Check VIN before you buy a motorhome!

The camper market is experiencing a real explosion. Prices on the secondary market have skyrocketed, and factories can't keep up with orders for new vehicles. The product is therefore very scarce. In addition, when something interesting appears on the horizon, potential buyers literally "fight" to get the car they want. However, when looking for opportunities, it often happens that our vigilance is reduced. Since we are talking about camping vehicles related to our hobby and associated with pleasure, family and travel, we may not keep a sober mind in the purchasing process. Act impulsively, in a frenzy, often looking through rose-colored glasses. However, we must realize that this purchasing process is no different from purchasing a family car for everyday driving. In addition, we are talking about considerable amounts in these transactions.

The VIN number of the camper will be confirmed by the factory

More and more opportunities mentioned above are starting to appear on the Polish market. In addition to the accident history of the vehicle and a thorough analysis of its technical condition, we strongly recommend that the VIN number be checked by a specialist company. Entities belonging to the Polish Caravanning Group offer such a service free of charge. And they have something to do... At Elcamp , the distributor of the Adria brand, the phone rings often about this matter. At least once a week you come across a camper with a VIN number that has never left the Adria factory . There was even a case of verification of the Adria vehicle on the Peugeot Boxer chassis, while the manufacturer had never used these cars as a base.

A discussion broke out on several social media forums. There were voices that after an accident, everyone should be able to move their car body to another base and use the car without consequences. Following this line of reasoning, these cars should not be called ADRIA , HYMER or PILOTE , but should be included in the procedure for "SAM" vehicles.

Camper thefts are becoming more and more common

Of course, in the background there are speculations as to why so many "buildings" and occasional spacers suddenly appeared. Of course, some of the bodies may come from accidents in which the base vehicle was damaged. However, it must be said openly that this scale must also be in direct correlation with the increasing thefts across Europe. Not a day goes by among our western neighbors without a dozen or so cases of illegal misappropriation of camper vehicles.

Camper conversion - a lucrative business

The problem is the appropriate marking of the building elements , which can be found in vain from most manufacturers. bodies, so it is often difficult to clearly identify and assign them to a specific car that left the factory with a specific chassis number. There are brands that, due to the numerous embossing of the VIN number in the bodywork elements, will not be such a tasty treat (e.g. Carthago ). Evidently, the most common prey for amateurs of other people's property is the so-called campervans / vans and semi-integrated vehicles. According to According to the findings of the German police, most of them, if they are not transported beyond the eastern border of the EU, serve as a base for "transplants". Due to the huge variety of models and bodies, these vehicles are not likely to be dismantled and sold for parts.

The scale of the phenomenon is also confirmed by a representative of one of the largest caravanning companies from Greater Poland. At the same time, it draws attention to the economic aspect. Purchasing the body itself for approximately PLN 50,000 and the base vehicle for even PLN 70,000, taking into account the current market boom, means huge profits for the company dealing in such a practice. He also confirms that he knows about cases where serious companies from the automotive industry ended up with convictions for receiving stolen goods and fraud.

Be vigilant and check what you buy!

Let us remember that even if we buy a car in good faith and are aware of possible (let's call it delicately) "formal irregularities", we may expose ourselves to a number of unpleasant situations. From possible leaks or technical defects related to an unprofessional spacer, through possible legal problems in the event of an inspection or technical inspection, to potential problems during resale when a customer interested in purchasing wants to verify the VIN with the brand's dealer.

Not only campers

Although the above article is devoted to campers , the plague of theft and potential threats when hunting for bargains also applies to camping trailers . Not only in Germany, but also in Poland, there are more and more cases of the appropriation of trailers not only from private properties, but also from dealers' yards. The most spectacular robberies give you goosebumps, and the theft stories read like a good crime story. German-language sources and subsequent police statistics across Europe indicate that this trend is intensifying.

Regardless of whether we are buying a camper or a trailer - let's be careful and carefully check not only the technical condition of the vehicle, but also its history and origin. Companies such as: Elcamp and CarGO! - associated with the Polish Caravanning Group - help to perform such verification free of charge .

At Elcamp you can check out brands such as: