Newbie :)

Apr 28, 2022
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Hi All

Just at the start of our possible caravan journey.

My wife is a teacher and I am pretty stressed out executive and we have two kids. We want to make more use of the wife's holidays and weekends without paying the current £3000+ for a weeks in a static haven caravan in Cornwall. So we are considering investing into a caravan to improve our lifestyle.

Plan is too store it a local caravan site we can easily pop too at the weekend and then taking it away for the holidays.

We have a good idea of what we are looking for and want to start taking a look at a few. Can anyone recommend good places to go and have a nosey at some around Liverpool / Manchester area. We are in Warrington. Is it like going to a car showroom were you can have a good nosey around or would they view us as time wasters ? Not sure what the etiquette is. We are thinking second hand ... budget anything up to 20k seems sensible - not that I wouldn't mind spending less :)

We have a Skoda Kodiaq 2L 190 L&K 7 seater diesel with a 100kg nose weight limit so we should have a number of good options I am thinking. Thinking 4 berth will be fine as we will only ever be taking us and the kids.

Planning on doing the towing courses etc. Also pretty scared about snaking - but hopefully with training and a sensible attitude this will be fine.

Hopefully will around here a lot :)
 
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Mel

Mar 17, 2007
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Hi, welcome to the forum. Caravanning is a great holiday for kids and a brilliant de-stress for adult. Check out the big dealerships near you, even if dont buy from one, they usually have enough of a selection to give you an idea of what is about. Most dealerships leave the vans unlocked so you can get in and out of them. Look at as many as you can and consider which layout will work best for your family. If you are thinking about bunks, check the kids will fit- now and in 2 years time as the bunks can be quite small. Don't be romanced by huge vans, bigger is not always better. Caravanning in a touring van is not like the static van experience so don’t try to recreate it.
Don’t know your area well so can’t suggest a dealership. How far are you from Glossop?
Second hand is a good place to start, besides new vans seem to taking forever to arrive.
Otherswill have more pearls of wisdom.
Good luck and keep us posted
mel
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
Mel has made some excellent suggestions, and to her list I'd add that it might help if you make a list or chart of 'must haves', 'will be good' and 'not bothered about' features to help you decide on your prospective purchase.
For example, you'll need enough room to prepare and eat your meals, but if you're planning on staying on all singing and all dancing full facility sites, will you be using the site showers most of the time, or do you need a roomy on board shower for your family to use?
How big does the fridge / freezer need to be?
Large caravan dealerships are usually happy for you to look inside their stock, I'm not sure if Covid has changed this so it might be best to ring up and check beforehand.
Don't immediately fall for the sales patter, they're paid to make every caravan seem fabulous.
Condition, service history and lack of DIY bodges are more important than the age or make of caravan.
Good luck
 
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Apr 28, 2022
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This all really helpful - thanks :)

I am torn between looking for something around the £10k mark or going for something around the £20k mark. What is the general advice for a first timer. I guess the older the model the more the risk of issues on average but its feels like going straight in on an expensive model is a big commitment for a first timer.

I have seen paying for inspections before you buy is an option - is this usually okay with dealers ? or is just something you do with private sales?
 
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Parksy

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I'd definitely opt for an inspection for a private sale, and if you buy from a reputable dealership you're protected by the Consumer Rights Act and also any warranty that is offered by the dealership so an independent inspection might not be needed.
It might be a good idea to choose your caravan from the less expensive end of the market to begin with, touring caravans can seem like hard work when you first start until you develop a routine for setting up and making yourselves comfortable.
You might not take to touring and in that case the initial outlay and potential loss won't be so great.
On the other hand, you might find the mobile gin palace of your dreams, but from the more expensive end of the market.
It all boils down to what grabs you when you see it
 
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Mar 14, 2005
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I think you have been given some excellent advice. I would this suggestion:- by all means check out what's available at dealers, and if you find som ethat you think might be right for you, don't jump to buy it immediately. If possible find a relative or friend who caravans and invite then to come and look at the ones your interested in. Ask them to form an opinion about which they think may be best for you with reasons. You don't have to take their advice but it might alert you to a issue you may not have considered yourselves.

Good luck
 
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Hi some good replies here -I did not realise statics were so expensive …. Good luck in your quest - once you got it if you have any questions someone here will be able to help , Welcome !
 
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The present caravan we have is a one owner from new it came with service history stamps damp check and all the paperwork we got her in a private sale .we also took a friend who was a caravan engineer he knew what to look for but you can go the dealer way just make sure they give you some extras for you money good luck welcome to the forum
 
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May 7, 2012
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Welcome to the forum. We are in Scotland so do not know your local dealers but there are several you can visit. Buying from one is very like buying a car and you do have to haggle. The current problem though is very like the car sales business in that there is a dire shortage of both new and second hand models meaning prices are high. I saw the recommendation for Glossop Caravans, but they do have some severe criticism on the net, so check that out before you go and see what you think. I have no experience of dealing with them though and cannot give an opinion either way..
The towing guide produced by the industry suggests that the caravan should not have a MTPLM (maximum loaded weight) of more than 75% of the kerb weight for beginners, but this is based on very old research and personally I think with modern design 90% is probably more realistic, but that is the current advice. Ignore the cars towing limit if this is more than the cars kerb weight as this would not be a safe weight to tow. The car has a good reputation though as a tow car and does have the power needed for towing.
There are plenty of good second hand caravans at under £20k, and a few new ones, so have good look around as many dealers as you can to see what layout and level of caravan suits you. The tow car is fairly light so there will be some restrictions on what you can tow but there are plenty of suitable caravans within its range.
Make sure you keep something back for the tow bar and equipment needed. Dealers will normally provide a newcomers equipment package or give you a discount on this. A tow bar will probably be around £600 and do make sure the car has been approved for towing, as some VW group models do not come with this if the purchaser has not asked. The registration document will show the position.
Insurers will prefer the caravan to be stored at a safe storage area rather than on a site and I would check out the options there before siting. Some sites do have a secure storage area that you can take the caravan out of when using the site or touring.
A towing course is a good idea although towing is not that difficulty and snaking is usually due to the failure to follow the rules and should not be a problem if you follow them.
Good luck.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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The towing guide produced by the industry suggests that the caravan should not have a MTPLM (maximum loaded weight) of more than 75% of the kerb weight for beginners, but this is based on very old research and personally I think with modern design 90% is probably more realistic, but that is the current advice. Ignore the cars towing limit if this is more than the cars kerb weight as this would not be a safe weight to tow. The car has a good
Isn't the guideline for the maximum MTPLM 85% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle? A caravan with maximum MTPLM of 1600kg should be okay and safe although the car can tow up to 2000kg.
 
Apr 28, 2022
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Welcome to the forum. We are in Scotland so do not know your local dealers but there are several you can visit. Buying from one is very like buying a car and you do have to haggle. The current problem though is very like the car sales business in that there is a dire shortage of both new and second hand models meaning prices are high. I saw the recommendation for Glossop Caravans, but they do have some severe criticism on the net, so check that out before you go and see what you think. I have no experience of dealing with them though and cannot give an opinion either way..
The towing guide produced by the industry suggests that the caravan should not have a MTPLM (maximum loaded weight) of more than 75% of the kerb weight for beginners, but this is based on very old research and personally I think with modern design 90% is probably more realistic, but that is the current advice. Ignore the cars towing limit if this is more than the cars kerb weight as this would not be a safe weight to tow. The car has a good reputation though as a tow car and does have the power needed for towing.
There are plenty of good second hand caravans at under £20k, and a few new ones, so have good look around as many dealers as you can to see what layout and level of caravan suits you. The tow car is fairly light so there will be some restrictions on what you can tow but there are plenty of suitable caravans within its range.
Make sure you keep something back for the tow bar and equipment needed. Dealers will normally provide a newcomers equipment package or give you a discount on this. A tow bar will probably be around £600 and do make sure the car has been approved for towing, as some VW group models do not come with this if the purchaser has not asked. The registration document will show the position.
Insurers will prefer the caravan to be stored at a safe storage area rather than on a site and I would check out the options there before siting. Some sites do have a secure storage area that you can take the caravan out of when using the site or touring.
A towing course is a good idea although towing is not that difficulty and snaking is usually due to the failure to follow the rules and should not be a problem if you follow them.
Good luck.

We pretty much ticked every box when buying the car on the options list so we had the factory fitted tow bar (100kg) and trailer assist (which may be handy lol). Car is optimised for towing so all good there.

Thanks for the info.
 
Apr 28, 2022
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Isn't the guideline for the maximum MTPLM 85% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle? A caravan with maximum MTPLM of 1600kg should be okay and safe although the car can tow up to 2000kg.

From my own research I believe the advice is too stick to 85% or less and will be doing this.

Using the website caravan / car matching tools I defo finding that I need to be 1600kg or less to get enough green lights to feel comfortable.

My 11 year old girl is taller than some adults so this is ruling out bunk beds it seems.

Its real game of compromise this :)
 

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