Newbie Popping in to say hi

[akd1961]

Hi
Joined today as thought it was a good place to get advice on buying our first touring caravan, we are looking at possible getting a 6 berth twin wheel, and also advice on best clubs to join, we may not get one until next year and it won't be a new one.

So if anyone could advice best makes things we will need to consider, like do they have to have and MOT may seem a bit silly but total newbie. Obviously insurance, breakdown etc we also have 4 dogs.

Thank you Angie

 

[Raywood]

Welcome to the forum. There is a mass of experience here so whatever you need there should be an answer.
Starting out is a bit daunting and the second hand market can be daunting. There is no simple answer to what is the best make, like cars they all have there good and bad points. Looking at the UK built models Coachman are usually rated best in the magazines annual customer survey and Eldiss bottom with the others in between, but that is not the whole picture and what you want in the way of layout, equipment and colour schemes also need to be looked at. The best bet is to visit several dealers and look at what they have to narrow down the models to what you like best. Foreign made models are far less easy to find but generally have a better reputation.
The ages of any children and there needs at night will affect the layout you need so an idea of that might let you have more advice there.
Caravans do not need an MOT.
Before you buy it es essential to make sure the tow car is safe and up to the job. Twin axles are heavy and need a big tow car. The two clubs both conform to the towing code of conduct which suggests for beginners to towing the MTPLM(maximum loaded weight of the caravan) should be no more than 85% of the cars kerb weight. This is based on old research and with a modern car and a twin axle caravan possibly 90% might be a better figure but that is my view and the clubs figure is still their limit. You can allow 75 kg for the driver if this is not included in the manufacturers figure. Also check the cars towing limit.
You should also check your licence as you will need B+E to tow with a combined total limit of over 3,500 kg. This rules out towing any twin axles if you do not have it and needs you to take another test to qualify.
Licences issued after 1997 will not have the B+E but those before that should have it.
If you are looking to buy now is a good time as sales are very slow from now until early next year and dealers want to clear space for next years models so are ken to do deals.
With second hand caravan ask to see if they have proof of servicing and any other work. If there is still any guarantee left you need the documentation and check to see what the manufacturer needs to transfer this. Also make sure there is a recent clear damp check and that everything works.
Personally of the two clubs I would go for the Caravan and Motorhome one but both are excellent with good services including break down and insurance cover and sites. The CAMH has far more sites, but they can get booked up early and they do not require a deposit when booking. The Camping and Caravaning club has less sites but they take deposits which means they have more availability most of the times and their insurance is cheaper.
Hope this helps but others will also add their thoughts soon I think.

 

[akd1961]

Thank you very much, OH is an HGV driver but no experience of caravan towing, he said about the twin wheel just in case we got a puncture lol

 

[mealsonwheels]

Warm welcome to the PC Forum, which has some very experienced and knowledgeable members, ready to help with all the advice and recommendations you may need, just fire away and there is bound to be someone on the forum to help answer any questions you may have, however small.
When you finally get your caravan, a new door will open in your lives, with endless new places to visit.and you'll never look back!

An important thing to remember, which Raywood has already touched upon, is to know the kerb weight of your tow car. A twin axle caravan is a fairly heavy beast, so it is very important knowing the weight of the caravan and the weight of the tow car, bearing in mind the 85% 'rule if you can, or you will end up having a 'snake', where the tail wags the dog and is something to be avoided at all costs!

One thing you may want to consider with a twin axle caravan, is having a motor mover fitted, unless you are lucky enough to get one with a mover already fitted. Good luck in your hunt!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Angie.

Please forgive me if i'm wrong, but I sense you expect your husband with the HGV licence will be the one who does most of the towing. I would expect his professional skill will prove quite useful in coping with a caravan, but having said that we have had other professional drivers still seeking advice about towing caravans.

Moving forward isn't usually the issue but reversing a caravan can seem quite alien at first , even for articulated HGV licence holders. The main difference is how quickly a caravan will start to turn with minimal steering input when reversing. Its down to the shorter distance from the coupling to the caravans road, and the difference in the field of view the rear view mirrors provide compared to an HGV.

Don't be too blinkered about which caravans you look at, in particular the differences between single axle (SA) and Twin Axles(TA) caravans are not as important as you suggest. In particular there is no evidence to suggest a puncture on a TA caravan is any less serious than on a SA caravan. In fact a puncture one one wheel of a TA can often lead to early failure of the second wheel on the same side with twice the inconvenience and cost. The best strategy is to have tyre pressure sensors fitted that will warn the driver if a tyre is starting to lose pressure, before it becomes a total failure.

I appreciate Raywood's response was well intentioned and he make some valid points but sadly there are a few factual errors in his posting.

Raywood implies all TA's are heavy caravans. That is not strictly true there are several examples of lighter caravans with TA's and some of the largest caravans available only have a single axle. The difference is the caravan manufacture has chosen to fit a second axle, not to cover any technical weakness but more of a status statement.

He suggests that you can't tow a TA caravan on just a CAT B licence. That is not true, the post 1997 driving licence CAT B entitlement limit is a combined MAM not exceeding 3500KG and makes no reference to the number of axles on a trailer. It doesn't matter how many axles a trailer has as long as the combined MAM of the outfit is no greater than 3500KG.

Mealsonwheels has referred to the caravan industries advice about the 85% towing ratio. This is just advice it is a sensible starting suggestion, but its only part of the solution to getting a good safe tow. Importantly the 85% has no legal force and it is most certainly not a "Rule" only advice. Other factors are sensible distribution of loading, car and caravan in good mechanical condition,correct tyre pressures for towing, driver awareness of road and traffic conditions.

If you go for a larger caravan and especially if it does have twin axles, the addition of a caravan mover will be a boon when it comes to final positioning on site or in storage, Especially if you have to manhandle the caravan. TA's are notoriously difficult to turn by hand in small spaces. However if there is space to use the tow vehicle a good artic HGV driver would probably mange very well without a mover.

 

[Raywood]

I appreciate the Prof's views but the twin axle models are to my mind heavy, although I accept that there are some single axle models heavier than the lightest twin axles. Perhaps heavy depends on your view of this, but I can find no twin axle model that can be towed sensibly by a car under a combined weight of 3,500 kg. In theory it is possible but in practice no.
The lightest twin axle shown currently is the Venus at 1,480 kg MTPLM. to get under 3,500 that allows only 2060 for the car and almost certainly cannot be done.
The HGV driver bit was added after my post so the licence problem should not be valid though.