To update or not?

[Si_374452999]

I have a 2001 Bailey Ranger 500-5 in very good condition. There is only my wife and myself and our 4 yr old son and so it suits our needs perfectly. At this stage I cannot envisage needing another 'van for... well along time. However there are a few...niggles with my current unit, basically it is slightly dated and isn't shiny (an issue for my wife). Is it worth spending a few quid to update its looks? I was thinking of new carpet, upholstery, maybe nice chrome fixtures and fittings etc. Also the bathroom is in need of sealing and so I would like to replace it, is this even possible, I haven't been able to find any companies that do replacements on the 'net.

The question is, is this worth it or as it gets older are spares and replacements specific to my 'van going to get too hard too find? Are there maintenance costs which will make it not cost effective, like you tend to get with old cars?

Any advice would be greatly received?

 

[S_374382905]

Si

Updating a caravan is in my opinion like doing the same with a car - it depends what you want. Some people change their caravans and cars on the simple whim of having the 'latest' - at the end of the day if you are happy with what your current one does and it doesn't need rafts of money spending on it then why not keep it?

My caravan is almost four years old - it has always been a problem. I have had leaks, cracks and electrical problems for the past two years. Fortunately it was covered initially by an insurance backed warranty which was very good and paid out. Since then, I have rectified all the other problems by paying hard earned cash to get things to the standard I would have expected in the first place.

Its most recent service concluded that all was well - no more damp, cracks or anything else. In short - I know the van inside out; know what's been done to it etc.

At my lowest ebb with this particular van, I decided to buy a brand new one and set off with a fairly hefty budget in mind. I was appalled at the build quality of many caravans on display - both new and second hand. Taken together with the many experiences reported on this forum I decided to stick with what I have now - and for the first time in two years I can now say I am pretty content with what I have having personally spent about

 

[xtrailman]

I agree with S, my 2004 bailey has took this long to get it to the condition it is now at.

For the first time, on our first trip this year, i didn't have a repair job to sort once i got home.

The enemy is damp, if you have none, keep the van, but i would advise against spending alot on the updating as it may not see a return if you sell.