2 or 4 berth

[Alnmike]

Forum newbie here! Change in lifestyle (new puppy) so now looking to buy our first caravan. Would love a brand new one - question - do they depreciate the same way cars do, as soon as you drive them?

Also - although only the 2 humans, is it a waste getting a 2 berth, especially from a resale perspective? I saw a useful post regarding having no where to sit in a 2 berth if one of you still in bed. But is that worth the extra?

Finally - for a first time buyer, would it be too risky to buy privately? Is there anything like the AA carbuyers inspection service?

Sorry for so many questions - but now we've decided, I can't wait to get looking

Many thanks!

Al

 

[Chrissylizzie]

As far as the 2 or 4 berth aspect of the question goes, it is nice to have the extra space of a 4 berth even if only used by two people. A four berth would probably have a side dinette which does give you extra seating space if someone wants a lie in. Also this area would be somewhere for a dog to lie so that you don't keep falling over each other.

 

[Alnmike]

As far as the 2 or 4 berth aspect of the question goes, it is nice to have the extra space of a 4 berth even if only used by two people. A four berth would probably have a side dinette which does give you extra seating space if someone wants a lie in. Also this area would be somewhere for a dog to lie so that you don't keep falling over each other.

thanks - good points!

 

[John_374224558]

Hi, I am inclined to agree with Chrissylizzie on this one. Also it may be worth considering the residual value of a 4 berth a few years down the line is often higher than a 2 berth, becuase they will appeal to a wider family market than a 2 berth ever can, and you usually find that a well looked after family van of the right specification doesn't usually sit on a second hand forecourt for too long.

Yes, vans do depreciate particularly in their first year or so, but you will often find that they hold their value longer term than most cars.

 

[Del_374232870]

Back in the mid 90,s we changed from a 4 berth to a 2 berth as there was only the 2 of us. The 2 berth was a lovely van and felt more spacious than an equivalent 4 berth however it also meant that if the bed was made up there was nowhere to sit and it presented a problem if our daughter and her partner wanted to come away, so when the time came we traded in for a 4 berth again. Whilst I felt that the over all quality of the 2 berth was superior we will stay with a 4 berth from know on

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Got to be a four berth - for the reasons as stated previously. Also a fixed bed van may look nice but it is not very practical. We bought a brand new one last October and because of the impracticality of it we have traded it in for a conventional four berth van. Fixed bed took up too much floor space during day and there was very little circulation area - even for just the two of us - we were virtually on top of each other all the time (metophorically speaking these days).

 

[Alnmike]

Dear all

Thanks very much - and the comment regarding fixed doubles, as I was half thinking of going down that route.

Do you know of an inspection service?

Al

 

[Del_374232870]

Al

Whilst we went back from 2 berth to 4 berth we went to a fixed bed and wouldnt have any other layout now, however we made sure that both fixed bed models we got had full size seats at the front that way there is plenty of room for 4 adults to sit. Plus the Lunar Delta is 7ft 6 in wide and has the wardrobe in the bedroom area which makes it feel a lot more spacious in the seating area.

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

hi, are new puppy. i think 4 berth because if your puppy is cage trained then you could put the side dinette down and the cage/bed will fit on there and you will have a nice end bathroom. or you could have a fixed bed with a small side bathroom dog cage or bed could go opposite the kitchen. either way i think you would be better with a 4 berth. dont make the wrong choice of van like we did in oct 05 and will now be changing our van sept 07.

jo-anne

 

[Angela_5076436]

hehe - we borught a new 3/4 berth home with an end bathroom and promptly lost the shower - dog jumped in , looked round and went into the shower and lay down.

Now if that wasn't telling us where he was sleeping - what was ?

He won - and that was his bedroom

 

[Alnmike]

hehe - we borught a new 3/4 berth home with an end bathroom and promptly lost the shower - dog jumped in , looked round and went into the shower and lay down.

Now if that wasn't telling us where he was sleeping - what was ?

He won - and that was his bedroom

what a lovely image - we've actually got 2 dogs - miniature dacshunds - who'd would fit there beautifully too

 

[shimsham]

hi, remember the bigger the caravan the bigger the car you will need to tow safely. cheers

 

[Diane1]

Hi Al, We are new to caravaning so we took our time in selecting the right van for us. I disagree with the fixed bed being useless waste of space, as went for a fixed bed twin axle four berth. We also have two huge dogs and they slpeep in the caravan at night. Ours is a 2 and half year old Abbey spetrum 540. We went for this model as we would like something thats going to last until we get to know the ins and outs of caravaning. I also went to dealer because of the warrenty aspect so that if there any major problems in the first two years we are covered. I personaly like and end bath room and the bailys senator range has the best bathroom i have ever seen but that takes up a lot of space. I like the fixed bed as i don't see the fun in getting up every morning and having to pack it away, and then again in the evening. For us its perfect as there is only the 2 of us and the dogs.

 

[Alnmike]

Thank you all very much - so very helpful!

Our tow vehicle is a Nissan X trail so we have a bit of leeway with caravan weights! We've decided to go via a dealer this time, and as we now have so much good info, we'll decide based on what he has in stock. If all goes well, in a couple of years we'll buy new.

 

[Chrissylizzie]

Thank you all very much - so very helpful!

Our tow vehicle is a Nissan X trail so we have a bit of leeway with caravan weights! We've decided to go via a dealer this time, and as we now have so much good info, we'll decide based on what he has in stock. If all goes well, in a couple of years we'll buy new.

A bit of a swop of questions here, but do you like the Xtrail?

 

[Alnmike]

A bit of a swop of questions here, but do you like the Xtrail?

Very much - we've had landrover disco and freelander, and I much prefer driving this to the freelander, and the equipment level is much better too. We've the diesel version and did 2k km in France this summer, and it was very pain free - and not too expensive as diesel is cheaper that petrol in France. Any particular thing you were interested in? Boot space good, only observation is that the old's find the ride a bit 'hard'

 

[Chrissylizzie]

Very much - we've had landrover disco and freelander, and I much prefer driving this to the freelander, and the equipment level is much better too. We've the diesel version and did 2k km in France this summer, and it was very pain free - and not too expensive as diesel is cheaper that petrol in France. Any particular thing you were interested in? Boot space good, only observation is that the old's find the ride a bit 'hard'

It's a bit of a long story but we recently bought an 02 Audi A4 with 2.5 V6 engine, diesel automatic. Great until we recently went to Europe and, once only, had to make the car work. Next day, we developed a 'shudder' when starting and upon getting home took car to Audi garage. After inspection, they said we needed a modification to the gearbox, cost