How great that you are planning to buy a car, camper or campervan in New Zealand. Or maybe you have just started informing and that is wise. There are many things to take into account and consider. It is of course not nothing and that is why I would like to give some tips on this, so that you can make a good choice.
Are you thinking of following our footsteps and renting a camper(van) with friends, your partner or with your whole family? Then ask free of charge and without obligation submit a quote to Travelhome from ANWB. They have both campervans and full-fledged family campers on offer.
- Large selection, low prices
- Independent or Customized
- Expert advice from specialists
- Full quote with no hidden costs
Plan your holiday to New Zealand here
- Camper rental You can book this in combination with a tour Travelhome.
- Itineraries you can compare and request quotes sawadee, king monkey, Djoser en rickshaw travel.
- Flight tickets for New Zealand you can book via Skyscanner.
- Hostels, Hotels and Resorts in New Zealand you book at Booking.com.
- Rental cars : Sunnycars en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in New Zealand you book through GetYourGuide.
- Travel Insurance you close with a discount Allianz.
- travel items such as suitcases, bags and more you can buy at Bol.com.
- SIM cards for New Zealand you buy extra International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos, park care of iParking.
Orienting and finding campervans
What is the best season to buy a campervan?
First of all, it is good to realize in which season you are going to travel. It matters what temperature it is outside and therefore the comfort of sleeping in a campervan. For example, if you travel in a campervan in the winter and sleep in New Zealand, it will be quite cold. However, the timing is good for the purchase of a campervan. If you want to buy a campervan in New Zealand as cheaply as possible, it is best to do so at the end of the high season. The high season is then over and the travelers before you would very much like to sell their campervans.
When you travel in the New Zealand summer, you will not be the only one looking for a campervan at the start of your trip. This automatically raises the price and you often pay more than at the end of the summer. So keep in mind when setting your budget and expectations for what you can buy with your budget.
Also read: VANLIFE | How to: Buy or convert a camper van
Also read: Travel information New Zealand | Everything you want to know
Are you looking for a car, camper or campervan?
In this blog I will mostly use the word campervan, but you can also opt for a campervan or a car. The difference is mainly in the comfort. For example, a car, also called a tow car in New Zealand, is a lot smaller than a campervan and a camper, but (often) drives a lot more economically. The differences between a campervan and a motorhome can be very different. You have campervans that have a raised roof, but in general you cannot stand in them.
You can often stand in campers and they generally have a kitchen and the option to sit inside. With a campervan you see that the options differ. One campervan has a kitchen inside and you can convert something into a sitting area, but the other has the kitchen at the back (so you cook outside) and you have no option to sit inside.
I myself found it very pleasant to be able to make a sitting area inside, so that you can also sit normally in bad weather, instead of just lying on the bed. In addition, we also found a kitchen inside very pleasant, despite we were traveling around in the summer period. In bad weather or with a lot of wind, we could just cook, while we saw other travelers stumbling, baling or waiting until they could finally start preparing food.
The differences, which I discuss above, are of course reflected in the price and that is why you have to carefully consider which things are important to you.
Where can I buy campervans in New Zealand?
There are many ways to buy a campervan in New Zealand. Online there are many places where you can go, but there are also regular public auctions in some cities where campervans are worn. Are you someone who likes to arrange everything in advance? Then these are some websites you can go to:
A huge number of campervans are also offered on Facebook. You can search through Facebook marketplace yourself, but finding a campervan will only really accelerate if you join the right groups. Below I have listed three popular Facebook groups for you where many campervans are sold.
- Vans/ Campervans Buy Sell & Swap NZ
- Backpackers Cars Buy&Sell New Zealand
- Backpacker Cars New Zealand
Are you someone who likes to see the campervans in person before making an offer? Then look for auctions and / or sales days of campervans. These are organized regularly in Auckland. Have a look at Auckland city car fair en Ellerslie Car Fair (every Sunday).
What do you pay attention to when you buy a campervan?
Condition of the campervan
It almost sounds logical, but it's still good to point out. Always check the condition of the campervan carefully and I actually believe that you should always have an inspection done, as you can do at the AA (Automobile Association).
The inspection is intended for the buying or selling party, so that the condition of the campervan can be determined. The person of the check will draw up a document containing all points that may need to be made in the short or slightly longer term. This costs money, of course, but it is more than worth it. You then know really well which costs may still be payable by you in the near future.
As a buyer it also gives you a good negotiating position and as a seller it can also be helpful. When you are going to sell a campervan that has been extremely well maintained, it can help you to ask a certain price. As a buyer, for example, you can get a little off the price because you can demonstrate that things need to be repaired or replaced in the short term.
In addition to this check, it is of course wise to take a good look at the condition of the campervan yourself. Of course, a test drive cannot be missed!
Mileage
The mileage is also certainly important when buying a campervan. You drive a lot of kilometers that way, so when you start selling it again, you can already add it.
A campervan with a lower mileage is often more attractive to buy, since it can last long enough. Of course, the condition of the car is the most important, but you can often already estimate it a bit on the basis of the mileage. When you find a campervan that has driven few kilometers, the chance that the condition is good is simply greater than with a campervan that has driven many more kilometers. Nevertheless, many campervans drive up to 400.000 kilometers on the counter, but often with the necessary maintenance on the way. Make no mistake, one handles it differently than the other!
Year Built
Just like buying a car The NetherlandsWhen buying a campervan, you naturally also look at the year of manufacture. A 30-year-old campervan with only 100.000 kilometers on the clock is not that credible. Consider, for example, whether you want to invest energy and time in this to find out whether it is correct.
A very young campervan is often very expensive, so in the end the average traveler ends up with a campervan between 15 and 20 years old. This is pretty normal I've seen, even though it sounds like very old. The condition of the campervan and the check is therefore something that I recommend at all times.
Camping gear included
Sometimes you already buy a campervan from a traveler and that person also has his or her camping gear for sale. Usually you see that the seller sells this at the campervan, but it is also possible that you buy the campervan empty. Pay close attention to this when describing the campervan and when you are going to buy the campervan. The price difference here is often not huge, but it is good to realize that otherwise you will have to spend a lot of time and money to buy the right camping gear.
Automatic or manual
In New Zealand they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right. Keep this in mind when buying a campervan. If you are not used to this and if this is already exciting enough for you, buying an automatic machine can be a wise choice. Then you don't also have the gear lever, which is then to your left, to distract you.
If you have experience driving on the left with a manual car, it is less adaptable, but an automatic transmission in a foreign country still gives more peace of mind. At least that's what I thought and I wish I had been told this, then I would have paid extra attention.
Diesel or gasoline
You also have the choice between a campervan that runs on diesel or petrol. In terms of price, diesel is slightly cheaper than petrol. Yet this is not the only difference for traveling in New Zealand. Here you also pay for driving a diesel campervan and that happens per 1.000 kilometers. This is an extra charge and that is why you ultimately pay almost the same for petrol as for diesel.
MOT, certificates and insurance
Self-contained (self-sufficient)
You will undoubtedly have heard it before, but you have non-self-contained and self-contained means of transport. Every means of transport can get a certificate that this self-contained and with that certificate you can go to many places in New Zealand free camping.
At the moment (April 2023) this means that a blue self-contained sticker is sufficient for this. Unfortunately, the rules surrounding this certificate are about to change. It is good to check what changes and how this affects your choice. Instead of these blue stickers, there will be green stickers. According to the new certificate, you are only self-contained with one fixed toilet in your car.
Tip:: Curious about what will change? Through this link you can read about it in detail.
Fortunately, there are still options to buy a camper and to camp for free with the right certificate. In addition, you can still travel through New Zealand with a non-self-contained car in the future, only then you have to go to paid campsites. Incidentally, there are many of them, also in beautiful places and often not expensive at all! Especially the campsites of DOC (Department of Conservation) are extremely affordable. You can find the offer on the official website.
WOF and Rego
In addition to a certificate for self-contained, you also have two things that every vehicle in New Zealand needs. Namely, these are the WOF and the Rego. You can compare the WOF with the APK inspection as we know it in the Netherlands. This is also one in New Zealand annual inspection. It is therefore wise to see how long the WOF is still valid when you buy a campervan. The longer it is still valid, the longer it will of course not be necessary. You also know that the campervan passed the inspection not long ago.
The Rego is the same as the road tax in the Netherlands and is therefore not dependent on an inspection. This can be paid one year in advance or per month. No vehicle is allowed to drive around New Zealand without this certificate. So it's not something you won't buy a campervan for, because it can be extended at the NZ Post locations in New Zealand.
Insurance
Insurance is not something you pay attention to when buying a campervan, but something you want to have arranged right after you have bought the campervan. There are several parties with which you can take out insurance. It is also very easy to take out monthly insurance in New Zealand. You can even take out insurance for exactly three months (like us). Below I have mentioned three well-known insurers where you can go.
With car insurance you can also opt for a kind of roadside assistance service and I would definitely recommend taking out this. In New Zealand there are many roads that are somewhat remote and it is nice to know that you can always call roadside assistance. Especially during a trip.
Closing comments
It is of course possible that you are now in doubt whether you still want to buy a campervan and that makes perfect sense. That is exactly the reason I wrote this blog, because it is certainly not nothing. So don't underestimate it, I would say, but take a good look at the risks. Based on the tips above, determine whether it could be a good buy and calculate what you will lose in costs with a bad sale (possibly compared to renting). This way you can carefully consider whether you are going to purchase the campervan for a fantastic trip through New Zealand.
Are you thinking of following our footsteps and renting a camper(van) with friends, your partner or with your whole family? Then ask free of charge and without obligation submit a quote to Travelhome from ANWB. They have both campervans and full-fledged family campers on offer.
- Large selection, low prices
- Independent or Customized
- Expert advice from specialists
- Full quote with no hidden costs
Plan your holiday to New Zealand here
- Camper rental You can book this in combination with a tour Travelhome.
- Itineraries you can compare and request quotes sawadee, king monkey, Djoser en rickshaw travel.
- Flight tickets for New Zealand you can book via Skyscanner.
- Hostels, Hotels and Resorts in New Zealand you book at Booking.com.
- Rental cars : Sunnycars en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in New Zealand you book through GetYourGuide.
- Travel Insurance you close with a discount Allianz.
- travel items such as suitcases, bags and more you can buy at Bol.com.
- SIM cards for New Zealand you buy extra International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos, park care of iParking.
