MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: kalex on January 07, 2012, 05:23:32 PM
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Is it just me or are others out there having trouble selling there soft floor campers?
I have a custom Tambo camper i've been trying to sell for 3 months advertised on here, Camping and Caravan Sales and eBay and have only had 2 calls and no lookers.
I have lowered the price from $7500 to $4900 and still can't sell it. I think it's a bargin.
Any idea's of what to do?
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=17040.0 (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=17040.0)
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It might just be your timing. The last 3 months have seen the lead up to Christmas and then Christmas and New Year itself.
Hopefully things will improve for you (and others) come mid-late January when things start getting back to normal again.
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I keep an eye on the 2nd hand Goldstreams on eBay, Trading Post and Camping and Caravan Sales, none of them are moving either. There's also a full Tambo that has been for sale for a while too. I think the market for $5000 campers is new rather than 2nd hand.
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Hi have you tried gumtree, I sold my camper last year on there only took a couple of
weeks and plenty of calls, got the price I was asking as well. Good luck.
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your not alone mate we been trying to sell our old camper for a while to now...... here, the trading post, camper trailers.org and only had 1 email thinking of stripping it down and just keeping the off road trailer.
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Being in the selling game it all comes down to price. Even if a seller thinks its a bargain buyers don't. Add to this people are jiuggling credit card bills from Xmas and the expense of back to school.
2 options take it off the market till march when things settle down or be prepared to keep reducing until you get a buyer.
Mark
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I'm holding off till mid Jan before trying ebay again with mine, I'll wait till peoples get over christmas.
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I think you are up against the chinese rubbish that looks good and sells for similar prices.
Aussies have fallen for chinese junk hook, line and sinker. Our grandpas would be shaking their heads. 8)
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Yes we are another trying to sell ours. We just bought a caravan. Thankfully we are not in a hurry to sell. I think with all the cheap ones (poorly built) around it makes it hard. Just got to wait i guess. Its a pitty though we are running out of shed space.
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Aussies have fallen for chinese junk hook, line and sinker. Our grandpas would be shaking their heads. 8)
Not here, brought a high quality auzzie built camper. I'm certain no Chineese crap would deal with what I'm gunna do to this thing
Regards Adam
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As others have said, you are competing against new ones in that price range. Even though thay are not the quality many people buying in for the first time are not aware of this.
Maybe use these points to try and sell yours.
Trevor
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Even though thay are not the quality many people buying in for the first time are not aware of this.
I would say 95% of people would be aware of the quality. The thing is the people gererally buying these $5000ish campers are young couples/families on a tight budget and with the reality that it will probably only ever get used at Christmas, Easter and maybe 1 or 2 long weekends. So Chinese quality will probably hold up for its intended use and they figure their getting more bang for their buck with a cheap new one with all the bells and whistles, as opposed to a 10 year old Aussie made one thats been dragged all over Australia.
Having said that we'll be in the maket for another camper in the next 6 months (currently have a caravan :-[) and if I don't choose the self built option, it will be a 2nd hand Aussie made.
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from experience just before Easter is the times i have sold 2 Ct's and a boat on separate occasions stop advertising and wait til mid march
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Good photos sell campers. If yours isn't moving take it somewhere gorgeous, set it up perfectly and take lots of shots. Take photos of the bench, the ladder, the battery, everything. Make it easier for buyers to visualize how this will work for them.
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I've been looking for a new (to me) camper, but in a higher price bracket, and see so many that are over priced and hence not selling.
This is not a comment on those above, I've looked at them and wondered myself why they aren't selling as the prices are keen.
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We found it hard to move ours, took about 3 months. Had a few nibbles but couldn't get anyone to look at it. The first people to look at it bought it. Maybe highlight why a tambo or whatever is worth more than a new cheapy?
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About to put mine on the market. Was thinking about price and how much the chinese imports will knock it down. But after just spendind 2 weeks in a van park 4 out of 5 were imports.
cheers eddy
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Recently sold mine after only about a mth, but I feel I was very lucky from what I'd seen & read of other's previous experience trying to sell theirs.
I'd only advertised it here, & on our local community board. The couple who'd bought it only came across the notice on the community board because the woman changed her mind about the shop she wanted to go to 1st, & took a short-cut through the arcade where the board is, lucky for me ;D
The Cub we'd bought to replace it with had been on the market for a few mths with nary a nibble. The day I rang about it, the owner got another call within the hour from someone else who'd sounded really keen...could've been a sales pitch from the owner I know, but dealing with him, I'm quite confident of his honesty :)
All in the luck of the draw I believe.
You have to remember also, they are in a specialised area. Not the same as trying to sell everyday items used by lots of people lots of times eg: cars - furniture - clothing etc
As much as we know lots of other campers/CT users, it's still a minority life style in the scheme of things!
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Good photos sell campers. If yours isn't moving take it somewhere gorgeous, set it up perfectly and take lots of shots. Take photos of the bench, the ladder, the battery, everything. Make it easier for buyers to visualize how this will work for them.
Couldn't agree more, good photos are a must when trying to sell, not only selecting the location but ensuring everything in the photo looks nice and neat and taught. Yes, price is important, but attention to detail is extremely important, it is all about the presentation as you are competeing with many others and you need to ensure yours stands out. When I am going to part with my hard earned $$ I am very particular, if the photos look average I tend not to linger I will move on.
Hope this helps.....Good Luck.
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Both RedProw and BigJules are on the money with their advice on good photo's. Remember it always pays to listen to good advice.
My mate worked for a company that had a motto 'Perception is Reality' and I think there's truth in it.
IMHO several things are working against you. One is the market and two is the photo's that you have posted to represent your sale.
The first one is not within your control. The market is what it is. Having said that I believe there will be a buyer out there for you IF you present things well and entice them. Remember you only need one person keen to buy (so don't waste a shot until you see the whites of their eyes). ;D
The second one is 100% within your control and easily fixed. Presently your camper (soon to be some else's camper) is not being shown at it's best. It's more like a cute chick with a black eye. ???
Let me share my story. I wanted to sell my Land Rover Defender and got offered a price. At first I thought 'okay it's worth what the market is prepared to pay and that must be it'. Then I came at it from another angle. I knew it was a good vehicle and would appeal to a like minded buyer. All I needed to do was let them see it as I saw it but through the magic of photo's and good presentation. Remember that the pics is all they will see. And first impressions really count. :police:
So what I did was find the best locations I could and set up the Landy (sometimes with camper attached) along side rivers, tracks and other great locations that excite the mind of the buyer. I got a mate with a high quality digital camera and we went to work snapping pics & posting them on 3 websites.
Guess what? Before 2 of the websites even managed to post my advertisement the phone rang red hot & I had several buyers within a few days AND doubled the original offer. How's that? :cheers:
Remember the key is presentation AND pricing.
Hope that help.
Cheers - Wayne
If you want any tips PM me.
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Thanks for the advice, especially about photo's.
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Also a link to the manufacturer can help to sell on quality and value.
Perceived value is what you are selling to a potential buyer.
As mentioned photos, photos and more photos. Choose a hero image that sells camping in general, this is what most people at the lower end are after, picturing them self in the idealistic picturess landscape. Then focus on close ups of extras.
Even a photo of the trailer attached to your vehicle, as a graphic designer I have learnt that a lot of people are more interested in aesthetics, "what will I look like towing that behind my vehicle..., my kids could sleep in that spot etc" if it looks good and ticks the boxes on accessories and price you increase chances of a sale.
Also, if you can get the hero image hosted and embed it at the top of your advert. I can help you with this if you like.
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Ok, don't take this the wrong way, no disrespect intended, but your camper trailer looks odd to me. I have no doubt that your camper trailer has suited your needs and it may well be a bargain compared to what you have spent on it. Maybe it's just not selling because it looks so different to a 'normal' camper trailer. I know my post isn't going to help you sell it and maybe I should keep my thoughts to myself, but what I posted is what comes to mind when I look at it.......... (flame suit on).
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I think consumer confidence is down across the board, not just for camper trailers. On another forum (about cars) the very same question was raised about how hard it was to sell second hand cars at the moment. People had advertised for months without even getting a phone call. The only way they were selling was by dropping the price by a huge amount. I'm in the same boat with a block of land I'm trying to sell. It's been on the market for 18 months now, and even after dropping the price considerably we've had only a couple of half hearted inquiries. Two years ago my block would have sold within a week based on the price we now have it for sale. A neighbour finally sold his house after it being on the market for more than 12 months, but the sale price was 25% less than what he originally wanted to sell it for....
I think the way the economy is and the uncertainty of the future for some industries means people are limiting their spending on certain items, and watching their $'s a little more closely. Not to say this is the same for everyone, but certainly my friends and colleagues I work with have a similar outlook on things at the moment,
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X2 on a good set of photos.
Presentation is paramount when selling second hand. You know the saying "A photo speaks a thousand words".
Take the camper out somewhere were potential buyers will take the camper (because most times buyers will be locals).
Set it up the best you ever have, all straight and neat and take photo's that not only sell the camper but the lifestyle it will pass on to new owners.
Bnk
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set it up perfectly and take lots of shots.
This!
There's nothing worse than see ads with the camper half arsed setup on the too small front lawn with the wife half in a photo holding up the tent or awning because their too lazy to actually set it up properly.
Last year we looked at a few 2nd hand campers for both ourselves and friends and I noticed the following on a lot.
The below is in no way directed at you kalex, but observations about others for sale.
Poorly setup in photos and then sellers being reluctant to set it up so you can have a proper look, one guy wouldn't even get it out of the carport! If you don't have the room be prepared to take it somewhere and set it up for a prospective buyer.
Understand what you are selling. If you don't know what it is fitted with find out off the manufacturer. Just because it has white sunraysia's and an axle flip, it doesn't mean it has 'fully off road HD suspension' as one seller put it. Turns out it was a 40mm axle on slipper springs!
Scrub, scrub, scrub. There is nothing worse than a putrid camper, I know its a quality Aussie made tent and trailer that can handle all conditions, but I don't need the red dust as proof. Wash the canvas and scrub the trailer, if the paint is bad give it a fresh coat, but not a half arsed job like one bloke did to his rear fold camper. Tried painting the rims and trailer with cheap pressure packs, but mainly got the tyres and canvas.
Some accessories are good, but don't try and offload all of your old camping junk, most buyers are already tent campers and thowing in your 6 year old 'used' porta-pottie is not a good selling point to most people.
Be realistic on price. Allot of brand name campers we looked at people were trying to get 80% of the new purchase price on a 10 year old camper. Unfortunately (good for some) there are more campers on the market than there is buyers.
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I have to agree about the photos. Looking at the photos in your MySwag ad I would comment:
Photo 1. The cover is badly fitted and the photo appears to have been taken at the back of a junkyard (sorry, I know you are probably very proud of your house, but that is the impression it gives)
Photo 2. Good view of the kitchen totally spoilt by the surroundings - surely all that roof insulation could have been moved out of the shot?
Photo 3. Better, but spoilt by the wrinkled appearance of the cover hanging down at the front and the totally uninspiring location!
Photo 4. The ridge line sags, the camp site is too cluttered, and the washing on the guy lines spoils the effect.
Your camper is a very neutral colour, so to show it at its best you need to find a background that contains colour, such as a lake, the sea, with trees in full blossom behind it or possibly sillouetted against a lovely sunset. With photos like that, showing a perfectly set-up camper just by itself (no sags or bags, no washing, no clutter) you may well get offers at your original price - isn't that worth a few hours of your time?
Try and get some good interior photos as well - you may need to find a friend with a good wide angle lens for these. Make sure it looks light and airy, and the bed looks comfortable and inviting, and it shows how much space is available.
Look at the last photo in my signature line - and then think of the same photo but with the awning perfectly adjusted, the second camper (on the right) removed and all the camping equipment out of sight and you will be heading in the right direction. The middle photo would suit an ad just as it is.
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Yep have to agree with most a friend of mine is looking at buying a camper and the photo,s are not that great , he does not get on the internet much so i have been looking for him i showed yours and the photos did not excite him even though i told him tambo,s are good trailers i would set up in a park more inside shots plus the fact we live rural so its gotta look good to make people like us want to have a look.When they see all them cheap ones on ebay they look great and i can see why they appeal to people who do not really know about the quality thing
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Sometimes your location can have a bit to do with it, if you live in a smaller town, but you seem to live close enough to Melbourne so that shouldn't be an issue.
When we were trying to sell ours we live 3hrs drive from a major city so our market was more limited. For the well known expensive campers (name any popular brand) people are willing to travel because what they're buying 2nd hand is pretty much exactly the same as what they would buy new.
But with cheaper and particularly custom jobs it's true first it has to appeal to someone in a photo and then they have to decide that either it's exactly the kind of camper they want or that it's cheap enough that they will buy it anyway and then modify anything that might not suit them personally. The custom height you specifically wanted could be working against you because that won't appeal to everybody. It's not that there is anything wrong with the trailer it's just that being different can limit your market which means it takes longer to sell. Your trailer could be worth $40k but if it has a custom feature that doesn't appeal to the mass market well even selling it for a ridiculously low price wouldn't guarantee a buyer quickly.
The last trailer we sold we had success on Gumtree, it was a camper trailer without a tent, I think we were pretty lucky to find a buyer quickly because it wasn't going to appeal to everyone either. But with sites like that you do get a lot more scammers too (compared to here on MySwag) so just be weary, because they seem pretty good at sounding dinkum these days, they ask for extra photos etc before telling you they're on an oil rig or something!
I agree that you need to take better photos....if people see all the useful bits and pieces (some might call it "junk" or "clutter") in the photos it can be a turn off, it can give the wrong impression or perception and just not as appealing as opposed to taking pictures in a more tidy and nice looking location. Kind of like selling a house and taking pictures of it with heaps of clutter compared to it being neat and tidy.
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Another thought kalex might be to seperate the trailer from the tent?
The extra height in the tent might suit people wanting to build a slide on camper for the back of a 4wd ute.
The trailer would probably appeal to tradies as a heavy duty tool trailer.
Might be something to think about down the track if you still have trouble selling it.
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The thing is the people gererally buying these $5000ish campers are young couples/families on a tight budget and with the reality that it will probably only ever get used at Christmas, Easter and maybe 1 or 2 long weekends. So Chinese quality will probably hold up for its intended use and they figure their getting more bang for their buck with a cheap new one with all the bells and whistles, as opposed to a 10 year old Aussie made one thats been dragged all over Australia
... but what about the aussdie made ones that have been used 2 or 3 times ever?? Seller paid $15k selling for $5-8k...
18203957092348098% better value than woo-flung-dung for same price, plus usually have many extras added to them....
I agree with others, Shit time of year to sell anything... theres been a few threads on this subject over recent months.
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... but what about the Aussie made ones that have been used 2 or 3 times ever?? Seller paid $15k selling for $5-8k...
18203957092348098% better value than woo-flung-dung for same price, plus usually have many extras added to them....
I'm not disagreeing with you (As I said We'll buy a 2nd hand Aussie canvas one over an import), but why are the 'woo-flung-dungs' and the 'creamosumyoungguys' selling every 2 minutes on eBay and a 2nd hand Aussie ones taking weeks or months to sell?
Allot of campers have no interest in buying something to clean up, mod, accessorise and join up to Myswag to talk about. They see the new cheapies as something they just have to throw bedding, clothes, food in and off they go. Everything is bright and shiny and has a nice stainless steel kitchen,ect, ect, drive away no more to pay!
The market is so saturated with camper trailers now, in 5 years time you will have to pay someone to take away your used 'woo-flung-dung'!
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The market is so saturated with camper trailers now, in 5 years time you will have to pay someone to take away your used 'woo-flung-dung'!
I think most would be wrapped if it was 5 yrs LOL!
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There is an old saying I work buy - you can't sell a secret. Set it up perfectly in a nice location in plain view of passing traffic and see how you go. I agree with most comments here about photos - you want them to sell a perfect dream - ideal setting, perfect site (grassy, flat, etc) and a perfect setup without the normal camping crap you get when camping (ie clothes/towels hanging on guy ropes, stuff laying around the camp and kitchen. IF people ar ein the shots, make sure they are in happy mode with smiles, relaxing and perhaps having a quiet one - again, sell the dream.
Other option is to take it camping in park and set up next to tent campers with a big FOR SALE sign on it.
FWIW, I bought a 2nd hand Aussie camper for more $ than I could have bought an import, but only after I had crawled over a few imports as they were pert of my intial consideration.
All the best with the sale.
Steve
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Is it just me or are others out there having trouble selling there soft floor campers?
nope... plenty with the problem... ;)