✅ Last Update:
No matter if you have been traveling around New Zealand for one month or twelve, selling a campervan will likely signal the end of your trip to New Zealand.
It is also time to recover your investment, or at least part of it.
- We also have created a specific guide for selling a campervan by location — you can check it here later on in the following link: Where Can I Sell My Campervan in New Zealand?
🏆 Here are our top tips for selling a campervan in New Zealand!
1. Decide On a Realistic Price
If you need help with how to price your car, jump on our Travel Cars website and also look at Facebook Marketplace, find similar vehicles for sale and decide what your start price will be.
- If you are interested on selling your campervan fast, and you are willing to negotiate, you can use the terms “near offer” or “ONO”, next to the price.
2. Decide Where and When You Want to Sell a Campervan
We recommend giving yourself 2 to 3 weeks to sell; this will put less pressure on you. However, you may also prefer to have your campervan up until the last minute.
Auckland is generally considered an excellent place to sell because of the many backpackers arriving in the city each week.
On the other side, places such as Queenstown or seasonal work hot spots like Marlborough and the Bay of Plenty may also provide good opportunities for selling your campervan to other backpackers (depending on the time of year).
📌 Take advantage of Facebook groups by joining local groups, like “campervans” + “location” (campervans in Auckland)
3. Give Your Campervan the Clean It Deserves
Wash stations are available in most large towns and cities around the country, or you may have other means to access a hose, brush, and vacuum cleaner.
Give the interior and exterior a thorough clean so that your campervan is most presentable.
If that is not appealing, you could always splash out and get your car professionally cleaned at professional car washes.
Certainly selling a car full of sand, all the interior messed up and with wasted food in the kitchen won’t help you at all to sell it, or at least get a good price for it!
4. Create a Good Advert
If you are creating an advert, then include multiple photos of the campervan and details, including:
- The asking price
- Kilometers the car has traveled (what is showing on the odometer)
- If the car is manual or automatic
- When the registration and warrant of fitness expires
- When it was last serviced (if applicable)
- If it has recently had work done (such as new brakes or tires).
- Remember to include your contact details (i.e, mobile number and email address)
📌 Creating a good advert is not just about description, make sure your photos are awesome.
5. Get Busy Advertising
Begin your selling journey by placing pin-up notices in famous backpacker hostels near you.
Additionally, leverage the power of online platforms like Travel Cars NZ to showcase your campervan to a broader audience.
⚡ You can also boost your online visibility by tapping into our extensive Facebook Network, with over 350,000 members. (as of May 2025)
- Remember, using different ways to share your listing helps you reach more of the right people. Someone might spot your notice on a hostel wall, while others could find it online.
6. Write an Advert for The Window
One of the easiest and most underrated ways to sell your campervan is to put a clear “For Sale” sign in the window. It might seem old-school, but it still works—especially in places full of travellers.
Park your van in high-traffic areas like hostel parking lots, supermarket carparks, or near popular campsites. Other backpackers and road trippers are always looking, and your van could catch the eye of someone who’s just arrived and hasn’t started searching online yet.
- Make sure your sign includes all the key info: price, contact number (WhatsApp is best), mileage, year, and whether it’s self-contained.
“A couple of quick highlights—like “ready to road trip” or “WOF until [date]”—can help grab attention, too”.
7. Weekend Car Fairs
The car markets are (or were) located in Christchurch and Auckland.
When we say ”were” is because they disappeared in the past, and the Auckland Car Fair changed their location at least 4 times in the last 5 years, so we won’t give advice up-to-date in this article.
However, the following one can give you a better perspective and up-to-date information.
- Car Fair in Auckland (2025 Update)
- Backpacker Car Market (Travel Cars NZ)
8. Leaving New Zealand Soon?
For a super quick sale you can check companies like Turners or Auto Wreckers to get rid of your car quickly.
While these business are convenient for a quick sale, the financial return might very low.
- At Travel Cars NZ (Auckland only), we buy cars for cash and we also offer a ”sell on behalf option”, you can contact us via WhatsApp with info and photos, and we will give you a price for a quick sale (only if you need to sell your car within the next 48-hours).
If you are not in Auckland you can also check car dealers, often you will get a much better price than scrapping your car for metal.
9. Complete The Correct Paperwork After Selling Your Car
When you sell your car in New Zealand, make sure you fill out the MR13A form—this is the official notice that you’re no longer the owner. It’s a legal step, and you should definitely complete it before leaving the country.
This form tells the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that you’ve sold or handed over the vehicle.
You can fill out and submit the MR13A form at any New Zealand Post office, and it only takes a few minutes.
Also, don’t hand over the keys until you’ve seen proof that the buyer has completed their part of the paperwork. You can ask to see one of the following:
- A screenshot or email confirmation from the buyer showing they transferred ownership online.
- A printed acquisition receipt.
- Or the receipt section from the MR13B form, which is what the buyer fills out.
“It’s a small but crucial step that protects you from a lot of future headaches”.
10. Want to Avoid Carrying Cash From The Sale of Your Campervan?
If you’ve already closed your New Zealand bank account—or never had one to begin with—don’t worry. You can still handle the payment side of selling your campervan smoothly.
The Wise App (formerly TransferWise) is a super handy way to send and receive money internationally, right from your phone. It lets you get paid in your own currency, with low fees and real exchange rates, not the inflated ones banks usually offer.
- Setting up an account is quick and easy, and if you use the link below to sign up, your first transfer is completely FREE.
So whether your buyer wants to pay in NZD and you want it in EUR, USD, or anything else—Wise makes it fast, simple, and secure.
💳 Register through the following link and get your first transfer for FREE: Register – Wise
⭐ Bonus: Once registered, the App allows you to invite friends and make money while traveling.
