Hi folks, well camping is usually my thing but for various reasons am now going down the static route.
2 people I know have a static on a site in Hereford and they are happy with the site. I went yesterday and there are 2 vans in my price range (about7k). This site doesn't have age restrictions.
Both were the same price number 1 just offered at 1.5k less than advertised as it been on sale for some time
They are both fairly old, are dirty, have horrible seat covers but all this is mainly cosmetic. I need to know what to look for. One has proper gas ch and the other seems to have electric panel heaters. Neither have dbl glazing but didn't feel Damp. The first was close to club house and open the second was further away and small fenced area. If I could take the two and combine I wd be happy! What am I looking for in a fairly old static? Signs of water ingress.? Damp? Leaks? .as they are empty water supply isn't switched on so can't test toilet and shower for leaks?
Happy-Snapper, we bought an older static van & my husband recommends taking your time looking over it.
He took overalls with him & got underneath the vans with a hammer. Statics underneath have a double skin. Don't be afraid to tap underneath with a hammer: especially round the shower, toilet & sink areas, (1 van we looked at actually had HOLES in the bottom/outer skin. My husband took photos on his phone & showed them to the seller who didn't blush! )
Also, you want the outer layer to be firm, especially around water outlets.
Check the windows for leaks, the roof & guttering for leaks & damp. Check that the boiler/central heating has been serviced & meets with current standards.
Check your contract terms & conditions. We bought a 2nd hand van & we know that it will depreciate further in value & that we won't get much back when we sell it. We bought a comfortable, functional van that we use for holidays, we accept that we won't get back what we paid for it.
Right, moving on from the doom & gloom, we're preparing to go back to France for Easter, May half-term & a month in summer. As long as you take the time to buy wisely, don't expect to recoup what you paid for your van, but just want lots of carefree holidays, you shouldn't go far wrong.
We bought an 18 year old static last year and it is just perfect. We paid 5k for it and apart from a new fridge freezer, a new bed (nothing wrong with the old one, I just wanted new) and hubby built a full length decking at a cost of £700. Our site is only open April till end of October so I'm now on a count down and getting desperate to get there. It really is fantastic and I'm sure you'll get as much pleasure as we do. We've found the main thing to watch out for is the insulation underneath the van dropping but this can easily be replaced as Wickes keep it at a reasonable price.
One of the main things I would be checking out is the site owners! One of the things you should be aware of is that there are virtually no controls over what site operators can and cannot do. For example, the current site owners may be great, and have no age restrictions, but what if they sell up? Please be careful, especially if buying an older van.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Newbie-what to look for
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