Buying our first caravan - getting started

May 11, 2014
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Hi everyone

I am looking for any advice on buying a starter caravan.

Having spent 5 happy years camping, we feel it is time to take the next step and get a caravan. My thoughts are to buy a cheap starter van, test if we like caravanning, and if we do, look at upgrading after a year or so. I have read a few internet guides on buying a used van but would value your thoughts.

We have a Audi a6, so kerb weight is telling me I can tow 1360kg using the 85% rule.
I have a budget of £2k.
I need a 4-5 berth. (we haave 2 small kids)
If we like it, then I would like to think I could get my £2k back a year on, when we upgrade.

I have been watching a few auctions on fleabay to get an idea of what is selling for £2k. I know I would be taking a risk buying from ebay, but at the moment I am just researching. There does however seem to be some fairly decent vans on there in our budget.

We would be looking to use it for odd weekends and 1 x 2 week summer holiday in france each year.

Any suggestions on what my next steps should be?

Cheers
Steve
 
Feb 3, 2008
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smagsmith said:
Any suggestions on what my next steps should be?

Look at the various layout guides to see which 4/5 berth might suit your family best, eg end bunks or side bunks and you use the pull-out double at the front; or use the front as 2 singles for the kids and you have a made-up double at the back. Also likelihood of shutting the kids off in a separate part at evening/night so as not to disturb them, etc.
 

Mel

Mar 17, 2007
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I agree. Layout is your next consideration. 4 berth vans with end washrooms tend to be cheaper than fixed beds. You need to consider if you will mainly use sites with good washblocks in which case a double dinette or fixed bed may be more useful to you than a large washroom.

Remember condition is more important than age and if you can go and see a van in the flesh before the fleabay auction ends then do so. Poke about for damp, mould and musty smells.
mel
 
May 11, 2014
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Great replies guys. I had no idea that there were so many layouts. If we are only buying for a short term (hopefully upgrading in a year or so), I don't think the layout is that critical. Correct me if you think I am wrong. I was hoping for the kids 7 and 5 to sleep in the back andd ideally be able to close that area off at night so we can chill out without waking them.
At home, they sleep in bunk beds so that would be fine.
I think we would prefer sites with good facilities, so showering in the van is not important. We would if we needed to, but basically have a loo is an upgrade from tenting. No more waking in the middle of the night and getting the torch out and trekking to the shower block..... ;)

I would never buy from ebay without viewing first. I am nervous about ebay in general for items over a 100 quid, but the value appears to be there as aaposed to dealers.

Cheers
Steve
 
Feb 3, 2008
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smagsmith said:
Great replies guys. I had no idea that there were so many layouts. If we are only buying for a short term (hopefully upgrading in a year or so), I don't think the layout is that critical. Correct me if you think I am wrong.

You are wrong. ;)
Get a layout now that you think you like, then if you don't like it after all you won't have spent a lot of wasted money.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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smagsmith said:
...................

We have a Audi a6, so kerb weight is telling me I can tow 1360kg using the 85% rule.
...................

Hello Steve,

We need to get this 85% thing into perspective. It is not a rule it is only guidance, which is used to try encourage caravanners to keep their caravans a light as possible. This principle is sound, but good towing is more to do with maintaining the car and caravan and driving sensibly, than simply keeping to a notional percentage tow weight.
 
Nov 12, 2013
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Hi Steve and welcome to the world of caravanning. It's great to see you've already been given some sound advice there. There are a lot of videos on our YouTube page which might be of interest, from caravan and tow car reviews to advice and top tips. Please click here and get watching.
 
Jul 15, 2008
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Hi
You don't say if your Audi A6 has a tow bar and associated electrics.
If it hasn't then you might like to check out this aspect first as they can be pricey.
 
May 7, 2012
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If you want the two children in bed first we found the best layout for that was the double dinette layout with one right at the front and one atr the back that can be curtained off. This means that the toilet and kitchen are reachable without disturbing them although the downside is a smaller toilet compartment in most cases, but there is always a compromise with a caravan.
 
May 11, 2014
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Great advice everyone. It is really helping. We went out to look around the local dealers today and found it really interesting. But we now have a new dilema...

First of all to answer Gafferblls question.... we already have a towbar, but it only for a box trailer so may need upgrading.

The new dilema..... We went with the thought of buy a cheap van and then upgrade in a year, if we like it. What we found was that the cheap vans ( under 2000 quid) are really not that nice. They may even end up putting us off caravanning rather than easing us into it.
We then discovered that the best layout for us would be fixed bunks toward the back with a side washroom and toilet. Everyone in the family prefered this option. The girls loved the fact that they would have their own area at the back ( with small table) and a sliding partition door, and we loved the fact that we would be able to let them sleep in peace while we stayed up later.
So, we now know what layout we want , but it comes at a cost. That layout is only available in newer vans, so rather than buy cheap and trade up in a year time, we are thinkng that it would be better to go staight in with a more modern van. Only problem here is the cost. At c £10k for something suitable, it means we better get saving.

Without your advice we would have been clueless as we walked around today, but instead it was a lot easier to understaand what we wanted and more importantly what we did not want

Many thanks
Steve
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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Newer caravans are expensive but it's worth alerting local dealers about exactly what you are looking for and what your budget is so that you'll see what trade-ins are on offer first.
Don't forget online resources such as Caravan Finder and large preloved dealerships such as The Caravan Company where you can enter your requirements and receive email or telephone alerts when suitable caravans are in stock.
Top Tip:
Caravan salespeople are really nice, always friendly, helpful and ready to sell you your dream caravan.
Keep looking until you spot the layout that you want which is reasonably close to your budget, but slightly above.
When the salesperson approaches you let them know that you are definitely in the market to buy but make them work hard for that sale!
They will come across as your best mate and tell you more or less what you want to hear but the trick is this.
Don't do their job for them by being very keen and enthusiastic, adopt a poker face no matter how much you like the prospective purchase and don't feel that you have to fill in silences by reinforcing the sales patter, make the salesperson talk first ;)
Use the Caravan Price Guide to give you a ball park figure on what to expect to pay but don't forget that no part exchange usually means a discounted price and haggle like mad to bring the price down to an affordable but realistic level.
Don't worry about upsetting the salesperson, they have some leeway and they usually use the tried and tested ''I'll have to ask the boss'' as a negotiating tool so push on until they finally have to say no, use that poker face as your negotiating tool and avoid paying the screen price!
It's surprising how much discount you can negotiate if you try and if they won't budge on the price try for things like a leisure battery and an awning or even a motor mover.
Don't give up, good luck :cheer:

EDIT: Practical Caravan have recently re-launched the online sales section
 
May 11, 2014
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Now that we know we want a more expensive option, we will not be doing anthing this year as we need to do some saving. We think we can get what we are looking for for about £8k. There are a few cheaper options with the right layout, but we need to do some saving.
This years holiday to France is already booked and we are taking the tent. I guess we will look to get a caravan around Feb/March time next year. Is there a best time of the year to buy?

The only other option we have this yeaar is maybe to rent a caravan for a long weekend to give it a go.

Cheers
Steve
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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If you're looking at next year it's worth timing your purchase to coincide with the sales surge which happens twice a year when dealerships attend the major caravan exhibitions and have lots of trade ins to sell.
The large exhibitions are in October and February, there will be quite a number of private sellers advertising their used model before trading up plus dealers forecourts will be well stocked with trade-ins that they want to shift, usually a couple of months after the exhibitions have taken place.
Find as many dealers which are reasonably local to you as you can and get to know the market and your own preferences by visiting them regularly over the coming months to see what's for sale. At the same time keep your eye on the free online advertising websites, the classified ads in the Practical Caravan magazine and enter your details into the Practical Caravan website for sale section and that of large used caravan outlets mentioned earlier to receive email alerts when suitable models are advertised.
 

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