complete newbie needs advice

[karen_374234759]

Hi,

We are planning to upgrade from our tent and try caravaning, We are looking at vans on classified and ebay, we are not prepared to pay a great deal as we may not like it, ,What are the main top tips on buying an old (20 year)

van,

I am looking at one now that says the brakes are faulty but does not affect towing, surely that can't be right!!! I need some help please, Although i don't want to pay more than about £600, I would still like to have a van that is in safe working order and that would last us at least 2 years, can you give me some advice on the safety side please, what service I would need, what questions I should be asking the sellers????

Thank you so much to anybody who takes the time to reply to me,kaz

 

[Damian]

Karen, you are certainly stepping into very much a nightmare scene, looking at vans of 20 years old.

Whilst you may find a good one, it is going to be very hard to do so.

As for the one you mentioned, the seller is breaking the law, and so would you be, by towing the van with known defective brakes!! The only way you could transport it would be by low loader, until you had the brakes fixed.

Main things to check on older vans:

1. Make sure everything works, cooker, heater, water pump, lights etc.

2. Have a good look round to see if there is any sign of damp, especially round windows, roof vents, and along floor joints, as well as looking in every cupboard, you can usually tell by a musty smell, or freshly sprayed air freshener!!

3. Tyres, how old, what condition, if the seller does not know how old they are, then they are probably no good and need changing, its no use finding out the hard way by having a blow out on the way home!!

4 Brakes, do they work? if not why? and you cannot tow with faulty brakes!!

5. Hitch, condition, is it rusty? do the levers work? will it lock onto a towball?

6 Chassis, including A frame, condition for rust, bends, general state of the metalwork.

The list goes on and on, and ideally you should get someone who knows about caravans to go with you and help you with these checks.

Particularly with private buys, it is a case of "BUYER BEWARE" as you wil have very few courses of action if you buy a bad van.

 

[Stephen_5122599]

Hi Karen,

I'm sure that faulty brakes will not affect the towing but it sure will affect the stopping. Remember it is an offence to use a vehicle with defective brakes as well as being dangerous to yourself and other road users.

However it may not be all doom and gloom a caravan braking system does not rely on rocket science and a capable mechanic should be able to sort out any problems, however beware, the necessary parts may not still be available for that particular van. If you do your homework and check to see about parts availability and cost then you may have a good bargaining tool.

Beware though ,the seller revealing a defect may be directing your attention away from other problems associated with the van such as water ingress or floor delamination. So take your time when you inspect the van and if you can take along someone who has some experience.

Regards

Steve

 

[emmerson2]

Morning Karen.You are quite right to query the brakes on your proposed purchase.There is no way that faulty brakes could not affect towing. Walk away from that one quickly. You don't say where you are, but I would suggest that you look at some dealers near you. They sometimes have cheapy p/ex vans, but as dealers, they would have to sell them as roadworthy. The advantage of a private purchase, of course, is that you might get all the neccesities that go with the van. The vans to look for are those belonging to older people who are retiring from the hobby. That way, you might well find an older van which has been cherished all it's life. I think you are being very wise in looking for a cheap start to our hobby, although I cannot imagine that you will not like it. We hired our first van when our son was one year old. He's now forty. Be warned, it can be that adictive.Good luck in your search.

 

[Steve L]

Don't let the sceptics put you off.

I have a 25 year old Link 575 20ft twin axle van and it is in better condition than some late 90's vans. I am not planning to get rid yet though.

For sure you will need to be very careful to choose a road worthy and sound van, but they are out there. Mine for the first twenty years of it's life was used as a static and towed off to the barn for dry storage over winter, which helped no end in it's longevity.

My very first impression was how very 70's the interior was which told me that it had not been touched by the previous owners. The seller told me he'd replaced all the wheel bearings and tyres to tow it up from Devon to Herefordshire. He had but the tyres were remoulds so they hit the bin at rocket speed.

Due to me finding a leaky heating flue on the roof and a damp patch caused by an un-sealed front light (well it was raining cats and dogs on viewing day) I got

 

[cris_408518]

My cousins son bought a van for

 

[Martin_E]

Morning Karen.You are quite right to query the brakes on your proposed purchase.There is no way that faulty brakes could not affect towing. Walk away from that one quickly. You don't say where you are, but I would suggest that you look at some dealers near you. They sometimes have cheapy p/ex vans, but as dealers, they would have to sell them as roadworthy. The advantage of a private purchase, of course, is that you might get all the neccesities that go with the van. The vans to look for are those belonging to older people who are retiring from the hobby. That way, you might well find an older van which has been cherished all it's life. I think you are being very wise in looking for a cheap start to our hobby, although I cannot imagine that you will not like it. We hired our first van when our son was one year old. He's now forty. Be warned, it can be that adictive.Good luck in your search.

Hi emmerson,

Our local dealer will sell cheap p/ex vans on trade terms this I think is a case of what you see is what you get no warranty etc, not sure about the road worthy bit though as it is a trade sell.

Martin "E"

 

[Oldfogey]

I would only really recommend getting involved with older caravans in this price bracket if you are competent at DIY - both domestic and car maintenance - as you can be sure some work will be needed.

Also allow some margin in your budget for things that will need doing urgently, such as new tyres, new carpet, new battery.

Consider that the cushions may be very old and tired. Replacements can often be got for a good price on ebay, though it requires patience to find the right size.

Caravan electrics are fairly simple, both mains and 12volt.

Gas systems are also not complex, though unwise to tamper with unless you have genuine knowledge.

The most complex aspect is probably water and space heating; on a van of that age you may well have neither, just a simple cold water system with either electric or just a foot pump. The latter is quite acceptable.

Oh yes. Do avoid ones with glass windows. You really want the double glazed plastic windows, not so much for warmth, as to avoid streaming condensation!

Best of luck.

 

[Steve L]

We seem to have a good thread going here with plenty of sound advice.

As the fogey has stated you realy do have to be a competent DIY'er and certainly if you are not versed in gas pipe work then leave that to a professional. That goes for 240 Volt electric too.

Being a multi-skilled engineer, I've been trained in gas,electric as well as general engineering skills which certainly gave me the confidence to tackle our van and come out the other side with a good product.

Going back a decade or so PC mag used to write workshops on how to for instance, install a basic cassette loo. How to rewire a van for 240V, servicing the brakes and bearings. All of these were aimed at the competent DIY'er but sadly with the up market climb of caravanning it seems the "Grass roots" have been forgotten. Bring back practical DIY caravan and forget the "Glitz" of new for a while.

After all whats new today is second hand tomorrow!!

After all we all started with a "fixer upper" at some point, just to sample caravanning before the vast investment in new.

Some of us, myself included, have stayed with an older van especially after reading on the forum about vans less than five years old with leaky this and dodgy that. My motto has been for many years, "why fix it when it's not broke"

My final point, and I'll probably get shot down in flames for this is. That I struggle to see how folk can say that caravanning is a cheap hobby when you spend 25k on a tow car and then 15 - 20k on a van plus the awning and accessories. You sure as hell have to use the van a lot to justify it then.

Steve.

 

[emmerson2]

Steve, I'm certainly not going to shoot you down for that last paragraph! I think along the same lines, As you're possibly aware, I chair the Royale Owner's Club. As the last Royale was built in 1982,all of our members feel as you do.

My caravan is 1979, my Range Rover is 1994, and the whole outfit cost less than

 

[Steve L]

Steve, I'm certainly not going to shoot you down for that last paragraph! I think along the same lines, As you're possibly aware, I chair the Royale Owner's Club. As the last Royale was built in 1982,all of our members feel as you do.

My caravan is 1979, my Range Rover is 1994, and the whole outfit cost less than

 

[emmerson2]

Well put your Emmenance.

I think your members will agree, in our era of caravanning, the vans were put together by craftsmen and weomen who had pride in their work and not cash as the first priority.

My van was built by Deanline, but the current owners club address I have in Warwick does not respond. I realy would like to track my vans heritage/history. I wonder if you have any ideas?

Steve.

Hi steve. I can't think of any way to help you, mate. I assume you've done Google? What about a small advert in the caravan mags? Or, find out where the factory was, then advertise locally to see if there are any surviving staff. We did this, and found the guy who did the upholstery. The man who owned my van then had him re-upholster it just before I bought it!Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Steve I don't know if this is the address you have

Deanline/A-Line Owners' Club 7 Tavistock Close, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, NG15 6JR.

Tel: 0115 966 3507 Mrs S May

or

DEANLINE/A LINE Owners' Club

Jim Harling, 24, Ton Lane, Lowdham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG14 7AS

 

[cris_408518]

We started with an old van and our budget went into the kids, house improvement and racing for years. Our old bessie was a great van until it got written off. Our replacement latter 90's Bailey was as new when we bought it and apart from not having microwave or aircon I could not see any reason to upgrade.

My wife wants a new van now as she can't see me doing my usual routine of maintenance since my accident.

I've been trawling through the manufacturers web sites and user reports on here and elsewhere and I'm concerned that we end up with a van that we have to find the initial faults with and then get sorted.

 

[Oldfogey]

Why not just keep the existing van and see if there is one of these mobile servicing guys in your area to take over looking after it; still save afortune against a new van, many of which seem to be very shoddy, and you stick with the van you like.

 

[Steve L]

Steve I don't know if this is the address you have

Deanline/A-Line Owners' Club 7 Tavistock Close, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, NG15 6JR.

Tel: 0115 966 3507 Mrs S May

or

DEANLINE/A LINE Owners' Club

Jim Harling, 24, Ton Lane, Lowdham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG14 7AS

Thanks L B.

I've written to Mrs May before but with no result. I'll try Jim Harling and let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Steve.

 

[Steve L]

I quite agree with the Fogey.

Sometimes it's better the devil you know than the one you don't.

Here in Herefordshire we have a mobile caravan repair chap who services your van for

 

[cris_408518]

The old van was sold last year to family friends. 2006 was not the best of years for us so my boss has decided that it will be a new van. She's choosing it.

I just have to get fit again, we hope to tour all summer and then may be head for Spain for next winter and join those lucky retired caravanners.

 

[BeemerMal]

Go for it cris....we have been to Spain for extended 2/3 month trips now for 2 years. Not off this year until early March because the popular sites are usually fully booked up from October until March. We could not get on to the site, or the pitch we wanted this year until March. However, we don't come back until the end of May. We enjoy every minute!

A tip - if you do go to Spain and you want to stay on a particular site for an extended period of time (as we do) you will need to start planning well in advance. Our site for this year was booked in Febuary last year.

 

[cris_408518]

Thanks for the tip B'Mal

One my wifes friends live near Javea and we can put the caravan in amongst their Fruit and Olive trees for the winter if we get stuck, they sometimes have three or four friends caravanning and camping for the summer as they are all in teaching like my boss and another lives not far from Barcelona and has invited us to pitch up at any time. We would like to take our dogs if possible and I'm not sure if they are welcome on Spanish sites.

 

[BeemerMal]

cris....We don't have a dog now but all the sites we have been on in Spain allow dogs...of course the usual rules apply to keeping them on leads etc.