It might not sound at first the cheapest and easiest option for your big loop around Australia, but buying a car has been revealing to be a good investment for many backpackers and that's why is widely use for traveling cheap around Australia at your own leisure. This make sense if you are planning to spend few months on a nomadic life on the road as finding, buying and re-selling a car can be a time consuming and stressful experience but could save you many nights at the hotel. Yet, for some, it can be even fun and, if you plan smartly, you could get yourself a bargain, buying from a fellow backpacker with a high desperation level leaving in the next days, and sell it with a profit. There is no need to say, the more you spend the better vehicle you will get, although that's not always the case. A realistic figure is around $3000-4500 but, choosing a good van to fit with your budget, it's a bit like hitting the jackpot and the experience could be for many quite daunting.
So what you need to know?

The Most important: The registration, the safety certificate and insurance.

• In Australia, registration (rego) is a compulsory tax for all vehicles and is a complicated matter as every state has different regulations. For that reason is best to buy a vehicle with the rego within the state you are looking to re-sell it, in which case the rego would be easier to renew and will attract more buyers. Always try to find a car with a long rego so you don't have to worry about renew it before you sell the car, saving you $600-$800 for one year renewal. Selling out-of-state registered car is not impossible but it can be a lot of headaches, time and money-wasting.
• It's compulsory for the seller to provide the buyer with a RWC (Roadworthy certificate) or pinkslip, a certificate that stated that the vehicle has undergone a mechanical inspection by a licensed garage and it's "safe" to drive. The cost to obtain this document is around $90, if no repairs are needed, otherwise the seller is required to carry on all the necessary works. That's why is import for you to ask the seller for this document so you could see what it has been done to the car.
• Third Party Insurance (CTP) is compulsory in every state. In some state a basic third-party personal insurance is included in the rego (like VIC), in others you will have to arrange one before or with the rego, providing proof of address and that the premium is paid. CTP in any case only covers you for personal injury. We took a comprehensive insurance ($384 for 6m) which at the end it turned out almost to paid for itself as we got a free windscreen.

Where to buy?

Sydney and Cairns are both good places to look for great bargains as major hubs both for backpackers leaving the country in desperate need for a quick sale and travelers, potential buyers, in search for a fast purchase in order to start their adventures.
Where to look for?

• Online through private sellers: Gumtree is extensively used among backpackers and is where we discovered our van. Since you will be dealing most certainly with fellow travelers, for the above reason, the price is HIGHLY negotiable but you should consider that the vehicle has already attempted at least once the big loop.My advice is to consider instead buying an utility van and convert it yourselves, it's easier than you think and you could adapt it to fit your needs at best.
• Car auctions: it could be the cheapest way to buy a second hand vehicle, which is where Australian's car dealers find their bargains, but in most cases the vehicles cannot be inspected.
• Through rental companies: many of the major backpackers' rental companies such as Autobarn, Wicked, are selling their ex-rental vans with a buy-back guarantee which, for a bit more of your money, it would give you some extra peace of mind.
• Car Market: the most known is the Sydney Car Market which used to be a garage where backpackers parked their vans for potential buyers to inspect but it's now only online, a sort of gumtree, so you have to get in touch directly with the owner even for a viewing. The only service they give is providing info for the rego but this can be easily obtained from the Australian transport authorities .
• Notice boards: hostels and internet cafes are plastered with ads for auto, 4X4, campers and much more for sale.

What you need to check?

Whatever you get, wherever you look for, make sure you take a good, closely inspection of the vehicle even if you might not know a thing about it these little tips could save you from a fiasco.

• A trick to check an unleaded engine is a simple test: ask someone to start the vehicle and vigorously accelerate, while standing behind it, check out the smoke from the exhaust pipe. The gas should be uncoloured or lightly white, if it's gray or black means the vehicle is burning oil and this could lead you to pay an expansive mechanic's bill.
• Always have a look at the engine head: if it is very dirty and covered by oil it's not a good sign either.
• Take in account the miles in the odometer: a car with low mileages could suggest less probability to incur in mechanical problems, less than 200.000km is a good option.
• It's vital that you take the van for a "Joyride": take an half-hour drive, turning-on the air conditioning, testing all gears, accelerating sharply and driving fast (not too fast), keeping an eye on the temperature needle that should be stable on the cold side. Australia can be very hot and you don't want to stop every 100 km just to cool down the engine.
• General shrewdness: the vehicle should have a good working air conditioning, good tyres with a good grip, one good spare tyre, a good battery (better if with warranty), and you should have a good look at its paperwork and the mechanic history trying to detect if there is any suspicious signs of upcoming breakdowns (signs of previous huge works is not always a good thing, an old car is an old car).
• Inside: the space should be well organised especially if you are looking for a place to spend your nights in. You don't want to get mad every time you need to search for something so look out for practical solutions as it will be your home for the next months: maybe a foldable bed than can easily become a sofa by day and bed at night, some room to stand and some space to safely cook inside during the rainy days in which case look also for a good ventilation to prevent mould's formation.
• Gadgets: many of the backpackers vans come with extras such as bicycle, surfboard, three way fridge (propane, battery), mosquito net, beach games, black out curtains for some privacy, shower running on 12V, camping equipment, travel guides and power inverter of 240W to recharge your laptop and camera while on the move. The more you could get, the better.

If you feel still unsure, consider getting some mechanical help and spending an extra $80 to have the vehicle inspected independently by a local garage before the purchase.

What to buy?

Station-wagon, utility van, campervan, 4X4, hoptop campers are the choices and it' is up to you and your style decide which one suite you best. If you are looking to cover a lot of mileages it might worth consider getting a car that run on LPG but check that it comes with a certificate of conformity which has to be done every 10 years and costs around $100. If you are thinking to get to remote places, driving through dirty roads or sandy track to reach many national parks along the coastline than get a 4WD, even if more expensive is the only way to go. We only now regret it as we have to skip many beautiful remote spots.

This is what we got for $4350. Want to find out if we sold it? Stay tuned.


Well, good luck!