Looking at getting one as the camping in this country in a tent is a joke.
Not looking at spending a fortune at first about 1.5k for a 4 berth 1200kg or under.
If we enjoy it which i hope then i'll get a newer model so looking at around 15-20 yrs old, besides the dreaded damp what advice can you offer us?
Got the Haynes manual on caravans what are the better makes and the rubbish?
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We had a 2 birth before we had kids, and TBH it was a PITA. We couldn't keep it on our drive, so had to pay to store it, pay to insure it, more fuel to tow it etc etc.
We went around it again last year, but we couldn't make the numbers stack up by a long way - far cheaper to just stay in statics as and when we wanted, although to be fair we were looking at new / newish vans as the older ones we saw were minging
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Been there done that. Autumn is the time to buy when people are trying to offload and you can get the full package with all the accessories. Had three in total.
Positives:
Gets you out in the open when you want and where you want within reason.
You don't have to go far to enjoy the experience.
Good for small kids where they can roam under the watchful eyes of other parents and meet other kids. Never saw them until fodder time.
Some nice sites in nice places.
Negatives:
Damp is a BIG issue. Got bitten the first time and the second one had a leak which I managed to deal with but its a bit of a clat if you do it yourself. If you don't know what you are looking for find someone who does. They can be very expensive and difficult to dry out and are really not made for pulling to pieces. Rotting timbers and all that.
They are very fragile things. Soon dent, scratch and fittings can be weak. Everything made for lightness.
I found preparation, loading/unloading cleaning and maintenance seemed to take an inordinate amount of time.
Awnings/groundsheets are a faff especially when wet and you have to clean an dry thoroughly before packing away.
Insurance and storage costs can add up.
Suitable vehicle to tow which you will use as you everyday transport.
There can be some snobbery with 'outfits' and you can get sucked into the experience buying the latest gadgets and upgrading the van.
There are very few nice warm summer evenings it normally feels cool and a bit damp in the awning.
Family in a van can be a bit claustrophobic with clutter all over and wet grass trampled in.
We had ours over a few years and they fulfilled a need and yes we had some enjoyable holidays but I was glad to start renting cottages where you can hand the key back. Start adding up all the costs and they are not necessarily cheap holidays. Never used ours as frequently as we promised ourselves we would. Always something else on the timetable or a poor weather forecast.
Would I do it again? When the kids have flown the nest maybe a camper van and a long touring holiday. There is a particular freedom to be had.
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Not being funny Bigtee but what's the problem with a tent. Cold wet and mud or space?
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>> Not being funny Bigtee but what's the problem with a tent. Cold wet and mud
>> or space?
All of the above?
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>> All of the above?
>>
That was my point. A decent sized tent offers more space than a small caravan but goes in the loft over winter. Alternately, a trailer tent or folding caravan might live on the drive or in the garage.
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I set fire to our tent once. Not deliberately, long story but it involved a bit of a wind, a barbeque, a loose tent flap, some sausages, some wine and a moment or three, perhaps four on reflection, of inattention.
Only one half of one wall disappeared but it did rather make it a bit too alfresco for the rest of that holiday. And the sausages were a bit overcooked.
Might buy another one sometime.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Wed 20 Jun 12 at 21:53
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We've been at it for 40 yrs now, although we've only had 5 vans in that time.
For a starter, I'd be inclined to go for a Sprite. Popular and you'll get a good one at less cost than other makes. It'll have all you need for weekend fun and it'll get you into the hobby.
With 4 sleeping, I'd also get a full awning. You'll double the floor space and have somewhere to put the chairs and other outdoor stuff at night. See if you can get one with all the equipment...people often throw it in with the van if they've given up....gas bottles/aquaroll/waste container.......all pricey from new.
We now have a 2 berth Elddis Broadway. It's 17 ft long and the last metre at the rear is a toilet/shower/basin room which you can actually get dressed in when you've used the shower. Luxury after the 12ft Coachman we had last with it's tiny bog with tip up wash-basin !
I'm fortunate in being able to park on my own garden out of the way of anything I need to drive in or out.
If you buy privately, have a good look at the sellers house when you arrive....it'll give a good indication of how he keeps his possessions. My biker mate arrived at the house where his van was for sale and, without even seeing the van, knew that he'd buy it. The house, garden and car were immaculate !
We got our's here...Glossop Caravans.....they have a huge selection and are still a family firm.
Not too far for a day out but they have a website to have a look at what they've got. They said they'd sort out a used awning for us 'cos this van was bigger. When I collected it, it had a brand new one in it at no expense.
Good luck with the hunt, Railman. There's a few of us elite on here so you'll always get advice, i'm sure.
Ted
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Pal of mine bought one on impulse at the local general goods auction 2 years ago for £250. 20 year old Elddis, came with all the bits and an awning.
It has a bendy floor (delaminating) and sign of old leaks around the front window, but it's dry now. Needed a new tap IIRC and a bit of tlc but no real expenditure. It was apparently mechanically OK hitch, brake and wheel bearing wise, and was treated to some new tyres. If you paid £2000+ for something like this it would be a disaster but when it's cheap enough to scrap, a couple of years and about four trips later it's neither here nor there. He hasn't bothered to insure it and he has room to store it himself.
You can find bargains like this as long as you're not desperate to buy the first thing you see.
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I would never buy a caravan personally - prefer my little tent ! However each to his own, some friends own one and it's on a pitch down the road, it's on a seasonal pitch so they don't have to drag the infernal thing around. All the advantages of a holiday cottage and none of the drawbacks really - they don't have to give it a moment's thought to go there for the night. Good social life on the site. Not for me though but as I say each to his own and I can see why they do it.
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And you get to wear matching jumpers. ( Fleeces if you're trendy )
:-)
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Don't bother with a caravan when you could get this beautiful motorhome which enables you to take your Mercedes SLK with you in its garage compartment.
chrisescars.com/luxury-caravan-with-mercedes-slk/
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There is 3 of us and one is a four year old so the tent scene is fantastic on a hot summers weekend when it's dry, but this is the uk and now it's my week off the rain is here with a bit of dry spells the caravan offers warmth a tent does not it also offers more comfort to lounge about and the awning i take the points above of been cold but the caravan will have heating.
Yes im looking to buy in Autumn when they want to off load it will be parked in these fields were others are i won't be getting a dogs hooter of a new van as the travelling community seem to like them for themselves so a older van is less chance of been nicked.
Im 6ft-4 so the bed needs to be long i could sleep in the middle and dangle my feet out so some home work to do on longer seating/beds etc and ideally a double seat/bed at the rear for the lad not bunk beds.
Damp i don't want a submarine so idealy go look on a wet day i take your point on them not been easy to rip out and start again a little work is fine i don't want loads.
Hopefully camping in the tent on friday in Lincolnshire weather not brill have to see if it has changed me and the lad for 2 nights with a trip to RAF conningsby & The other lanc at east kirkby.
Plus a few beers and kids entertainment in the evening. :-)
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Parents have had one for many years and as a child we had a holiday every year in one. Started off by hiring one and then bought one in 1965.
The van they have now is aobut 17ft long (Body) and cost over £20k, heating, bathroom etc.
We get a 2 week touring holiday in France stayng in small hotels and a gite/cottage (last one had four bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, one before was a £750k flat overlooking the med) for around £2k. Economics don't stack up for us - cost of having all that capital tied up and replacing the van every 5 or so years, running a larger company car than I would chose and having to have a hitch fittted every time I change it.
Economics do stack up for my parents who have four weeks in Antibes each February, four weeks in Zaurutz in September and the odd break at other times - They even took it up to the North Cape a couple of years ago.
Depends what works for you.
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>> Parents have had one for many years and as a child we had a holiday
>> every year in one. Started off by hiring one and then bought one in 1965.
>>
That's a thought - why don't you try hiring one for ao week or twoo and see if it works for you? There seem to be some polarised opinions on here, so it might help you make up your mind.
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We've caravanned since 1982 in Britain and in France and enjoyed it. Before the kids had left home there were 6 of us and the awning was vital for extra space. Now there are three of us and our smaller awning rolls out from a bag on the side of the caravan.
Join a caravan forum and put your questions there. If the mods. are OK with it I could recommend a couple.
When you get your first caravan, make sure you know how it works before you leave home. If you buy secondhand, ask the owner to run through how the caravan is set up on site and make notes as you go. Troop out to your new toy and prepare and eat a meal in it.
Make sure your driving licence covers you for towing.
Declare fitting the towbar to your insurance company.
For your first outing, go with friends or local to your home so you can nip back to base for what you've forgotten.
Get some good towing mirrors. My preference is for Milenco Grand Aeros.
Get yourself abroad; the towing experience is a whole load better in Europe than Britain.
Good luck and enjoy.
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It's a good step up from camping if you have children. More space, less mud tramped in, not quite so miserable when it rains all day long.
It's well worth having an awning. It's like a large storm-porch in bad weather, somewhere to hang wet clothes, etc. And in better weather you can roll the flaps up and have a proper table. It's a nice halfway stage between inside and outside.
There is a lot of snobishness about both caravans and tow-cars. Avoid anyone who uses the term "outfit". My £50 Sprite Alpine (1970) went down a treat at the Caravan Club site.
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You good at laying the black stuff BT?
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Clothes pegs? Lucky white heather?
;>)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dorlYiix7zI
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Yes i thought he meant gypsie.
You should get one Zero then you can hide inside with your cream mack on with your bincoculars on a wet day spotting at the side of the east coast mainline.
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They spend their time nicking bits of the East Coast Main Line.
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on a positive note
We have caravanned for over 20 years, we use it lots. Normally buy a new van every three years although we have had 7 in the last 12 years but thats just our preference.
We bought a cheap fully loaded van in the 80's tried it and loved the freedom.
We have always booked 4 weeks in Europe every summer and had the best holidays ever and the kids will always remember the freedom and meeting up with other family's.
WE normally book a month for around £900 for sites fee's, electric,crossing and insurance. I think for a family of four adults it works very well. We travel very light and normally move sites every 4 days to go somewhere new and explore. so in a month we have often visited 10 different area's. The best bits are total freedom, our own bed that no one else has slept in ! and hygienic cooking and washing facilities that are clean.
Some holiday homes and B&B's leave a lot to be desired.
Towing no problem and we get 22-26 towing and 33 solo so fuel not big issue and fuel cheaper abroad.
Early vans we owned that suffered damp were Lunar and Abbey. We have had 7 Baileys and everyone has been brilliant but all owned from new. If you look after a van which we do there is very little depreciation, normally 18-3000 in 3 years, sometimes when we have sold private we have upgraded to new for as little as 1100 quid.
Hope you find what your looking for and enjoy. Its not all about money , enjoyment is paramount for a holiday.
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I have to agree with Injection Doc, it's not all about the cost for us, it's the freedom to do what we like when we like.
We only use ours for a couple of weeks in June and a week in September so economically we could book hotels or self catering a lot cheaper but we wouldn't enjoy it half as much.
The awning is a must for muddy shoes and wet jackets and BBQ's on balmy summer evenings.
We bought our first one for just £700 complete with an awning and used it once...that was all we needed to know it was exactly what we wanted.
We sunk almost all our savings into a brand new one, and have since swapped that for another new one after 2 years which only needed just under £3000 after trading the old one in, and an awning was thrown in on the deal as well.
IMHO there are two types of caravanners and it pays to try both ways to see which you prefer.
One type like the Caravan lub type sites and rallies, the social meetings with fellow caravanners and the rules on site this incurs.
The other type, like us, prefer smaller sites, less facilites but the opportunity to be left alone to do, and pitch, as you please.
Give it a go:)
Pat
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When we first considered caravanning we were warned off the 'every weekend away' types as they tended to have 'pampas grass in the front garden'.
Does that still apply?
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Think you're getting caravanning mixed up with dogging.
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Yeah, that's what we thought.
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That combination could be a winner. Just what caravanning needs
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Nowt wrong with dogging just have a good lamp and your sorted. :-)
Back to caravans you thread drifters.
Thanks for the top tips above all noted going looking when this rain stops that might be July at this rate.
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Touring caravans - mikeyb
