New caravan handover checklist: what to check before you sign

In an ACCC survey of more than 2,200 caravan owners, reported in 2022, four in five said their new caravan had a problem, and about half of those said the problem was major.

You can’t inspect quality into a van on delivery day, but you can catch a lot before you hand over the final payment and tow it away. Book the handover for daylight, allow at least two hours, and bring this list.

Before the day

• Ask the dealer to have the van connected to mains power, with water in the tanks and gas bottles fitted, so everything can be tested.
• Ask for the build sheet listing every option fitted, and compare it with your order.
• Bring a torch, a phone for photos, a spirit level and, if you have one, a moisture meter.

Paperwork

• The compliance plate matches the van: VIN, tare, ATM, GTM and ball weight.
• A weighbridge ticket from after all options were fitted. If the tare has grown, your payload has shrunk.
• Gas and electrical compliance certificates for the van’s installation.
• Manuals and warranty cards for every appliance: fridge, hot water, air conditioner, inverter, battery, solar controller, toilet, awning.
• The manufacturer’s warranty terms, and who to contact for a claim.

Outside

• Walk around in good light. Look for gaps or cracks in sealant around windows, hatches, lights and joins. Water ingress is the most common serious defect.
• Open and close every window, hatch, locker and the door. They should seal evenly.
• Check the chassis and drawbar underneath: welds look complete, no cracked paint at joints, cables and pipes clipped up out of harm’s way.
• Tyres: correct size and load rating, sensible pressures, and the date code (four digits on the sidewall, week then year) is recent. Check the spare too.
• Coupling, safety chains and shackles are rated for the van’s ATM.
• All lights work with the van hitched to your car: tail, brake, indicators, clearance lights.
• Brakes: the controller in your car talks to the van, and the breakaway system works and its battery is charged.

Water

• Fill all fresh tanks and run every tap, the shower and the outside shower until the pump stops cycling.
• Look underneath and inside cupboards for drips while the pump is running.
• Check the hot water system heats on both gas and electricity, if it has both.
• Flush the toilet and check the cassette or tank seals.
• If there’s a grey water tank, run water down the sinks and confirm it drains into the tank, not onto the ground.

Gas

• Light every burner, the oven or grill, and the hot water.
• Run the fridge on gas if it’s a three-way model and confirm it cools.
• There should be no smell of gas anywhere. If there is, stop and get the dealer’s gas fitter to check before going further.

12V and 230V

• A battery monitor shows the battery’s state of charge. Note it, switch off mains power, and check that lights, pump and fans run from the battery.
• Confirm the solar is charging: the controller or monitor should show current coming in during daylight.
• Run the inverter with something plugged in.
• Press the test button on the safety switch (RCD). Power to the 230V outlets should cut out.
• Every power point and USB outlet works.

Inside

• Open every drawer and cupboard; check the catches hold when closed. Things shake loose on the road.
• Look inside lockers, under beds and behind seats for damp patches, swelling or a musty smell.
• The fridge, air conditioner, microwave, TV and any washing machine all run.
• The bed base lifts and the struts hold it up.

If you find a problem

Write it down before you sign the delivery papers, with photos, and get the dealer to acknowledge the list in writing with a date for the fix. For anything serious, such as a leak, a structural crack or a gas smell, it’s reasonable to delay taking delivery until it’s repaired.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, products must be of acceptable quality, and a new caravan is no exception. If a problem is major, you can choose a refund or a replacement; for minor problems, the business can choose to repair it within a reasonable time. Your claim is with the business that sold you the van, even if the fault came from the factory. Keep every email and receipt.

For the numbers that matter after you leave the yard, read Caravan weights explained.