Where to buy a van
The first step to buying a van in Australia is finding one.
- Gumtree Campers
- Facebook groups for backpackers
- Hostel bulletin boards
New Van Checklist
Rego: You will need to register your van every 3, 6 or 12 months. Rego cost changes from territory to territory, but if it’s on the road in Australia it needs to be registered.
You will have 14 days from buying the van to transfer the ownership. Backpackers be aware that you will need a garage address for this. Most hostels are okay with you using their address. Perhaps it’s the same hostel you used for your bank account addy.
Insurance:
Crossing state lines: If you buy a car in QL but it is registered in VIC, you will have to drive all the way to VIC to transfer your ownership. If you buy a van in WA, you can do everything online. (Any backpacker will tell you that buying a car that’s registered in WA is the way to go.) Do your research when you’re buying your van – where do you want to live/work? Because that will affect your life when it comes time to buying, selling, registering your van and what each state requires.
Resources:
NSW rego and transfer within state
Fellow backpack blogger Flip Flop Wanderers have a great article on buying a van as well.
Van Life Budget
The budget below should give you an idea how much you will need for your life on the road.
*Budget based on 2022 research.
Van: $10,000
Rego: $100
Insurance/ Road Worthy Certificate: requirements and inclusions vary state to state. Do your research.
Petrol: $1.25USD/litre ($4.7USD/gallon)
Budget tips for buying a van
Vans are more expensive in Australia than New Zealand. To find the most affordable van, I suggest staying local. This means going into every hostel in town to check their bulletin boards. Jordan and I bought our van in 2019 for under $5k this way. We sold it at a loss.
You will see a LOT of roof tent campers in Australia. This is an alternate and valid way to do van life.
Camper van #vanlife
How to find a campsite
- WikiCamps $7.99AUD. This is how the locals find their campsites and if I were to do Australia over, I would buy this app.
- Campermate Free. While this app works wonders in NZ, it just doesn’t fly so well in Aus. This is what Jordan and I used.
Selling your van
Don’t wait until the last minute to sell your van. I recommend posting it for sale at minimum 4 weeks before you leave the country so you don’t have to slash your pricesin order to sell before you leave. (This is the reason Jordan and I got our van for $5k, and part of why we sold our van at a loss.)
Post your van everywhere listed above when you’re selling. Jordan and I sold our van to a friend in the end.
