Quirky Campers NZ Campervan Marketplace: Buy & Sell Now

Where would you like to start?

This guide covers both sides of the marketplace. Jump straight to the part that’s relevant to you. Are you a buyer or a seller? Or both perhaps?!

 

What is Quirky’s Campervan Marketplace?

Quirky Campers NZ has launched a marketplace built for one purpose: buying and selling campervans and motorhomes, listed properly with all the details a buyer needs to make an informed choice. We’ve been hiring out our owners’ vans across New Zealand for years, so we’ve learned a fair bit about what makes a conversion work and what buyers actually need to know. The marketplace has been designed around that.

If you’re selling, you get the space and the structure to tell your van’s story. If you’re buying, you get the full picture on every van, without having to email the seller five questions before you know if it’s worth a look.

What’s on every listing

Most vehicle listing sites are built around year, make, model and odometer because that’s how cars get valued. Whilst those details are important, a campervan doesn’t just fit that shape, so all the detail that matters ends up buried in a wall of tex. Our listing form asks for it up front:

Compliance and certification	The conversion itself
Self-containment certificate	Berths and bed configuration
Gas Safety Certificate	Fresh water and grey water capacity
Electrical Warrant of Fitness	Solar, leisure battery and electrical setup
Warrant of Fitness or Certificate of Fitness	Heating, cooking and appliances
Registration status	Who built the camper, and the conversion story
Odometer and mechanical history	Up to 24 photos, plus video

The result is that buyers can compare two vans easily and sellers stop answering the same questions over and over.

For buyers

Buying a campervan is a big decision (we know, we’ve done it lots ourselves!) and it is often a meaningful cost too, so it’s important to get it right. Here’s how the marketplace is set up to help you.

Everything you need in one place

Every listing carries the compliance detail (self-containment, gas, electrical, WoF/CoF) alongside the conversion detail (water capacity, solar setup, berths, heating). You can see up to 24 photos and video too.

If you’re interested, you get in touch through the contact form on the listing. From there you deal directly with the seller and arrange next steps between yourselves. Quirky isn’t part of the conversation, the viewing or the sale and you aren’t limited to our messaging system. Once we’ve connected you, our work is done!

Look out for Quirky pre-approved vans

Some listings carry a Quirky pre-approved tag. That means we’ve looked at the van and we’d be interested in having her on our hire platform.

If you see that tag, you like the van, and you’d like to earn from it after you’ve bought it, get in touch at nzmarketplace@quirkycampers.com and we can talk it through. We’d still need to do our final checks and make sure we’re a good fit for each other before anything is agreed. This is a conversation worth having before a purchase, not after, because we can’t make guarantees. Our guide to hiring out your campervan with Quirky Campers NZ covers what’s involved.

Hire one before you buy one

This is the bit no other marketplace can offer. Before you commit to a van, you can hire one from our fleet to try out van life before you buy!

Time on the road teaches you about fixed beds versus convertible ones, headroom, where you want the kitchen and how much water you get through per day. Real world testing is much better than online research and it’s the best way we can think of to de-risk a large purchase. Have a look at our hire fleet and treat it as a holiday and extended test drive.

Doing your own checks before you buy

We need to be straightforward about this, because it matters: Quirky does not inspect, verify or check any vehicle listed on the marketplace. We’re a listing platform only. Sellers are responsible for the accuracy of their listings, and buyers are responsible for due diligence and satisfying themselves about a van’s condition, history and paperwork. Quirky accepts no responsibility for the vehicles listed or for any transaction between a buyer and seller.

A few sensible steps when approaching a purchase:

1. View the van in person. Photos are a starting point but you need to see it in real life.
2. Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic, ideally one who has seen conversions before. The AA offer this service.
3. Check the paperwork yourself: registration, WoF or CoF, self-containment certificate, gas and electrical certificates, service history.
4. Run an official vehicle history check for outstanding finance, odometer records and any reported damage.
5. Ask about the conversion: who built the van, when, and whether the gas and electrical work was certified at the time.
6. Never send a deposit to hold a van you haven’t seen.
7. Take your time. A genuine seller won’t rush you.

For sellers

If you’ve built or owned a van you love, selling can feel like letting go of a family member. Finding a new home should be simple and you should get what the camper is worth.

How to list your van

1. Create your listing at quirkycampers.com/nz/sell-campervan. You’ll be asked about the vehicle, the conversion, and everything that makes the camper what it is. Give as much accurate detail as possible!
2. Add your photos. Up to 10 on a Standard listing, up to 24 on Premium, plus video if you have it.
3. Set your price and publish. You’ll hear from us if we think the listing needs changes, or if we want to give it the ‘Quirky pre-approved’ status.
4. Manage the listing in the ‘My Account‘ section.
5. Buyers get in touch through the contact form on your listing, and the conversation carries on between you directly.
6. Once sold, update your listing promptly so nobody wastes their time.

What it costs

We charge a small flat fee for the listing. We don’t take a percentage of the sale price, and we never will. You pay once, put your van up, and whatever it sells for is yours.

Listing	Price	Photos	Listing time
Standard	$19 NZD	Up to 10	8 weeks
Premium (recommended)	$29 NZD	Up to 24	12 weeks

Premium is the one we’d recommend. Twenty-four photos and twelve weeks gives a hand-built van the room it needs, and a longer window matters when you’re selling to a smaller, more considered audience.

Giving your van the best chance of selling

• Photograph the camper in good light. Get the exterior from a few angles, the kitchen, the bed made up and put away, the seating/dining area, bathroom and any other features (awnings, pull-outs, lighting etc.). The better your photos, the more interest you will get. Show everything!
• Fill in every field you can. A buyer comparing two similar vans will nearly always go for the one that answered their questions.
• Tell the story. Who built the camper and when, what was the camper built for, the adventures it has been on. The story and the description are important so don’t hold back!
• Be honest about the wear. Every van has some. Naming it up front builds more trust than hoping nobody notices at the viewing and saves everyone time too.
• Set the price sensibly. If it’s had a recent recertification, new tyres or a fresh solar setup, spell it out so people know the true condition.

Staying safe when you sell

Selling a van should be an enjoyable thing. Unfortunately, scammers do target vehicle listings across every platform, so it’s worth knowing what to look out for. Treat these as warning signs:

• Anyone offering to buy without viewing, especially if they’re overseas or want to arrange shipping or courier collection.
• Full-price or above-asking offers made instantly, without questions.
• Vague messages with no specific questions about the van.
• Unusual payment methods: gift cards, cryptocurrency, overpayment then refund, or an escrow service you’ve never heard of.
• Requests to sign up to a third-party site for a paid vehicle report.

And a few habits that keep you safe:

• Never release the van until payment has fully cleared in your account.
• Don’t share ID, bank details or your home address early in a conversation.
• Arrange viewings in person, and have someone with you if you can.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, stop replying and let us know at nzmarketplace@quirkycampers.com.

You’ve agreed a sale: what happens next

Handshake done and price agreed? Here’s how to finish the sale properly so nobody is left with a headache later. This applies to both sides, so it’s worth reading whichever end of the sale you’re on.

Before any money or keys change hands

• Take the other party’s full name and address, and check it matches their ID. Sellers should sight the buyer’s driver licence.
• Write down the details of the sale: date, price, odometer reading, registration plate and VIN, plus both names and addresses. Both of you keep a copy.
• Sellers, make sure the payment has fully cleared in your account. Not ‘pending’ or ‘sent’. Only then hand over the keys.

Tell NZTA straight away

You’re legally required to change the registered person when a vehicle changes hands. The good news is that it’s free, and it takes a few minutes.

• Sellers complete a Notice of Disposal (form MR13A).
• Buyers complete a Change of registered person (form MR13B).

If you hold a New Zealand driver licence you can do both online at nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle. If you don’t, you’ll need to go in person to an NZTA agent, and many NZ Post stores handle this. Take photo ID with you. Do it at the time of sale. If the buyer’s side isn’t completed, the seller can stay on the hook for licensing fees, tolls and any tickets the new driver picks up. Sellers, it’s worth asking the buyer to complete their form before you hand over the keys.

Sort insurance

• Buyers, arrange cover before you drive away. 
• Sellers, don’t cancel your policy until the transfer is complete. Then you can cancel (and ask about a refund on any unused premium!).
• Buyers, tell your insurer it’s a campervan conversion rather than a standard van. Some policies treat them differently, and the sum insured needs to reflect the build as well as the vehicle.

A few other things worth doing

• Hand over everything: spare keys, service history, all certificates (self-containment, gas, electrical, WoF or CoF), appliance manuals and any instructions for the awning, heater or solar setup.
• Note the odometer reading on the day of handover, and both keep a record of it.
• If the van is diesel, check the Road User Charges licence before you buy. RUC is paid in advance in blocks of distance, so compare the odometer reading against the distance the current licence runs to. If the van has already travelled past it, there’s an outstanding bill, and it follows the vehicle rather than the seller. Agree who settles it before handover.
• Buyers, check when the WoF or CoF and rego are next due and diarise them. The self-containment certificate is tied to the vehicle rather than the owner, so it carries over with the sale and needs no action from either side. Do note the expiry date though, since it needs to be current if you plan to freedom camp.
• Sellers, clear your personal data. Wipe any GPS history, disconnect the van from apps and remove your details from tracking or toll accounts.
• Buyers, if you’re planning to hire the van out with us afterwards, talk to us before you buy rather than after.

Our marketplace rules

A short list, and we think a fair one. It keeps the place useful for everybody.

• Listings must be accurate and honest.
• Treat other users with respect. Abuse, foul language or harassment will get you banned from the platform.
• No spamming other users.
• Campervans and motorhomes only.
• Listings must be priced over $8,000 NZD.
• No scamming, in any form.
• Buyers and sellers conduct their own due diligence before any purchase.

And a few points of etiquette that aren’t rules, just good manners:

• Reply to enquiries as quickly as you reasonably can.
• Keep your listing up to date and mark when sold.
• Send a considered message rather than a two-word one. We’d rather not import the “is this still available” habit from elsewhere.

If a listing breaches these rules, Quirky reserves the right to edit or remove it.

Why choose Quirky over a general marketplace?

General listing sites like Facebook Marketplace or TradeMe aren’t built for campervans or motorhomes, and so campers are lost amongst thousands of competing listings. Plenty of sellers use multiple platforms, and we’d rather say that upfront than pretend otherwise. Here’s where we think we’re the stronger option for a campervan:

What matters	How Quirky compares
Cost to sell	A small flat fee, and no commission on the sale. Selling through a general auction site can cost many times more once a percentage of the sale price is taken.
The listing form	Ours asks about self-containment, water, solar, gas and the conversion. General motoring sites are built around make, model and odometer, so the value of a build has nowhere to go.
Filter what matters	Buyers can narrow the search by the things that actually decide it: berths, self-containment, location, layout and budget. On a general site you’re scrolling through everything and hoping.
Who sees it	Everyone here is already looking for a campervan or motorhome. Fewer enquiries than a general marketplace, but better ones.
How long it lasts	Every van gets its own page at a fixed link that Google can index and you can share anywhere. Social posts disappear down the feed within a day or two.
What comes next	Buy a van here and you can apply to put it on our hire platform afterwards. No other marketplace offers that.

Our UK marketplace has been running for years and carries well over a thousand listings, so the format and what makes a conversion sell are known to us.

Marketplace FAQs

How much does it cost to list a campervan on Quirky Campers NZ?

A Standard listing on Quirky Campers NZ costs $19 NZD for 10 photos and 8 weeks. A Premium listing costs $29 NZD for 24 photos and 12 weeks. We don’t take any commission on the sale price.

Does Quirky Campers take a commission on the sale?

No, Quirky Campers NZ does not take any commission or success fee on a sale. You pay a small flat fee for the listing and keep the full sale price.

Does Quirky check the campervans listed for sale?

No, Quirky Campers NZ does not inspect, verify or check any vehicle listed on the marketplace. We’re a listing platform only. Buyers must carry out their own due diligence, including a physical viewing, an independent mechanical inspection and a vehicle history check, before buying.

What does the ‘Quirky pre-approved’ tag mean?

A Quirky pre-approved tag means we’ve looked at the van and we’d be interested in having it on our hire platform. If you buy it and want to hire it out with us, email nzmarketplace@quirkycampers.com and we’ll talk it through. Final checks still apply, and both sides need to be happy it’s a good fit.

How do I get a free campervan listing?

Use the code FREELISTING at checkout for a free Standard listing. The offer applies to the first 25 listings on the marketplace and closes once those 25 are live.

How long does my listing stay up?

A Standard listing stays live for 8 weeks and a Premium listing for 12 weeks. If your van sells sooner, update the listing so buyers know.

Is there a minimum price to list a campervan?

Yes, listings must be priced over $8,000 NZD. The marketplace is built for campervans, motorhomes and conversions rather than project vehicles or parts.

How do buyers and sellers communicate?

Buyers get in touch through the contact form on the listing. From there the conversation carries on directly between buyer and seller, outside Quirky. We’re not party to the negotiation, the viewing or the sale.

How do I change the registered person after buying or selling a campervan in New Zealand?

Changing the registered person in New Zealand is free and legally required. Sellers complete a Notice of Disposal (MR13A) and buyers complete a Change of registered person (MR13B). If you hold a New Zealand driver licence you can do it online through NZTA, otherwise visit an NZTA agent such as a participating NZ Post store. Do it at the time of sale.

Ready to get started?

Have a look at the campervans for sale, or list your own van and put it in front of an audience who already know what a good conversion is worth. Don’t forget the code FREELISTING while the launch offer lasts.

Any questions about the marketplace, drop us a line at nzmarketplace@quirkycampers.com and we’ll come back to you.