Buying a Vehicle for your travelsBuying a vehicle for your travels can be very challenging and knowing what you want is half the battle. It is usually a good idea to buy a car that can be easily serviced and spare parts available in the country you are visiting. We bought a peugeot in the uk, which, even though was not a British car was very popular in the UK and Europe and there was no trouble finding service centers that could deal with that make of cars problem. Equally if you bought a Japanese car in Australia or NZ it would be no problem as they are very popular in these countries. Amy From Perth in Western Australia bought a 1985 Toyota Landcruiser Troop Carrier as a vehicle to use for camping. This is an ideal vehicle to use to travel an arid country. Check out Amy's story
It is a good idea to get an AA, RAC (motorvehicle association ) check on the car. Another option is to buy a second-hand van to sleep in or a car to camp beside and then sell it when you finish your holiday. Decide what kind of vehicle you think you’ll be comfortable in. A van simply converted with a mattress in the back and enough standing room could become quite comfortable if properly fitted out. If you are going to cook on a small gas stove a lift up tailgate will give you rain-cover and ventilation while cooking. A plastic or canvas sheet hanging from the opened tailgate could also provide privacy for bathing in your plastic bucket. There are solar water heaters available called shower bags which hold enough warm water for your weekly wash. These are available from good camping supply shops.
Diesel Petrol or Gas Diesel powered vehicles are usually a little more economical than petrol and LPG (or gas in Aust.) is cheaper to buy but doesn’t give quite the same fuel consumption. If you decide to buy a diesel try to follow the vehicle along a road to see if it emits any black smoke. This indicates that the engine fuel injectors need servicing and this could be very expensive.
Choose Carefully Motorhomes or RVs are normally already fitted out and are more comfortable and expensive. Be careful of buying an older kitted out van because it could have a worn out engine and mechanical parts. If you buy a newer van and kit it out yourself, you could have a much more reliable vehicle.
Inspection Buying a second-hand vehicle is scary even in your own country so if you are not confident about your own knowledge always ask a friend or paid mechanic to come along with you to the inspection. Some countries have motoring associations which will inspect a vehicle for a reasonable fee. Visit these sites for other guidelines and tips for buying a vehicle.
Having to sell your vehicle before you fly home can also be a problem but there are websites which carry advertisements and sometimes suburban streets or markets where travelers meet to buy or sell. You may have to accept a lower price when you sell but if you are lucky you may have paid a lower price when you bought it because of the sellers same predicament. Sydney Australia While we were visiting Sydney in Australia we came across several people selling their vans in Victoria street, Kings Cross. This is very common and although the residence don't like it - it can be very successful.
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