Don’t invest your money in something boring – there are small campervans for sale that make an ideal low-risk investment that will bring you and your family lots of fun
Small campervans are highly desirable right now, in the light of the political climate. People are now unwilling to spend thousands of pounds on a family package holiday, only to waste their precious holiday time lounging around by a hotel swimming pool abroad. Quite frankly, that kind of holiday is a bit boring – and you’ll never get that money or time back afterwards. Especially when you consider that campervans provide a cheaper alternative way to travel and explore Europe.
People have also looked at the issues surrounding climate change and flight-shaming, not to mention the frequent airport workers’ strikes abroad. Added to that, families have less spending power abroad, due to the dip in the value of Sterling due to Brexit uncertainty. News coverage of thousands of stranded Thomas Cook customers hasn’t helped the traditional travel industry either.
Campervans are so popular
It’s no wonder that a lot of people have come to the conclusion that this is a good time to explore their own country, rather than going abroad! Suddenly, more people are looking to buy a campervan, so that they can go touring, rather than stopping on one campsite for the duration of their holiday. Some will have hankered after the freedom of a campervan lifestyle since childhood, while others will have seen their friends buying campervans recently – and are considering the benefits of campervan ownership for the first time.
Small campervans offer amazing value for money – and depreciate far less than any car. A car is likely to depreciate by 20 per cent after the first year, then 10 per cent a year for the next four years. A high mileage car will depreciate faster than this, of course, and may indeed be hard to sell on. Brand loyalty also plays a part, too, so Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and Land Rover cars depreciate less than others because these are perceived as desirable premium brands.
Invest in a premium brand
This premium brand desirability factor is also key when it comes to preloved campervans. If you buy a panel van and then get a one-man-band type of converter to turn it into a campervan, this will be very difficult to sell on, since the quality is so unknown and there’s no back-up from the converter if something goes wrong.
But if you buy from a well respected campervan conversion company, your camper will hold its value remarkably well. The best campervan converters offer a warranty and an after-care service. They will have an attractive website, a lively social media presence and a selection of Google and Facebook reviews, written by some of the people who actually own that brand of campervan. All these things really inspire confidence – whether you are buying a new or preloved campervan from the company. Those premium brands of campervan will hold their value the best of all.
Selling it on
When you go looking for small campervans for sale, you’ll soon find out that the best campervan conversion companies will be confident that they can sell your camper on commission. That is when you decide that the time has come to upsize, downsize or retire from campervan life. Depending on the season, some may even buy it back from you outright.
You are likely to get a better price by selling it through your original campervan converter than by selling it privately. This is because whoever buys your old van from the original converter will know that the vehicle has been checked over thoroughly by the maker and that they will be offered ongoing aftersales support.
This is the kind of campervan to buy, to ensure that you make the best investment for your family.
Saving money on every trip
The main reason to buy a small campervan is to make memories that will last a lifetime. Children love campervans and it’s such a joy to share their excitement as you head off together on a road trip. Campervan life brings people closer to each other – without the distractions of the TV and computer, helping people think of new ways to enjoy life.
Whether it’s swimming, cycling, walking, watching motorsports or going to festivals – we think that the family that plays together stays together – and if you have children, they are likely to grow up knowing how to be happy with less and how to enjoy a healthy outdoor life.
Take more holidays and save money!
As a bonus, you’ll save money every time you use your campervan – here’s how.
Most small campervans fit into a normal car parking space in the supermarket or on-street, so you really can drive them instead of a car. Then when you want a day out, a weekend away or a proper holiday, these small campervans give you the option of wild camping and cooking meals in the campervan. It saves a fortune every time you use it.
Fuel economy is excellent in small campervans – typically pretty similar to a family car. For instance, the NV200 delivers 57.6 mpg (diesel version), or 35 mpg (petrol automatic version). The Renault Trafic delivers a little over 46 mpg (combined) and the Volkswagen T6 also offers more than 46 mpg.
Once these vans are converted into campervans, the mpg changes very little, provided you do not overload it with heavy kit. So you can see that this saves a great deal of money on every holiday, day trip or weekender that you choose to take.
Just make sure you look at small campervans for sale, rather than those huge white coach built motorhomes. They typically give less than 20 mpg and are a lot more awkward to handle and to park. Although the interiors may look inviting, most owners of large motorhomes find themselves leaving them parked up at home or in a secure caravan storage compound for most of the year.
Then when they do go on holiday, they are restricted to campsites that happen to be near the main road – because driving such a large vehicle down narrow country lanes is pretty stressful. That’s why I would always prefer to buy one of the small campervans rather than a palace on wheels. With a campervan I can get away from it all – heading off into the wilds, saving money by camping in pub car parks, at festivals, in quiet lay-bys or by the sea.
There are so many ways to enjoy campervan life – all the while being confident that your investment is safe. It’s a bit like having your cake and eating it – you’ll get a lot back when you decide to sell it on.
