Buying a camper trailer is a big investment. While the purchase of a camper trailer can be exciting for you and your family, when it comes to looking at camper trailers for sale, keeping a few important things in mind can save you a lot of time and hassle. Here are four tips for finding the best camper trailers so you can begin your off-road adventures with ease.
Think About the Long Term
There’s no way around it – a camper trailer is an investment for the long term. Too often when looking at camper trailers for sale, prospective buyers tend to think in a 2-year time span instead of a 10-year term. While it may be difficult for you to conceptualise exactly how your life and family will evolve over 10 years, doing so can go a long way to helping you make a purchase decision that you won’t later regret.
First, consider the size and age of your family members. Small children will invariably be spending a lot of time with you in your camper trailer, so opting for a larger size might be the best choice. Children who are older or in their early teens, especially if they’ve been brought up camping, are more likely to opt for pitching their tent or swag away from the parents to have their own space, so a smaller camper trailer might be more appropriate.
Know the Difference Between Hard & Soft Floors
Hard and soft floor camper trailers for sale have their own distinctive advantages as well as limitations. For instance, soft floor camper trailers generally provide more room, but that means you’ll need to find a larger space to accommodate one, which can be difficult during peak camping seasons. Hard floor camper trailers are generally easier to set up and are sturdier, but the extra weight can put a strain on your towing vehicle and possibly end up costing you more in petrol as a result.
A healthy middle ground could be to opt for a forward fold camper trailer. Setup and durability are on par with hard floor campers, but they’re also lighter in weight and usually provide adequate room for a small family.
Do Your Research
The purchase of a camper trailer is a big financial investment, so it’s a good idea to do your research and due diligence in advance. Get to know the reputable brands in the space as well as any models that tend to be consistently rated as reliable amongst people in the camping community.
A good tip when it comes to researching camper trailers for sale is to look for models that have been continuously iterated over the decades. Generally, manufacturers hit their stride at a certain point, and rather than mess with the formula, they tend to make subtle upgrades to camper trailers that consistently sell well.
Have a Thorough Understanding of Pricing
While sometimes you can get lucky and stumble upon an absolute bargain, you can also get price gouged on a cheaply made camper trailer disguised as a premium model. A great way to quickly get to grips with how pricing works when it comes to camper trailers for sale is to see how much a particular model tends to sell for on the used market. This way, you can view both ends of the price spectrum for a model and easily determine its worth.