Hello Newbie looking for advice please

[Eason79]

Hello and good afternoon all !

I have a young family, 2 boys. Aged 5 and 2.
Both of which are better when outside in the fresh air running about and exploring rather than inside 4 walls causing mayhem!
This helped formed the idea from the wife and I to possibly invest in a caravan and get them out in the open more, with the freedom to change scenery from seaside to woods!

However...I've never towed a van before and to be honest don't really know where to start.

I'm 40 and passed my driving text before 2013 (not before 1997 though)
We're keen for a vintage retro look caravan, and we know of a sprite alpine 1979 van for sale which we like.
Our car is a 2107 Land rover discovery sport.

So a few questions to you lovely experts if i may please.

*Could I tow this without having to have a caravan test before hand?
(doing a quick google i 'think' i can as the weight is below 750kg)

*Do i need insurance for the van and update our current car policy?

*Should i opt to buy this caravan it will take me around 4 hours to pick it up, is that crazy for my first time towing? or a good way of learning?

Any advice much appreciated. Love the idea of getting a caravan and giving our boys the freedom and a life away from tech and tvs, just a a little apprehensive about towing....

Many thanks in advance

 

[Guzzilazz]

Would you buy a car from 1979…? If you apply the logic that you would to a car, you would expect potentially to be spending a lot of time and money on putting the car into a good state and, more importantly, keeping it that way.

I'd be very surprised if your Disco towing limit is 750kg. This is likely to be the limit for an unbraked trailer. There will be a plate in the car somewhere that displays all the the weights you need to understand.

 

[Eason79]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply to me

The Caravan looks and seems in very good condition TBH.
No, your right I wouldn't buy a car from that age as i wouldn't know enough about them, I do however own a 1962 vespa which I tweak and fix, but there is hardly much to tweak!

Discovery towing limit from google says 5,500 pounds! the caravan in question is around 600kg. So should be fine on that front hopefully

 

[CustardAvenger]

If you passed your driving test after 01 January 1997 you can drive a car up to 3500KG or a combination of car and trailer where the maximum plated weights do not exceed 3500KG combined. There is a caveat where you can tow a 750KG trailer with a 3500KG vehicle (like a motorhome) on a regular "B" licence. Anything over that, you need to have the "BE" category on your licence.

We purchased a 1979/80 Ci Cadet 10 as our first caravan to step up from camping and in lieu of a VW camper, which we could not afford:

(I Googled for a stock image and found our actual caravan - Doris!)

It was a great way to get into caravaning without having to get into debt for something we may not have liked. We bought a drive-away campervan awning and used our old camping stove to cook and used site facilities for washing etc, we just had electric hook-up.

Your car should tow an older caravan like it is not there, but please check the limits for your engine/gearbox spec. You will probably still need towing mirrors to be compliant with the law. (The Cadet was quite slab fronted, so would act like a parachute at 60mph, especially with my previous estate car, which was much lower)

You do not need insurance for a caravan, and indeed most insurers will not provide cover for old caravans (something like 20 years old is the limit)... So, if it gets stolen or is damaged beyond repair, you have to write off the loss.

You should inform your car insurance of your intention to tow a caravan, likewise if you get a towbar fitted, you need to declare the modification, but I don't think there has been any increase in premium for me.

The first time I ever towed anything was the day we purchased the Cadet and made the 2 hour drive home - We did view the caravan before purchase and checked it with a damp meter (older caravans are made of wood covered by aluminium and can absorb water and rot away) I also did an awful lot of reading on the theory of towing and how trailers behave.

 

[Mel]

Hi Eason. We have a Land Rover Discovery sport and it will easily tow a van of 1500 kg ( we have). A vintage Sprite Alpine is unlikely to be as heavy as that. However what you need to do is find out the MPTLM of the van you are thinking of buying, to check that the combined plated weight of car and caravan does not exceed 3500kg.
If you are nervous about towing ( but don’t need the B+E test) then the Caravan and Motorhome Club and Camping and Caravan Club run courses that cover hitching up, loading, towing and reversing.

Whatever outfit you go for, Caravanning is great for children. Had my grandchildren in our van over Easter, hardly saw them as they were playing out the whole time with friends they had made on the campsite.
Good luck
Mel

 

[Parksy]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
I have to be honest and ask if you're considering buying a caravan that is a considerable distance from where you live, how can you inspect it properly before you agree to buy it?
In my experience, having read many horror stories on this and other caravan forums, the reality rarely lives up to the blurb or the pictures when long distances are involved.
The cynic in me would go as far as to say that almost all caravans look ok on the surface to somebody who wants one but has never had one, so the best way to avoid being ripped off would be to either engage a mobile caravan engineer close to the vendor to give the prospective purchase the once over before you buy or to have a good look yourself.
Avoid making any agreement or commitment to buy before you've had a really good look at what you're paying for.
There used to be a good used caravan buyers guide on the internet which has sadly now disappeared, but I've found a pdf from the CAMC which will highlight the most important things to look out for.
I can understand the attraction of a retro look caravan, some older vintage style models such as those made by Carlight attract good prices because the original build quality was so good. A 1979 Sprite Alpine might be okay, but it might turn out to be a time consuming money pit that your family couldn't use, so have a good look at it first.
Damp is the big caravan killer, so be prepared to spend an afternoon with a torch looking inside the caravan, looking inside lockers along where the awning rail sits on the outside, moving curtains and lifting back window rubbers, looking under the sink and inside around every seam and skylight.
The kitchen area can be an area for leaks and spills, check for a spongy floor.
Make sure that all road lights work, and most importantly check the age of the tyres before you tow. Tyres should be replaced after an absolute maximum of 7 years regardless of tread depth, because sidewalls deteriorate and delamination can occur causing motorway blow outs.
Sorry if I seem like the prophet of doom, hopefully all will be well but a 1979 Sprite will only be worth a minimal price, so budget for replacements and repairs if you go ahead.
Good Luck, let us know how you get on

 

[Craigyoung]

Like Parksy says budget for repairs if it needs to be done or see how far your budget can go towards something a bit more newer ; you have a perfect tow car which will pull anything but I would go for the B+ E test first which will then open up your horizon to anything what you can or want to buy . We are a family of four to with two kids aged 8 and 13 and we have bunks in ours which will see them for a good few years yet so think about sleeping arrangements in a smallish caravan for 4 and spacial awareness as well so that you are not climbing on top of each other .

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Eason,

I have to advise great caution for the reasons that Parksy has pointed out,

As fas towing weights are concerned according to
https://www.landrover.co.uk/vehicles/discovery-sport/specifications.html

and assuming this is exactly the same as your vehicle, the Disoveries Gross Vehicle Weight is 2380kg Becasue of your Cat B only licence that leaves (3500-2380) 1120Kg for the MTPLM of the caravan. These figures are absolute maximums becasue they are limited by your licence..

However If you were to take the B+ E xetension test the Disco has a maximum towed weight limit of 1800kg.

As amatter of general advice
I have to say that I don't think I could reccomend the caravan you are considering, as its a massive risk in respect of its cage and possible condition and distance from the seller.

But I do wish you all teh best.

 

[emmerson]

Eason, hi and welcome. if you buy the Sprite, then you need to join the Retro Caravan Club UK., As the name suggests, our lives revolve around classic and vintage caravans. We also have a huge advantage in that one of our founder members is the probably the world's greatest authority on Sprite caravans. He has in excess of 60 of them, and has at least one of every Sprite made.(except the modern ones!)
Don't be put off by the "modernists" who'll tell you that your oldie will have all sorts of insurmountable problems.There is nothing on an oldie which cannot be fixed! And it won't cost an arm and a leg to do it.
My current van is 40 years old, and my camper is thirty-two, both rallied all over Europe every year.
BTW, you might have to wait a while for a reply; there's a huge Classic Caravan rally in Belgium in a couple of weeks, so they're all heading over there!

 

[WayneS]

Hi Eason79,
Welcome: I'm not qualified to comment on much but can say that like you when we bought our van last yr ii'd never towed before .......or actually even been a passenger in a towing vehicle and it was the best part of 4 hrs tugging home: from Dorset to Coenwall but it was fine, I too had read and watched from the internet which helped (would still value someone with experience sitting with me / giving me some pointers or doing a course)..... but taking it steady and allowing plenty of room was not that daunting. Very Best of luck! Wayne

 

[Raywood]

Welcome to the forum. I do not have figures for that caravan weights but assume that if the prof is right as to the weight of the tow car then the caravan can be towed on your licence but do get evidence as if you are ever stopped you will need it. The weights may be stamped on a plate usually on the drawbar at that age or near the door but given the age it might be missing.
A caravan that age is a risk and a damp test is essential. You need a meter and go along the corners the point where the roof meets the walls and the walls and floor and all window frames. You may be lucky but most caravans that age will have some damp. There will not be a lot of other working parts to worry about but do check what is fitted will work.
Towing a caravan that size is easy and your car will hardly notice it. Reversing very short trailers is another matter as they do tend to swing rapidly but with practice you will get the idea.
Do make sure that the seller has evidence of ownership.
The idea is not a none starter but do take care to ensure the caravan is sound.
Insurance might be difficult but given its age you might want to take a risk but insurance is advisable more for the third party risks when on site or in store. On the road the car insurance will cover it.

 

[Eason79]

Huge thank you to everyone that has taken the time to help me and my family.
Quite a bit to think over, I can see all points and they make sense for sure.

Will keep you posted guys

 

[Parksy]

Eason, hi and welcome. if you buy the Sprite, then you need to join the Retro Caravan Club UK., As the name suggests, our lives revolve around classic and vintage caravans. We also have a huge advantage in that one of our founder members is the probably the world's greatest authority on Sprite caravans. He has in excess of 60 of them, and has at least one of every Sprite made.(except the modern ones!)
Don't be put off by the "modernists" who'll tell you that your oldie will have all sorts of insurmountable problems.There is nothing on an oldie which cannot be fixed! And it won't cost an arm and a leg to do it.
My current van is 40 years old, and my camper is thirty-two, both rallied all over Europe every year.
BTW, you might have to wait a while for a reply; there's a huge Classic Caravan rally in Belgium in a couple of weeks, so they're all heading over there!

I really like to see older caravans being used, especially when their owners have renovated them. There are some fantastic examples around.
The only problem is that the O.P has stated that he has a young family who would probably appreciate the holiday freedom that comes with tourer ownership. He has to decide whether he and his family want to spend time repairing or renovating a really old caravan or spending time enjoying themselves in a slightly more recent model that still has a useful lifespan and not too much work needed for it to be a viable proposition.

 

[emmerson]

Good point Rick, but why not do both? We have a number of "family" owned retro vans where the restoration is ongoing, and the kids can point out the bits that they did!
I am totally retro orientated, but I can see your point of view, but must admit that I find much more cameraderie among retros than modern caravanners. And we welcome kids!
Fr'instance, on a campsite full of modern vans it's not unusual to find the blinds closed and the telly on after 7.00pm. That doesn't happen with our groups (partly because we don't have blinds!) but also because we all seem to have much more in common than moderns.
As you may have gathered, I rather like my old caravans!
But, as always if my posts are controversial, to each his own!

 

[Parksy]

I rather miss the times when curtains instead of blinds were fitted to the majority of caravans.
It was possible to walk through a rally or camp site on a cold dark evening with the warm multi coloured glow from the lighting behind a multitude of curtained caravan windows to light the way. We have to use a torch these days, but on district association rallies the camaraderie still exists with young children meeting regular playmates to play outdoors to their hearts content, safe in the midst of rally goers who tend to sit outside to chat more.

 

[Thingy]

I dont think you can generalize that all people with modern caravans are anti-social. We have most of the mod-cons, but Im still happy to sit out of an evening/night/early hours of the morning (delete as applicable) discussing the topics of the day. I think though I may be a bit left out of the conversation with you guys, I dont remember the Boer War B)

 

[emmerson]

Gee, that was unkind, Thingy! They didn't have caravans in the Boer war. They came in around WW 1.
(I can't find the emoticons, but this is intended to be funny!)

 

[Thingy]

Dont worry about it B)

Emoticons are rated as mod cons. You wont have any :cheer:

BTW, the Chinese had caravans eons back, and they probably worked better than ours. This was around the time that Moses became a biker. The bible clearly states

'And the roar of Moses' Triumph was heard throughout the land'.

 

[emmerson]

Love it!