Family of 6 - in a touring van
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MKraiser.
We have moved on now with a new van as the kids are older etc. When we started caravaning, the kids were 11 and 8 (wish we had started earlier). We went for a 6th berth although only 4 of us. We bought with two fixed bunks and then two bunks that you could put up but served as a little dinette. Our friends bought (snapped up) our caravan when we sold it as they had been wanting it since we bought it,
lessons...if you get the three bunk layout, the kids will quickly grow out of it as lack of headroom etc and they get very claustrophobic. We managed with our two bunks until my daughter was 12 and the top bunk started getting tight, although she was very tall fr her age. We could have gone another year before she would have to have gone in the bottom bunk and my son who is three years old gone into the side dinnette bed. So think about it.
Our front bed was made up from the front seats. Due to the layout it was longer and more spacious there than the van we have now with a fixed bed at the rear. Making up the dinnette and front bed is a pain, but the spacing we found was much better..especially when we changed our van and we have missed it!
I was told the layout was extremely popular and in high demand. When we bought our new van, I wasn’t aware our friends wanted ours, although someone who bought my car had also asked to buy the van! The salesman did advise me to sell privately for a better price....he said he could sell it over the phone within 24 hours such was the demand.
He was right. We had the van for 5 years and the depreciation was £3000!
What you might want to consider is for the older ones is a bedroom annex for the awning if warm enough. We bought one with the awning and didn’t use it for years....and then one year I fancied trying it myself and son bagged it straight away and has been using it ever since.
good luck...I suspect though that caravans will be in huge demand over the next couple of years due to the dreaded virus
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Thank you MDD10! That’s all really useful.
The depreciation there seems really low but is also reassuring - anytime I look at the Unicorn Segovia they seem to be almost as much if not more for a 2 year old one as the Phoenix 760 is new! So I guess the residual value you’ve mentioned means people aren’t looking to rip anyone off and actually are just looking for the best they can comparable to the going rate.
I think you’re right about the virus too! It’s certainly making us all the more keen.
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You do need to remember that the Segovia Is a higher spec van, so when new would have been more expensive than the Phoenix. It is also a slightly wider van, so a little more spacious.
If I had to choose between the two, I would look first at payloads, and if one was better then I would go for that. And do not underestimate how much payload you will really need!
Next for us would be the heating, but for you I do not think that would be so important, 6 in a van will generate a lot of heat!
Then for us, the shower is important, that may not be for you. And next the kitchen workspace, which if you are preparing food you will need plenty of.
I doubt the perfect van exists!
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Agree with Kjenn re payload - and check if it can be uograded. The Swift Quattro we have was upgraded/replated from a MTPLM of 1620kg to 1800kg. Also check the van has shock absorbers fitted, if not would highly recommend however remember their weight will come off the payload.
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