New to caravaning, which one should i buy?

[Noel_374318809]

hi guys

me and my wife are new to all this, at the moment we are looking around for which caravan to buy

we have 2 small children 2 and 3, so ideally we are after one with a seperate room for the children.

also a twin axle 6 birth, (the wife wants plenty of space in it)

i will be pulling it with a renault espace 1.9 on a 56 plate

any ideas would be great

thanks.

 

[chrissie2]

Noel, you don't say if you are looking at new, or secondhand, caravans. Among new 'vans, most 6 berths, especially twin-axles, are going to be on the heavy side for your vehicle. Something like the Avondale Dart 630-6 would meet most of your needs, although personally, I would think the end-washroom might be a little inconvenient with little ones. A centre toilet minimises the disturbance to others during the night!

Are you sure about the twin-axle? It will limit your choice a bit if you are determined to go for that.

You say you want plenty of space, but realistically, caravanning is about compromise, and you are never going to have the space you find in your own home. For me, the 'doll's house' element is one of the attractions, keeping housework down to the minimum! Good design and layout are more important than space per se - after all, you can always use an awning to extend the usable living space. When the weather is reasonably fine, you are likely to be sitting outside the caravan or out playing with the children, and with any luck, may be able to eat many of your meals outside too.

If you are looking for a secondhand caravan, I would suggest that you spend as much time as possible in the next few weeks or months visiting every dealer within reach, looking inside their stock and generally getting the feel for what is available and what seems right to you. Once you get the feel for what might work for you, then you can begin to check weights etc, to decide whether your choice is a possibility with your car.

Good luck with your search. There is no better way to spend time with a young family than out and about in your caravan!

 

[Noel_374318809]

Noel, you don't say if you are looking at new, or secondhand, caravans. Among new 'vans, most 6 berths, especially twin-axles, are going to be on the heavy side for your vehicle. Something like the Avondale Dart 630-6 would meet most of your needs, although personally, I would think the end-washroom might be a little inconvenient with little ones. A centre toilet minimises the disturbance to others during the night!

Are you sure about the twin-axle? It will limit your choice a bit if you are determined to go for that.

You say you want plenty of space, but realistically, caravanning is about compromise, and you are never going to have the space you find in your own home. For me, the 'doll's house' element is one of the attractions, keeping housework down to the minimum! Good design and layout are more important than space per se - after all, you can always use an awning to extend the usable living space. When the weather is reasonably fine, you are likely to be sitting outside the caravan or out playing with the children, and with any luck, may be able to eat many of your meals outside too.

If you are looking for a secondhand caravan, I would suggest that you spend as much time as possible in the next few weeks or months visiting every dealer within reach, looking inside their stock and generally getting the feel for what is available and what seems right to you. Once you get the feel for what might work for you, then you can begin to check weights etc, to decide whether your choice is a possibility with your car.

Good luck with your search. There is no better way to spend time with a young family than out and about in your caravan!

thanks for the reply chrissie,

we are looking for a new caravan

we went to look at a swift charisma 650, we thought it looked great and the layout was excellent, if anybody has got there own view on it i would love to know.

thanks.

 

[Noel_374318809]

thanks for the reply chrissie,

we are looking at buying a new caravan

we went to look at a swift charisma 650 today and thought it looked great and the layout was excellent, if anybody has got there own views on this caravan i would love to know

thanks

 

[Cockovan]

Depending on which Espace you have the Charisma is going to be around 95% of the kerb weight of you car (or higher if not the current model). Whilst not every one on this forum will agree the 2 main caravanning organisations recommend that the maximum weight of the caravan is 85% of the kerbweight of the tow car (especially for beginners). You may also find the 1.9 underpowered for the sort of combined weight you are talking about. If you are sure about the van you might consider changing the tow car, or look for something lighter in terms of your van.

 

[Noel_374318809]

the 85% rule is confusing me slightly, they say if you are new to caravaning you should stick to the 85% rule, but then i here of experienced caravaners who tow 90% onwards, is it down to experiece? i am a class 1 driver and are pulling up to 44 tonnes most days, does this class as experience?

 

[Ogre]

The choice of van is yours, dependant on yor budget, but there's some excellent advice here.

One thing to use as a bargaining tool is the awning. Make the dealer throw one in as part of the deal, otherwise walk away. An awning can be the difference between as much space as possible, and a fractious holiday, especially in inclement weather. Kids love awnings, and it doubles the size of your living area.

We now own a 2002 Elddis Avante twin wheelbae model, and find it to be everything that we have ever wanted, after many years of older and smaller vans. There are usually some good deals on the twin axle models just prior to the Caravan show, as dealers reduce their stocks. We picked ours up quite recently, and we've been very lucky, as the previous owners have clearly been exceptionally careful owners, and the van is literally in 'as new' condition.

I personally agree with the comment regarding your Espace. If you are set on a twin wheelbase model, then in my opinion it won't have the guts to pull it except on anything but a very flat road. We pull ours with a Ford Scorpio Ultima 2.9 Litre.

You need to carefully research your weight considerations re vehicle/caravan, before taking the plunge.

A good idea would be to visit the annual Caravan and Motorhome Exhibition at the NEC 16 - 21 Oct 2007. Here you would be able to view everything under one roof, ask all your questions, and even tie up a deal.

Finally, I certainly wouldn't discount a recent second hand van.

OK, it's nice to have brand new, but at the end of the day, you could save yourselves a LOT of money like we did, and still have a superb caravan. Caravanners are a pretty down to earth bunch, and I'm just as happy to chat with the owner of an old van as with the owner of a brand new one. Doesn't bother me what they own. We're all caravanners at heart.

Just take your time to weigh up everything before you part with the cash. With a Dealer buy, you'll get the guarantee etc. With a private buy, you may well get several hundred pounds worth of extras thrown in. It's all a personal choice.