My last Bailey suffered the cracked front and rear panels in years 2 and 3 but it’s other kit was fine. We kept it until it was 9 years old and just before selling the front nearside window seal spring a leak. Cost about £250 to have it renewed.
Present van 2013. All internals have been fine except replacement pump required. Cracked rear panel replaced under warranty and axle failure probably due to dire potholed roads in Shropshire. Seats still firm though which is more than its owner can claim.
Present van 2013. All internals have been fine except replacement pump required. Cracked rear panel replaced under warranty and axle failure probably due to dire potholed roads in Shropshire. Seats still firm though which is more than its owner can claim.
I'm 75 and in need of renewal or a trade in...or so my wife tells me.
As to OP. Rent a static. They are made for your purpose.
As to OP. Rent a static. They are made for your purpose.
I think she would probably get more for the 'van than a broken down old f.rt like me .TBH.
Although, as yet, I don't suffer from damp.
That is very difficult to be precise about, Obviously they are all usually designed to last at least the warranty period, but some components may wear out when they are used, but others may have poorer durability when they are not used for example a steel burner bar in an appliance may run for years if used regularly, but allow it to stand and damp can cause it to rust. and that is a very significant issue with caravans where they are used infrequently.
There is also the probability of insects liking the enclosed spaces, and its amazing how much a spiders web in the wrong place can disturb the performance of a burner.
Great answer.
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I think that many caravans suffer and age prematurely by general miss-use by adults and children who have little respect for the fragility of lightweight structures and fittings.
John
We had our caravan for about 2 years before moving into it for 2 1/2 years and then we kept it for another 4 years before selling. No issues with things failing. BTW the new CRA 2015 does not stipulate that you cannot use an item 365 days a year.
You do have to remember those who are unhappy complain, those who are happy usually say nothing so the problems are nowhere near what seems to be the case in real life. That is not to say many people do not have problems so if you are new the best answer is buy from a reputable dealer who will try to avoid selling anything faulty and should deal with any problems.
But local if you can as this makes getting work done far easier and dealers tend to look after locals better as they are the ones that come back again for replacements, accessories and servicing if happy.
For customer satisfaction Adria and Coachman have the best record in surveys although the German makes do not get in due to insufficient numbers. The problem with all continental makes is that their dealer network is spread very thin if they have one and getting to one can be more difficult for many.
There is a very limited number of suppliers of the working parts so these end to be all the same so the reliability of these is not dependent on the make of caravan.
But local if you can as this makes getting work done far easier and dealers tend to look after locals better as they are the ones that come back again for replacements, accessories and servicing if happy.
For customer satisfaction Adria and Coachman have the best record in surveys although the German makes do not get in due to insufficient numbers. The problem with all continental makes is that their dealer network is spread very thin if they have one and getting to one can be more difficult for many.
There is a very limited number of suppliers of the working parts so these end to be all the same so the reliability of these is not dependent on the make of caravan.
BTW the new CRA 2015 does not stipulate that you cannot use an item 365 days a year.
The CRA is not product specific, so of course it does not suggest there is a usage limit. But if the specifications of a product or contract do include or exclude a particular usage pattern, the CRA will support it.
For example sleeping bags are often sold as Spring & Summer, Spring Summer& Autumn, Or Four seasons bags. Using a 2 season bag in winter and then complaining it had insufficient insulation in winter would not be supported by the CRA because the customer had not checked the product was fit for purpose by reviewing the products specification. That is a customer failure not a product failure.
My comment was a bit tongue in cheek and you are correct however on many products the marketing spiel never mentions important points like it should not be used 365 days a year. You only find this out when you read the owner's manual after purchase. We never had any issue with warranty work despite living in ours for 2 1/2 years and that was under the old Sale of Goods Act.
TBH I don't think any caravan manufactuer would want to end up in court stating that their product cannot be used continously 365 days a year. Many people live in their UK caravans in Spain for several months or longer a year. The only way to get a caravan manufacturer into court is to call them as an expert witness as there is no contract implied or not between the manufacturer and the consumer as far as I am aware.
Durability is the key for me. My home shower unit is far more substantial than the Wyoming’s.Likewise ,hinges, switches, and all fittings in general are not substantial compared to home. That said mine is 12 years old now and has lasted remarkably well with heavy use. If has required a few running diy repairs which is part of the fun😉😉
To be fair we still don't know what mikethebike's reasons are, and of course its his choice whether he wants to tell us or not.
I think we have all assumed he wants to live in the caravan full time and site it permanently, though he hasn't actually said if that his intention. However it it is this, then hopefully we hill have found the comments giving food for thought if not actually positively useful.
He might be looking to permanently tour, in which case a touring caravan is the obvious choice. Some of the comments are still valid, but the compromises of a cramped and less robust touring caravan may make more sense in that context.
I think we have all assumed he wants to live in the caravan full time and site it permanently, though he hasn't actually said if that his intention. However it it is this, then hopefully we hill have found the comments giving food for thought if not actually positively useful.
He might be looking to permanently tour, in which case a touring caravan is the obvious choice. Some of the comments are still valid, but the compromises of a cramped and less robust touring caravan may make more sense in that context.
At the very least one should be looking at a twin axle if deciding to live permanently in a touring caravan.
Why?
I can't think of any reason why a TA would be better than a SA caravan. Its not size, becasue some of the largest caravans available are on single axles. They're not made differently, they use exactly the same types and strengths (and weaknesses) of material. What is your reasoning?
No need to explain a reason as it is self explanatory. There is no way we would have been able to live in our caravan if it was a single axle.
History has proven that some of the largest caravans have only had a SA. Some manufacturers choose to produce TA versions, but there is no technical or legal reason why so its probably to suit a buying public's preference, and so they can give the impression its worth more and charge more. They often don't make a big difference to the payload capacity.
Bessecarr used to fit TA to some quite small caravans.
Chateau (French manufacturer) fitted TA to a 14ft caravan!
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That is just an illogical statement. There is no correlation that I can think of between the number of axles and the ability to live in a caravan. Size of caravan yes, but No of axles no.
When I have seen these big static caravans , they are normally built on a single axle to enable to move them about into position.
There are three communities in our locale who between them have single axle caravans, as well as TA and mobiles, and they rarely travel far, tending to reside long term on their sites. So I assume that the SA are quite okay to live in long term.
Humble apologies. I did not realise that you had lived in a single axle caravan for a couple of years and are speaking from experience.
Parksy
Moderator
This thread is beginning to drift off topic.
The OP asked if touring caravans were worth considering with a view to full time occupancy, not about the relative merits of single vs twin axle design which would be a separate thread.
The OP asked if touring caravans were worth considering with a view to full time occupancy, not about the relative merits of single vs twin axle design which would be a separate thread.
But size for size what is it that makes a twin axle better for long term static living than a single axle? I’m puzzled on this one too.
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