Brand new folding campers are very expensive! Unless you absolutely must have a brand new folding camper, that’s why you’re better purchasing a second hand one. When buying second hand, there are precautions you need to take to ensure you don’t purchase an unreliable or potentially unsafe folding camper.
I bought my first folding camper second hand and really didn’t know what to look for when I was going to have a look at them. After my experiences, I decided to put this article of tips together so you can ensure you buy a reliable folding camper, even when buying second hand.
3 Great Tips For Purchasing A Second Hand Folding Camper
Sometimes you can get a brilliant bargain when purchasing a folding camper, particularly during the winter months or when it’s out of season in general. However, telling the difference between a bargain and a dud is difficult if you don’t know how. Fortunately, with these tips you’ll be armed with all the knowledge you need to make an informed purchase.
#1. Check The Canvas Thoroughly – Inside And Out
The canvas makes up such an important part of a folding camper. If the canvas is damaged, a folding camper is pretty useless until you can get it repaired.
Canvas damage is pretty noticeable for the most part, so sellers trying to hide it would have a pretty hard time. Mildew staining is very common with the vast majority of older folding campers, so keep your eye out for any particularly unsightly stains.
My folding camper has some mildew staining, because it’s fairly old and it is not always possible to avoid staining no matter how much you look after your folding camper. It doesn’t impact how much I enjoy using my folding camper, but there’s only a few small patches. However, small patches can quickly become much worse if owners don’t look after their campers. My point is, keep an eye out for mildew patches,. They can rapidly become a major staining issue.
Slight mildew staining isn’t a reason not to purchase a folding camper, providing you can live with it. Many products promise to remove staining, but as most folding camper owners will know, mildew stains can be very stubborn and impossible to remove. If you can live with staining, don’t let it put you off purchasing a folding camper.
While staining is simply cosmetically unpleasant, keenly look for any other damage before purchasing a folding camper such as canvas tears. If a folding camper canvas is torn, it doesn’t just look bad; it can have a serious impact on the integrity of your folding camper. Don’t be surprised if your folding camper isn’t waterproof anymore if you don’t get a tear fixed!
If you don’t have the means to repair canvas damage yourself, I’d avoid any folding camper with a torn canvas or bad staining. Canvas replacement and/or replacement is very expensive, so what seems like a bargain ends up becoming a very expensive mistake.
#2. Ask The Current Owner To Erect It – Then Have A Go Yourself
Whether the folding camper you are looking at would be your first or your fifth folding camper, this tip is really important. Ask the current owner of the folding camper to erect it and put it down. Afterwards, ask the owner if you can have a go yourself!
Even if you’re getting a bargain, folding campers aren’t exactly cheap. You need to make sure you have a look inside and out thoroughly before making a purchase, or you could end up wasting a lot of money.
If the owner of the folding camper isn’t keen on erecting it for you, it might be worthwhile looking elsewhere. There’s probably a reason that the owner is hesitant to put the folding camper up for you, so purchasing it isn’t worth the risk.
Why do I say that you should have a go putting the folding camper up yourself? It’s so important to make sure you’re happy with everything about the unit you’re buying. Most importantly, you need to make sure that you’re happy erecting it and packing it away. You’re going to have to erect and put away the unit every single time you go camping, so you must make sure you’re comfortable doing so!
#3. Ask For Gas, Electric, and Water System Demonstrations
The gas, electric and water systems are all crucial to comfort in a folding camper. You need all 3 to really enjoy your travels, so you need to try and make sure these systems are all working correctly.
Where possible, you should ask for a demonstration of the gas, electric, and water systems before purchasing a folding camper. Obviously, this might not always be possible. Or you might not be able to get demonstrations of all of them, but you should be able to get demonstrations of at least one or two of these essential systems.
The water system is perhaps the easiest to check. Presumably the person or business selling the folding camper will have the water containers and pumps to hand that they can use to demonstrate that the water system works. Usually you’ll get the water containers and pumps as part of purchasing the folding camper. If the current owner won’t demo them, that’s a bad sign. If they don’t have them, it also means extra expense for you in addition to purchasing the folding camper.
It really is essential that you know the electric and gas systems are working correctly. You will definitely need them when camping, so you need to make sure these essential systems work correctly. You really must insist that all three systems are demonstrated to be working before you pay for the folding camper.
I Hope These Tips Help…
I hope these tips help you to make an informed decision when purchasing your folding camper. Just remember that these are only tips based on my own experience, and you might want to seek further guidance before splurging on a folding camper.
For the most part, knowing and following these tips will ensure you end up with a folding camper that you can rely on for years to come. If you have any other questions about safely buying a second-hand folding camper, I am, of course, happy to advise you. Simply leave a comment below or send me an email and I’ll personally answer any of your questions.
