Newbie - 1st caravan purchase any advice welcome!

[Fayesid]

Hello,

My husband and I have decided to go ahead and buy a tourer as we love our caravan holidays and so do the children. We have 2 young kids so are looking at a 5/6 berth van with fixed bunks and a separate dinette for the kids to play, draw etc.

Having looked around we have decided to go second hand and see how much use we actually get from it for a couple of years before considering upgrading to new. We have set a budget of between 4-5k. Happy to have an older van as long as it is in good condition.

So that's it really. Absolutely no experience in this area so if anyone has any advice at all it would be much appreciated! Thanks

 

[Damian]

There is a lot of things to take into consideration.

First is that of your towcar and van , will they be suitable and do you have the correct licence groups to tow your intended van.

Then there is the question of whether you buy from a dealer, which gives you a lot more protection in the event of something not working.

If you are buying privately, beware of the scams associated with such selling and NEVER part with any money until you have actually seen the van IN PERSON and confirmed that the person selling it is the legal owner.

If buying privately insist on seeing EVERY item working , lights, electrics, cooker, heaters, fridge etc.
The best thing you could do is get a mobile caravan engineer to give the van a pre purchase inspection, which should find any problems and could save you a lot of money.

 

[Mogwyth]

If buying privately insist on seeing EVERY item working , lights, electrics, cooker, heaters, fridge etc.

Indeed after our first bad experience I would echo this, don't trust anyone and even if you don't plan to always ask if they would mind if you had it professionally inspected, that will scare of most chancers,

And when I say don't trust anyone not even dealers we saw one van at a s/h dealer that we quite liked but then found damp under the bed that the dealer expressed surprise at! We was already wary in that none of the vans were particularly clean, another dealer everything was grossly overpriced and a bit tired.

We found this site useful for checking prices http://www.caravanpriceguide.com/

A damp meter is a useful tool

 

[Damian]

Quote " And when I say don't trust anyone not even dealers"

I fully agree and endorse that comment, which I should have made more clearly.
NEVER take anyones word that "everything works", in a lot of cases it does NOT.

Whilst a damp meter is a useful tool, don't think that you can go around punching holes anywhere you like, where you test MUST be inconspicuous, like just under window seals, in lockers etc , don't leave the walls looking like they have woodworm, you could face a very expensive repair bill !!!!!!!

A good mobile engineer can be found here: http://www.approvedworkshops.co.uk/search/

Do not use the Caravan Club offering , it is over priced.

 

[LizziePope]

Hi there Fayesid – welcome to the Practical Caravan forum and thanks for posting. Let's hope you find the perfect tourer soon.

 

[Lynnybobs]

Open every drawer and cupboard/locker too - when looking at second hand caravans we found a lot with broken drawers off their runners and cupboard doors hanging off their hinges.
Easy enough to fix but if the dealer has a workshop and they haven't put right small things like this then you have to consider what the service is like.....

 

[Parksy]

Hi FayeSid
Welcome to the forum. I'll add the advice that I always add to prospective buyers, there are some good genuine caravans for sale but a few hidden pitfalls to watch out for.
Click Here to have a browse round the Caravan Buyers Guide and click on the various sub-headings to arm yourselves with the knowledge which will help to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Good Luck, enjoy your search by visiting various dealerships with your family and sitting inside caravans to decide on what you like best, if there's anything you are unsure about just ask and please let us know how you get on.

 

[Raywood]

I agree with the advice given. If buying privately I would get the CRIS number and do a check against HPI and CRIS to make sure it is not on HP or stolen.
I would also make sure you go to the vendor not him come to you to establish he is who he says he is.
If you want an inspection service the Caravan Club offer this although I suspect a local engineer will be a lot cheaper.
If you know someone who has a caravan take them with you if possible.
Given your price range the caravan will be a good few years old so a thorough damp check is essential.

 

[Hutch]

Fayesid, welcome to the happy place where folks can ask all sort of questions, , my first answer would be ,
Don't take ( if buying from a dealer an awning, ), they will sell you a new awning that you might not need, negotiate for a £600 reduction, in price then if you think you want an awning buy one on x - Bay. A lot cheaper. .
But above all enjoy yourselfs, and don't be afraid to say helo to your neibours.
Hutch , Wife ( SWvMBO)and Dogs.