florabundi

Hi, just wondered if anyone could offer some advice please. We are coming over as soon as our house sells and are thinking we really like the look of the Nelson area. We would like to buy a camper to be our temporary home and for a bit of recce around the area. I'm wondering where is likely to be the best place to buy one (2nd/3rd/4th..hand) I have looked on trademe and I can't work out if we would have better luck flying to Auckland first to start our search or if we should gamble on flying straight to the south. Anyone have any experience of this? Thanks Flora

simonmarkellis

Can't really offer any advice other than saying this place is just down the road from us in Plimmerton...

http://www.prestigecaravans.co.nz/pc/index.php

Could be worth an email... we are also just across the Cook Strait from Nelson...

Stormer999

Try getting in touch with the van renters for old model sales...KEA etc..

mickey_d

You may as well buy a house instead with the prices they ask...

Trade-me is full of overpriced cars, campers etc. & sellers don't seem to want to budge on their asking/reserve prices. Much better to travel around & have a good haggle with a small dealer or a private seller from a newspaper ad.
We helped our daughter buy a little car last week for 5k (9 years old 36000kms). Same age cars on trade-me with double or more the kms range from 7 -12k

Rolfie

Hi Flora, I bought my ex-Maui rental motorhome from the Motorhome Centre at 449 Ferry Road in ChC.
Neil Whitear was the salesman when I bought mine, and he and his wife were very helpful not only at the time of sale, but were quick to honour the warranty a few months later, when there was some small issue with the van. I paid about $50k for it (circa 2003, 4-berth - Ford) I kept it for about 2 years, and only lost a few $k when I sold it. Asolutely loved using it, and went round both islands 3 times, livng permanently in it. Happiest time of my life
Enjoy

florabundi

Thanks for the tips ~ will follow them up. That's interesting about trademe, I did wonder at some of the prices..not just the campervans, I have seens sofas on trademe that look like they are only fit for a dog bed at $400 and that is supposing your doggy isn't too fussy! Buying a campervan is a huge purchase but hiring one seems like a lot of money down the drain, hopefully we might be able to live in it for a while, then buy a house and avoid renting (which seems v expensive)

Wiz'n'Ton

The great thing about buying a camper is that, as Rolfie said, they hold their value really well. Yes, they are ridiculously expensive when you look at what they are, but the demand is always there for them so you're not likely to lose much on them, and if you have if for a while then you will make your money back in 'pervceived' savings from what you would have spent on motels etc. On arrival I would shop around for a few days, get to know what exactly you want before arrival so that you are forewarned, and look at the private sales and not just trademe etc. Good luck!

chc4me

There might be a few camper vans on the market after the rugby world cup with any luck. If buying one in the north island, don't forget the cost of a ferry crossing. Renting a camper certainly is expensive but riding around in them is great fun!

BEVS

Erk. I'm confused which isn't hard. Do you mean a reccy for a few weeks or a couple of months or do you mean for a longer period... as in a lifestyle choice.

There are campers here for sale in Nelson if you want to buy one of those or on the side of a road or in one of the lots.

florabundi

Just looking to be in the camper for a couple of months until we (hopefully) find work,schools,house to buy etc. I don't think I could cope with living in a small space for a long time with husband and children!!! That's a really good point about the ferry crossing in a camper ~don't suppose anyone knows how much that is?

ellenarosemary

When we took our camper from north to south 18 months ago it was about £175.00 or thereabouts if I remember correctly

Rolfie

Here's the link to the Interislander site. . .
http://www.interislander.co.nz/
Fill in your requirements, and it should give you a price. . .

helinuk

Just thought I'd share what happened to friends with 4 children from UK who came to NZ for a holiday and hired a 6 birth camper van ( this applies to buying one too)
...when they arrived at Auckland airport to collect it they were told the van didn't have seat belts for 6 (only had 4) so they had to hire a car as well!?
Fortunately their son could drive!
Moral of story always check the camper van has enough seat belts or you're breaking the law

florabundi

Thanks again everyone, starting to do some research on the different types of camper available. I think we will try to go for 6 berth for 4 of us ~ that extra bit of space might keep the kids bickering down a bit, failing that, I will simply sleep in a tent outside and leave hubby in the camper with the kids

florabundi

Thanks again everyone, starting to do some research on the different types of camper available. I think we will try to go for 6 berth for 4 of us ~ that extra bit of space might keep the kids bickering down a bit, failing that, I will simply sleep in a tent outside and leave hubby in the camper with the kids