Just joined and new to all this

[iclegg]

Hi everyone.
I've just joined the site as my wife and I are looking to buy a first caravan as a starter. We have been thinking about doing this for a while now and would really appreciate some advice, and this looks like the place
Anyway, we have a new Volvo V40 XC which would do the donkey work and I believe this has a weight of 1500kg.
There are 2 of us and we like going to music festivals but camping is getting harder work as age progresses unmercifully !!
We have young grandchildren so would like a little more room to take one or two of them occasionally, so 4 berth looks good and, given the right layout would allow us to have a bed made up all the time when there's just us two.

So .... any help and advice would be most appreciated

All the best, Ian and Judith .... by the way, we are in Nottingham

 

[Parksy]

Hi Ian & Judith, you've come to the right place for advice on your first tourer, welcome to the forum
Click Here for tips to avoid the more common pitfalls before you spend any money and never agree to buy without inspecting your prospective purchase, it's surprising how many buyers do this via online auction sites and are disappointed afterwards.
There's a wealth of caravan related knowledge available on this forum, the only silly question is the one you should have asked - but didn't, and you can buy like an expert armed with advice from many of us who learned from our mistakes :lol:
Enjoy looking

 

[LizziePope]

Hi Ian and Judith – a warm welcome to the Practical Caravan forum. Don't forget to check out our reviews and our series of towing masterclass videos. In fact, the first of these is about outfit matching, so might be helpful sooner rather than later! Just click here.

 

[Mel]

Hi Ian and Judith. Welcome to the forum. There are plenty of nice fixed bed four berths out there. Have a couple of days out at some large dealerships just getting in and out of some vans to get a feel of what is out there and what suits you. Take the grandchildren. Mine love it, they are shouting out the layout before I even get up the step. "It's an end wash room Nana". I have always found Kimberley Caravans ( not far from IKEA ) very helpful. Lowdhams is also in your vicinity, although I prefer Kimberley. If you are in the market for a new van then you might want to try one of the shows. Have fun and let us know how you get on.
Mel

 

[Gagakev]

Welcome to the forum, the fun is just about to start, good luck in your search, take your time and you will find exactly what you want.

 

[Dustydog]

Welcome to the forum Ian and Judith

Take your time and look at as many alternatives you can. Layouts can be confusing and sometimes what you think you want is not what you actually buy.
For example you may use the caravan ten times with just the two of you and only with the grandchildren once. So do you buy a unit with bunks or a fixed double bed with the option of two single or one additional double?
I'm sure you will find the best layout for you but please ask away if you need more help.

 

[Beachball]

Hi Ian & Judith
This is a belated welcome to the forum .............