Buying first caravan
Hi all
First post, any advice greatly appreciated. We are going to buy our first caravan (used). We have fitted a tow bar to the Kia Sportage and I understand that the maximim weight of any caravan we tow should have a MTPLM of 1450kg. We will spend a few weekends looking at caravans to decide what layout will probably work best. Our budget is between £10-£15000.
That's about as far as I have got!
We usually look around for a relative or friend to act as a wise sage at this point, but we don't know any other caravanners.
Any help would be a amazing.
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Welcome.
Take you time and view as many different makes and models as you can.
List the features that you consider to be important if you haven't already done so, and be prepared to add and delete items as you look.
You will need to purchase many items to equip your van for touring, remember to leave enough in the budget pot for these.
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Pretty obvious point but do you hold the appropriate driving licence?
Consider investing in a damp meter and don't be afraid to use it in front of seller.
Open up all the cupboards/drawers/lockers and check/smell inside.
Don't part with any money up front.
Pay a percentage with a credit card.
Do a check to ensure it's not stolen.
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Damp is your biggest enemy and there’s good advice above.
The club offers a lot of advice on all aspects of buying and owning a caravan.
You can arrange for independent inspections at a slight discount as a club member.
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Some caravans have an inherent unladen noseweight that can only be described as impractical with some vehicles, so raise the steady's and check out the weight on the hitch. Also ask what its payload is and decide if what you expect to put into the caravan will fall into that figure.
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Also a lot of modern day caravan's are not built as reliable as modern day car's, so do lot's of home work on the make's that you think may be right for you. I don't want to put you off a great hobby, but lot's of vans in that price range have been sold for a reason, so if your paying that amount of money go to a dealer with good reviews and get some guarantee, if only a sort time in writing before you part with any cash.
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You don't mention what berth you require but if it's 2 (or even a small 4 berth) you should consider buying new.
We went to look at 4 berth caravans with the same budget as you and almost bought a 4 year old caravan for £13,000, then we noticed we could get a brand new one if we stretched our budget another £3000 (we agreed that we wouldn't have holidays abroad for a few years until the caravan had "paid for itself") We also managed to get a £500 price reduction by bargaining with the salesman! At least we knew we were getting a 10 year water ingress warranty and all the little niggles we found after the purchase were sorted at no extra cost to us.
Our friends bought the same model as us for £13,500 as it was an ex showroom model, so that's something to consider too.
We've never bought a brand new car (usually 2 or 3 yearold) so our caravan was a massive luxury buy but I have no regrets.
However, if you do buy used JillwithaJay offers some very good advice-especially the bit about using a credit card😊
Good luck!
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Most caravans these days are too heavy to manhandle, so a motor mover is almost essential. Thery are both a significant expense and quite heavy so will eat intro your payload, as will a leisure battery. Allow abut 25Kg for each when calculating any spare payload. Don't be dazzled by an exceptionally large double axle job. Palatial though they may seem, they come with a manoeuvrability downside.
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As for nose weights it depends on what year your Sportage is, as it can range from 70 kg to 100kg weight on the towbar
As others have posted take your time in choosing your c/van it is not often that it will be completely to your liking first time,
If you are buying new or used from a dealer they will normally give "newbies" a starter pack to get you on the road ,do not ask strait away as it might affect what they will be willing to negotiate when buying ,they will normally have wriggle room, and be prepared to walk away if they will not give anything
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"However, if you do buy used JillwithaJay offers some very good advice-especially the bit about using a credit card😊"
That advice holds good whether the van is used or new.👍🏻
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When you find a caravan that you think will tick all the box's, go on the Clubs ''Match your car and caravan'' page and that will tell you if it's a good match or not, a lot of caravan's are towed around 100% of the car's weight, which sounds great on paper until they go down hill and catch a side wind, and go out of control. We tow a 1700kg van with a 2.400kg Shogun which is more than we need, but because we used to have a twin axle 1900kg van and we like the Shogun that we have had for 13 years we stop as we are.
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Hi all
Firstly, thanks for making me feel welcome 😊
To answer a couple of questions.
I have been driving for over 35 years so my licence will be fine nevertheless my wife and I intend on attending and caravan towing course.
Good point about the damp meter - has anyone got any recommendations re: make etc
When I buy from a dealer I will ask whether a history check has been undertaken (stolen etc), would the dealer usually do this or should I expect to pay?
How do I check the nose weight?
Yes, I am in Lincolnshire - good detective work ADD46, we don’t live in Goulceby now but it's our spiritual home!
Thanks again all
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You have been given some very good advice. Treat your purchase like a problem solving exercise. List the essential criteria eg budget, number of berths, weight, guarantee etc. Then desirable criteria, eg fixed bed, loading capacity, goodies etc. Really up to you to decide these. Your purchase must meet all the essential and as many desirable as possible. The reason that paying some of the cost with a Credit Card was given is the added protection given by Consumer Law which has been mentioned many times on this forum.
To answer your specific questions above:
If buying from a dealer get him to do a damp check in front of you. If buying privately best to do your own and buy a meter I suppose any inexpensive one will do.
The dealer, or private seller, should have the CRIS document for the caravan which although not 100% is a good indication that the caravan has not been stolen.
Nose weight should be checked with caravan loaded ready for the off. The caravan will have an ex work nose weight which will be affected by how you load the caravan. To check the nose weight you can purchase a gauge, get an expensive jockey wheel with a built in gauge or simply use bathroom scales by placing a hammer or suitable piece of would under the hitch and onto the scales! The max nose weight and tow bar weight for my outfit is 100kgs so I try to get it as near tis as possible circa 90kgs allowing for error on my gauge (yes, I have one a Milenco). I only check it at the beginning of each trip as I load up in a similar way all the time.
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Goulceby, if you are considering a fixed bed make sure you are happy with the dimensions as many tend to be on the smallish side. Even the latest Elddis 860 ( twin axle 8ft wide van) has a fixed bed which measures a paltry 4 ft 3 inches between facing caravan walls.
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Much valuable advice above already.
As already suggested, visiting an NEC show was very helpful for us too. We went with firm intention of looking, buying nothing, though reckoned we knew what we were looking for. After spending time in lots of shiny boxes on wheels, and moving about and sitting in each one long enough to ask, "Do I want to spend several weeks in this? Would it feel like a holiday? Is it practical for things we want?" we changed our minds on what we were after, and went home happy, having only spent out on getting to the NEC and ticket entry!
Then we spent time finding a second hand caravan with far more information to help us.
Having found the make we wanted, talking to others in the owners' club was invaluable too.
Good luck!Oh yes, and when viewing caravans on show, check on the lighting the exhibitors have used. One or two were lit more like little stage sets, on close inspection, to artificially enhance their atmosphere.
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Be wary when pulling out a damp meter.
From personal experience, the mood of some private sellers can change when asking to check for damp.
More so if you find any!
Happened to me on 5 separate occasions, i wouldn't entertain buying outside of a dealer network now.
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For me use a main dealer and check that the van has been serviced so that the warranty is valid. BUT Haggle, Haggle and Haggle a bit more. The dealer is not your friend, it is a business transaction so keep it that way. They are not doing you any special deals etc. its bull. You are a cash buyer, they love you, its winter, use this.
The option of buying private looks financially attractive because the dealer will offer the private seller considerably less than they are selling the van for, thats why they are selling it privately. So armed with the knowledge that the dealer probably bought the van at less than the cost of a similar van being sold privately then offer the same price. If they say no then walk away, trust me you new friend will call back. You may not get the same price but you should get a fairly comprehensive starter pack and other essentials. Look for 10 to 20% off the screen price.
Do your homework, find the cheapest comparable van on http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/ and print the details. Leave this on the seat when you are checking out the van. Let them know you have choice.
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We were in a very similar position about 5/6 years ago.
We decided to go for a second hand van from a reputable dealer, in our case Highbridge Caravans in Somerset.
We were out looking at upgrading today, for £15,000 you will get a stunning van!
Firstly, any deposit pay with a credit card. Get it in writing you are paying a securing deposit for the van on the basis the van can be checked by an independent inspection service, insist this deposit is refundable should any issues be unearthed. Personally I'd do that with a second hand car.
Once your happy to proceed insist they fix any issues highlighted by the inspection.
Warranty, what's covered? First service included? We didn't get the van checked over, but had included a 12 month warranty. We booked the van in for a full service before the 12 months and found issues that would have cost us plenty to fix.. thankfully it was covered on the warranty.
Tyres, how old are they? Personally if they can't answer this I'd ask for new tyres.
Make sure you include a jack in case you ever get a puncture..oddly not many caravans come with these. Typically a bottle jack with a housing that bolts onto the chassis. We're yet to use it, but it's peace of mind..
I would advise that you negotiate with the centre! You are going to want a fair number of accessories.. a deal can be done!!! They've often got plenty of vans and will want stock ticking over.
Motor mover, Gas bottles and spanner, Leisure battery, Water/waste butt, chairs, awnings, crockery, gas BBQ. Don't forget security your insurance will insist on a hitch lock and wheel clamp of sorts. My personal favourite was negotiating in an inflatable canoe into the deal!! Be cheeky and keep pushing you'll know when no more can be done!
Storage, where are you going to store it? Cassoa gold storage will help with insurance costs.
Insurance, personally we get ours through one of the clubs.
On handover take a video camera along with you, ask if they mind you recording it. You will take on a lot of information, most of which you will forget! We did.. drove 30 miles from collecting in mid March, and then found we couldn't remember how to put the heating on!!!
If you have a battery drill, get an adaptor so you can put down the legs!
Hope this helps..
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Ask the dealer for a free night at a site close to them so that you can check that you can get all functions working to your liking.
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Having had a few problems with vans that we have owned I believe it is better to compromise on the type of van in favour of finding a LOCAL dealer that you can trust. There is a fair chance that you will be back for warranty claims so you don’t want to travel too far and you want them handled efficiently.
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I have a damp meter from Lidl / Aldi but you should be aware that most caravans have damp, it's the level at where it is that you need to be concerned.
If memory serves me right (correct me if I'm wrong) but 12% rings a bell as being normal.
I always said that I would never tow so when I decided to give it a go I went for second hand on Ebay! The idea being that if I did not like it then I could sell it on for little loss / no loss.
It was 10yrs old and the owner was moving to Canada. It was only £4,000 and I kept it for 10yrs selling it on with 12 people wanting it. I made four trips to S.France and I love it.
Not keen on hotels now.
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Been caravanning for only one year and bought the 860 as our first van. Never having towed before I reckoned I may as well start with a big one.
Yes the width of the fixed bed is less than a standard double for a home and since we have a five foot bed I was concerned 4ft 3'' would be too small but it actually works out ok. The benefit of the extra width is you can walk around the bottom of the bed when needed rather than clamber over the other half to get to the loo.
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We are in the same situation. I am looking for our first caravan and l have thousands of questions in mind.
first of all we need 2 berths (1 for me and my wife, an other 1 for our 11 year old daughter). I don’t have a tow bar yet but I will get one fixed to my Mercedes GLC soon. I have been driving for 20 years (4 years in the UK) but l never tow a caravan so l am not sure if l can do it or if l need to take some lessons.
our budget is around 16-18k and l was thinking to buy a 2015 hobby 460 Ufe but l have been advised by A friend to check a brand new Elddis Xplore 304. It looks good but l don’t know what l have to check, how to compare these 2 units or which one l should buy...
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Another idea is to buy the cheapest van you can find so long as it is safe and towable by your car.Use it for a bit.If you find caravanning is not for you you won't have lost much money.You may also find a bit about what works for you.It may be that making up the bed every morning is not as much trouble as you thought, or it may confirm to you that a fixed bed is the way to go.
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It is not the fact that it is 3" narrower than a small double that is the problem. It is the lack of "air space" either side which stops you hanging your arms over or simply having lots of breathing space (literally).
My litmus test is " would you find this acceptable at home"
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