When it comes to the value of your caravan, it is quite similar to the value of your car. Losing value is inevitable as this is something that happens naturally with age, especially when newer models are released that have new technologies and features, as older caravans can begin to feel a little outdated. The thought of investing so much money into a caravan, only for it to lose its value and depreciate is something that can put a lot of people off from buying a caravan. Unfortunately, this is an unavoidable aspect of any type of investment as eventually, everything goes through some form of depreciation. However, it’s important to remember all the great things caravanning has to offer. It allows you to connect with the people you care about when allowing you to get away from everyday town/city life and escape in nature.
Generally, the higher end caravans tend to keep their value the best. This includes caravans such as Burster, Hobby, Adria, Dthleffs and Knaus, however, it is not certain that these caravans will hold their value for much longer than lower end caravans. This will be explained in more detail in this blog post. Although your caravan will inevitably lose value, there are things you can do to ensure your caravan stays in the best condition possible for longer, which in turn can help your caravan to keep its value a little longer. This blog post will look at these in more detail to help you keep your caravan in the best condition.
This blog post will cover the following:
How caravans lose their value
As explained above, caravans do lose their value, but not that they also have quite a high depreciation rate. this means they lose their value by a large amount each year. Generally, a caravan has its best during the first five years of its life and after the sixth year, you will notice that its value will have decreased by almost half. The table below illustrated just how fast a caravan can depreciate.
| Caravan age | Percentage of maintained value | Percentage of depreciation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | 100% | 0% |
| 1-2 years | 84% | 16% |
| 2-3 years | 67% | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 56% | 44% |
| 4-5 years | 47% | 53% |
| 5-6 years | 39% | 61% |
| 6-7 years | 34% | 66% |
| 7-8 years | 28% | 72% |
| 8-9 years | 24% | 76% |
| 9-10 years | 19% | 81% |
| 10-11 year | 17% | 83% |
| 11-12 years | 13% | 87% |
| More than 12 years | 10% | 90% |
As displayed in the table above, age is the biggest factor that results in the depreciation of a caravan, however, other factors also play a role in this as well. In most cases, the better the condition of your caravan, the better it will keep its value. Similarly, your caravan may be under a year old, but if it has any damages (whether it’s on the exterior or the interior systems), the value will decrease by a lot. As long as you’re caravan is kept in the best condition possible and it isn’t old enough to be considered outdated, then a caravan is a great investment to look into.
Caravans that hold their value the best
Many caravan users are often curious about how well their caravan can hold its value, or if there are any specific caravans that tend to hold their value for a longer period of time compared to others. I asked caravan users on the Practical Caravan forum if they think there are any caravans that may hold their value for longer, and what the reasoning behind this may be. One of the users who replied explained that when it comes to your caravan, the best way to make sure it keeps its value to is do everything you can to keep it “immaculate”. To do this you have to make sure it has good service history, and if appropriate, have a maintained warranty.
The user then gave me a link to a previously asked question about caravan value where user ‘ProfJohnL’, explains this in more detail.
“The reality is that all caravans will lose money as they age. […] I am not aware of any brand that consistently outshines the rest in terms of product longevity and reliability. Top price models do seem to be more popular as it’s a way that purchasers get more “luxury” for their money, which can keep prices for these caravans higher than lesser models. […] For this reason, it’s impossible to designate any particular brand or model as representing the best value.”
As the forum user above explains, although there are no particular brands of caravans that can confidently claim to hold their value, it is more likely that the high-end luxury caravans will hold their value for longer than others. These high-end caravans may include brands such as Burstner, Hobby, Dethleffs, Adria and Knaus.
Maximising caravan value
Going back to what the user who replied to my original post said, the best way to ensure your caravan holds its value, despite the brand, is to keep it in the best condition possible. As the user explained, one way to do this is by ensuring you keep on top of servicing your caravan and have a good service history to show for it. Here are some other ways to ensure your caravan is kept in good shape:
- Mechanical maitenance: It’s important keep a check on things such as brakes and axles as they can be worn out over time. A good way to keep on top of this is to have a maintence check at the beginning and the end of the season. However if you use your caravan a lot, a mid-season caravan may also be a good option.
- Maintaining your plumbing: This is something that often needs special attention and should be checked quite regularly. When checking your plumbing, look out for any cracks in the joints and the plumbing connections. It’s also important to check the toilet and wastewater tanks, as they need to be cleaned at least once a year. You also need to ensure that you’re doing this with cleaning products that have been specially designed for use in caravans. You can read more about the products I recommend for thoroughly cleaning a caravan toilet here.
- Electrical maintenance: The electrical system of your caravan is needed to run all the household appliances in your caravan. If there is any issues with the electriciy in your caravan, none of the appliances will function. This is why the electrical system must be in perfect condition. Generally, when a caravan has a TV, air conditioner, stove, microwave, and refrigerator that works perfectly, the value of the caravan is in a safe percentage and can result in a good resale price.
- The appearance of your caravan: It’s important that both the interior and the exterior of your caravan has a good appearance. This includes keeping your caravan free of any scratches on the body of the caravan or even on any surfaces inside. Its also important to ensure it’s kept free of things like damp, condensation and rust as they have a massive impact on the appearance. Your caravan must look at homely as possible to ensure you hold its value for a longer time.
