New Caravans and RVs for Sale in Australia

What new means on our ads

Every ad on Caravan Domain carries a condition chosen by the seller, and this page shows the ones marked new. Demo vans, which dealers have used as demonstrators and sell as nearly new, carry their own condition: choose Demo under condition in the search filters to see them. Ask a dealer how a demo was used and whether the full warranty still starts on the day you take delivery.

The page covers every kind of RV we list, so the filters change with the type you pick:

• towables such as new caravans, pop tops, hybrid campers and camper trailers show the ATM, tare and ball weight filters
• motorhomes and campervans show the GVM, the odometer and the licence class you need to drive them
• slide-on campers sit in their own group with neither

Your rights when you buy from a business

New caravans have a mixed record. CHOICE reported that an ACCC survey of 2,270 caravan owners found four in five had experienced problems with a new caravan, and that half of those reported a major failure (CHOICE). The same report quotes the ACCC's view that consumers "may be entitled to a remedy even if the warranty provided by the business has expired" ⁹.

That remedy comes from the consumer guarantees, which sit alongside any warranty. Consumer Affairs Victoria says products bought from an Australian business are automatically covered, and that the guarantees apply regardless of any other warranty (Consumer Affairs Victoria). For a major problem you can reject the product and choose a refund or a replacement. You can also keep it and be compensated for the drop in value ¹. A minor problem can be fixed within a reasonable time, with the business choosing how ¹.

Warranties are extra, not instead

Manufacturers add their own warranties on top. Jayco, for example, offers what it calls 2 years manufacturing and 5 years structural warranty coverage ⁷. Read what each part covers, who does the work, and whether you have to bring the van back to the selling dealer. A warranty that runs out does not end your consumer guarantee rights ¹.

Buying an unused van from a private seller

A new van can also be sold by a private owner whose plans changed. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a one-off sale by a private seller may not be covered by the consumer guarantees, so that protection may not apply even when the van has never been used ¹. Ask whether the maker's warranty transfers to a second owner, get the original invoice, and inspect it as closely as you would a used van.

Check the weights on the van you are handed

The figures in a brochure are for a standard van. Jayco's own model pages warn that weights and dimensions are a guide only and will change depending on the accessories fitted ⁸. Every option you add, from a second battery to an outdoor kitchen, adds to the tare and comes out of the payload.

The Western Australian Department of Transport's towing guide defines the payload as the ATM minus the tare, and says it must not be exceeded ⁶. Before you sign, ask the dealer for the van's tare as built, with your options fitted, and work out what you can still carry. The same guide says vehicle and trailer weights can be measured at a public weighbridge ⁶, which is worth doing on the way home with the van loaded the way you will travel.

Then match the van to the vehicle. NSW limits a loaded trailer to the lowest of the towbar's rating, the vehicle's towing capacity, the trailer's own carrying capacity and its tyres' rating ⁴. Our tow-match tool searches for the towables whose ATM is within your vehicle's towing capacity.

Compliance and first registration

Every new trailer and vehicle carries a VIN. The Australian Government's Register of Approved Vehicles can be searched by a vehicle's permanently marked VIN (Register of Approved Vehicles search). Copy the VIN from the plate on the van itself and search it before delivery.

First registration is where the states differ. In Queensland a new trailer or caravan that has never been registered needs a new registration, which cannot be done through the department's online services ³. A trailer with more than one axle or an ATM over 750 kg also needs a pre-registration inspection before its first registration there ³. Queensland also charges vehicle registration duty unless the vehicle is exempt ³. A dealer may handle the paperwork for a van it sells, but ask who is doing it and what the drive-away figure includes.

Motorhomes and the licence you need

A new motorhome is a vehicle in its own right, so its GVM decides your licence. In NSW a car licence covers vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM, and a light rigid licence covers rigid vehicles over 4.5 tonnes and up to 8 tonnes GVM ⁵. Check the GVM of the exact model you are ordering, because the same body can be built on chassis with different ratings. Our motorhomes for sale page lets you filter by the licence class you hold.

What to ask before you sign

Put the answers in writing on the contract, not in an email afterwards:

• the delivery date and what happens to your deposit if the build slot slips
• the van's tare as built with your options, and its ATM
• exactly which options, accessories and dealer-fitted extras are included
• what the warranty covers and where the van goes for warranty work
• whether the price includes registration, and what else it adds before you can tow it away

At handover, open everything and test everything before you drive away:

• the brakes and the breakaway system
• the water pump, taps and hot water
• the fridge on every power source it runs on
• the batteries, the solar and the lights
• every window, hatch and door

List any faults on the delivery paperwork.

Selling a new or unused van on Caravan Domain

Private ads cost $23 a month for Basic or $35 a month for Premium, and you can cancel at any time. You can upgrade a Basic ad to Premium at any time and pay only the difference for the rest of the month. Monthly billing works as our terms of use describe ¹⁰.

If you are selling a van you bought new and have not used, say whether it has been registered and why you are selling. Give the build date and the weights on the plate, then list the options fitted and the warranty paperwork you hold. Dealers list their new stock from a dealer account. List a new van.