have only just joined, but need a bit of advice. going to see my first caravan tomorrow and would like to know in general terms what to look out for. i am an aircraft engineer so anything mechanical i hope i will be ok with, the caravan is an avondale avocet L 2 berth 1999 priced at £3150, which seems to be a good price, i am assured ther is no damp and all systems work, so really just looking for a few pointers if possible , thank you in anticipation : )
first time buyer
- Thread starter cidersteve
- Start date
Damian
Moderator
Where are you buying it from? a Dealer or Private Sale?
Has the van got any service history? if so, when was it last serviced and damp checked? Where are the results of the damp check?
Like any second hand caravan, the seller will "assure" you that everything works, there is no damp etc.
DONT believe everything you ar etold.
Insist on seeing everything working BEFORE parting with any cash.
Unless it has been serviced and the seller can prove it has been, recently, a pre purchase inspection by a mobile caravan mechanic would be a very good thing to get done, it will cost you around £60 or so, but may save you wasting £3,000.
Without seeming to be rude, being an aircraft engineer means absolutely nothing as far as caravans go.
Has the van got any service history? if so, when was it last serviced and damp checked? Where are the results of the damp check?
Like any second hand caravan, the seller will "assure" you that everything works, there is no damp etc.
DONT believe everything you ar etold.
Insist on seeing everything working BEFORE parting with any cash.
Unless it has been serviced and the seller can prove it has been, recently, a pre purchase inspection by a mobile caravan mechanic would be a very good thing to get done, it will cost you around £60 or so, but may save you wasting £3,000.
Without seeming to be rude, being an aircraft engineer means absolutely nothing as far as caravans go.
Hi Steve, I've got the same caravan, bought it 3 or is it now 4 years ago? My memory for dates is rubbish! One thing I do know tho is we absolutely love our Avondale, If you have any specific questions feel free to ask, there is nothing I can think of that it's worth telling you about re bad points as ours is perfect for our requirements, most of the time there is just myself and my wife but in the summer hols we take our 2 grandchildren away for a 2 week holiday and as its a 2 berth we put up a full awning and there is loads of room, excellent bathroom facilities, easy to tow and touch wood ours still in excellent condition, I'm actually gonna be out this evening but I will check onhere later in case you have anything more specific about this model and if I can be of any help I will, good luck with the purchase. Beepee
Unless the caravan has had the some 200 awning rail screws replaced with stainless steel, then avoid, as under the rubber insert which covers the screws, you will find them rusting away.cidersteve said:
On my Avondale at 7 years old, the screws on the roof strips back and front, had virtually no screw heads left.
Other than that it was a great caravan.
Avoid old coachman for the same reason.
Parksy
Moderator
Hi Steve
Have a look at the buyers guide that I linked to in my reply to you on the New Members message board, the links down the l.h. side of the guide will provide a step by step list of things to look out for which you could print off or just write a few notes to remind yourself.
Avondale sadly went out of business a couple of years back so replacement panels might be difficult to come by but most interior fittings are still available.
If the sale is private the transaction is effectively 'sold as seen' so it's vital to inspect the caravan thoroughly before parting with your hard earned cash.
First, silly though it may seem, ensure that the person selling the caravan has the right to sell it, proof of ownership could include bills, receipts, documents etc. Make sure that you go into the vendors house, don't do business on car parks or motorway service areas.
A full service history is desirable, in reality for a 13 year old caravan this may be asking a lot but proof of regular maintenance is a must even it the owner carried out work himself and provides receipts for parts etc.
Damp is the biggest killer of caravans so evidence of recent damp testing would be a good selling point, if there is no service history, no evidence of regular maintenance and no recent damp test the asking price is way too high and personally I'd ask the vendor to have the caravan serviced by an approved caravan engineer (an approved mobile engineer would be less expensive) who would carry out gas and electric safety checks, service the hitch, brakes and test for evidence of water ingress which would lead to damp.
In common with some other manufacturers at the time Avondales were sometimes prone to end panel cracking.
The GRP front and rear end panels in some cases developed small cracks, particularly at corners close to the roofline, if there is any evidence of cracking then no matter how good the caravan interior looks - walk away!
Don't be afraid to look inside cupboards and underneath bed lockers (take a torch) ,lift cushions and if scented candles or air freshener blocks are in evidence be prepared to find some damp which often gives off a musty smell which vendors attempt to disguise.
Look behind curtains and on curtain linings for signs of black mould which is indicative of damp, slightly lift window rubbers and check wallboards for bumps or soft spots.
If all is well ask to see the water pump fridge, gas fire and water heater working and chheck that there is a spare wheel which on Avondales if I remember right were inside the caravan underneath a floor panel.
Check the exterior, look for water inside light covers (damp), cracked mastic sealant, loose grab handles and overall condition.
Budget for a set of tyres, although there may be plenty of tread left on the tyres the sidewalls deteriorate over time and tyres over 7 years old should be replaced.
Ask about accessories, an ehu lead, leisure battery, step, aquaroll and waste hog would be useful and if there is a good awning as part of the deal better still.
It's always pleasant and exciting when viewing a potential first caravan but keep a level head, do the checks and be prepared to haggle.
There are loads of suitable good used caravans within your budget, so don't accept second best or excuses and you will end up with a good solid caravan that will provide years of enjoyment.
Good Luck and let us know how you get on
Have a look at the buyers guide that I linked to in my reply to you on the New Members message board, the links down the l.h. side of the guide will provide a step by step list of things to look out for which you could print off or just write a few notes to remind yourself.
Avondale sadly went out of business a couple of years back so replacement panels might be difficult to come by but most interior fittings are still available.
If the sale is private the transaction is effectively 'sold as seen' so it's vital to inspect the caravan thoroughly before parting with your hard earned cash.
First, silly though it may seem, ensure that the person selling the caravan has the right to sell it, proof of ownership could include bills, receipts, documents etc. Make sure that you go into the vendors house, don't do business on car parks or motorway service areas.
A full service history is desirable, in reality for a 13 year old caravan this may be asking a lot but proof of regular maintenance is a must even it the owner carried out work himself and provides receipts for parts etc.
Damp is the biggest killer of caravans so evidence of recent damp testing would be a good selling point, if there is no service history, no evidence of regular maintenance and no recent damp test the asking price is way too high and personally I'd ask the vendor to have the caravan serviced by an approved caravan engineer (an approved mobile engineer would be less expensive) who would carry out gas and electric safety checks, service the hitch, brakes and test for evidence of water ingress which would lead to damp.
In common with some other manufacturers at the time Avondales were sometimes prone to end panel cracking.
The GRP front and rear end panels in some cases developed small cracks, particularly at corners close to the roofline, if there is any evidence of cracking then no matter how good the caravan interior looks - walk away!
Don't be afraid to look inside cupboards and underneath bed lockers (take a torch) ,lift cushions and if scented candles or air freshener blocks are in evidence be prepared to find some damp which often gives off a musty smell which vendors attempt to disguise.
Look behind curtains and on curtain linings for signs of black mould which is indicative of damp, slightly lift window rubbers and check wallboards for bumps or soft spots.
If all is well ask to see the water pump fridge, gas fire and water heater working and chheck that there is a spare wheel which on Avondales if I remember right were inside the caravan underneath a floor panel.
Check the exterior, look for water inside light covers (damp), cracked mastic sealant, loose grab handles and overall condition.
Budget for a set of tyres, although there may be plenty of tread left on the tyres the sidewalls deteriorate over time and tyres over 7 years old should be replaced.
Ask about accessories, an ehu lead, leisure battery, step, aquaroll and waste hog would be useful and if there is a good awning as part of the deal better still.
It's always pleasant and exciting when viewing a potential first caravan but keep a level head, do the checks and be prepared to haggle.
There are loads of suitable good used caravans within your budget, so don't accept second best or excuses and you will end up with a good solid caravan that will provide years of enjoyment.
Good Luck and let us know how you get on
I think that it is essential to do a CRIS/HPI check on it even though it is an old caravan as it may have been stolen a long time ago. Secondly a damp check with a damp meter. Maybe best if you really like the caravan to get a mobile engineer to inspect it before parting with your money. Normally costs about £50 - £100 but money well spent.
I would not as a caravanner of only 4 years have the cheek to disagree with pretty much anything that has been said on here re the Avondale or caravans in general, I would say tho that caravans much like used cars are a minefield when buying second hand, mind you reading many of the posts on here when people have new or much more recent than 1999 vans then it is easy to see why people are so wary when buying, the point about the screws in the awning rail I think is too much of a generalization I think, one of the things I've done on my van is to remove the rail on the one side, the side which we use for the awning, and re seal it, I fully expected most if not all of the screws to be rusted away but I reckon 75% of them at least were reused when I put the rail back on as there was nothing wrong with them, just over 3k is maybe a little on the high side, I paid exactly 3 for mine but remember that will be 4 yrs ago come this April, I also got every conceivable bit of kit to set of on holiday as soon as I picked it up included in the price, this was due to the previous owner giving up caravanning for medical reasons, there are good van and there are bad ones, there are also some totally awful ones out there but much like buying a used car or anything else used for that matter, yes have a good mooch thru it, yes check everything works and that bits aren't hanging off left right and centre, yes def look and most importantly feel and smell for damp, yes check the seller has the right to sell it for sure, don't expect it to be perfect after all it's a 1999 and it's gonna have defects, scratches etc, for 3k it's not gonna be in showroom condition, the most important thing I think you need when going to look is plenty of common sense and the wife with you because she will look at things differently to how you do, you can be checking the mechanical , structural etc side of things but she will be looking at the cosmetic aspects, are the curtains in good nick, does it need a new carpet, I replaced my carpet for £75 and that was fitted not a DIY job, while I agree that great care must be taken when buying a caravan other than the fact that your paying 3k or more for it I don't think the dangers are any more prevalent than buying anything used, trust your instincts and use common sense and your half way there.
Beepee
Beepee
thanks everyone,cant believe how kind and imformative you have been,i am going to look at the caravan tomorrow at midday, so will report back, have made a list of things to look out.
well have seen the caravan and it was a no im afraid, slight smell of damp on entering, service and maintenence records stopped in june 2009, so we walked away, plenty more hopefully to look at in the future, and a few months to go before our first outing which is scheduled for the last week of april, thanks again for all your good advice 
Hi
If your not fully sure you did the best thing, what you must also remember is a caravan thats been shut up for months will have a damp smell so dont go totally off that. Also at present stocks are generally good for used, but I think that by early spring cheaper good clean models at £3k to £7k will move quickly especially family models. Do have a very good look around in your price bracket and if unsure a dealer is a general best bet. Also if private check model years and also with dealer specials in large qty;s it can all become confusing. My advice is stay with names such as Bailey, Swift and Elddis and Lunar and Coachman. Imported vans are ok but parts can be a problem regarding trim replacement etc. Also some insurers are not keen to cover them. Adria have been around for 40 years in UK so they are a pretty safe bet. So try and keep local, check for parts if the van neeeds any also although Avondale and Fleetwood no longer built a good example is worth looking at.
Good luck!
If your not fully sure you did the best thing, what you must also remember is a caravan thats been shut up for months will have a damp smell so dont go totally off that. Also at present stocks are generally good for used, but I think that by early spring cheaper good clean models at £3k to £7k will move quickly especially family models. Do have a very good look around in your price bracket and if unsure a dealer is a general best bet. Also if private check model years and also with dealer specials in large qty;s it can all become confusing. My advice is stay with names such as Bailey, Swift and Elddis and Lunar and Coachman. Imported vans are ok but parts can be a problem regarding trim replacement etc. Also some insurers are not keen to cover them. Adria have been around for 40 years in UK so they are a pretty safe bet. So try and keep local, check for parts if the van neeeds any also although Avondale and Fleetwood no longer built a good example is worth looking at.
Good luck!
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