Hello all. Trying to obtain as much info about this hobby at the moment. Never done this before but we enjoyed camping so this is a natural progression. We have two children that are 13+15 but are so very excited about this holiday option. We are yet to purchase a van but have got a BMW X5 as our tow vehicle so that should do the job. The only issue I have is that at 6ft 4" I am limited in which vans are ok on the height front. Still we are going to the nec next month and can't wait to look around think we will be there for two days. Still thanks for any help in advance that we will I'm sure need. Kindest regards Neil.
New to caravanning so saying hello
- Thread starter X5Neil
- Start date
Neil Welcome to this forum and hopefully welcome to this wonderful world of caravanning.
Nice to see you have a good tow vehicle ,we tug with an X5 and tugs a twin Axle with no problem.
At this point I wont try and fill your head with things that you dont need to know as you will learn what you need as regards your height and sleeping arrangements when you go to the NEC next month but do come back there is a wealth of knowledge on here and we are all prepared to share it.
Good Luck
Sir Roger
Nice to see you have a good tow vehicle ,we tug with an X5 and tugs a twin Axle with no problem.
At this point I wont try and fill your head with things that you dont need to know as you will learn what you need as regards your height and sleeping arrangements when you go to the NEC next month but do come back there is a wealth of knowledge on here and we are all prepared to share it.
Good Luck
Sir Roger
Hi Neil, welcome to the wonderful world of vanning, yes it can be a minefeild to start with but take your time, and as our Sir Roger said very knowledgeable folk on here, so if you think of a question before hand just ask away.
Many thanks for the warm welcome. We have decided on a twin axle just not which one yet. but we are not rushing into it. Neil
Parksy
Moderator
Hi Neil, welcome to the Practical Caravan forum and website, and I hope that you will enjoy using this site to help you to make an informed choice when you buy your caravan.
The NEC exhibition is a great place to have a look around and to compare several different manufacturers and ranges and of course members of the Practical Caravan editorial team including Nigel Donnelly the magazine editor are often on hand to chat to and to offer their advice.
There are usually some very good deals to be had on new caravans at the NEC show but don't forget that if you decide to purchase your caravan from a dealer who is a long distance from where you live any warranty work that might be needed usually has to be carried out by this supplying dealership and this could involve a long round trip.
Before the show have a look around the forecourts of local caravan dealers to form an opinion on layouts and interiors that you and your family like, this is much easier to accomplish when it's quiet and not so crowded and you can then visit the NEC armed with an idea of what you are looking for.
Some local dealers are prepared to price match the NEC deals and obviously you should expect a discount for no part exchange and you could also negotiate for accessories such as a leisure battery, Aquaroll and perhaps an awning as part of the deal.
Good luck and enjoy choosing your caravan, please let us know how the search goes
The NEC exhibition is a great place to have a look around and to compare several different manufacturers and ranges and of course members of the Practical Caravan editorial team including Nigel Donnelly the magazine editor are often on hand to chat to and to offer their advice.
There are usually some very good deals to be had on new caravans at the NEC show but don't forget that if you decide to purchase your caravan from a dealer who is a long distance from where you live any warranty work that might be needed usually has to be carried out by this supplying dealership and this could involve a long round trip.
Before the show have a look around the forecourts of local caravan dealers to form an opinion on layouts and interiors that you and your family like, this is much easier to accomplish when it's quiet and not so crowded and you can then visit the NEC armed with an idea of what you are looking for.
Some local dealers are prepared to price match the NEC deals and obviously you should expect a discount for no part exchange and you could also negotiate for accessories such as a leisure battery, Aquaroll and perhaps an awning as part of the deal.
Good luck and enjoy choosing your caravan, please let us know how the search goes
Hi Again Neil.
As Parksy has said do watch out for dealer deals ,White Arches Rushden are doing the full Monty for a first time buyer just about everything you need to hook up and go.
Im sure you will enjoy it all and as we always say if you have a question you may thinks is silyl go ahead and ask as they are sometimes important issues ,you may well get sill answers cos we do sometimes have fun on this forum.
Sir Roger
As Parksy has said do watch out for dealer deals ,White Arches Rushden are doing the full Monty for a first time buyer just about everything you need to hook up and go.
Im sure you will enjoy it all and as we always say if you have a question you may thinks is silyl go ahead and ask as they are sometimes important issues ,you may well get sill answers cos we do sometimes have fun on this forum.
Sir Roger
Hi Neil and welcome to the forum. I can only echo the advice that others,particularly Parksy, have given. Have a look around local dealerships, see what type of layout you want then when you go to the NEC you will at least have some sort of idea what you want. My own personal preference is always to do business with local dealership for the reasons as described by Parksy. It would need to be a really big cash saving to tempt me to go to a dealership a distance away. My suggestion would be to make yourself known to your preferred local dealer before the show, they might have a presence at the show themselves. If so do not be afraid to barter with them, tell them how much cheaper so & so is to buy from. If they are not at the show I would still be inclined to do similar only give them a telephone call from the show, tell them how much you would prefer to do business with them but Joe Bloggs caravans is £xyz cheaper.
Good luck and let us know how you get on
Robert
Good luck and let us know how you get on
Robert
Thanks again for all the advice and the warm welcome.
We have been looking at our local dealers and agree to keep it local.
We are now looking at a Lunar Delta TI as this is the best layout for our needs and offers the flexibility we want too.
We visited Grantham caravans on Saturday and they wanted to do a deal on a 2012 model there and then and they said as we did not have a p/x then we were in a strong bargaining position. But I said I was waiting till the nec show to which they said they had a presence. I feel some haggling will need doing. Not sure what I can ask for but the worst they can say is no.
Thanks to all
Neil.
We have been looking at our local dealers and agree to keep it local.
We are now looking at a Lunar Delta TI as this is the best layout for our needs and offers the flexibility we want too.
We visited Grantham caravans on Saturday and they wanted to do a deal on a 2012 model there and then and they said as we did not have a p/x then we were in a strong bargaining position. But I said I was waiting till the nec show to which they said they had a presence. I feel some haggling will need doing. Not sure what I can ask for but the worst they can say is no.
Thanks to all
Neil.
Hi Neil welcome to the practical caravan forum have you look on Caravanfinder at twin axles by the way i am 6ft 5" tall and a disabled vanner so it looks like we are both limited on which vans .........
Thanks beachball.
You're right we are limited. But the newer vans are being built with headroom in mind. That's why we love the lunar TI. It's looks great and practical for our needs.
Neil
You're right we are limited. But the newer vans are being built with headroom in mind. That's why we love the lunar TI. It's looks great and practical for our needs.
Neil
Hi Neil if we happen to go seasonal that is the van we like the Lunar Delta Ti Twin Axle it looks great but at the moment i have 2008 Bailey Discovery Mercury Series 5 / Citroen C4 Grand Picasso HDI and it tows great ...
Hello to a fellow newbie too - we have yet to tow our outfit (got to get the towbar fitted first - priority!) We thought about this for 4 years and took the plunge a few weeks ago and cannot wait, so excited. As several others have said it's worth going to the shows and actually lying on the beds and standing in the vans to see which suits your height. As I am only of average stature and my husband only 5'9" it's not a problem to us ... but my 15 year old is already 5'9 and growing like a weed so maybe it will be a problem for him before too long!! Enjoy.
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