new to caravans

[lulu09]

Hi all.
thinking of buying my first caravan but lost in the choice!
myself and wife, 13 year old daughter and friend, 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter.
new or second hand?? make and model?? budget 10k-15k.
any advise on this would be greatfully recieved.
Ian.
ps hyundi santa fe to tow with.

 

[Parksy]

Hi Ian, welcome to the Practical Caravan forum.
There are many caravan layouts to choose from so a good starting point will be the weight that your towing vehicle can legally and safely tow.
On the Home Page of this website select your towcar from the drop down box in the Find A Towcar feature.

http://www.practicalcaravan.com/review/towcar/hyundai-santa-fe-22-crtd-cdx-manual
This website gives the information that the recommended 85% match for the Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRTD CDX+ manual is 1584kg. If this is the same model as the car that you own then this is the ball park figure for the weight of caravan to choose.
The Autumn caravan exhibition season is upon us so perhaps a visit to one or two of the caravan shows will provide some idea of what layout and equipment level you prefer.
New or used?
There is a strong argument for buying a used model initially to find out if you really like caravanning before spending a lot of money.
On the other hand you have to bear in mind the VAT increase in the New Year so now might be a good time to buy a new caravan before the increase.
Have fun deciding and I'm sure that forum members will be happy to offer tips and advice, Good Luck.