Is it worth it?

[FrankandSue]

Hi all

Just out of interest, because I know there's no "right" answer... We wanted an oldish van because we didn't know how much we would use it. Having looked round a lot of dealers, we had a good idea of what we would get for our budget. Then we actually bought privately & saved quite a bit. We thought we would spend what we saved on doing the van up. We've done quite a lot and have spent what we allowed for renovation. The van is now quite usable but there are still some things we could do e.g. we thought about replacing the existing rooflights with mini hekis which would let a lot more light in. The point is, is it worth spending the money? Obviously it's for our comfort but the van is 12 years old (1994). It's in good basic shape but how many more years use can we expect to get out of it?

What do you think?

Sue

 

[UKHunk]

HIYA Sue

Well i guess at 12 years old,some would argue but not many more years left in the old girl,i have a 1995 model and its damp at the front end and i want to replace her but after looking for three weekends now for one,all i have found aroud

 

[Guest]

As you clearly state there is no definitive answer. It is all too easy to get sucked in to spending money on a project that can never be recouped. I would suggest make up a list of all you would 'wish' to do and cost estimate these. Double it and add this to the estimated part exchange value of your van. This gives you a value to use when looking at newer vans as we all usually spend a ilttle more than we first expect. If there are attractive vans that could get close to that budget then skip the modifications and save the money for a part exchange at the end of the season when you could get a better deal. As with all of us, age cannot be hidden for too long and one splurge of damp and your 12 year old van will lose value faster than snow melting in the sun.

Enjoy the summer in your van and seriously rethink in the Autumn. However, at the end of the day, it is your choice.

 

[sue_5111320]

As you clearly state there is no definitive answer. It is all too easy to get sucked in to spending money on a project that can never be recouped. I would suggest make up a list of all you would 'wish' to do and cost estimate these. Double it and add this to the estimated part exchange value of your van. This gives you a value to use when looking at newer vans as we all usually spend a ilttle more than we first expect. If there are attractive vans that could get close to that budget then skip the modifications and save the money for a part exchange at the end of the season when you could get a better deal. As with all of us, age cannot be hidden for too long and one splurge of damp and your 12 year old van will lose value faster than snow melting in the sun.

Enjoy the summer in your van and seriously rethink in the Autumn. However, at the end of the day, it is your choice.

Hi,

I woouldn't bother spending too much on your van luckly our 1992 Avondale is in excellent order no damp. In it's day it was a top of the range van....we have looked around for a van which is younger in our price range but never found anything that is as good as our avondale for the money. Just enjoy the van this season and see how much you can afford for next season.

 

[RogerL]

I'd update an older caravan with features I wanted but only if I'd had it from new, or nearly new, so that I knew it's history. In your case I'd be very wary.

From a purely financial point of view - No, it's not worth it, that's the correct answer.

Finance isn't the only consideration though. If you find the renovation work therapeutic then it may well be worth it, but only you can value that side of it.

Replacement covers can usually be obtained for older rooflights, some of them are clear so might be cheaper than a mini-Heki.

You might also need to budget for re-sealing the seams where awning rails are fitted. Some say they should be done every 5 years, I prefer to wait until the start leaking but that does require regular, thorough, damp testing.

A parallel, in car terms, is "bangernomics" where you buy an old car with a long Mot and run it till then. If it passes another Mot without any work, use for another year, otherwise scrap it.

 

[Merve_5103671]

Hi Frank,

Can I stick my halfpence worth in? If you like the van and you feel that you are not going to be lusting after another upmarket model in the next 2-3 years then I can't see a problem. Two things to do though before you start spending. Spend some of the money on a decent damp meter- you know the sort of thing- two prongs out the front and a display to tell you whether its a pear or not. You will always have it and it will always be useful when checking other vans out. Having done that and if found that the van is sound, get it into a dealer just to check it out as far as towing gear, suspension etc is concerned- you may be surprised at just how good it is, on the other hand, it might be as rotten as a pear and not worth it. I had to let our old van go last Jan. Thought it was as sound as anything until the dreaded meter made an appearance and told me otherwise. Beyond repair they told me. 16 years and we had never been parted but all good things come to an end. Hope this helps

 

[emmerson2]

As some of you may know, I have a Royale, built in 1979, and still giving great service.In our owner's club there are are at least five active vans going back to the early seventies, all of them in regular, year round use.Royales were very, very expensive when new. As in everthing else in life, you get what you pay for.Quality always tells.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

If the van is in good condition and comfortable rather than spend the money on the van I would rather spend the money on enjoying it and getting away for breaks as much as possible. Why modernise for the sake of modernising - enjoy your money on holidays and accept the van for what it is.

 

[FrankandSue]

Thanks for all your answers. I think you have all made points which are relevant to our situation. Up to now we have mainly spent on essentials e.g. new tyres, which we had to have. The only extravagance was new curtains but I think when you buy second-hand, it's nice to have some new things to make it "your" van. We had an approved workshop check it over and it doesn't seem to have any damp or any other major problems. However, I think the time has come to take Colin's advice & use the money to actually go somewhere! We will probably keep the van until something goes wrong with it & then trade it in but I think we will always be attached to it, because it's our first van.

Frank & Sue