Read the 17-digit CRiS number off the caravan
CRiS says it is etched in the bottom right-hand corner of each window and on the habitation door, with a stamp on the chassis, often on the A-frame. Use the number you read, not one from an advert or a text message.
Run the CRiS check
£17.95 at cris.co.uk with a debit or credit card. It reports outstanding finance, a stolen marker, an insurance write-off and whether the caravan is registered to a named keeper.
If finance shows, stop
Ask the seller for a settlement letter from the lender showing the figure to clear it. Either pay that amount to the lender directly and the balance to the seller, or walk away. Never hand the full price to a seller who promises to settle it afterwards.
Keep the evidence
Keep the CRiS check result, the receipt and the settlement letter with the CRiS Registration Document, and update the keeper record with CRiS after you buy.
Why it matters
A finance agreement survives a private sale. Until it is settled the caravan belongs to the lender, who can recover it from you even though you paid the seller in full. On a £15,000 to £30,000 caravan that is the single most expensive thing a check can catch.
Why there is no free caravan finance check
Finance registers are commercially licensed and cost the provider money on every query, and for touring caravans there is exactly one holder of the record: CRiS. No number-plate service, free or paid, can see it, because a caravan has no number plate. A site that offers a "free caravan check" by registration is showing you the tow car's data, which tells you nothing about the caravan.
Questions to ask the seller
- Did you buy the caravan on finance, and is it settled? Ask for the settlement letter if it was.
- Is the CRiS Registration Document in your name at this address?
- Can I see the receipt from when you bought it?
- Do the etched numbers all match? Walk round every window before you ask.
Motorhomes: checked by registration
A motorhome or campervan has a registration plate and a DVLA record, so it is checked the way a car is, and our £4.99 check reports outstanding finance with the lender's name. See outstanding finance on a motorhome.
Buying a touring caravan?
Tourers use the CRiS register, not a vehicle check. Read our honest guide.
Touring caravan guide