Caravaning

Eatthemtrifles

Eatthemtrifles

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Ok folks! Thinking about getting one, anyone got one. Need some tips on what to look for when buying secondhand. It's our first one so don't want to break the bank but don't want one that smells fusty either :eek:
 
We bought our first caravan last year, a 1997 model, one owner, barely used. One tip I can give you which all the caravan mags agree with is. Buy on condition, not age. We've seen some sheds on wheels that are only 6 years old.
 
Jump on the floor (well, within reason) and press the walls, delamination is a big problem with caravans.
Had one for 12 years, loved it, but couldn't bear the cost of fuel for towing.
 
first thing to look at is your tow car ,is it petrol or diesel ,the latter being more economical .you have to take into account that you will use it when not towing as well so look into it before buying ,if you already have a tow car then you need to know its maximum towing weight and keep well below that figure ,the rule of thumb is the caravan fully laden should be 85% of the weight of the tow car .thats it in simple terms .

next choice of van now is not the time to look as its peak season around oct time is usually best for buyers ,the main things to look for is general appearance ,floor delimitation i.e soft spots (can be cured cheaply so not that big a problem)and the dreaded damp .use your nose first as you can smell damp ,but i would invest in a damp meter and learn how to use it ,never take a sellers word that its damp free theres no such beast .never ever trust a caravan dealers word either .

if possible try to find a seller thats packing up and will include ALL extras in the sale as stuff like battery ,water and waste containers ,lightweight pots pans cutlery and a awning will cost more than the caravan .

there are two types of tow hitch as well they look similar and are the same size the standard tow hitch is a 50mm tow ball that needs greasing ,the other type (more modern) is a alko type ,also a 50mm ball but must NOT be greased if you put it on a greased ball it will mess it up with a capital F.

also note that two extended wing mirrors on the car are now a legal requirement and people are being stopped and fined for not having them .

make sure that you find the plate on the van as well it will contain the year of manufacture i have heard of people buying a 2001 etc model van to find out later its was made in 1989 .dont go by appearance alone .

any more questions

heres our baby ,earlier this year ,have now changed car to a diesel for better year round economy ,but the van all in is a 1999 model i got off a friend who bought it and was to scared to tow it ,constant hot water,shower ,blown air heating ,only two berth but theres only two of us ,i got the whole lot for under £800 ,there are bargains out there seek and ye shall find

IMG_2985 by blackfox wildlife and nature imaging, on Flickr
 
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Learn to tow. Properly and well.
 
[Disguise] Sneaks in with false beard and dark glasses [/disguise]

I've been thinking of getting one too and would commend everything that Jeff has said. I found the website at the link gives most of the info you'll need if you feed in the make, model and year of any one you are considering. Good luck. http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/caravan-specifications
 
Don't crawl along the road annoying other drivers behind, pull in at the first layby, remain there and let us past;)
 
this is the site i use for getting a towing match it helps as its free to use unlike some that charge a fortune for the same info ,put in the details of your car which you should know ,then either the details of the van you require or another one that is the same unladen or fully laden weight .it will give you a fairly accurate idea of what you can or can't tow .remember the ideal match is 85% or lower .any higher is for experienced towers ,also check if you are actually eligible to tow a caravan on your licence as the driving licence changed some years ago so newer drivers have to take another test as well .

http://www.towcar.info
 
Towing - you must not exceed (B+E licence):
The towing weight of your vehicle (in the handbook, sometimes on the plate). This is the actual weight towed, not the plated maximum weight of what is being towed. If there isn't one the GTW is used.
The GTW (gross train weight). This is on the vehicle plate. It is the actual weight of the towing vehicle plus the actual weight of what is being towed.
The GVW (Gross vehicle weight). This is the maximum weight of the tow vehicle when fully loaded.
You must also not overload the towed trailer so its own plated maximum weight (known as the MAM) is exceeded, or if the trailer has no plate, the sum of the load rating of the tyres.

Additionally, driving licences issued after 1997 have further restrictions, making things far more complicated unless the B+E test is taken.

The 85% of the towing vehicle weight figure appeared in a caravan club handbook once upon a time. It has no statutory force.


My advice on caravan buying, based on over a decade of childhood holidays in them, is not to and go to a hotel instead :p . I know a bit about towing from taking my race car to events. Fortunately I'm old, so got B+E on my licence automatically when I passed my test.
 
the black fox said:
first thing to look at is your tow car ,is it petrol or diesel ,the latter being more economical .you have to take into account that you will use it when not towing as well so look into it before buying ,if you already have a tow car then you need to know its maximum towing weight and keep well below that figure ,the rule of thumb is the caravan fully laden should be 85% of the weight of the tow car .thats it in simple terms .

next choice of van now is not the time to look as its peak season around oct time is usually best for buyers ,the main things to look for is general appearance ,floor delimitation i.e soft spots (can be cured cheaply so not that big a problem)and the dreaded damp .use your nose first as you can smell damp ,but i would invest in a damp meter and learn how to use it ,never take a sellers word that its damp free theres no such beast .never ever trust a caravan dealers word either .

if possible try to find a seller thats packing up and will include ALL extras in the sale as stuff like battery ,water and waste containers ,lightweight pots pans cutlery and a awning will cost more than the caravan .

there are two types of tow hitch as well they look similar and are the same size the standard tow hitch is a 50mm tow ball that needs greasing ,the other type (more modern) is a alko type ,also a 50mm ball but must NOT be greased if you put it on a greased ball it will mess it up with a capital F.

also note that two extended wing mirrors on the car are now a legal requirement and people are being stopped and fined for not having them .

make sure that you find the plate on the van as well it will contain the year of manufacture i have heard of people buying a 2001 etc model van to find out later its was made in 1989 .dont go by appearance alone .

any more questions

heres our baby ,earlier this year ,have now changed car to a diesel for better year round economy ,but the van all in is a 1999 model i got off a friend who bought it and was to scared to tow it ,constant hot water,shower ,blown air heating ,only two berth but theres only two of us ,i got the whole lot for under £800 ,there are bargains out there seek and ye shall find

IMG_2985 by blackfox wildlife and nature imaging, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Thanks for all that very useful stuff jeff, those chairs are just waiting for me and t'other half!
 
the black fox said:
this is the site i use for getting a towing match.

http://www.towcar.info
Click to expand...

Useful site

I've always fancied one of those airstream caravans

My Subaru impreza is a good tow car so it says 5* , it says my maximum speed will be 177mph but it fails on stability, shame that would have been a hell of an adventure
 
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