Myself and my hubby have only just started going camping (Tent) and I LOVE it but I hate packing up! I actually dread it! All the tent putting up and taking down of the tent!
I got chatting to Someone on our most recent camping trip And he had a nice caravan which was only 5yrs old, a 4 birth which he had bought just on the off chance as he saw it for sale on a camping site in Skegness a few weeks ago, he paid a £1000 for it! I would have loved it.
Is this a normal price for a decent van?
I know NOTHING about caravans and I have no money saved at all and we arent rich but I could save about £1000 if I sold my tent and accessories and saved a little.
You can get caravans for much less than that. If they get damp then they are virtually worthless.
Do you want to repair a damp one though?
My aunt buys vans for a few hundred £ and uses them until they get too bad or a better one comes up for sale.
Her van is sited though so no need to tow it, she gets offered vans when people decide they no longer want to camp any longer etc.
You need to be careful that the person selling it actually owns it, check the chassis numbers carefully for signs of tampering. Do they have the CRIS registration document?
I don't want to have to do any work on the caravan. I wouldn't have a clue what I was doing. I would also be devastated if I got a caravan and it ended up with damp straight away. After a few years I would understand. As for the caravan, I have no idea, it was just a conversation witha stranger as our dogs were having a play with eachother outside the site shop.
For £1000 you might get a caravan that is 20 years old, eBay has loads of them around that price if you want to take a big risk with your money, If the person you spoke to got a 5 year old van for that amount then the seller was in serious need of the money because even a basic caravan only 5 years old would cost around £7-8000 private and even more at a dealership.
Looking at the classifieds on here would give you an Idea of the cost of used caravans if you want to move from camping to caravanning.
Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 21/7/2015
You can get caravans for much less than that. If they get damp then they are virtually worthless.
Do you want to repair a damp one though?
My aunt buys vans for a few hundred £ and uses them until they get too bad or a better one comes up for sale.
Her van is sited though so no need to tow it, she gets offered vans when people decide they no longer want to camp any longer etc.
You need to be careful that the person selling it actually owns it, check the chassis numbers carefully for signs of tampering. Do they have the CRIS registration document?
And then a thorough check for the dreaded damp.
It's not compulsory to have CRIS documentation as you have to pay get these. I must admit we don't bother. CRIS are notified that you are the new owner when you buy it so why pay for the paperwork?
There's lots on Ebay for £1000 and less. Obviously they're old and need a bit of TLC. Picked one at random... an Adria listed for sale at the moment - the bidding is just over £600. The seller has made a list of the good and bad points and welcomes viewings.
If I were you I'd find out all you can about caravans online and go to dealers to view and get an idea of the size and layout you're looking for and get an idea of prices. Then you just need to find something to suit your budget.
If you want to start caravanning on a limited budget the first thing to consider is the suitability of your current car. If you need to change car and fit a tow bar that could take quite a bit of your budget.
If the car is ok then the cheapest way to get started is often to buy a complete outfit from somebody who is giving up caravanning and sells complete with awning, crockery etc.
We purchased a super van from a dealer for £2000 which would have been around £1500 from a private seller. It lasted us 7 years was a terrific all around van. When part exchanged it it was 22 years old, we did have damp after 5 years due to our missing winterizing the van but had repaired it, its not difficult. We part exchanged but it would have made someone a super van to start out with.
With the silly issues with our new van I'm starting to wish we had kept the old crappy, people think that older vans are always full of damp but there are some decent ones out there.
On the packing up though, personally I find it no better with a caravan. There is still an awning to sort out, water to be lifted, toilet to be emptied and put away, chairs, tables, BBQ, shelves to be emptied to the lower level. Legs to be wound up and chocks put away. Personally I think it takes just as long to sort a caravan if you are using your awning.
Although I got mine cheaper on Ebay. What I like about the coat is its so adaptable, I can wet it with sea water, bottled water or tap water so it is quick and easy to refresh, on really hot days it stays cool and damp for at least an hour and then refreshes really quickly.
Sadly the dog land surfs only.
Now had it been my Rough Collie he would have been on the water, the only issue was he considered surfing a highly unsafe sport for my teenage son. He would run out to my son, do his best
"there must be a shark come in now"
bark at him and run half way back suddenly stopping in horror when he would realize son had taken no notice and wasn't coming in at all. The Cornish life guards loved him and thought he should get a job with them.
Quote: Originally posted by paul at julie on 22/7/2015
1000.00 for a 5 year old van. Must be something wrong with it or they were telling porkies. We just got 10k trade in for our 5 year old van.
I would agree as that does not seem right. Very dodgy and probably stolen or still on HP. However our first caravan was 15 years old and cost us £1500 and was virtually damp free except for s small spot. Later on we bought another second hand caravan about 20 year old for £1200 and it had some damp but nothing major.
In answer to your question, yes you can get caravans for £1000, however I would strongly suggest that you invest in a damp meter and check out the caravan first using it. Saves a lot of heart ache later.
Quote: Originally posted by madz on 22/7/2015
We purchased a super van from a dealer for £2000 which would have been around £1500 from a private seller. It lasted us 7 years was a terrific all around van. When part exchanged it it was 22 years old, we did have damp after 5 years due to our missing winterizing the van but had repaired it, its not difficult. We part exchanged but it would have made someone a super van to start out with.
With the silly issues with our new van I'm starting to wish we had kept the old crappy, people think that older vans are always full of damp but there are some decent ones out there.
On the packing up though, personally I find it no better with a caravan. There is still an awning to sort out, water to be lifted, toilet to be emptied and put away, chairs, tables, BBQ, shelves to be emptied to the lower level. Legs to be wound up and chocks put away. Personally I think it takes just as long to sort a caravan if you are using your awning.
I did pretty much 30 years of caravans and agree,if you think there is less packing up and taking down involved than a tent you are wrong. And that was without an awning. Everything on shelves has to be taken down and secured, plus everything else.
My little caravan cost me £450.
Ok she is old (1969) but she is dry, light and fits my needs perfectly. Had her 5 years and have no plans to change her just yet!
Millerblade, here's what (very little) I know on the subject...
My niece and her fella started tent camping around the same time as us... 3 years ago. Approx. 18 months later, they reached the stage you are now at.
Now, as far as I'm aware, they struck lucky, as in they got rather an old van for hundreds, rather than thousands, off an old chap who "seemed trustworthy". Thus far, that trust seems to have paid off, because all the tiny niggles it had were openly mentioned at time of purchase, and moreover, they haven't suffered any problems with damp (that they are aware of).
18 months in, yes they are well happy with it, and would declare that they prefer it to tenting.
But, whilst it is a different type of camping, both, of course, come with their own set of "chores", pro's, and con's...
"Proper" furniture needs "proper" cleaning, as in more housework... polishing units, wiping out cupboards, hoovering the carpet, cleaning windows and upholstery, cleaning ovens etc. Ok, not all need doing regularly, but it needs doing.
Yes, they get away from site earlier than us, and have probably enjoyed a full English before setting off, whilst we make do with an instant porridge, due to the extra packing away we have, but as an example, by the time they have reached Derby from Skeggy (2.5 hours), we've not only caught them up, but managed to overtake them too (as we're not towing). What they save on pack up time, more often than not they lose out on the road.
In addition to that, they have no room for it at home, so they off load from the pavement, then drive ten minutes to park up at a relatives. That all has to be done in reverse, when they go again, of course.
He has to do all the driving (7 hours from Cornwall two weeks ago!) as she won't tow.
They still feel the need to put an awning up (so, half a tent!!), as they can't live comfortably in the 'van alone... and they have to make their beds up each night, to give them somewhere to sit in the daytime.
It smells of their last meal inside... until they cook the next one.
They claim they are warmer, which I can believe, to be fair.
They have to be very careful with loads, weight limits, and distribution, to avoid the wobbles on the motorway, and have to cram their bikes inside the van, then find somewhere on site to lock them up.
I think they use an on-board loo, but the shower/wash basin is far too pokey to make use of, so they still need the site's facilities.
They do have running water though... and a telly!
They've already had to do a little work with electrics and water pumps and the like. Don't know the details, and in fairness, I don't think we are talking mega-bucks, but I know they went half a holiday without running water.
As a six footer, he's already lost count of how many times he's banged his head, or his shoulder... or his shin!!
There's the insurance to sort, and the tyres (condition and pressure) to keep an eye on. The law's of the road are different, as are the legalities of towing (for some... driving licence-wise!)
I guess what I'm hinting at, is that there's a hell of a lot to think about, and even more to research... thoroughly! I've probably covered somewhere between 5% and 10% in my ramblings above, as I know next to nothing about the subject.
I'm not advising either way, but I would advise that you carry on asking questions on here, (good move, by the way!) and don't rush into it. They did, and in fairness, they seem to have got away with it, but you also see a fair few folk in these forums stating they have gone from tents to 'vans and back to tents, for various reasons.
If you get hold of the facts first, and you still decide to go for it, I wish you well.
The grass may well be greener over there... but in my opinion, that's only because they are forced to use breathable ground sheets!
Enjoy the research... and don't make any hasty decisions.
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Topic: Can you get a caravan for around £1000
