Thinking about a newer Caravan
Hi all, we would really appreciate any views or opinions on this. We returned to the fold last year after a very long break. We bought a very nice 2002 Coachman Amara 530/4 to see if we still liked it and have fallen in love with the hobby all over again. With a few trips under our belt now we are seriously thinking about getting a newer caravan. We want another fixed bed model and something with an end wash room and separate shower. I'm hopeful our budget is £14K including our PX.
So far we have seen a 2011 Swift Conqueror 570 and a 2013 Elddis Avante 564. that both fit the bill. Any views on these ?
Tow car is not an issue as our Freelander is rated at 150 kgs nose weight and 2000 Kgs for towing. Also it may seem a stupid question but whats the procedure with a PX? Do you drag your existing caravan down to the dealers when you go to view the potential replacement or what ?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions, recommendations help and general advice.
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When we thought about changing, about eight years ago, the dealership gave us a 'between this and that' price, without seeing the van. The two prices reflected the differences between 'absolutely stunning condition, used but clean, and more than a bit dodgy around the edges'. We would get somewhere between the two when we actually brought it in. In the end the difference to trade up was so much that we decided not to bother even taking the caravan for a full valuation, and kept it. Our caravan is still going strong.
We have a fixed bed Swift, registered in the year 2000, so now seventeen years old, but it's damp free, everything works, the bed is comfortable, we like the layout, there is space for everything, so we've decided we'll keep it as long as we can.
You will no doubt get all sorts of replies, some people love Swift, some prefer Bailey, some Elddis, and equally some people will say Swift are damp and fall to bits, Bailey are damp and fall to bits, and Elddis are damp and fall to bits. In the end you pays your money and you takes your choice.............!
Good luck.
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In general terms, build quality seems to deteriorate ever further the newer the van is.
If your present van suits you and is in good nick, I'd stick with it and save your money.
There are good and bad in all makes of caravan and nothing I've seen over the (many) years of caravanning would let me recommend one manufacturer over another.
I think you'll find the Conqueror is a higher spec model than the Avante.
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We are motorhomers so slightly different. Ours is now 15 years old, we've had it 11 years. Touch wood it runs well is in great condition and is damp free.
We to have looked around, in fact I look around at other things like furniture regularly but rarely change what we have, but after reading many many theads on here about damp, delamination and other problems were inclined to stick with the devil you know. We like the layout and hubby not afraid to drive it in narrower roads than me 😉. We are also not bothered by what others think about what we own. Ours was paid for on purchase and suits us fine. We definitely don't keep up (or down) with the Joneses.
Lots who post on here about problems seem to trade them in, not sure whether they've been rectified or not, but personally I'm not prepared to take a chance. Even buying brand new has issues. It's all a bit of a minefield but at the end of the day your money your choice. I think it's wise to seek opinions and also consider what your money will buy you that you don't have at present.
Do let us know eventually what you decide.
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We had until recently a 2011 Bailey Pegasus Verona. That or the 2012 model might suit you. Excellent van all round, good bed and excellent shower; only downside being the Alu-tech outer cladding, aluminium, is prone to cosmetic dents (more recent models have GRP skin on top of the aluminium).
Re the trade-in, what the dealer we dealt with did was give us a written trade-in price unseen based on the model/age/service history etc and our description of the condition and any faults. IOW very much like webuyanycar.com and similar.
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Thanks for the replies so far,
I must admit I do tend to follow the old adage of "Don't fix what isn't broken" i.e. there is nothing wrong with our Caravan. We are the 3rd owners and it has absolutely no damp what so ever at 14 years old. internally it is pristine IMO, externally, it's in very good condition. and everything on board works perfectly. I suppose the main thing we are looking for is the separate shower cubical.
Our way of thinking, and without digging too deep in to our funds, is by looking at the Caravans of this age and price range, any previous issues have become apparent and been dealt with.
Whatever we end up doing, i'll share the outcome
If I was totally honest and if it was down to me, I would be out next week looking for a replacement but I have a higher authority keeping me in check, which isn't such a bad thing. She's been doing it for the last 38 years come this Wednesday and it's worked well so far
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What's the thinking behind getting a newer caravan? Is there a particular reason why you want to change?
Eight or nine years ago ours was just that we'd seen something we fancied (an Adria at the Caravan Show) which still gave us our long fixed bed, just a bit more interior space, extra bunks, and the potential for taking our nephew and niece, or our grandchildren with us, but still all on a single axle. However, as I said the price to trade up was just too high. We've stuck with our current van, and now don't have any regrets.
We too have read the many complaints on here of newer vans being less well-finished, flimsier, and more prone to problems, and I think the older vans were probably still built before the current 'get as many done as quickly as you can and hang the quality' ethos!
If I was to recommend a manufacturer, then I have to say it would probably be an Adria. We have an Adria on a campsite near us in North Yorkshire (our Swift is now stored in France) and it does feel solid and reliable. I like the layouts too, and the different take on interiors.
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Thank you
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"What's the thinking behind getting a newer caravan? Is there a particular reason why you want to change?"
I think the main reason is the end bathroom & separate shower layout that would suit us much better. We also like the idea of an island bed but that layout is in much later models and a much higher price bracket.
As I said previously though, we bought the current one as a "see if we still like it" purchase and have been on a very steep learning curve since. We are coming to the conclusion now that we will be Caravaning again until health or other issues stop us so a newer model of a more suitable layout and more modern features will be a long term purchase of at least 10 years. If we do stick with our present Coachman that would make it 24 years old.
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I agree with Tinny, if your current van is in good nick I would keep it and maybe spend a little on upgrades, I.e. If no shock absorbers get the retro fitted, splash out on a new mattress etc.
Be aware that you probably won't get anything like the true value of your current van if you PEx it. We were offered £4K less than market value when we brought our new van. Eventually used a local dealer to act as a broker. We achieved about £3k more than the PE deal.
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If, and it's a very big if, you can find another second hand caravan with your desired layout, that is damp free, delamination free and has everything working, then possibly go for it. But inspect everything very closely, and try and get a decent warranty when you do. We bought a twelve year old MH, had no issues in first year but glad dealer had given us a decent six months warranty on it. Still going strong, only small things have been consumables.
We have a 1984 caravan, still damp free, no delamination, just needs some TLC now, to update it, refurbish it. But we wouldn't consider getting a new one, too many horror stories out there. Good luck but be very wary, and drill down a good warranty.
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Well, after lots of research and driving around looking at caravan's we have taken the plunge. As suggested some dealers want to steal your PX from you and charge top dollar for what they have for sale. We ended up speaking to the dealer who sold us our Coachman and explaining what we wanted and how much we were prepared to spend.
They called us back within an hour with an offer of a great deal on our PX (almost private sale value) so we went to view today. We pick up our new Caravan next week
It's a dealer limited edition 2013 Elddis Avante 564 with fixed bed, It has lots of very nice extras including gorgeous bespoke cushion trim and scatter cushions, alarm, loose mats, extractor fan, memory foam mattress and many other optional extras. Another bonus is it has a Power Touch evolution motor mover fitted. I have gone over it with a fine tooth comb and can find no trace of dampness or any other manufacturing defects. All I could find is one draw catch not locking and some minor body damage that looks like it was caused by an awing pole.
One slight issue is because of the Window positions my Bradcot Air, porch awning is going to be an interesting fit. I think I'm just going to get away with having it as close to the front as possible with the wheel arch in the right hand corner ?. Oh, and I need to buy another hitch lock as it has a Winterhoff type fitted.
Were very pleased with it and it will have a years warranty on it covering all equipment, chassis etc, and the balance of the manufactures water ingress warranty.
So thank you all for your input it, was very helpful and greatly appreciated.
So glad we bought those 2 great big fleece throws , for when our Dog's sneak up on the cushions
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We made a mistake last year and bought a fixed bed layout which we the found did not work for us. As we are in the older age bracket we were sure that the next van would be our last so we decided to opt for perceived quality by choosing a Coachman. None of the other manufacturers seem to offer something as solid and well put together.
We have just returned from our first week away and are delighted. We bought our first van in 1980 and nothing compares with the comfort, convenience and quality which we enjoyed last week.
In fact we think it is so good that I have written to Coachman to thank them.
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