Newbie Questions

[alpinerover]

I'm currently looking at Caravans for sale in Austria at the moment, with a view to gaining as much knowledge as I can before I make a purchase (probably late season when the prices are optimal).
When looking at a couple of brand new caravans - one a Weinsberg CaraOne 480-EU and another a Knaus Sport 500-EU, I noticed both were weeping very slightly on the front seams with sealant. It was 37C and the sun blazing, but is that normal for new Caravans? The guy from Falle selling the caravans, said it was perfectly normal, but I guess a salesman would, wouldn't he?

I'm probably not going to get a new caravan - instead opting for a good 2nd hand one with all the kit (like an awning etc) included in the price.

Also - if you put a flat-screen in a caravan, is it possible to somehow fit a screen to view from both the front-side lounge area, as well as the rear fixed-bed area?

Finally, I guess the most basic, I have a 2010 BMW 320D 184PS x-drive touring. Kerb Weight 1590 and GVWR 2130kg. The caravans I'm looking at come with a Technical Loaded weight of 1300, so I guess this will be a breeze (81.7%). Again the guy at the shop said no problem for these caravans or even heavier. He said it's a spiel (a game) for the BMW. I think this model has a max towing weight of 1800kg - but it's difficult to get this information from BMW.

Many thanks in advance, and I hope the questions aren't too daft.

 

[Anseo]

Welcome alpinerover,

Ask any questions, good folks on here are happy to help.

With regard to the weeping seams at 37c, sorry ,I cannot help, our devolved Scottish Government banned any temperatures exceeding 20c across the entire country, and 20c is only allowed for a maximum of 10 days per year, this is because we have to limit evaporation of our dismal water reserves relative to our minimal rainfall.

We are striving to become the wettest country in Europe, Ireland beats us by a small margin, and we cannot be second best, can we ?.

Now to the TV screen, yes, suitable arm mounts are available, check the interweb, perhaps one of our more knowledgeable forumites will be along with a more specific recommendation.

Enjoy your new caravan, whatever you decide to purchase.

 

[Raywood]

Welcome to the forum.
I have not seen sealant weeping from the seams although we are also in cool Scotland. We have however toured quite a lot in Europe with some high temperatures in Spain and France without it happening. All I would say is be cautious as if anything looks wrong then there are plenty more alternatives that might be safer.
You can mount the television on an arm in most caravans to view from both ends of a caravan but make sure it is well secured and in a position where it works although there are some where it will not be possible. There are also some where there is a specific space that can be viewed from both sides so an arm is not needed.
Personally I would not tow with the caravan on the arm though, as this will put a severe strain on the mounting, and they do slide on and off simply enough. I have kept the original packing for ours and carry it in the car where it gets a smoother ride.

 

[otherclive]

Think you would be advised to have the RV on the arm, not the caravan! But seriously he's right. Remove the RV from the arm when towing and stow on a safe place.