Hi all I'm a caravaning newbie looking to buy a decent van for myself hubby and two kids 4&6
I did have my eye on hobbys but been put off by some sites not letting you on and the high theft rate, so I'm back to square one I would like to know what is a must, and anything else to make life easier please bear in mind I havnt a clue!
I would like at least 5 birth for the space and ideally u shaped seating with seperate dining area and bedroom don't mind it being a fixed bedroom unless you guys think fixed is not necessary? Ay help would be great.
hi welcome to tin tent land
,if buying for the first time make sure the total weight of your caravan loaded MTPLM or gross. is at 85 % of your cars kerb weight to be safe.we use a bailey 500/5 as we can shut off the rear beds at night.has a full size double bed and a bunk at the rear..........
look at
We have children 5 and 9 and find the lay out of our Bailey Olympus 540-5 to be a very good family lay out. Fixed bunks a side dinette which is just big enough for all 4 of us to eat a meal, and a shower room big enough for any of us to use if staying somewhere without facilities.
Hi all I'm a caravaning newbie looking to buy a decent van for myself hubby and two kids 4&6 I did have my eye on hobbys but been put off by some sites not letting you on and the high theft rate, so I'm back to square one I would like to know what is a must, and anything else to make life easier please bear in mind I havnt a clue! I would like at least 5 birth for the space and ideally u shaped seating with seperate dining area and bedroom don't mind it being a fixed bedroom unless you guys think fixed is not necessary? Ay help would be great.
You ideally want a caravan that when fully loaded weighs 85% of your towing cars kerbweight ( empty weight ) for a safe towing match.
Thanks for the replies keep them coming we are also looking at changing the car currently have Renault grand scenic but won't be using this.
What does the number eg 500,540 mean is that the size, weight or just a model number? Also what is cassette toilet? What stuff do I need re waste water electric hook up thingy's type of battery etc
Sorry for all the q's but havnt a clue
With regard to the extra stuff you need, the list of stuff that will be useful is extensive, but you will need an EHU lead if you want mains electric on sites, you will need a leisure battery, if you plan on going without electric then you need a bigger capacity battery. You also need a gas bottle and regulator if you get a caravan that doesn't have a bulkhead regulator (anything over about 3 years old will need a separate regulator)
You also need a water container (aquaroll or water hog are the most common) and a waste water container (waste master or waste hog are common brands)
Leveling ramps are a wise investment but can be made from some lengths of wood. I managed for several years without them.
Then you have the obvious stuff, kettle tin opener etc.
You may want a TV, 12 volt or 240 volt, an aerial if the van doesn't have one fitted or possibly a satellite receiver / dish.
You will probably want an awning at some point. Basically there are too types, a full awning which comes in many sizes and has to be the correct size for the caravan or a porch awning which fits most caravans.
The cassette toilet is exactly what it says. The holding tank slides into the toilet through a door outside the caravan like a cassette.
The number is simply a model number although in many cases can sometimes refer to the length and or berths of the caravan although the length is not always referenced. When suffixed with a "/ X" the X is usually the number of berths for example our Coachman 530/4 is a 4 berth, hence the "/4" though it has an internal length of 5.51 meters so the 530 is misleading, although shorter models have a lower number and longer models have a higher number, there appears to be no direct correlation between the figures.
We have a Bailey Ranger, its only a 4 berth but its a fixed bed... whilst I love it and its great for just the 4 of us, I wouldn't have another fixed bed, I think a rear area for the kids would be better.
Good luck with your choice and enjoy.
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We looked for months before we found our van, we were too new so had nothing to start with. We fell lucky an bought a 5 berth van from a couple who were packing in. They gave us everything to go with the van, 2 awnings, aqua rolls, hook up, tv, even pots an pans etc. The layout is like the one in the earlier post, we leave the back bed an bunk made up an its ideal for our 3 kids as it can be closed off. They have a tv in there so will go to bed an watch a dvd while we have a nice glass of wine an relax!! Also if we dont want to make up the front double the seats are long enough to use as 2 singles. Good luck with your search, let us know how you get on
We looked for months before we found our van, we were too new so had nothing to start with. We fell lucky an bought a 5 berth van from a couple who were packing in. They gave us everything to go with the van, 2 awnings, aqua rolls, hook up, tv, even pots an pans etc. The layout is like the one in the earlier post, we leave the back bed an bunk made up an its ideal for our 3 kids as it can be closed off. They have a tv in there so will go to bed an watch a dvd while we have a nice glass of wine an relax!! Also if we dont want to make up the front double the seats are long enough to use as 2 singles. Good luck with your search, let us know how you get on
Wow thank you so much everyone bailey seems a popular choice will go have a look at them is there any sites to give you a rough guide as to how much the book price is?
Caravan finder is a good place to start for models/prices etc. If you use the search function you can narrow it down to the size/type of van you are looking for and there should be a range of ages/prices so you can narrow it down in terms of budget and what you are likely to get for your money.
Personally I don't like fixed double beds (our van has 2 full sized fixed singles) as they take up a lot of precious space in the van and can't be folded away during the daytime and the space utilised for other stuff. When our kids were little we had a standard layout 5 berth, which was a seating area at the front, removable table, kitchen and bathroom in the middle and another seating area at the rear which converts to a double bed and a single bunk over that. We found this was ideal with a young family as it's very flexible and still leaves 2 seating areas during the day - one for you and one for the little uns. There is usually a sliding door/screen as well to close off the rear bed from the rest of the van - handy for getting changed as well.
As to what model to choose, it's all down to personal preference. Some people swear by fixed double beds, others hate em. The main plus would seem to be not having to make up beds every night and taking them down again in the morning...which can be a drag.
If you buy private sale you will pay less than from a dealer but you will really need to know what to look for and will perhaps need some professional help (i.e. paying for a proper inspection before you buy). The dreaded damp is the biggest /most common problem and is also the most costly to repair - to be avoided if at all possible. The other benefit with buying privately is that often the "extras" will be included, such as awnings, water hogs, waste masters etc. This kind of kit is rarely included when buying from a dealer, unless you buy brand new and negotiate it as part of the deal.
Sorry, forgot to mention, CRIS registration is almost like having a "log book" for a caravan. The number of the CRIS certificate should match the numbers etched onto the van windows and ownership details should match with the person and address you are buying from. There is a fee to pay to CRIS by the new owner and then a new Certificate is issued with the new keepers name.
Most newish vans are CRIS registered,not everyone bothers to register new ownership - foolish but some people just are - and you can also check with CRIS to see if there is any outstanding finance on the van or if it has been stolen. There is a fee for this too.
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Topic: Newbie looking for 5 berth
