one with all the bells and whistles, as opposed to a 10 year old Aussie made one thats been dragged all over Australia.

Having said that we'll be in the maket for another camper in the next 6 months (currently have a caravan ) and if I don't choose the self built option, it will be a 2nd hand Aussie made.

[fishfinder]

from experience just before Easter is the times i have sold 2 Ct's and a boat on separate occasions stop advertising and wait til mid march

[BigJules]

Good photos sell campers. If yours isn't moving take it somewhere gorgeous, set it up perfectly and take lots of shots. Take photos of the bench, the ladder, the battery, everything. Make it easier for buyers to visualize how this will work for them.

[BigJules]

I've been looking for a new (to me) camper, but in a higher price bracket, and see so many that are over priced and hence not selling.

This is not a comment on those above, I've looked at them and wondered myself why they aren't selling as the prices are keen.

[db]

We found it hard to move ours, took about 3 months.  Had a few nibbles but couldn't get anyone to look at it.  The first people to look at it bought it.  Maybe highlight why a tambo or whatever is worth more than a new cheapy?

[V8100]

About to put mine on the market.  Was thinking about price and how much the chinese imports will knock it down. But after just spendind 2 weeks in a van park 4 out of 5 were imports.

cheers eddy

[bobnrob]

Recently sold mine after only about a mth, but I feel I was very lucky from what I'd seen & read of other's previous experience trying to sell theirs.
I'd only advertised it here, & on our local community board. The couple who'd bought it only came across the notice on the community board because the woman changed her mind about the shop she wanted to go to 1st, & took a short-cut through the arcade where the board is, lucky for me 

The Cub we'd bought to replace it with had been on the market for a few mths with nary a nibble. The day I rang about it, the owner got another call within the hour from someone else who'd sounded really keen...could've been a sales pitch from the owner I know, but dealing with him, I'm quite confident of his honesty

All in the luck of the draw I believe.

You have to remember also, they are in a specialised area. Not the same as trying to sell everyday items used by lots of people lots of times eg: cars - furniture - clothing etc
As much as we know lots of other campers/CT users, it's still a minority life style in the scheme of things!

[RedProw]

Good photos sell campers. If yours isn't moving take it somewhere gorgeous, set it up perfectly and take lots of shots. Take photos of the bench, the ladder, the battery, everything. Make it easier for buyers to visualize how this will work for them.

Couldn't agree more, good photos are a must when trying to sell, not only selecting the location but ensuring everything in the photo looks nice and neat and taught. Yes, price is important, but attention to detail is extremely important, it is all about the presentation as you are competeing with many others and you need to ensure yours stands out. When I am going to part with my hard earned $$ I am very particular, if the photos look average I tend not to linger I will move on.

Hope this helps.....Good Luck.

[Blinky Bill]

Both RedProw and BigJules are on the money with their advice on good photo's. Remember it always pays to listen to good advice. 

My mate worked for a company that had a motto 'Perception is Reality' and I think there's truth in it.

IMHO several things are working against you. One is the market and two is the photo's that you have posted to represent your sale. 

The first one is not within your control. The market is what it is. Having said that I believe there will be a buyer out there for you IF you present things well and entice them. Remember you only need one person keen to buy (so don't waste a shot until you see the whites of their eyes). 

The second one is 100% within your control and easily fixed. Presently your camper (soon to be some else's camper) is not being shown at it's best. It's more like a cute chick with a black eye. 

Let me share my story. I wanted to sell my Land Rover Defender and got offered a price. At first I thought 'okay it's worth what the market is prepared to pay and that must be it'. Then I came at it from another angle. I knew it was a good vehicle and would appeal to a like minded buyer. All I needed to do was let them see it as I saw it but through the magic of photo's and good presentation. Remember that the pics is all they will see. And first impressions really count.   

So what I did was find the best locations I could and set up the Landy (sometimes with camper attached) along side rivers, tracks and other great locations that excite the mind of the buyer. I got a mate with a high quality digital camera and we went to work snapping pics & posting them on 3 websites.

Guess what? Before 2 of the websites even managed to post my advertisement the phone rang red hot & I had several buyers within a few days AND doubled the original offer. How's that? 

Remember the key is presentation AND pricing.

Hope that help.

Cheers - Wayne
If you want any tips PM me.

[kalex]

Thanks for the advice, especially about photo's.

[smexon]

Also a link to the manufacturer can help to sell on quality and value.

Perceived value is what you are selling to a potential buyer.

As mentioned photos, photos and more photos. Choose a hero image that sells camping in general, this is what most people at the lower end are after, picturing them self in the idealistic picturess landscape. Then focus on close ups of extras.

Even a photo of the trailer attached to your vehicle, as a graphic designer I have learnt that a lot of people are more interested in aesthetics, "what will I look like towing that behind my vehicle..., my kids could sleep in that spot etc" if it looks good and ticks the boxes on accessories and price you increase chances of a sale.

Also, if you can get the hero image hosted and embed it at the top of your advert. I can help you with this if you like.

[Sixtys Guy]

Ok, don't take this the wrong way, no disrespect intended, but your camper trailer looks odd to me. I have no doubt that your camper trailer has suited your needs and it may well be a bargain compared to what you have spent on it. Maybe it's just not selling because it looks so different to a 'normal' camper trailer. I know my post isn't going to help you sell it and maybe I should keep my thoughts to myself, but what I posted is what comes to mind when I look at it.......... (flame suit on).

[rotare]

I think consumer confidence is down across the board, not just for camper trailers.  On another forum (about cars) the very same question was raised about how hard it was to sell second hand cars at the moment. People had advertised for months without even getting a phone call.  The only way they were selling was by dropping the price by a huge amount.  I'm in the same boat with a block of land I'm trying to sell.  It's been on the market for 18 months now, and even after dropping the price considerably we've had only a couple of half hearted inquiries.  Two years ago my block would have sold within a week based on the price we now have it for sale.  A neighbour finally sold his house after it being on the market for more than 12 months, but the sale price was 25% less than what he originally wanted to sell it for....

I think the way the economy is and the uncertainty of the future for some industries means people are limiting their spending on certain items, and watching their $'s a little more closely.  Not to say this is the same for everyone, but certainly my friends and colleagues I work with have a similar outlook on things at the moment,

[Campa]

X2 on a good set of photos.

Presentation is paramount when selling second hand.   You know the saying  "A photo speaks a thousand words".

Take the camper out somewhere were potential buyers will take the camper (because most times buyers will be locals).
Set it up the best you ever have, all straight and neat and take photo's that not only sell the camper but the lifestyle it will pass on to new owners.

Bnk