Choosing a caravan can feel a bit like speed dating at a country pub. There are plenty of options, they all look good in the right light, and everyone has an opinion about which one you should pick. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is whether the caravan suits you.
At Find My Van, we spend our days helping Aussies buy and sell caravans, and after watching hundreds of people go through the process, a pattern always shows up. The happiest travellers are the ones who choose based on lifestyle, not hype.
So, let’s chat through how to figure out what will genuinely work for you.
Start with how you actually travel, not how you think you should
Everyone starts off saying the same thing.
“I just want a van that can do everything.”
But here’s the truth. You don’t need a van that does everything. You need one that fits the way you like to travel.
If you’re the chilled-out type who loves slow mornings, a comfy bed and a layout that feels homely, go for something spacious and easy. Couples’ vans between 18 and 22 ft tend to be perfect.
If you love disappearing down dirt roads and ending up somewhere with three bars of phone reception on a good day, then off road features become your new best friend. Think stronger suspension, higher clearance and a solid off grid setup.
If kids are involved, bunks will save your sanity. No need to pretend otherwise.
And if you plan to work from the road, comfort becomes essential. You’ll want good lighting, space to set up a laptop and air conditioning that doesn’t sound like an angry possum trapped in the vent.
Once you’re honest about how you travel, the whole process becomes easier.
Your towing confidence should always set the limit
A caravan might look manageable while sitting still on a dealership floor, but everything feels different once you’re overtaking a road train in crosswinds.
If towing is new for you, stick to something around 16 to 19 ft. Your stress levels will thank you.
If you’re more experienced, a bigger van might make sense, but don’t get sucked in by the idea that bigger automatically means better. Bigger only works when your nerves, your car and your driving habits can handle it.
Before you fall in love with a layout, check your towing weights
This is where a lot of caravan dreams go sideways.
You find the perfect van. The layout is flawless. The bed feels like a hotel. You’re already picturing yourself at a beachside holiday park. Then you check the weights and realise your car can’t tow it without giving up half your payload and running on prayers.
Your vehicle has limits and so does every caravan. Tare, ATM, payload, towing capacity, tow ball download… it sounds boring until it becomes an expensive problem.
As a caravan broker, we check weights for buyers every day. It’s the fastest way to avoid disappointment.
Think about how you live day to day
Some people can sit happily at a café dinette every night. Others will fold themselves into those seats twice and decide it’s not happening again. Some love a club lounge. Some need a north south bed to avoid climbing over their partner at 2am.
Think about how you naturally live at home.
Do you sprawl out on the lounge?
Do you cook often?
Do you wake early and need space without waking everyone else?
Your habits should guide your layout choice. Comfort is not a luxury when the caravan becomes your home.
Off grid setups sound glamorous, but be realistic
Almost everyone says they want to camp off grid. Not everyone does it.
If your idea of off grid is a night at a rest stop on the way to Port Lincoln, you don’t need a hardcore electrical setup.
If you want to spend a week in the middle of nowhere living off sunshine and silence, that’s when you start looking at lithium batteries, strong solar, a good inverter, a diesel heater and plenty of water on board.
The goal is not to buy the biggest setup. The goal is to buy the one that matches your reality.
Resale value matters more than you think
Even if you plan to keep your caravan forever, life happens. Upgrades happen. Grandkids happen. Hips that suddenly demand an ensuite happen.
Some vans hold their value better than others. The ones that consistently sell well are practical, well-built and have layouts that appeal to most people. At Find My Van, we see strong demand for vans with north south beds, separate ensuites and ATMs under 3000 kg.
The quirky, unusual layouts tend to hang around the market longer.
You don’t have to figure it all out alone
Caravan shopping can be genuinely overwhelming. There are too many listings, too many opinions and too many hidden traps. If you ever feel like you’re second guessing everything, that’s normal.
