Dilemma

Aug 4, 2020
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Hi all, I’m totally new to touring and I have a decision to make which I really need help with.
I have been offered a 1990’s abbey Lancaster for £250 from a work colleague. This is what he paid for it 12 months ago but it obviously hasn’t been used this year due to covid-19.
It needs a good clean both inside and out but I’m not sure what other jobs I’ll need to do both for comfort and more importantly, safety.
Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated,
Mark.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Hi all, I’m totally new to touring and I have a decision to make which I really need help with.
I have been offered a 1990’s abbey Lancaster for £250 from a work colleague. This is what he paid for it 12 months ago but it obviously hasn’t been used this year due to covid-19.
It needs a good clean both inside and out but I’m not sure what other jobs I’ll need to do both for comfort and more importantly, safety.
Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated,
Mark.
Welcome to the Forum.
Has it been damp checked throughout recently? If not have it done or buy a meter. Damp cannot always be seen or smelt but unless you are good at DIY it could be expensive to repair, or may even require extensive rebuild. Has it been serviced for it’s running gear. Does it have gas if so was the system integrity checked in the service? I guess that the tyres are over five years if so they and spare need renewing. Safety of the running gear/ hitch/ brakes/ lights and chassis are paramount if you plan to tow it. Comfort is very much a personal choice once you have satisfied yourself that the essentials are okay.
 
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Oct 12, 2016
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Get an AWS approved engineer to inspect it preferably before you buy it but be prepared for bad news. It’s going to cost you most of your purchase price again to get it serviced, safe to live in and tow safely providing its structurally sound ( not going to fall off the chassis)
If it has got minor damp issues you may well feel it’s not worth spending a fortune on repairing it, just seal it to prevent further water ingress and enjoy the van for a few more years until you’re ready to buy a newer caravan.
 
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Jan 3, 2012
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Hi Mark-k welcome to the forum
Like otherclive says has it been damp checked if not buy a meter they are on Amazon & Ebay make sure you take one to check it throughout .
Like Tuningdrew says take AWS approved engineer he will inspect it and tell you what it needs .
Can you take pictures of it so we can see what condition it is in .
 
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May 7, 2012
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At £250 I doubt an engineers check is economical but you could ask one for a quote. At that age damp is the most important thing to check and after that the tyres,. gas, electricity and running gear. Not sure what expertise you have in any of these so you will have to decide what if any help you need there. You do need to know if and when the caravan was last serviced and by whom to see if further work might be needed.
I would have the working equipment working to make sure it is OK but it will need gas and a battery working to do this.
The date tyres are made are stamped on them so if you need to check this you can find the detail on Google.
 
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Apr 6, 2017
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Start by checking the condition of the tyres, no cracks or damage and age. The date code is on the side wall and consists of 4 digits. The last 2 refer to the year of manufacture. If they are more than 7 years old they are for the bin and should really be considered of limited use if 5 years old depending on appearance and condition.
Safety and reliability are the highest priority for me and on caravan of this age damp really isn't going to be a priority as the cost of repair would soon outweigh the replacement cost.
I also suggest checking your driving license to make sure you can drive the combined weight of tow car and caravan.
 
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Aug 4, 2020
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Thanks guys, I have a gas engineer friend who’s going to check the system for me and I’m going to check the running gear, tyres, hitch and check for damp at the weekend. I presume my firewood moisture meter will be fine to use?
I also have a class1 truck license so I’m confident in towing and I’ll be pulling it with a 2013 freelander 2.
This possible purchase is a stepping stone to buy a newer caravan once my family are happy they like it. Thanks.
 
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May 7, 2012
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The moisture meter should be fine but if you get a reading you may need to check further with a more accurate one. Readings of 15% or less are normal and if over 20% are beat avoided. Between the two you need to check further. Readings at the window can be false as you can get condensation under rge rubber seal so if you get one there do look.
 
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