Best currency to buy a campervan
Replies: 10 - Last Post: Feb 17, 2013 4:12 AM Last Post By: neverwinter
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Best currency to buy a campervan
Hello,I'm arriving in Auckland in a few days and want to buy a campervan ASAP. I plan on bringing the amount of US $$ with me to to avoid any exchange or transfer fees. Just wondering if this is the norm when buying a van? I will probably buy one from the backpacker car market and I know travelers will prefer US but what if I decided to buy from a dealer or local. Will I get a better or worse deal, should I convert to NZ in that case? Any immediate advice is greatly appreciated as I am leaving tomorrow. Thanks!
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you have to use the local currency at some point and so you cannot escape transfer fees. Bringing a huge amount of cash with you, particularly the wrong cash, does not make sense.if you buy a van off Americans who are going home, they might want US $. No-one else will. Certainly no dealer will want them, nor will any other traveller.
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Thanks NW.Local currency I can get from ATMs as I go with no fees, I was only going to use the US $$ for the van purchase. I knew I would probably have to convert it but was just curious if dealers accepted US. It still saves me the transfer fee by bringing it along.
In terms of which van to buy, since I'm buying at peak time and will be selling in 3 months during the off season, do the pricier 2-3 berth campervans hold the value better or would a cheap backpacker van be the better route and quicker sell when I'm done?
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I am aware it takes time to buy and sell a vehicle, though I'm hoping it doesn't take a full week to find one and buy it. Not in a huge hurry either, if it doesn't sell when I'm ready to leave I'll just do a visa run and come back or leave it with a friend to sell. From your experience, do the more expensive ($8k-$10k) self contained campervans hold their value better than cheap ($3k-$5k backpacker conversions? I imagine they take longer to sell because of a more niche market.5
You will have to report on the NZ incoming pax card, if you are taking actual cash over NZD$10k value in any currency, Q6 on here: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/enter/ships/passenger-arrival-card.pdfMentions equivalent.
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I can't comment on the NZ market but I would assume cheaper sells quicker7
cheaper sells quicker, and with this kind of short-term buying you should not be thinking of 'hold value'. Remember you need to consider top up insurance, break down cover and repairs. Also are you sure that a 'visa run' works in NZ?I really don't think NZ dealers will take US dollars! And you always pay fees when you take cash out of ATMs - you can avoid the 'per transaction' fee but there is always an exchange fee.
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Thanks. I figured the cheaper vans would sell quicker, guess I'll just have to see whats available. Im not on a normal backpacker budget or timeframe so a quality van holding its value is more important than a fast sale, dont want to throw money away by being in a hurry. I havent decided on insurance yet since its not mandatory. Im not buying a POS and im a good mechanic so wont buy breakdown coverage. As i understand US citizens are allowed 180 days out of the year, just leave after 3 months and come back for up to another 3. Please correct me if im wrong. The ATM card i use has zero fees world wide and reimburses me for all fees the bank charges including exchange fees. Gotta love Charles Schwab!On a totally seperate note, is beef jerky sealed in its original packaging allowed into NZ? Thanks again for the info
