The "best" caravan is one you like. Have a look round a number of dealers and find what you do like. you may not find much in your budget but you can firm up on what you want out of it then target your search in that direction.
The make of a caravan does not really make much difference in my opinion.
Whatever you get the MOST important thing is to make sure it is not damp.
I would say look at lots of layouts and imagine living in them.
Imagine how you are all going to sit down and eat or where are you going to put your clothes Also you say 4 -6 berth. With a tent we always bought a tent with more berths tan people. With a caravan I would say in general get a caravan with the correct number of berths. I you need 4 berths get a 4 berth one if it is 6 get a 6 berth one. The reason I say this is if you get too many berths something else has to get smaller to fit them in.
Finally the xc90 is a fine tow car but do you have a pre 1997 license ?
A caravan is a small space so you need to make the best use of it what space there is. That means the layout should suit your needs and lifestyle.
If you have children, they will want to go to bed before you so a fixed bed wont work very well unless you sit in the awning after they have gone to bed. You will need somewhere to get dressed so need a large washroom. A couple don't so can have a smaller washroom.
You need somewhere separate for the children to sit and paint or play games whatever when it rains.
If children are young, bunks may be better. If older they can and often prefer to sleep in the awning or in a small pup tent.
Do look at many in a dealer. It is fun looking, but be warned it's very risky because you will buy one. Just try and look at as many as possible and see which one gives you the best use of the space.
Think about how far you will want to tow. If a long way smaller is better but big is better to live in. Its all about finding the best compromise.
We are newbies as well and have just sorted our towcar so our next step will be getting a van. Whilst it would be lovely to buy a brand new van configured to our specs we are mindful that for our first one we actually want a small, light and cheap van, we are new to towing so expect that we may make a mistake that may result in a dink and I would be heartbroken if I scratched a brand new van, but when we go to dealers all they seem to have is vans at 6 grand plus and only ever a couple at the budget end.
Loooking at the 6 grand plus vans is not a waste of time though as we get a feel for the layout that will suit us so we should be able to narrow our search
We had a look on caravan finder and found that there over 100 vans for sale at under 5k, however we expect that we may have to travel to find one. We will probably get a rough idea of what we want and turn it into a weekend away to view them all.
Also remember to factor in all the other bits and bobs such as aqua rolls, waste hogs leisure batteries and gas bottles. These may come with the van or they may not.
One thing I forgot add is with an older van. Factor in replacing the tyres into the cost unless you are very sure of their age and quality. Remember it's not the tread that wears out but the side walls. We had one blow out on our very first trip. We were lucky no damage done.
Okay, first off you need to know the weight that your car will safely tow. This is the bottom line in whatever choice of van you go for.
Next, when you go to view any vans that come within your towing limits, take the whole family. Get them all into the van and sort out where they will sleep, eat, play, whatever.
A rainy day in the van with 4, 5 or 6 people can be a squeeze.
So layout is also an important consideration.
And remember that sleeping is the longest individual thing that you will do in the van, so the beds must be both comfortable and practical.
We are 2 adults and 2 wee dogs and a 4 berth van is the minimum we could find that was comfortable.
Quote: Originally posted by jim oldham on 03/9/2014
It may help if you explain how many people will be using the caravan, as that will help posters to advise on suggested lay outs.
There is no perfect layout. Most people seem to rave about fixed beds. I wouldn't want one because the bed takes up to much space during the day. Many of them have an end bathroom fine for a couple but do you really want to have people of any age squeezing past to go to the toilet at 3:30am? If you look at the publicity shots of a van in a brochure it will always show it empty. The only sign of life being an artistically placed glass of orange juice or red wine. You need to imagine how you are going to live in it during a wet week in April not the endless sunshine promised by the adverts.
One layout I think you should consider is the Double Dinnette layout. This has beds at both ends. We had this layout it could make up
doubles at both ends. Sometimes we left one of the beds made up so effectively it became a fixed bed. The disadvantage of this layout was the bathroom was small. Our current van we choose an end bathroom. Which suits us as now there are normally only 2 of us going away. Disadvantage less seating area. A caravan is a box make something bigger something else gets smaller simples!
In terms of brands. I think it is much of muchness with no particular brand of British caravan being head and shoulders above the others. I would look to buy on condition not age or make. But it has got to be said we were so impressed with the quality of British vans we bought a German one.
We've just bought a caravan which is exactly the opposite to what we thought we wanted! I wanted an end bathroom (extra space) and a small ish fairly new single axel van.
We've bought an old twin axel with bunks/seat at one end and a large L shaped layout at the other end, Bathroom is fairly small.
we decided that as we couldn't decide we'd have a 'cheap' van and try it for a year or two, then we'll know what we want, what suits us if you know what I mean?
Good luck! I'm giddy with excitement at the prospect of a warm holiday in October!!
------------- North Wales May 2014
Wirral July 2014
Arrowe brook farm July 2014
Bellingham August 2014
North Wales October 2014
Hayfield August 2014
They can also come in an L shaped layout at the front, or rear.
Quite versatile, as the adults can use the front, and children can use the rear part of the van.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Can anyone Please advise us
