Hiya. If you are looking for a van or a trailer, the hard part is not finding one, it is wading through everything that is not what you asked for. So I have put the searches on one page. Pick what you are after and it takes you to live listings, UK sellers only, with the toys and the spare parts filtered out.

What are you after?

Every one of these opens eBay with the search already set up: UK sellers, buy it now, and a sensible minimum price so you are looking at actual vehicles.

These are affiliate links. If you buy through one MobCater may earn a small commission from eBay, at no extra cost to you and with no change to the price the seller is asking. It does not affect what comes up in the search.

What you are looking at

Catering trailer

The usual starting point. Two thousand to eight thousand pounds buys something secondhand and sound.

Burger van

Fewer about than trailers, and the sensibly priced ones go quickly.

Catering van

You drive it away, so there is no towing licence to think about. Eight to twenty thousand for a decent one.

Coffee trailer or van

Smaller fit out than a full kitchen, so it is often a cheaper way in.

Pizza trailer

Check what the oven runs on, and whether the gas certificate comes with it.

Ice cream van

Filtered to two thousand pounds and up, otherwise you get pages of toys and spare parts.

Horsebox bar or coffee box

Popular for weddings and events. Usually a conversion rather than a purpose build.

What it costs, roughly

Prices move about a lot with size, age and how it has been fitted out, but as a rough guide this is what I would expect to see:

  • £2,000 to £8,000 for a secondhand catering trailer.
  • £8,000 to £20,000 for a decent secondhand catering van.
  • £15,000 to £40,000 and up for a new custom built trailer.

If something is well under the bottom of those ranges, there is usually a reason. Sometimes it is a genuine quick sale. More often it needs work you have not spotted yet.

Where eBay is good, and where it is not

It is good for seeing a lot of stock in one place and for getting a feel for what things actually sell for rather than what people ask. Completed listings will tell you that in about five minutes, and it is the best free market research there is.

It is not the place to buy if you want a brand new build with a warranty and someone to ring when the fridge packs up. For that you want a proper builder, you will pay more, and it is usually worth it. It is also not the place if you cannot get to the vehicle to look at it. Photographs hide a lot, and a catering trailer is one of those things where the expensive problems are underneath, behind the panels, or in the paperwork.

Be careful with anything described as a project. Plenty of people have bought a cheap shell meaning to fit it out over the winter and were still at it the following summer.

Before you hand any money over

I have written a full pre purchase inspection list, the things to climb underneath and look at, what paperwork to ask for and the red flags that should make you walk away. Go through it before you pay a deposit, not after.

The inspection checklist and what to look out for, and if you are still deciding between the two, trailer against van.

One more thing people forget: you cannot drive it away or tow it home without cover in place. Sort that before collection day, not on it. Insurance quotes are here.

Common questions

Is it safe to buy a catering trailer on eBay?

It can be, and plenty of people do. The risk is not really eBay, it is buying something you have not inspected. Go and see it, take someone who knows what they are looking at if you can, and never pay a deposit by bank transfer to someone you have not met.

Should I buy a trailer or a van?

A trailer is usually cheaper to buy and you can unhitch it and leave it on a pitch. A van is quicker to set up and you do not need a towing entitlement on your licence. If you passed your test after January 1997 check what you are allowed to tow before you commit to a trailer.

What paperwork should come with it?

For a trailer, ask for proof of ownership and any build or conversion paperwork. For a van, the V5C in the seller's name, the MOT history and a HPI check of your own. For either one, a current gas safety certificate if there is any LPG in it, and the appliance manuals if they still have them.

How much should I keep back for getting it ready?

More than you think. Even on a tidy one there is usually a gas certificate, a deep clean, a few bits of kit and the signwriting before you can trade. I would hold back a thousand pounds on a cheap trailer and a fair bit more on anything that needs the servery reworking.

Do you sell these yourself?

No. I am not a dealer and I have nothing to do with any of the sellers. The links go to eBay's own listings. If you buy through one of them MobCater earns a small commission from eBay, which is what keeps this site going, but it does not change the price or what you are shown.