Well the time has come to sell the trailer tent and get a caravan.
Always best to get advice from people in the know, so here's the situation. Need a 6 berth caravan single axle, I tow trailers every day at work so that's not a problem but would like to keep to a mptl of about 1400kg, would be looking second hand so the budget would be around the £5000 mark.
Who are the best makers quality wise?
Is that a realistic budget to get going?
Love to hear your thoughts on this, as it seems there are a vast amount of things to consider.
I have been doing my homework for some time now for when the time comes to buy a caravan, although my requirements are quite different to yours, as I am looking at Fixed Bed 4 Berth, as there will only be the two of us.
But I have thus far narrowed the search down to two Brands, Burstner and Adria.
For the models that I am interested in the new price is around £10k and like you I am thinking of buying used, so £5k or just over should get me a decent example.
My idea would be to buy in Holland, due to strength of the £ against the € of course that situation could change, but just lets hope that it dosn't
Of course buying a caravan in Holland will mean the door will be on the Right unlike UK caravans which have the door on the Left, but that's fine as I only intend to use the caravan in France.
6 in a caravan of normal touring size is going to be a squash. All UK makes are much of a muchness so best condition caravan of any make is what you seek. At £5k check anything you look at for damp first of all.
For a 6 berth you might be looking for front dinette converts to double with fixed bed as well and also 2 bunks. I think only German built vans have this layout so difficult to find in UK but you could be lucky.
Yep Onewheelonmywaggon, the Burstner Premio 450 TS was available through dealers at the Caravan Salon Dusseldorf when the show was on last year, price was around 14,000 € so £10k is about right.
I think one of the Dutch dealers was called "Caravan King"
At those kind of prices I was thinking of buying new instead of used, but then I thought maybe get somthing a couple of years old for even less.
Well worth the trip over to Holland, and others on here have done the same already.
We made the change almost 2yrs ago and love our caravan. We paid £7500 for a 2007 ace jubilee courier MTPLM 1500 6 berth single axle.
I would suggest you go and have a look round a local dealer. Looking for a 6 berth caravan is different to looking for a caravan for 6 people. Realistically if there are 6 of you I think you will always want an awning up. There are just 4 of us and the layout means we don't need an awning for 2 night stays.
You need to get a feel for what level of caravan your budget will get you and you need to test out the layout with everyone in it. For example we ruled out 5 berth twin dinette as it felt cramped making up the back bed with everyone in the caravan. We decided fixed bunks suited us as it means there's only one bed to make up and then put away again.
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
We have a 6 birth adria altea 542dt. This has triple bunks. The Adria bunks are wider than many other manufacturers at 2'6" and are 6 foot long. We are a family of 5 and manage comfortably in this van. All of sleep in it, even 17 year old on middle bunk. We have a small awning, but not always put up.
Bailey did a Ranger 620/6 I think it was called. Double bed/dinette at front, side kitchen and single side dinette opposite converting to 2 bunks and a rear fixed bed with wash room. It was twin axle and very long but looked really good for a family.
The Rangers were budget but still well equipped and quite light in weight.
•MTPLM 1540kg
•MIRO 1281kg
Although the MTPLM is higher the low MIRO means you will be ok if you don't load it too mch
My friends have the above mentioned Bailey for a family of 5 and sometimes a dog too. The front seats are long enough for them (12yr old and 5'4 woman) to use as singles. The mum found the fixed bed too calstrophobic so the dad gets it all to himself. In fairness they don't use their awning very often. Their living area feels more open as the door is at the front whereas ours is at the back (but I think I just like more space!)
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
Also depends on the size and age of bunk bed users. As anther poster has already said adria have generous bunks. The fold out bunks have a smaller size/weight limit.
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
There will be 5 of us 2 adults and 3 children with the eldest being 6 next year so the size and weight that fixed bunks can take should be ok for a few years.
Was looking at 6 berth to give us that extra bit of space, but like the look of 3 rear bunks.
Never even thought about buying in Holland might have a look at that idea.
Thinking that buying around now or September might be the best time to get one as people sell up before winter storage.
The rear triple bunks plus additional dinette would give you a good amount of space esp given your kiddies are little. I'm not sure you'd find one for your budget though as its a newer layout and most we've seen are younger caravans and therefore not around the £5k mark. We've two sets of friends with that kind of layout, both have the dinette at the end and can "shut the kids off" lol. One has a Bailey and the other a lunar, both bought privately so their budget will have gone further, we bought from a local dealer which suited us as it had to go back a couple of times under the warrantee.
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
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Topic: First Caravan
