What to ask at a caravan show
Ask the same questions at every stand.
Two A4 sheets to print and carry, one for the stand and one for the deposit.
Print both, take a pen, and fill one sheet in per van.
Ask the same questions at every stand, so the answers you write down compare properly at the kitchen table.
The second sheet covers the deposit, so you find out what the money does before you sign anything.
- At every stand - options fitted, warranty, lead time and where it is serviced
- The weights - tare and ATM as it would be built for you, in writing
- Before a deposit - what the money does, and what the paperwork actually says
A show is a long day, and by the sixth van the answers start blurring into each other. Carry a sheet and you ask the same questions every time and write the answers down. At the kitchen table you then have something you can compare.
The second sheet is for the moment the day turns into a decision. Deposits at a show are normal and nothing to be scared of, as long as you know what the money does and what the paperwork says before you sign it.
Sheet 1. Questions to ask at the stand
Same questions at every van, so the answers are comparable.
The van in front of you
- Is this the standard build, or does this one have options fitted?
- Which options are on it, and what does each one cost?
- What is the warranty, how long, and who does the work under it?
- Where is the nearest place this brand is serviced to me?
- What is the lead time if I order one, and is that from today or from deposit?
The weights, as it would be built for me
- What is the tare and the ATM with my options fitted, not the brochure build?
- What payload does that leave me once water, gas and gear are in?
- What is the tow ball mass, loaded the way I would travel?
- Can I have those numbers in writing with the quote?
The price, all of it
- What is the drive-away price, with delivery and on-road costs itemised?
- What is NOT included that I will have to buy before the first trip?
- Is this price a show price, and does it stand next week?
- What changes the price between today and delivery?
Before you walk away from the stand
- Photo of the price sign, the floorplan card and the compliance plate.
- Name of the person you spoke to, and how to reach them.
- The quote in writing, in your hand or in your inbox.
Sheet 2. Before you hand over a deposit
What to ask, and what to get in writing, before any money moves.
Before any money changes hands
- What exactly does this deposit do: hold the van, or start a contract?
- Is it refundable, in what circumstances, and by when? Ask for that in writing.
- Who holds the money until delivery?
- What am I signing? A show order form is usually a contract, not a reservation.
- Does the paperwork describe the van I walked through: model, layout, options, tare and ATM?
The things that get sorted out later, in writing
- The delivery date, and what happens if it slips.
- What happens if the finished van comes in heavier than the quoted tare.
- What happens if a listed option is not available at build time.
- The full price, with delivery, on-road costs and every option itemised.
- Whether any part of the price changes between deposit and delivery.
Your own two rules
- Sort the money side before you commit, so the only thing left to agree on the day is the van's price.
- Sleep on it. Nothing about this purchase gets worse for a night at home with the quote in front of you.
How a deposit is treated, and whether any cooling-off period applies, depends on the state you buy in and on how the contract is written. That is why every line above asks for the answer in writing rather than assuming one.
Do the homework first
These sheets work best when you walk in with a shortlist, your tow numbers and the money side already under way. The show guide covers all three, along with what is on and where.
What to sort before you goOnce you own one, the printable travel checklists and the pre-delivery inspection checklist pick up where this pack stops.
Show sheet 01
Questions to ask at the stand
One sheet per van. Fill these in first.
The van in front of you
- Is this the standard build, or does this one have options fitted?
- Which options are on it, and what does each one cost?
- What is the warranty, how long, and who does the work under it?
- Where is the nearest place this brand is serviced to me?
- What is the lead time if I order one, and is that from today or from deposit?
The weights, as it would be built for me
- What is the tare and the ATM with my options fitted, not the brochure build?
- What payload does that leave me once water, gas and gear are in?
- What is the tow ball mass, loaded the way I would travel?
- Can I have those numbers in writing with the quote?
The price, all of it
- What is the drive-away price, with delivery and on-road costs itemised?
- What is NOT included that I will have to buy before the first trip?
- Is this price a show price, and does it stand next week?
- What changes the price between today and delivery?
Before you walk away from the stand
- Photo of the price sign, the floorplan card and the compliance plate.
- Name of the person you spoke to, and how to reach them.
- The quote in writing, in your hand or in your inbox.
Show sheet 02
Before you hand over a deposit
Ask what the deposit does before you pay it.
Holding a van and signing a contract are two different things, and the paperwork is what tells you which one this is.
Before any money changes hands
- What exactly does this deposit do: hold the van, or start a contract?
- Is it refundable, in what circumstances, and by when? Ask for that in writing.
- Who holds the money until delivery?
- What am I signing? A show order form is usually a contract, not a reservation.
- Does the paperwork describe the van I walked through: model, layout, options, tare and ATM?
The things that get sorted out later, in writing
- The delivery date, and what happens if it slips.
- What happens if the finished van comes in heavier than the quoted tare.
- What happens if a listed option is not available at build time.
- The full price, with delivery, on-road costs and every option itemised.
- Whether any part of the price changes between deposit and delivery.
Your own two rules
- Sort the money side before you commit, so the only thing left to agree on the day is the van's price.
- Sleep on it. Nothing about this purchase gets worse for a night at home with the quote in front of you.