Selling Advice
What Is My Caravan Worth?
5 min read
What actually influences a caravan valuation, and why no figure is final until the vehicle is seen.
There is no single 'book price' for caravans
Unlike cars, caravans and motorhomes have no universally used valuation index that a seller can look up and rely on. Trade guides exist, but real values are driven by what similar vehicles are actually selling for right now, in the condition yours is in, at the time of year you are selling. That is why two identically aged caravans can be worth meaningfully different money.
The factors that move a valuation most
In rough order of impact: damp and water ingress history; overall condition inside and out; age and model; layout and berths, since fixed-bed and end-washroom layouts are consistently in demand; service history and documentation; tyres, brakes and running gear; and finally extras such as a motor mover, awning or solar. On motorhomes and campervans, add mileage, MOT status and the condition of the base vehicle, which often matter more than the habitation area.
Why layout can beat age
Buyers shop by layout far more than sellers expect. A slightly older caravan in a sought-after layout — a four-berth with fixed bunks, or a two-berth with a fixed island bed and end washroom — will often outsell and out-value a newer vehicle in a layout fewer families want. If your layout is popular, that is genuine value; if it is unusual, expect a smaller pool of interest.
Seasonality is real
Demand for touring vehicles rises through spring and into the summer, then softens over winter. If you have flexibility, selling into a rising market helps. If you do not, it is not a reason to wait — a fair figure is available year-round, it just may sit at a different point in the range.
Why any figure is subject to inspection
Every valuation we give before seeing a vehicle is based on what you have told us. That is not a get-out clause, it is arithmetic: damp readings, floor condition, appliance faults and hidden damage cannot be assessed from a description. The more accurate your information, the closer the phone figure will be to the collection figure. In practice, the sellers whose figures do not change are the ones who told us everything up front.
How the factors stack up in practice
It helps to think in movements rather than in a single number. Take two identical four-berths from the same year: the one with a clean damp report, a full service history, tyres inside their date range and a fitted motor mover sits at the top of its range, because a buyer can see exactly what they are getting. The other has a damp reading in the front panel, no habitation service for three years and six-year-old tyres — the same caravan, but the next owner is carrying a known repair, a service and a set of tyres, and the figure reflects those costs rather than a guess about them. Layout works the same way: a family bunk layout or a couples layout with a fixed island bed and end washroom holds demand across the year, while a rare layout narrows the pool of buyers and softens the figure even on a newer caravan.
Two worked examples
First: a mid-2010s two-berth kept at home, dry, serviced every year, with all its paperwork, an awning and a mover. Nothing here needs pricing in, so the valuation given on the phone is usually the valuation confirmed at collection. Second: an early-2010s four-berth that has stood on a seasonal pitch for five years, has a soft patch by the washroom door, a fridge that no longer lights on gas and no CRiS document to hand. It is still a straightforward sale — but the figure carries the damp investigation, the appliance and the extra work of proving ownership. The difference between the two is not luck. It is information, condition and paperwork.
What to send us so the figure holds
Make, model, year, layout and berths; the CRiS number or original invoice; service, habitation and damp records; tyre age if you know it; a note of anything that does not work; and ten daylight photos — each outside corner, both ends inside, the washroom, the kitchen, the bed areas and any damage. If there is outstanding finance, ask your lender for a settlement figure at the same time. With that in front of us, a phone figure is a firm figure rather than an estimate.
Getting your caravan valued
You can book a free valuation visit on our sell my caravan page and we will come to the caravan wherever it is kept — at home, in storage or on a pitch. The visit is free, there is no obligation to sell afterwards, and nothing is ever paid or reserved online. If you would rather just talk it through first, call or WhatsApp us with the details and we will tell you what we think it is worth and why.
How to get a figure worth having
Send the make, model, year and layout, an honest condition summary including any damp, and a set of clear photos. We will talk you through what we can offer and, just as importantly, why. If our figure does not work for you, no problem — there is no obligation, no fee and no pressure, and nothing is ever paid or reserved online.
Want a figure for your own caravan?
A free valuation visit costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We come to the vehicle wherever it is kept, anywhere in the UK, and explain how the figure is reached.
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