Selling a camper trailer ( or trying to )

[Jakster1]

The dead of winter??? This is the BEST time of the year for camping here in central and north QLD. Absolutely perfect weather, 26 and sunny days and a comfortable 16 at night.
Someone should come up and buy my camper and use it while they're here.👍🍻
I checked out some of the import stuff online today and $15g will get you a brand new hard floor camper, with everything!! DOH!

[GeoffA]

I've never seen a trailer sell for more than it cost... 15 years after it was manufactured.

We sold our TrakShak for more than we paid new, after 7 years of use.

 

[DannyG]

We sold our TrakShak for more than we paid new, after 7 years of use.

 

We sold our 4.2 GU Patrol for more than what we paid for it.....Ok so its not a camper, Im just saying 

[Bird]

The consumer society we live in and the race to the bottom with price, and therefore quality, has killed the 2nd hand market for sellers, good if you're a buyer though.

Jamie has hit the nail on the head here.

[slydar]

cars/4wds are probably a different 'kettle of fish' but I sold my 20-yr old pajero recently after having it on the market for nearly six months - I had dropped the price from around 15% above others of similar age/spec to around 5% above it but in the end the right buyer literally came through town and didn't try to talk me down as it was in quite good condition for its age with a few nice extras as I imagine your camper would be. I do suspect they had an 'agent' in town who had seen it and perhaps saw the price drop but almost as soon as they saw it and began to discover more little 'nice extras' they almost bought it on the spot

I guess what I'm thinking is the right buyer will be out there with their eye on all the extras and mods and its amazing what a little price drop can do if they've been watching

[McGirr]

I always like the expression" I am not giving it away"

Perceived value will always be different between the seller and buyer.

As mentioned Always get great pics of what your selling. If you have to pay someone to take the photos.

It depends also on how long you want to wait to get your price. It could take months or over a year.

Listen to the maket and you will achieve a sale. Yes, there will always be bargain hunters out there.


Mark

[Bird]

I do have a big trip planned in November and want to get the new jayco camper by then. That gives me 3 and a bit months to sell and buy.

This is where your in could be in trouble...
Have you ordered the Jayco?

The difference in Wanting to sell and Needing to sell to pay for the new toy..

[#jonesy]

Photos are a big draw card.

I've started to slowly look at Jayco Swans and seem good and bad pics. Looking at a van that doesn't have the bag end flys set up makes me think that either these are lazy photos or worse a lazy owner/user.
For a camper trailer I would have pics of all 4 sides packed up, maybe attached to the car.
Then set up, then with annex. All the canvas nice and tight. And good inside shots with good lighting so it looks warm and inviting. If you have camping shots then get rid of the excess clutter as it likes like there is no storage room.   When you have your pics sit back and think "would I buy that?"
Basically you are trying to sell a dream holiday.

[UIZ733]

Photos are a big draw card.

I've started to slowly look at Jayco Swans and seem good and bad pics. Looking at a van that doesn't have the bag end flys set up makes me think that either these are lazy photos or worse a lazy owner/user.
For a camper trailer I would have pics of all 4 sides packed up, maybe attached to the car.
Then set up, then with annex. All the canvas nice and tight. And good inside shots with good lighting so it looks warm and inviting. If you have camping shots then get rid of the excess clutter as it likes like there is no storage room.   When you have your pics sit back and think "would I buy that?"
Basically you are trying to sell a dream holiday.

Absolutely, the message given by poor photographs is enough to scare away many or even most potential buyers.

[tryagain]

Just listed one this week. So far no bites but have started to spread the field to get a bit more bait out for buyers. I believe i have given the old Tambo every chance to sell and with a great price that makes it attractive.

I think there are a lot more in the market for $5K used soft floors than $15K.

I checked out some of the import stuff online today and $15g will get you a brand new hard floor camper, with everything!! DOH!

So you need to show/communicate why yours is better than those for the same price. I'd make sure I included something like "cost $22,000 (or whatever it was) still like brand new"

[pommiedic]

It works both ways. Recently purchased a 2010 Trackabout for a real good price; so I have dropped my 2009 Trackabout to a good price. I have a trade up figure that I believe will be achievable. On the market for  a few months now, a few tyre kickers and 2 couples interested enough to look at it last weekend and next weekend.  In no rush, worst case, it will be the best built box trailer doing round trips to the tip and the builders merchants.

[Jakster1]

This is where your in could be in trouble...
Have you ordered the Jayco?

The difference in Wanting to sell and Needing to sell to pay for the new toy..

I will get a near new, hardly used one, a few years old and save 5-10 grand.
I always seem to be the one getting hit with the initial depreciation so someone else can wear it this time.
There is  always a few available from what I have seen just might have to travel a bit but that's ok.
Same goes for Selling a second hand jayco or almost anything  I suppose, someone has to take a $$ hit somewhere along the line.

I don't necessarily "need" to sell but i think the kisses would kill me if we had 2 campers sitting in the shed.

I'm not in a super hurry to changeover-but it would be nice to have the jayco for our trip as we will be doing a few overnighters in different places. But whatever, if we still have the soft floor then that wil be what we take.

[Jakster1]

I think there are a lot more in the market for $5K used soft floors than $15K.

Got that right! And some of the $5k ones look pretty well setup and have a lot of extras too. Maybe not quite the same quality, but what does average joe know.....

So you need to show/communicate why yours is better than those for the same price. I'd make sure I included something like "cost $22,000 (or whatever it was) still like brand new"

I have quoted replacement new cost, but as you say, the 5k soft floor market is larger than the 15k market so it takes a lot of convincing.
Having a Think about it, for a lot of family's that do 1 or 2 trips a year, 5 grand Would get you a pretty bloody good tent let alone 15grand for essentially the same thing.

[topcat]

I wonder if the fairly rapid change in the market place has caught some out.

If campers, from cheapest to dearest, range from soft floor to hard floor to hybrids - the recent availability of cheaper and better quality hard floors, that seem to be adequate for most customers, has meant that the perceived value of soft floors has reduced, the value of hard floors has reduced and now hybrids are under threat from the likes of MDC's overseas manufactured / locally assembled hybrid offerings. Each level places a price ceiling on the value of the range underneath it with few exceptions.

So purchasers of mid to high end soft floors and hard floors seem to be hit by a perception (or reality) that their campers are over priced. Thinking here of CC soft floors and KK hard floors and similar. The exception being the ever diminishing group of customers that appreciate the value of strongly engineered products.

Extrapolate this forward a few years and will the same happen with hybrids?
TC

[tryagain]

I wonder if the fairly rapid change in the market place has caught some out.

If campers, from cheapest to dearest, range from soft floor to hard floor to hybrids - the recent availability of cheaper and better quality hard floors, that seem to be adequate for most customers, has meant that the perceived value of soft floors has reduced, the value of hard floors has reduced and now hybrids are under threat from the likes of MDC's overseas manufactured / locally assembled hybrid offerings. Each level places a price ceiling on the value of the range underneath it with few exceptions.

So purchasers of mid to high end soft floors and hard floors seem to be hit by a perception (or reality) that their campers are over priced. Thinking here of CC soft floors and KK hard floors and similar. The exception being the ever diminishing group of customers that appreciate the value of strongly engineered products.

Extrapolate this forward a few years and will the same happen with hybrids?
TC

I remember when I first started looking years ago and the price for used campers was ridiculous and thinking they were too expensive for me to justify. This is the kind of environment that made it quite easy for importers to get a foothold, in comparison to China, Australia is far too expensive labour wise for low-tech manufacturing to compete. I think there has also been a reasonable improvement in the quality of the imports which has also added to this, they still have a way to go but just like the "Jap Crap" cars of a few decades ago soon surpassed and have now supplanted the local manufacturers I think that campers will also, to a large degree follow.

I can't see any reason why it won't (probably already is) happen with the hybrids.

[Bird]

I can't see any reason why it won't (probably already is) happen with the hybrids.

but I don't see the appeal in these things.. $70k gets you something you cant swing a flea in...

Looking at the 2005 model thing that Yogi just bought for 1/2 that price... With luxuries.


That's a lot of fuel... or even a KK for mid 20k's... more than enough for most.

[Paddler Ed]

As others have said, there are a couple of points to make a sale easier:

• Pictures: Good pictures, well composed with everything clean and tidy. When ever I've sold cars I've always taken them to somewhere away from home (only 10mins or so) but with a nice background and good lighting. Worked my way round taking side, both front quarters side and both rear quarters. I'd be doing the same to sell a trailer, both with the tent packed away and set up. May sound like a lot of work, but it can pay dividends in the interest you get and the questions you get asked.
• Where you advertise it: In one case selling my car it was right place, right time as someone walked past it and saw the advert in the window. Other times it's been a slower process, but again right advert right place... My trailer came from Gumtree found on an Australia wide search.
• Sell it the old fashioned way: Feature... Benefit. So many people just sell on a feature point, but don't always mention why that feature is worth a premium
• Price it a little high, and expect people to low ball you. That seems to be the norm - when I sold my Land Cruiser I was chasing 9K for it... someone offered me $4k... I got $8500 in the end for it after advertising at the right place. Sort of sad I did in a way... I go in with a target price (either side of the deal) and I know what I'd like to get which is where I often end up near
• Time of year: As others have said, now is the buyers market, but not the sellers market... as soon as people get closer to the holidays, or come back from them and want a new ______ or one like they saw, then they'll buy...
• Imports will make a difference: This comes back to feature benefits; we know what the benefits are in a decent camper, but Joe Public doesn't - I see the $5k campers get snapped up locally; my $2k box trailer with independent suspension not so quick (but I still had to be quick to get it)

One that I've not mentioned (mainly because I don't know how it would work) is finance - how many people can put down $25k or so in cash without needing to take finance out for it? As a private seller/purchaser it's not going to be quite as easy as buying from a dealer to organise finance.

And the final one... one that someone else alluded to is the shift in spending by some who in the past had a higher disposable income and ran up the never-never a bit on toys... expensive trailers are one of those things that look flash on the driveway, but if that flash can be done for less, then they are likely to try that option...

Hope that helps, and good luck with the sale; we've got a friend with a Johnno's and it looks really good with lots of nice features... just about 400kg too heavy for us and about $20k too expensive!

[Nomad]

Hey Jakster,

I am not sure where on the Central Coast you are but my Real Estate contacts aren't having much fun with selling real estate in the major regional centres like Gladstone, Rocky, Bundy etc since the mining boom stopped so I think you are probably dealing in an immediate market that is not flush with cash or the ability to go an extend a home loan to buy toys.

Perhaps advertising it on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast markets might work better for you, even though distance is a tyranny someone may be willing to drive up and pay for it.

The above three regions are back into a boom period with constantly increasing real estate values, fairly high levels of population growth and employment.

My thoughts on the secondhand market reflect most of the opinions presented and whilst not a camper purchase I have recently bought a boat after a good 12 months of looking at secondhand boats from Maryborough to Brisbane. What did find was that sellers generally had the opinion that the market would overlook the faults of the product and a buyer wouldn't factor the cost of a repair / upgrade into any purchase.

What pushed me over the line to pay more than my budget for a new boat as opposed to a secondhand boat was the fact that I saw a secondhand boat that I liked for sale for $38K it was in fairly good condition but was 5 years old, and the motor had about 80 hours on it. The seller would not budge on price. I bought new for $46k. No hours, warranty, new boat smell etc etc. So for an extra $8k I got the piece of mind of buying new.

I think with all the new shiny trailers on the market that significant depreciation needs to be factored in to any purchase that you make when selling

The market has changed, it used to be fairly common to walk into a any manufacturer and have a wait time of 3 to 6 months. Now only the premium brands can expect that.

I also think that with the internet these days buyers are much much more aware of a product before they even approach a seller, and as such know more about what something, anything, is worth.

Before I made my purchase I was peppering the CT market with offers and the responses I was getting were quite surprising, I would offer $5k on a trailer asking $10K plus and getting reasonably positive responses. The only trailer I really would have bought though was the trailer Evo was selling for his father. It was asking $6k and new they are closer to $25k.

Some selling tips:

Professional Photography, talk to your local newspaper and ask to speak to their photographer, you will be surprised what their photographer will do for a box of beer and professional photography makes a Shit load of difference in comparison to the every day hacker.

List every feature section by section. Do it to the point the you almost overload the buyer with information. This serves a number of points the main ones being that the buyer has as much information as they can possibly get and only have to ask you limited questions at the inspection and it shows that you love it as well, even if you don't anymore.

Don't embelish, but talk it up.

Give them a reason to buy. Why are you selling, you need to give them a hook to sink their teeth into.

I wouldn't say to much about the fact that it cost $35k new, yeah mention it, but don't make it a headliner as all you are doing is challenging the buyer to discount it more.

Timing. I sold my CT in February, and I thought that might have been a bit late, but what I realised was that people had been tent camping over summer and had got the Shits with it, seen a bunch of people enjoying CT's and got themselves into the mindset of wanting to be in one of them.

I don't think places like ebay are great for selling either. Too much competition these days from new crap and definitely price specific buyers. I bought my CT on ebay for $4600 from a desperate seller, spent $1k on it and sold for $8K on gumtree.

Cheers Nomad.

[GBC]

All markets are moving their average price as the world gets smaller. Countries with economies of scale in manufacturing found new markets in Australia when the dollar went up. American boats have crueled local manufacturers, grey import cars,  Chinese goods.... Any cottage retailers have found it extremely difficult to compete.
If you own a high end product which is well patronised and has an ever increasing purchase price, your second hand price will also get dragged up - making you money against the market, but not essentially against replacement cost. Cruise craft boats have always done this if looked after as an example. The camper market was good to local cottage manufacturers for a long time but something so easily replicated (and expensive for what it is) was always going to be a target for a mass producer.
Anybody here a dental technician? Another example of an industry stripped bare by overseas competition. Only the high end ones are surviving.
Getting anything like what the op is asking imho is going to be a mission. Good luck though.

[Streetkid]

Consider contacting where you bought it from and enquire about them selling it through consignment, that way it will better target the market you are chasing. A unit that presents in as good condition as yours will look pretty attractive to a new buyer if it is selling for several thousand cheaper sitting side by side with the new ones.

[cruiser 91]

The problem I've found with campers/vans being sold on consignment is that they are over market value so the seller makes % commision.

In the past 2 months I've offered market value on a few vans being sold on consignment and never has it been accepted and they're still for sale today.

[tryagain]

I don't think places like ebay are great for selling either. Too much competition these days from new crap and definitely price specific buyers. I bought my CT on ebay for $4600 from a desperate seller, spent $1k on it and sold for $8K on gumtree.

I think it can go either way with eBay, I think if you want to sell something start with a 99c start and no reserve, I have had things listed on ebay with a reserve of what I wanted for weeks and weeks with no bites, drop the reserve, 99c start and it sold for more than it had been listed previously, this has happened on a few occasions now. It is against eBay's conditions to have a dummy bidder(s) pushing up the price but it sure helps Just be prepared for the exorbitant cut they want on big dollar items.

[listo]

It's a hard situation for me, to settle for what ever you can get & take the loss on the chin or hold out for the right person if you're competitive with similar sellers? I'm not sure what I'd do if selling to be honest, but from the outside, I'd be hanging on to it & still enjoying it while I had it.
Most people seem to want cheaply built stuff, but there are some that would still prefer to pay extra for good quality stuff that lasts.
The other thing is, there's just not a lot of money out there at the moment so you have a smaller group to advertise to for that reason also.
As a guy that has absolutely no interest in a hard floor camper, I'd be willing to pay that price for a good soft floor, surely I'm not the only one out there.
I think it all depends on how fast you want it moved on. Good luck with it though, it's a nice camper
Listo

[nab]

I have a mate who, when he buys something, he always goes for the top line stuff. But he always buys new as a secondhand unit may have issues therefore he wouldn't be buying the best - his words. Just another way to look at it.

[Rodt]

The problem I've found with campers/vans being sold on consignment is that they are over market value so the seller makes % commision.

In the past 2 months I've offered market value on a few vans being sold on consignment and never has it been accepted and they're still for sale today.

Interesting. I wonder if they are obligated to / or do pass all offers onto the seller like real estate agents do. Would put me off selling on consignment as I imagine they couldn't care less about the sellers situation as long as they are getting turnover.

Like anything there would be a few bad apples dragging the whole concept perception down I imagine