Caravans are a great option for people who do a lot of traveling. They allow you to take your home and all of your belongings on the road. This means you never have to worry about leaving anything at home since you have your fully stocked caravan with you. Plus, they are easy to tow, and you can find light options to fit with almost any vehicle. Their convenience and ease of use have made them increasingly popular.
However, if you’re purchasing a caravan, you probably already have a car and have experience with the process. Therefore, you are likely going to have questions about financing and other costs. To ease your mind, you should learn more about your options, any associated costs, and the pros and cons of financing. Here is everything you should know about financing this purchase and the costs if you want to make an informed decision.
Pros
The biggest pro of using this type of financing is finding lenders with a minimum credit score requirement. This means some lenders will help you get a caravan even if your credit is not excellent. Additionally, they will only run a soft credit check to prequalify you for your loan so you know exactly what you can spend without hurting your score. This can help you create a realistic budget and stay within your goals.
Cons
The biggest challenge you will face with financing this type of trailer is that caravan loans can be hard to find. When you find one, it may also be challenging for you to pay it back because the loans are typically only 5 years. Typically, your best bet is to look at online lenders because they offer more options. In certain situations, you can find some that are longer, which will help you if you are looking to lower your monthly payments.
Interest Rates
Like your auto insurance, the less of a risk you pose, the lower your interest rates will be when it comes to this type of financing. That means if your credit score is less than excellent, you will be paying higher rates. Higher rates mean more interest over time and higher monthly costs. If you already know your credit score, you can use online estimators to get approximate rates before seeking financing. This will help you get an idea of your monthly costs and total interest costs.
Application Process
In most cases, applying for a loan starts when you contact a lender, and they run a soft credit check to prequalify you. This prequalification process takes only a few minutes when you are dealing with online vendors. However, more information and a hard credit check will be required before you actually receive the funds. Once you receive the terms of your prequalification, they will be valid for a certain amount of time which you can use to find the perfect caravan for you.
During the application process, you should be on the lookout for application or origination fees as well as prepayment penalties. You should also decide quickly because there could be late fees if you don’t purchase a vehicle before your prequalification expires. Furthermore, most caravan loans do not allow for co-signers or co-applicants. If you have poor credit, that could lower the amount you are eligible to receive through financing.
Restrictions
During the application process, you need to be on the lookout for financing restrictions, such as where you can purchase your caravan. Keep in mind that not all lenders are licensed to operate globally, so you will need to find someone who lends to your location. Often, you will also be asked to purchase a car in that location.
Aside from this, you will likely need to meet certain requirements, such as being a certain age. Different lenders can also have minimum income requirements. Additionally, there could be maximum term restrictions, so ensure you can repay the borrowed amount in this time frame. Generally, applicants can’t have current bankruptcies either.
Delivery Fees
A growing number of places that sell caravans deliver them to your home. This reduces the amount you need to spend if you would have to drive a long distance to pick up the caravan. However, delivery often comes with a fee that your financing does not cover, so you must be prepared to pay that. Usually, the delivery fee can extent from a hundred to a thousand dollars, It depends on how far the vehicle has to go.
Return Policies
Many locations have a week-long return window for any caravans they sell. This gives you time to receive a refund on your down payment and revoke your loan before you start making payments. However, before you agree to a financing arrangement, you should make sure they are on board with the return policy if you don’t like the caravan.
Trade-Ins
If you are looking to upgrade to a newer caravan, you should consider trading it in. This process gives you more cash which you can use to put down on your new caravan, upgrade your car insurance on your new trailer, or save for later. Often, that means you have less money that needs to be financed when purchasing your new caravan so that you can have lower monthly payments.
Warranties
Whenever you purchase a new caravan, it will likely come with a warranty already. However, one cost that you should probably purchase is the extended warranty option. This is great when you only have the minimum coverage to meet your insurance requirements and seek extra protection to prevent gaps.
Legitimate Companies
Today, the internet is filled with scammers. If you are looking for financing online, make sure the company you choose has any necessary qualifications and is a legitimate business. Since having a user-friendly website has become the norm for businesses, this is a great place to find their qualifications, reviews, and other information necessary to validate a company. This protects you, so you don’t end up getting your information stolen or in a poor financial situation.
Negotiating Prices
Depending on where you purchase your caravan, you could have the opportunity to negotiate its price. This is always a good option because it can lower the amount of money you need to finance or add enticing features to your caravan. That can mean you get more for your money, or you end up with lower monthly payments.
Down Payments
Down payments are required when you purchase a caravan, even if you finance a large portion of the cost. The total amount you need to put down on your purchase depends on your prequalification data, your credit score, your annual income, and the price of the caravan. You can also put them to your advantage because the more you put down on your trailer, the less you have to finance, and the lower your monthly payments are.
Financing a caravan is a great way to enjoy the freedom and convenience of these trailers. This covers the basics of this process, so you are ready to start adventuring and taking your home with you. The bottom line is that you want to know what costs and factors you could encounter when financing a caravan.