I wouldn't bother, if you look on ebay you will see plenty of 80s caravans that look in usable condition going for around £500. God know what it means about the windows? bits of plastic perhaps? & needs new floor covering maybe needs new floor as well? By 'messed about' I'm guessing buyer arrived, took one look at it & left with his money still in his pocket.
Quote: Originally posted by Jack+Jon on 01/7/2013
I wouldn't bother, if you look on ebay you will see plenty of 80s caravans that look in usable condition going for around £500. God know what it means about the windows? bits of plastic perhaps? & needs new floor covering maybe needs new floor as well? By 'messed about' I'm guessing buyer arrived, took one look at it & left with his money still in his pocket.
was my first thought as well.i went to see a car on ebay,price had been agreed before hand,went to glasgow,car was a wreck,I walked away.
car was relisted next day due to "timewaster" aka me lol
------------- Who needs travel agents,we have our static
Ok, good points, but is there a checklist anywhere of questions to ask, just out of interest? I haven't really started looking yet - I have to start somewhere
Ask him what he means by 'windows not original'? caravan windows are plastic non sealed double glazed units & for caravan to be usable it is essential that windows are not cracked/damaged & seal must be good, replacements can be more than caravan is worth so condition of windows is probably as important as dry body when considering a secondhand caravan. If a broken one has been replaced with a piece of plastic then its not worth buying.
Floor covering is unlikely to be worn out, caravans don't get that much use so if floor covering is damaged its suggests a damp floor.
I'll give you one bit of advice Daisy Bell - in my world of old cars and old caravans, the biggest mistakes I have seen made were by people who fell in love with a car or van and bought it from the heart rather than the head.
If you can resist the urge to panic buy, there a loads of secondhand caravans out there, Freedom and every other make you can think of. Take your time, keep looking (eBay, Gumtree, etc) but don't rush into buying until you think you have some idea of what you want and what to check for.
There's a good article on buying second hand on this site here which tells you what to look for when buying a van.
I also wonder about the floor covering being worn out - my caravan is over 30 years old and has the original 'lino' down and still in good order apart from the odd scuff. It's been covered with carpet now though. I can only think, if the seller is being honest, that it's dirty worn out carpet that needs replacing - ask him to elaborate on that for you.
Windows - I recently paid over £300 to have one made for mine, so think on if the windows have been repaired.
After the school hols, come September, the price of second user caravans drops quite a lot. At this time of year they are at their highest, so that maybe something else to bear in mind.
Good luck with your search!
Myself, I would have seen if I could have got that first one you looked at down in price as it sounded like a good un. If you go and have a look at that one, a really good look, you will then have a benchmark with which to measure the condition of others you may view later.
Thanks for all the advice and that link, I'll check it out.
I take your point about the problems of falling in love with something. I have an MGB tucked up in my garage which luckily was a complete steal. And is solid. But I understand about restoration costs...
So do I just turn up and look at everything that's for sale?
Sorry, cross with Jax. That first one is on eBay now for 1500 and has bids so I don't think it will go for much less.... I think I could still view it though.
Yes, the turning up and looking round is all part of the fun - you might have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a good un :-) Start with a damp meter and a healthy dose of scepticism
Part of the problem is that people rarely want to admit there's anything wrong with their caravans. We saw one when we were first looking that had the spongiest floor in NATO - it was completely delaminated. The seller said, with a cheery smile "oh yes, it has got a nice soft floor for walking on" ....!
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Topic: Is this more sensible? Buying advice help
