Try a caravan or motorhome before you buy
Are you looking to buy a new caravan or maybe change from a caravan to a motorhome? It’s a big decision to make and it’s important to make sure you get it right, which is why the Club is working with dealers to introduce ‘Try Before You Buy,’ offering people the chance to hire a caravan or a motorhome before they make the big decision to purchase. You can now either hire a caravan from selected dealers in the UK or hire a motorhome with Swift Go. The caravans will be set up for you on site, so you just need to turn up to make sure the vehicle is right for you. The cost of hire for up to 7 days will be refunded if you go on to purchase a caravan or motorhome from that particular dealer or manufacturer. Members also receive 15% off for motorhome hire. We are hoping that the experience will help people make informed decisions and feel confident that caravanning and motorhoming is right for them.
There’s a great range of locations to choose from including hiring a caravan staying at either Blackmore Vale on Dorset’s rugged Jurassic Coast or Salop Leisure, based in the historic medieval market town of Shrewsbury, hire an airstream either on Coniston Park Coppice Club Site in the Lake District, Brighton Club Site in East Sussex or Abbey Wood Club Site in London. Alternatively, if you’re considering buying a motorhome, you can pick up your motorhome hire from our depot in Greater Manchester and within an hour's drive you could be exploring the beautiful Peak District National Park staying at sites like Buxton or Chatsworth Park or discovering the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and Forest of Bowland staying at sites such as Bolton Abbey and Wharfedale.
We’re trying to make the process as simple as possible. All you need to do is get in touch with us to let us know your preferred outfit, date and location, based on preference, a partner will be in touch to organise your trial. There is full support on hand throughout your hire so you can enjoy the experience.
As this is a new concept we are launching, we need your help. We really want member’s involvement to make sure we get it right. Your thoughts and feedback would be very much appreciated. We are also looking for people to trial this for us. We need someone who is considering buying a new caravan and also someone who is considering changing from a caravan to a motorhome. We want you to stay in the caravan and motorhome and experience Try Before You Buy. We would love it if you could blog about your experience on Club Together with photos and tell us how you get on and if the process helped you make a decision. The cost of the hire will be free of charge and there will also be a welcome hamper waiting for you to say thank you for trialling this for us. If this sounds of interest to you please can you email communitymanager@camc.com with a short bio, a couple of pictures and the reason why you would like to trial either a caravan or motorhome. In the meantime if you would like to go ahead and book a Try Before You Buy experience or learn more about Try Before You Buy please visit here: www.caravanclub.co.uk/tbyb
Comments
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That was "tried" in the past at one site i know of, Blackwall Plantation site in conjunction with a local dealer ,they had a caravan kept on a pitch,which prospective "newbies"could stay in to see how they got on,with the site staff on hand to "help"
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Over the years I have seen several questions asked on various forums about the idea of trying before you buy. It could useful on several levels. For those that want to try a motorhome before deciding whether they actually like it. For caravans it might be getting used to up or down scaling. Whilst I think its an excellent idea for those dipping their toes in the water so to speak If you want a more specific motorhome, other than a Swift, it might be more limiting.
David
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Is it no longer possible to hire a touring caravan for towing? I know that motor homes can readily, albeit expensively, hired.
It seems to me that by far and away, the biggest draw for having a leisure vehicle is the freedom which it provides for choosing destinations. The process of towing/ motorhoming, setting up and establishing a temporary home from home is a huge part of caravanning, whereas driving to a set location where one has already been set up, seems to me to be the equivalent of renting a tiny self catering room, without your choice of location or view. Motor home hire better reflects real life. I know that C&MC staff, many of whom aren’t caravanners have to use of ready pitched caravans to give them a taste of their member’s lifestyle. I’ve always felt that they’ve missed the point.
If it becomes possible to rent a van with a similar layout to the one that you are thinking about, whether motorhome or caravan, I can see the value, but it’s an unlikely scenario with so many layouts available.
So while every initiative to help people taste before they buy should be treated positively, the limited experience provided by visiting a previously pitched caravan, falls way behind hiring one and travelling with it, in my opinion.
The refund/ discounts sound like a nice idea.
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It sounds like a good idea to me, but I guess it will have its limitations.
I can see it would be good for someone who was interested in taking up caravanning for the first time. They would be looking to see if they would like caravanning 'generally'. However, if you are an existing caravanner wishing to change vans, this is where it would get more complicated. In these circumstances there would be considerable limitations. I guess it wouldn't be any good for specific requirements... e.g. if you wanted to try a 2018 Bailey Unicorn Valencia to see if it suits you etc.
David
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It has often been suggested that before swapping to a MH from a caravan that one should hire for a week or so before committing what is often a substantial investment. It was a view to which I subscribed but having visited many MH shows and having studied specifications online, we decided on the criteria that we thought would suit us.
We have now owned our MH for eight months and have been pleased with both our choice and decision to swap. I attribute this to the extensive prior research. Try before you buy is a nice luxury but if the matter is approached in a diligent and pragmatic way, not essential.
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Clearly, as a new venture, this idea will only grow and improve if open minded individuals give constructive and informed feedback. I know we have grown in knowledge, experience and preference in the 6 years we have been Caravanning.
However, in the early days we made some silly mistakes in both our purchasing decisions and our packing choices. Some of these could have been avoided if we had the opportunity of a try before you buy scheme.
I wish them well with the whole project going forward..
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