I've had a good look around and there is lots of information to have and i have learnt a lot.
Im looking at buying both a car and a caravan (I've been on plenty of caravan holidays but never towed one or owned one myself).
I want to do this on as much as a budget as i can but dont want to be wasting money if its not going to work out.
Im really struggling to decide on what car i am best of getting for various reasons. Fit in budget, have enough weight and power to full a van and not put me over the 3.5T limit - Not the end of the world as i have no issue with doing the test (if i can pass that is) but i would like to just get sorted and be able to start sooner rather than later. The waiting list at my local training centre is huge and i would be lucky to get in before the end of the year due to Covid.
I dont know if i should be looking for a van first and then a car to match or the other way round.
Ideally i would like to be spending between 2k or 3k at a push on a car so its obviously going to be an oldish used one. Its purely going to be used for towing and the odd day trips out on long journeys, We have another car for the daily run around.
As for a caravan all that is a must is that it needs to be 4 birth so i don't know if there is an "average" weight for these things. This will also be an older model but I'm quite comfortable choosing one of these out myself.
So really this question is mainly around the tow car and if i want is even possible.
Hi Jamie and welcome.
My opinion only, for the vehicle I would aim for a diesel engine with a manual gearbox which will provide better torque than a petrol engine of a similar size. On Auto trader there is a filter to specify for instance £3000 or under diesel car (I saw 11000+ vehicles!). With regard to a 4berth van according to data sites on Google 1300kg appears to be the high average so taking that weight and the 75% van to car weight ration you are looking for a car weighing not less than say 1750kg. (Someone will correct me if my figures are not correct). On balance go for the lightest van you can find which widens the choice of tow vehicle. By the by and not trying to teach my grandma, but if you go for an older vehicle with or without a tow bar, important to check the fitting points are rust free, good for safety and peace of mind. Good hunting.
My opinion would be to go for a caravan first and go as light as possible to widen the range of cars. Older caravans are normally lighter. My 1992 Elddis is a 4 berth and it's under 1,000kg fully loaded, whereas its modern equivalent could be anything from 1,100kg to 1,400kg.
As for tow car, I would go for diesel automatic as they are much nicer to tow with. These days I wouldn't have a manual box car as a gift, especially for towing. Too much like hard work especially in traffic or when reversing the van onto a pitch.
I would go for something like a Mondeo with manual gearbox. Auto in a diesel is a rarity and will severely increase your fuel consumption. Auto is not essential.
Is the 4 berth 2 adults and 2 children. Be aware, bunks are intended for children so teenagers especially boys will be too big.
I would try and get an end washroom as it gives you somewhere to change etc without having to draw all the curtains.
The end washroom side dinette is a good family 4 berth layout which also works well for 2. Older children often prefer a pup tent rather than sleeping in with mum and dad.
Fixed beds tend to make the daytime living space feel very cramped unless you have a big heavy caravan.
I'd definitely choose the caravan first and look at, mot only your present needs but your neefs for the future. I agree that a fixed bed takes a lot of room and makes living spaceess spacious. Bunks have a weight limit and some top bunks are quite narrow. Choice of second hand caravans is more limited at the moment due to a surge in sales. Weights vary greatly too.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
Thanks for all the great advice. I now have something to work from.
I was surprisingly finding quite a lot of auto diesels when looking around but i will cross that bridge later as i think you are right and i would be beset of getting the van first. Either local so i can get it delivered or find someone who would be willing to move it for me.
People have asked about the age of the people using the van, It will be 2 adults and 2 children (2+5) so weights should not be in issue on a bunk.
Iv been looking at a lot of layouts and i think what would suit us the best is a double at the back and front (not fixed). The kids can have a permanent bed setup and an area to them self and leave mum and dad alone up front (or thats the plan anyway)- When they are older im sure they will love sleeping in the awning, I know i did when i was younger.
From the ones i have looked at i will be looking around the 1100kg mark for a van so that leaves me lots of choice for a tow car which is good.
Now just to wait for the right van to come around and for the mrs to give the final OK.
Both ourselves and our daughter tow with an automatic diesel car. Skoda Yeti 4x4 2L dsg. We chose an automatic as it's heavier than a manual and we don't have to think about gear changes.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
Diesel automatic is definitely the way to go for towing. My last 3 cars have all been of that configuration. I currently tow with a 2008 2 litre X Trail and I have to keep checking my interior mirror to make sure the caravan is still there as the car just doesn't notice it.
The obvious choice for a car is a large family saloon or estate. Personally I'm a fan of the VW Passat and the mechanically identical Skoda Superb, but alternatives include Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia, Toyota Avensis ... to be honest they're all pretty good. Most on the market will be diesel, which is generally best suited for driving long distances and towing heavy weights in any case. Don't necessarily be put off by high mileages, but do look for as comprehensive a service history as you can find.
Weights can vary depending on specification and model year, but as a rough guide the fully loaded weight of any of these cars will probably be around 2200kg, which would allow you to go a little higher with the caravan MTPLM than the 1100kg you have set yourself.
Regarding the caravan, my advice would be to contain your excitement and play the long game. Used caravans are in particularly high demand at the moment because of more people wanting staycations and as a result, prices are higher than they really should be. If you can wait until the end of the touring season (about October time) there should be more caravans coming available for more sensible prices.
Don't be afraid to go older than you would a car - many caravans only get towed for a few hundred miles a year - but do get it checked for damp, which can make the difference between a bargain and something that's uninhabitable.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
I'm definitely an advocate of the older caravan. If they weren't reasonably well built, they wouldn't have lasted that long. With older caravans condition is everything, just forget the age. Once they get to a certain age depreciation is completely irrelevant, in fact if you keep it well looked after you will probably get more back than you paid for it, as we did with our last one. Four years use and sold for a slight profit, can't be bad!
Our current caravan is nearly 30 years old and we will be away with it soon. The only things that I can think of that a caravan built this year MAY have that ours doesn't are air-con and a microwave. Not all new caravans have them either, and I can get a microwave for peanuts if we actually want one. We aren't in it much during the day so air-con would probably be wasted on us anyway.
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Topic: Newbie on a budget
via mobile 26/6/2021 at 10:16am
