Hi. I'm looking at spending no more than £4000 on my 1st caravan. I would like some pointers as to what to look for when buying secondhand. Damp seems to be the biggest issue I read about. How can I check this? I don't really need a big van as there's only the 2 of us so I'm assuming a smaller van would be a bit newer for that kind of money. Can I expect something that's in good condition with no work needed for that kind of money?
Thankyou
You can expect to find something for £4000 that requires no work, but in reality what your likely to find are lots of neglected vans that have not been serviced for some time and possibly damp but with the damp hidden.
Check for damp by tapping the wallboard, it should be a nice solid sound, if the wall is squishy or makes a dull thud then its got damp in there.
A damp meter maybe a better option, but for some you need to poke holes into the surface your testing and most sellers wont want you doing that.
Not looked for a while but 2 berth vans did tend to be cheaper than 4 berth+ vans.
Got ours up for sale ATM. It HAD damp, along the front shelf above the window due to an awning rail seal failing on the front corner.
I repaired the shelf, and then resealed the whole van, along with the offending awning rail.
Explained this in the sale description and all we've had are pi$$ takers! Seems as soon as you're honest in your advert about anything and mentioning the 'D' word, they just take the mickey!
What would have happened if I had NOT said anything??
Nothing will happen provided you sell caravan as seen with no descripton of its condition. If you sell privately the only comeback can be if you misrepresent, ie state caravan is completely dry if it ain't. So readvertise, making no mention of damp repairs with simple description of caravan yr, make, model, tyres good, whatever and invite buyers to come and inspect.
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Topic: buying secondhand tips please
