Where All Those Dumped Aussie Caravans Actually Ended Up (And What They're Going For Now)

📕 My honest car, ute & 4WD guides — buy the right one, then keep it alive 👉 https://aussiemechanicgreg.com A while back I made a video about Australians walking away from their caravans. More of you watched it than anything else I've put up, and a lot of you asked the same thing underneath it: where did they all go? I never answered. So this is the answer. They went to four places, and only one of them is any good to you. What I did not expect to find is that the market has not collapsed the way everybody assumes — the softening is real, but it is happening at one end of the market only, and that end is exactly where the vans that have been standing still are parked. The discount is real. The discount exists because of the standing, not instead of it. What I cover: - The four places a dumped caravan actually goes: the auction lane, the consignment row, a dealer's back yard, and the side of somebody's house - The three kinds of van that turn up at auction — salvage, repossession and ex-rental — and why I'd take the ex-rental every time - How consignment really works: the owner still owns it, the dealer must bank into a trust account, and why the expense list is the closest thing to a service record you'll get - What two summers of standing does: tyres that age out before they wear out, and the four digits on the sidewall that matter more than the tread - Water ingress — the most common and most expensive fault in the whole vehicle — and how to find it with your nose and the flat of your hand in thirty seconds - Brakes and bearings with no receipt: the $300–$500 you take off the price on the spot - The honest numbers: 15–20% gone in year one, 40–60% over five years, and the ATO's 16.67% a year - The correction nobody expects: vans under about $35,000 are softening, while premium used vans under five years set up for off-grid are holding or rising - My five checks, in order, before anybody hands over money — including the PPSR check that costs a couple of dollars FACT-CHECK: Caravan Industry Association of Australia's State of the Industry 2026 reports Australian manufacturers produced 23,963 recreational vehicles in 2025, down 4.9% on 2024 but around 12% above 2019; registered RVs rose about 4% to approximately 937,000 (roughly 817,000 towables and 119,000 motorised), about one for every 29 Australians. Towables were 96% of domestic output; caravan production rose 7.3% to 18,438 units while motorised production fell 39.6% to 910; caravan trailer and component imports rose 16% to 23,244 units. Pickles and Manheim both operate caravan auction lanes in Australia taking insurance salvage, finance repossessions, ex-rental fleet and general consignment stock; Manheim has reported selling a higher percentage of vehicles offered year on year, with growth in stock consigned by financial institutions. On consignment the owner retains ownership until sale, the dealer acts as agent under a state-certified agreement, proceeds must be paid into a trust account, and the dealer cannot take commission on expenses such as roadworthy certification, advertising, detailing or repairs. Caravan tyres age out before they wear out and anything over roughly seven years old is recommended for replacement regardless of tread; the four-digit sidewall code gives week and year of manufacture. Water ingress is reported as the most common and most costly fault found at pre-purchase inspection. Where there is no service record for brakes and wheel bearings, $300–$500 is the commonly quoted budget. New caravans are reported to lose roughly 15–20% in the first year and 40–60% over five years; the ATO recognises a depreciation rate of around 16.67% per annum. Reported 2026 conditions: vans under about $35,000 are softening while premium used vans under five years with off-grid capability are holding or increasing. Average trip length has fallen to 3.4 nights. More than one Australian caravan manufacturer has entered voluntary administration in the past two years; none is named here. All prices, costs, values and depreciation figures are indicative and vary. DISCLAIMER: General information and my honest opinion — NOT purchasing, mechanical, insurance, financial or legal advice. No dealer, auction house, consignment operator, finance company or manufacturer named or referred to here is accused of any wrongdoing; auction and consignment practices are described as ordinary, publicly advertised trade practice. Consignment law and roadworthy requirements differ between states — check the rules where you are buying. Always have a qualified caravan technician carry out a pre-purchase inspection, confirm the gas certificate and compliance plate, and run a PPSR check before you hand over any money.