Complete Newb!

[John_374576705]

Hello all

OK been camping for years and it's now looking like the time to upgrade to a caravan!

Went to visit a friend who owns a Swift Sterling 500l and it looked like a perfect fit for us, main feature being bunks in the rear with a sliding door to close it off, ideal as we have two small children, allowing us to shut them off whilst we still have the rest of the caravan in the evenings!

Very interested to know what this layout is called as so far searching all I find is double bed in the rear...

As it's our first time we don't want to throw a load of money in straight away so we're limiting ourselves to £3k ish.

Have hardly any info on what to buy, where to look, what to consider.....help!

Any tips warmly welcomed

 

[TaffJones]

Welcome to the site. My advice would be to get a copy of Practical Caravan as it has a listy of all the new (UK)vans and what the layouts are.

 

[TaffJones]

Looks like the only Swift I can find that has fixed bunks is Swift Charisma 570, 6 berth.

 

[ValA.]

The older Swifts/Sterlings didn't have names, just numbers. We had a Europa 450C which was a similar layout to the Swift you're looking at.

There's lots of advice on buying an older caravan - in the Buying a Caravan section on here. I'll search the posts in a minute and find something for you - but the main thing to avoid is damp. Make sure you check thoroughly in all the cupboards, rear and front corners, around the roof lights, grab handles and windows, for soft spongy walls, tell-tale stains, raised wall coverings, or a 'damp' smell. Damp can kill caravans, and although some hardy souls do major repairs, it does demand time and some technical skills.

As far as what model, buy what suits you now, but my advice is that the same model won't suit for ever. As your children grow they may become too big for the bunks, (which usually have some sort of weight restriction) or they may want to sleep outside in a pup tent. You and your wife may get fed up of re-arranging cushions, and at that point it's probably time to change.

We changed from our Europa after six years, to a Swift Speedbird 490 (one of the first fixed bed models) - and we've still got it ten years later.

Some of the previous posts which may help:

http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/buyingacaravan.php
http://www.hpicheck.com/caravans.html
It might be a good idea to contact your local dealership who may give you an idea of the price that you can expect to pay.

There is a free Caravan Price Guide http://www.caravanpriceguide.com/

and the Practical Caravan Caravan Finder carries online adverts for used caravans which might give you some idea.

 

[Parksy]

Hello John, welcome to the forum

There are a couple of things to consider before you spend any of your hard earned cash on a caravan. If you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997 your driving licence entitlement might restrict your choice of caravan.

You will also need to determine what your towing vehicle is capable of towing legally and safely. Have a look in our Legal Section which will provide vital information and if you have any questions just ask.

The forecourts of local caravan dealers might provide some clues on where to start, look inside the used caravans to find your likes and dislikes and Practical Caravan Magazine will provide a wealth of information and it has a very good classified advertising section with used caravans for sale.

Good luck in your search

 

[RayS]

Hi John, the Mods are out in force to help - but that's what we do.

The beginners section on this site has lots of good advice. If you join one of the major UK clubs you will get more and access to some of the best sites there are. (and your joining fee will be covered in only about 7 nights on site)

Depending where you live a day spend touring the local caravan dealers will be well spent- go with an open mind and then test your needs against what you see.

Do some homework first - find out the 'kerb weight' of your car, and it's towing limit and weight on the towball limit.

Reading the suggested articles you will arrive at a set of figures which will go something like this:

Ideally we need a caravan with an all up loaded wieght (MPTML) of no more than x kilograms.

Our car will happly tow at least x kg. and ideally at least 25% more.

Our car has a towball limit of Y kg. (usually around 80) and this falls winin 3% to 7% of the all up weight of the van we're looking at.

Not much of this is 'law' rather than collective wisdom (except the car towing limit) but if you are new to towing you will be more comfortable and safe staying within the guidelines.

Another suggestion - again depending on where you live - is to fit the car with towbar and electrics and then hire a couple of different caravans for a weekend. There is nothing like living in a couple of different layouts to firm up your ideas !

Good luck and keep posting - if you have questions it will help if you can put them into the appropriate topic heading - you're likely to get more and quicker replies this way.