New caravanner

[Roger_5041476]

I am planning to buy a used touring caravan within the next 2 months or so and would appreciate any advice, guidance etc.

The van would be for 2 adults and 2 teenage daughters and I plan to spend up to £8000. Any recommendations as to make/style/layout etc would be much appreciated. The unit would be towed by a Volvo S80 D5.

Looking forward to hearing from you

 

[Chrissy_5041539]

Hi Roger, We have two 'just' teenagers and are hoping to swap to a fixed bunk arrangement. These are bigger than the normal non fixed type, and have individual curtain/lights etc. We Currently have end seat arrangement converting to double, with bunk over and this no longer works. They don't like to share the double and the top bunk is too tiny how they are bigger. Another option if you find something you like is to get an awning with bedroom annexe - then one or even both can go out there.

 

[GingerPete]

roger, have a look at a bailey bordeaux , a fixed bed at one end & a double at the other which at a push can sleep up to 4 or 2 seperate beds & can easy be within the golden rule of 85% for your car

 

[Nicky_5041179]

Ive found that my 10 year old son doesnt have enough room in the top bunk that pulls out.

We now make the double bed into two singles, loads of room then.

 

[Terry_5041698]

just jumped in and bought a 4 berth for our family, would appreciate tips from experienced carvaners on what and not what to buy to get the best out of our van

 

[coljac]

roger why dont you have a look at a new bailey discovery 200 4 berth or 400 5 berth these are good quality vans and are in your price range the advantage over buying 2nd hand is 3 year warranty and knowing that it is not a dud that someone has got rid of Baily caravans are always top in the caravan club build quality tests and the discovery range is the same external body spec as the more expensive range The best advice is go to a dealer and have a look but be carefull some caravans are knowen as Leakers i cant name them .I hope you join the rest of us and enjoy this exelent pass time

 

[Surfer]

I tow with a S80 D5 auto and it is an excellent tow car. Our previous van was a Lunar CS 4 berth with fixed bed with MTPLM of about 1250 kgs. We now tow a twin axle with MTPLM of 1605 kg which is close to the 100% and I do this only because I regard myself as an experienced tower. Your van's MTPLM should not be more than about 1350 kgs for the almost perfect match with your Volvo. Lunar caravans are amongst the most lightweight on the market for their size.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Colin in general your advice is good, but there is one set of figures that is not quite correct, and depending on the car or your licence could be illegal. The maximum any car is allowed to tow is set by the vehicle manufacture. It is illegal to exceed this figure. In some cases this is above 100% and in a few cases it is below 100%. The other factor is your licence which if you passed after Jan 1997 you are restricted, and you have to take an additional test before exceeding the kerb weight of the vehicle. However it is always best to keep the caravan as light as possible and the 85% is a sensible target.