Caravans, I fancy one.

Dangermouse

Dangermouse

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Having been a very keen camper for years, I have decided we are not getting any younger and packing away is always a gamble...............wet/dry, so we have decided we now need something we don't mind taking home wet.
We have had some great tents over the years, and still have a lovely poly cotton bearlake with all the bits, but its losing its appeal.

What I fancy is a s/h caravan, not too large and have a fixed bed at the rear, budget is around £3k so don't mind putting a little work into it if needed, but looking online it looks like a minefield, lots with differing damp readings, fridges not working, some the owners say are immaculate, the photos say different:LOL:
So for £3k what should I expect or should we bite the bullet and go down the finance route for an expensive one
 
there are bargains out there if you don't mind looking and waiting for the right one to come along, had ours for five years now, paid about the same price as your budget .
the winter is a good time to buy, prices do seem to rise when the weather gets better, mine is a 5 birth , done bits of work on it, mostly cosmetic . there are dry vans out there
so don't be but off, check in corners of cupboards ,and under the front sides and back of seats, good luck, took me about 6months to find a good one. plenty on ebay and caravan finder.

 
ben away from caravans a while now, best bit of advice I was given when you go to view one is open the door stick your head in without actually setting foot inside and have good sniff, any musty smell might indicate dampness, if doors and windows are open when you arrive treat it with suspicion. Damp meters are a useful tool to take with you.
 
Thanks Mark, I have my eye on one, just waiting for a message as it says it has a slight bit of damp but nothing worth worrying about and the fridge needs attention but its quite a modern van and a very good price from a reputable company
 
Cheers Frank, I have been blowing the pics up and cant see any tell tale black spots on the pics, I don't have a damp meter but I guess they are not expensive in this day and age
 
A bit of damp is not a huge problem provided you can find out what's causing it. I have cured damp in the past without any problems. What you need to be aware of is if the seller shows you where it is, still look for it everywhere else especially if it looks like it could have a bit off false flooring. Having said this I think a budget of 3K is a bit on the low side.
 
It's been years since I've been in a caravan, but loved it and would certainly do it again.

Just make sure the weight of the van is well within your car's towing capabilities, some of the older, bargain ones could be heavier models than a new version - a neighbour very nearly got caught out a few years ago...
 
I'll be looking for one early next year, but I've allowed a bit more money than you as I want one with a motor mover and not needing any work. Have you checked out Gumtree for private sales local to you? Its worth keeping an eye on as people might decide to sell in the new year if they're thinking of upgrading themselves. https://www.gumtree.com/caravans/lincolnshire
 
Have you thought about a trailer tent? We had two (Conway) when the kids were young, a small double bed one with bed tent underneath, then a second double fold out one. You can put them up complete in around 20-30 mins and have a kitchen unit, fridge, comfy beds with the advantage of lightweight towing, easy to turnaround (unhitch - push) and when it rains a caravan can be really noisy. We used to disconnect the fridge unit then store it on it's side if we weren't planning to use it for a couple of weeks.
We went from a trailer tent to a caravan and regretted it.
 
Like you I was an avid camper but found as I got older the thought of sleeping on the floor was less appealing.

My budget was higher than yours, about £10,000. I bought a two year old 2 berth van. That was 15 years ago and it's still going strong and no sign of damp.

It doesn't have a fixed bed and that would be the only reason I might change it in the future. However, it is a well built van, built in the days when, so I'm told, the manufacturers cared more about quality. An older van may be a more solid build, but, as suggested already, may be a little heavier - watch your towing weight.

The best advice that I received from a friend that came with me was the pitfalls of certain vans. That centred mainly on the wash facilities. Many had showers above loos and therefore resulted in a wet floor after a shower. The first question to ask yourself is "what type of camping will you be doing". Most of my trips are to sites with little or no facilities and therefore a good shower room was important to me. If you intend to use sites with good facilities, then this would be less of a concern to you.

Good luck in your search.
 
For a small outlay I would get a mobile service engineer to check out all known problems. £3000 is not a lot for todays vans in 2000 I paid £7000 for a 7 year old van. Still going strong now would not change it for a newer model, read a lot of troubles people have with damp even brand new ones. All todays vans are built on piece work rates amd are not built as they should be. Advice talk to somone who has been caravaning for a good many years. (Not me only been towing my caravans for the last 40 years).

Trevor
 
A 3 to 4 grand budget should get you a nice two Berth van of the early 2000,s vintage ,when we bought ours earlier this year we went for a larger end bathroom as opposed to a fixed bed ,as the beds take up a lot of living space . I would advise visiting a few dealers to get a idea of layout and space needed and then search privately for bargains ,don’t forget to factor in accessories which make buying privately a better idea . I.e you will need water barrel,waste master ,gas bottles ,awning etc and depending on where you intend to keep it possibly a motor mover .
I can throughly recommend a air awning to ,I let the wife blow ours up last time out took her exactly 2 and a half minutes start to finish ,and I just pegged it out half a hour on my knees .
So for your budget I would be looking for a used two berth of around 2002-2005 vintage with all accessories ,these will usually be owned by older couples and are mainly in better condition as well due to no children . Another reason to avoid a fixed bed van .
Avoid if possible Bailey vans as they can be prone to leaking . That narrows it down to swift or swift derivatives which vary very little except in interior fittings ,don’t be put off by damp readings as ALL caravans suffer to some degree and are all fixable . Our previous van had accident damage and water damage due to a loose roof Ariel we fixed it kept and used it for five years and sold it for twice what we paid for it.

Also not sure if you have a towbar fitted to your car ,if so make sure the actual tow ball is a alko one ,they have a longer neck and are used totally dry , any grease makes the caravan creak and groan . And it’s worth changing the tyres on any used caravan the treads will be fine but the side walls deteriorate very quickly ,5 years max on any van
 
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Good advice from Jeff.

Mine is a 2002 Swift Freestyle - it's based on the Challenger 480SE. Large rear bathroom but the front lounge has to be made into a bed. It has served me well. It has a large roof light in the lounge area, known as an Heiki. They started fitting these in the early 2000's. Well worth making sure you get one with the larger roof light.
 
I have the challenger 480se
 
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