Selling a caravan privately gets you a better price than trading it in, but it also means you're doing all the legwork yourself — the ad, the inspections, the payment, the paperwork. Here's how I'd walk through it if I were selling ours.
We've sold both our vans privately — one on Facebook Marketplace and one on caravancampingsales. Both times it took a couple of months but both sold at a good price. Be patient.
Work out if private sale is actually worth it for you
Compare what you'd clear from a private sale against a dealer trade-in or consignment, after all the costs. Get written offers from dealers if you're weighing it up — don't go on their advertised retail price, because that's not what they'll pay you. If you're going consignment, nail down the commission, prep costs, and what happens if it just doesn't sell.
Sort out ownership and any finance before you advertise
Make sure the VIN on the van matches your paperwork. If there's still finance owing, ring the lender directly (not a number from an email) and get the current payout figure, its expiry, and their process for releasing security once it's paid. Never tell a buyer that sending you the money will automatically clear a registered interest — that's not how it works, and it's the kind of thing that goes wrong for people. A quick PPSR search is worth doing yourself too, so you know exactly what's registered against the van before a buyer asks.
Get your paperwork and photos sorted honestly
Gather your service history, repair invoices, manuals and any inspection reports. Photograph the actual van in daylight — every side, the layout, any damage. If something's not perfect, say so: "leak repaired in May, invoice available, some staining remains" is more useful (and more honest) than "perfect condition."
We go around and through the van and take a bunch of photos for our own reference.
Write an ad that answers the obvious questions upfront
Make, model, year, layout, berths, price, location, rego status and expiry, actual dimensions vs plate ratings, what's included, and — importantly — anything that's wrong with it. Buyers appreciate honesty, and it saves you fielding the same questions fifty times.
Set some ground rules for inspections
Meet in daylight, have someone else around if you can, and don't hand the keys to a stranger and let them drive off alone. If someone wants a tow demo, sort out who's driving, what's insured, and where beforehand — don't improvise this on the day.
Get the payment right — this is where people get burned
Talk to your own bank about how the payment's coming through and how you'll verify it's actually landed. A screenshot or a "pending" notification from the buyer is not proof of payment — check it in your own banking app. Scamwatch has plenty of warnings about fake payment evidence and "overpayment" scams where someone asks you to refund the difference — don't fall for either. If anything about the payment feels off, pause and ring your bank before you hand over the keys.
I've seen many news stories and social media posts about people being scammed. If it feels a bit dodgy it probably is, but scammers are very sophisticated nowadays, so double check everything with an external source.
Do the transfer properly
Every state and territory has its own seller's disposal/transfer process — don't leave this to the buyer to sort out. Queensland, for example, generally needs a safety certificate for a registered van over 750kg when transferring rego; Victoria doesn't require one for light trailers. Check your state's actual process rather than assuming it's the same everywhere.
Write up a proper sale record
Names, addresses, van details (make, model, VIN, rego), agreed price, deposit received, what's included, any agreed work, and the date/time of handover. Both parties sign and keep a copy. Don't mark it "paid" until you've actually verified the money's in your account.
The handover, step by step
Confirm payment's cleared, sign the paperwork, check the included gear against your list, hand over the manuals and service records and every set of keys, show them how everything works, and submit your disposal notification to the relevant authority straight after. Keep the whole file together — listing, messages, payment evidence, signed record.
General Australian seller guidance, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements for your state and your specific transaction.