I'm about to buy my first caravan can anyone give me any tips of what too look for when buying also what faults should I be looking for so I know to stay well clear, as much info as possible please as I'm a novice, thanks Steve
Unless you have money to burn, get something cheap. If you spend thousands on a caravan and find it's not for you you stand to lose a lot more than if you spend a few hundred.
Inevitably, if you do enjoy caravanning, whatever you get you will soon see something you prefer and want to change it and want to sell on your first caravan. Again, if you got it cheap and lose 20% it's better than loosing 20% of several thousand.
You can get damp meters fairly cheap, but you probably should take the readings of a cheap one with a pinch of salt. Have a good prod around any prospective purchase looking for soft spots. Particularly around the windows and the corners.
Don't take much notice of a dealer that tells you your car will pull X,Y or Z either as they have been known to lie and sell caravans to people that have cars much too small for the caravan they are being sold. Not all dealers are this unscrupulous, but some are.
Any dealer that uses phrases like "You should expect a little bit of damp in a caravan of this age / price" should be left alone.
If you open the windows of a caravan, the walls around the window should be firm and not move if you give them a push. Any discoloured patches on the interior walls should be treated with great suspicion.
If you can afford to pay cash, you can save up to 50% on dealer prices by buying privately, but if things do go wrong you don't have the rights you would have had buying from a dealer. However, don't assume that buying from a dealer means you won't have any problems.
We bought our first caravan from a dealer thinking we would get something in good condition. We were then foolish enough to fall for his ridiculous explainations of all the faults. The best of all when a seam split open, he told us it was an expansion joint and was supposed to open up like that in the sun.
It wasn't until we had owned it for a year, we discovered that the entire front of the frame was rotten, the fridge WAS supposed to work on 12 volts and that the reason the seam on the side opened up in the sun is because the timber behind it hat rotten away.
If you open the windows of a caravan, the walls around the window should be firm and not move if you give them a push. Any discoloured patches on the interior walls should be treated with great suspicion.
Oooh have I been there and done that, Dave C! Explanation given (from Ebay, thought private, was selling on caravans at overly inflated prices) was the tide mark on the roof was condensation - and I fell for it! It was stored in a garage, should have known. When I got it home, outside on the drive it started to rain and the van leaked like a sieve! Fixed it in the end, but would have walked away had I known what I know now.
Where are you based steve? We have a lovely little 1994/5 Elddis vogue Centime for sale with a full awning. 4 berth lovely little first van. We bought it with the intention of keeping it for a few years. The two bigger kids were going to sleep in the awning and the baby in with us but its not working as well as expected as the bigger kids are only 10 and 11 and are not as keen as they thought they'd be. Looks like we will be upsizing sooner rather than later.
I did reply to an earlier post regarding your caravan not sure if you saw it. Im in Rotherham and would be interested. Do you have any pics?
Thanks
Sam
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Hi sam, having a bit of trouble uploading pics are you on FB? Search me and friend request, there's some on there Michelle rumbelow Heighington pic of me in a red top
My advice, apart from buying a good one is to check what is onboard ...i.e is the battery in good health?...are there hook up cables? ... waste container? water container?....does the cooker/fridge/water heater etc work?.
if you haven't got or they don't work you are in for some large bills on top of what you paid for the caravan in the first place.
Read up as much as you can, it'll help you avoid all sorts of pitfalls. There's useful info on the Caravan Club website here and on the Camping and Caravanning Club website here.
Then pick as many people's brains as possible about absolutely anything, no matter how small - there's a wealth of useful experience to call on across this site and it's always worth asking for help.
Then invest in a damp meter, and use it with enthusiasm when you go to view :-) When you are viewing, take your time, lie on the beds, stand in the shower cubicle and see if you can fit in (especially with a small child on the loo at the same time!), do all the windows open, does the heater work, could you store all your clothes, shoes, towels, bedding, awning, coats, food ... A genuine private seller or dealer will have nothing to hide and everything to gain from helping you see everything.
And if you're not sorted in a couple of months, come and buy mine - I just need to sort out a new tow car before it goes
One small point. Damp meters will make two holes in the wall. I'd be a bit pee'd off if someone came to look at my caravan and poked holes all over the walls. Particularly if they found it was dry and didn't buy it as the next person to view it would be put off by all the holes.
Quote: Originally posted by DaveCoaches on 13/5/2013
One small point. Damp meters will make two holes in the wall. I'd be a bit pee'd off if someone came to look at my caravan and poked holes all over the walls. Particularly if they found it was dry and didn't buy it as the next person to view it would be put off by all the holes.
Yes, inside cupboards and behind seat cushions would be best :-)
Quote: Originally posted by White Rose on 13/5/2013
Quote: Originally posted by DaveCoaches on 13/5/2013One small point. Damp meters will make two holes in the wall. I'd be a bit pee'd off if someone came to look at my caravan and poked holes all over the walls. Particularly if they found it was dry and didn't buy it as the next person to view it would be put off by all the holes.
Yes, inside cupboards and behind seat cushions would be best :-)
And underneath window surround rubbers (lift the edge up). I'd rather see some tiny holes - that might be evidence of servicing anyway - than fist sized holes due to the rot you missed by not checking!
Our little caravan is for sale in the free ads on here but not one enquiry, we want £800 for it nothing wrong with it and we can't believe it's not gone because when we was looking before buying the van dry damp free caravans were like gold dust. I wonder if the free ads on here work.
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Topic: Buying my first caravan
