What Really Matters When Buying a Caravan

Offroad Grit RVs L Shape Lounge

Looking past the colours, cushions, and fancy tapware

Buying a caravan is emotional. Walk through a showroom and it’s easy to get swept up in glossy finishes, designer lighting, and tapware that looks like it belongs in a boutique hotel. None of that is wrong, but none of it will matter much when you’re thousands of kilometres from home, fully loaded, and the road stops being smooth.

If you want a van that actually holds up to touring, especially off-grid or offroad, here’s where your attention should really be.

1. The Foundation: Chassis, Suspension, and Weight

This is the non-negotiable stuff.

The chassis and suspension determine how your van handles corrugations, creek crossings, and long days on rough roads. A strong body on a weak foundation will always lose the fight.

Look closely at:

• Chassis construction, rail size, welding quality, and protection

• Suspension brand, load rating, and real-world reputation

• How the van distributes weight across axles and drawbar

Then look at the numbers. Payload is where many vans quietly fail. Once you add water, batteries, food, clothes, tools, chairs, and optional extras, some vans are already overweight before you leave the driveway. A usable payload gives you flexibility and peace of mind. A tight one gives you constant compromise.

If the manufacturer can’t clearly explain their weights, that’s a red flag.

2. Electrical Systems: Numbers vs Design

Big battery and solar figures look impressive on paper, but design matters more than raw capacity.

Ask how the system is actually engineered:

• Voltage choice and why it was used

• Battery capacity explained in watt-hours, not marketing terms

• Quality of components, cabling, fusing, and protection

• Roof layout and whether solar placement is an afterthought

• Inverter size matched to real usage, not just a big number

A well-designed electrical system should be reliable, simple to understand, and serviceable if something goes wrong. Fancy screens and touch panels won’t help if the system is poorly thought out behind the walls.

3. Construction and Materials

This is where long-term durability is decided.

Timber, MDF, and decorative laminates can look great under showroom lights, but vibration, dust, moisture, and heat don’t care how nice something looks. Over time, material choice shows.

Pay attention to:

• Wall, roof, and floor construction

• Whether composite or lightweight materials are used

• Cabinetry materials and how they’re fixed

• Insulation and sealing methods

Good construction reduces squeaks, prevents water ingress, and keeps temperatures manageable. It also means fewer issues years down the track when the van has lived a real life, not just weekends away.

4. Layout and Storage That Matches Reality

A layout should suit how you actually travel, not how good it looks in a brochure.

Think about:

• Where you spend most of your time inside the van

• Whether seating works for long stays

• Bed access and comfort over time

• Storage that’s usable, not just “there”

Ask yourself where chairs, hoses, tools, recovery gear, clothes, and food will live. Good storage is easy to access, well-supported, and doesn’t rely on empty promises. A beautiful open space is pointless if everything ends up stacked on the floor.

5. Build Quality and Support

This is where trust is earned.

Open everything. Look behind panels. Ask questions. You’re not being difficult, you’re being smart.

Look for:

• Neat wiring and plumbing runs

• Proper sealing and protection

• Solid hinges, latches, and drawer systems

• Consistency throughout the build

Then look beyond the van itself. After-sales support matters. A warranty is only useful if the company is still around, answers the phone, and stands behind their product.

6. Access and Serviceability: Can It Be Fixed on the Road?

One question that rarely gets asked in a showroom, but matters a lot once you’re travelling, is this: If something goes wrong, can I actually get to it?

Plumbing leaks and electrical faults aren’t a matter of if, they’re a matter of when, especially on rough roads. What separates a good van from a frustrating one is how serviceable it is.

Look for:

• Access panels to plumbing runs, water pumps, and fittings

• Wiring that’s run logically, labelled, and not buried permanently inside sealed walls

• Systems that can be repaired without ripping out cabinetry or wall panels

If a water line leaks, you should be able to see it, reach it, and fix it. If a wire fails, it shouldn’t mean dismantling half the van just to trace it. Vans built with service access in mind save time, money, and a lot of stress when you’re parked a long way from a dealer.

A clean interior means nothing if every repair turns into a demolition job.

Running services behind cupboards can make it easier should a repair be required

Final Thoughts

Colours can be changed. Cushions can be replaced. Tapware trends come and go.

But a strong foundation, smart systems, solid construction, and a layout that works for how you travel will still be doing their job years later, long after the novelty has worn off.

Buy the pretty stuff if you like it. Just don’t let it distract you from what actually keeps you rolling.