Which Caravan?

[rhiw2001]

Hi

I am looking for a 5/6 berth caravan??? We only have one toddler atm.
We think that a double dinette style is the answer as it will give him room to play. Our friend things that a six berth with fixed bunks would be better as we would not have to put up the bed for him when tired...?
We have an upper limit of £6500 and there are lots of caravans about... Heard some bad press for some caravans with panels coming loose etc.

Really confused by now. Please advice on which caravan i should buy?

Thanks

Rhys

 

[Mel]

Hi Rhys. No-one can tell you which caravan to buy as everyone has slightly different needs and priorities. We had a double dinette model and liked the flexibility of that. Also if you have two or three bunks you could end up with space you won't be using. On the other hand, not having beds to put up and take down is good and you can use the bunks for storage. Also handy for day time naps. All caravan makes suffer from faults (although some will argue that this is less true of european vans) you will have to look at the condition of the individual van. Sorry this is not more helpful. Can I suggest that you have a visit to a large dealership and just spend time going in and out of vans, sitting down in them and lying down! See what feels right for you now. It will change as your family changes. Happy hunting
mel

 

[Parksy]

The double dinette would allow you to put the little one to bed and have the added bonus of usable space during daytime.
Treat every caravan that you look at individually and look for obvious signs of misuse or damp.

Click Here for a step by step used caravan buyers guide which will show the pitfalls to be avoided at every stage from the initial phone call to collecting your caravan

 

[JonnyRockstar]

We have had both layouts (Coachman's). We found the 5 berth twin dinette ok for the one child but went for the 6 berth fixed end berth's when the second child came along. Different bed times are diificult with babies and toddlers - at least with the fixed end bunks there is less disturbance.
With the 6 berth also you get the advantage of the side dinette - ideal for colouring and playing of feeding baby it's night time milk !!
We are currently waiting for our new van which is still the fixed bunk/side dinette but with the added end washroom - thus we are staying with the same set up really. Can't wait for the new Coachman to arrive.
Have a look around dealers to see which you prefer- with the budget you have there are a number of brands available although probably not the Coachman.

 

[Martin24]

Have never had the 5 berth but had a side dinette fixed end bunks for one child, used the bottom for storage top for sleeping and side dinette for early morning colouring etc. Changed 2010 for the end bath side dinette side fixed bunks twin axle. This works even better than the last one but takes a fair size towcar. Now we are five from this year on I'm glad I got the van I did. Both my last ones a bit out of the price bracket you're looking for but older and other brands available for your budget.