Well, it looks like it may finally happen. My husband is putting forward a good solid case for investing in a caravan. The primary swinging factors being a longer season, ability to tour site to site more readily and the huge bonus of significantly reducing the dreaded pack up time.
So, we have been starting to have a little look around at what caravans are out there and my head is now spinning and I need some help!!
We have a budget of around 5-6k and need a van that will accommodate 2 adults and 2 children (currently aged 6 and 4). We are thinking that a 4 or 5 berth van with the layout of seating area at either end of the van that converts into double beds would suit our needs as provides separate area for the kids. I have seen some with what look to be more fixed bunks at one end and a table / chairs in the middle that seat 2 and seating at the other end that converts into a double bed that would also do the job. Ideally, we are hoping to find a 2003 / 2004 model or newer.
We have a VW Passat which I believe has a tow capacity of 1500 but obviously we would not want to too close to the max ( was thinking 1300 ish fully laden but I have pulled that out of thin air!).
So, my questions are: does anyone have any advice re: makes / models that meet our spec? Are we being realistic with budget (assuming also around £600 per year on insurance / storage)? Does the make of the van make much difference and if so which are the premium, middle and lower price range manufacturers (looking for something in the middle I suppose)?
Also, is it essential to get van serviced annually and what is the approx cost for this? Are there any safety features which are essential or a very good idea to look out for? Sorry for all the questions but I am totally new to all this!!
You should get your van serviced every year regardless of where you buy it from. You should be able to find a good van at your price. Look on caravan finder. co.uk it will give you agood idea as to what you can get. Good luck, and never be afraid to ask questions.
Servicing is a must particularly cos of the gas system.Get yourself a damp meter, basic one from B&Q or similar and poke about with it all round the windows, inside bed boxes etc. Watch out for tyres that are more than 6 years old, should be replaced so always budget for possibility of tyres . You will also need quite a bit of extra kit ie.
water and waste containers, hookup lead and bits of hose for connecting waste etc. Might get a deal with a load okit chucked in....Good luck......Mick
Hi Please also bear in mind that when buying your first caravan that weights are the most important factor. Your caravan fully loaded to its MTPLM (Max weight) for a new caravanner should be not more than 85% of the kerbweight of the car (this is a guideline only), We tow an Adria Altea 542uk with a max Weight of 1300kgs with a volvo V70 (1590 kgs - weight bridge), and this is just about OK as 85% of this is 1351Kgs. We have towed the same van with a Focus II diesel 2.0 estate 2006 model, with lower weight in the van due to lower kerbweight of the car. The Passat though should be OK with a 1300kgs van.
As for vans we are new to caravanning also and looked for a number of years to find the right layout, our kids were 2 and 8 when we started, and found the two rear bunks with a back side dinette much better than the bunks in the middle or near to adults sleep quarters, we just feel it givers a bit more adult privacy, and we can close off the back end at night whilst the kids sleep and enjoy the evening either with friends or on our own.
From my point of view we looked at all the Baileys etc but nothing floated our boat, however Lunar and Elddis models are in our opinion slightly better, our adria can be described as Ikea on wheels interms of trim but the finish is excellent. We bought it new for a good price £8K, our budget was similiar to you 5 - 8k, however we did not want to blow the budget and find we did not like it and loose money selling it, hence we managed to buy new and love it. See if you can find a couple whom are retiring from caravanning and selling lock stock and barrel, as this will be cheaper than buying all the extra bits. We already had a FC so had most stuff but still spent a further 2.5K kitting out the van with awning etcs.
We pay £290/yr for insurance new for old and £480/yr cassoa gold site storage.
Its an Expensive Hobby for Cheap holidays. I hope you find what your looking for, however now is not the ideal time during the holiday period/season when prices are slight higher.
The Passat Tdi is an excellent tow car. We used one extensively. The most importand factor when buying a caravan is to buy a dry one. Everything else in my opinion is down to personal choice. Look at lots and find what you like.
We like a large end bathroom with decent shower etc. The price we pay really is in not having a fixed bed. That would also be nice to have.
We don't have our caravan serviced every year. The price we pay there is possibly in resale value but it probably travels less than 2000 miles per year and who gets their home gas cooker/room heater serviced every year? I don't see a lot different in a caravan.
As an indication of insurance premiums, we have a 2008 Bailey Ranger 460/4 and our renewal notice has just come through from CaravanGuard at £19.28 per month. We have it on a "New for Old" policy, meaning that if our van was stolen, we would get £12,000 from the insurance, thus avoiding any haggling as to what a used caravan is worth! If we went for a "like for like" policy, the premiums would be cheaper but in the event of a claim, would only get a used valuation as settlement.
We're selling up now though as we never seem to get the time to go away in it
Take a good look at a folding caravan. We got a s/hand Pennine pathfinder it's 6 birth and the space in side is fantastic and it really is easy to put up. Forget the sales hype of ten mins. I am 65 and it takes me 20 mins and the kettle is on! Paid 7grand for very clean 2008 model and it's fantastic. All the benefits of a caravan with 6 berth space but a delight to tow as folds down to really manageable size. We got VW passat 1.9tdi and it tows a dream. Do take a look
We did a similar thing last year. We had a Pennine Pathfinder FC
which was great but a pain to erect and dismantle as it always seemed to rain as we packed up!
We went for a 5 berth Elddis which suits us, the rear dinette turns into a bedroom with privacy ( bunk bed over a double). There are 4 of us.
Others have mentioned the dreaded damp thing - important you don't buy a sponge on wheels, we had ours serviced when we bought it.
You need to consider weights and storage. We can keep ours out of sight at home and have invested in a decent cover for the winter.
Our Passat estate tows the van really well, especially since we fitted MAD rear spring helpers. One thing though, the weights published for VW's are usually lower than the actual weight of the car. We put ours on a weigh bridge and found it was heavier than the figures we got from the Caravan Club making it a good match for our Elddis.
Finally, even though we had towed the FC previously we were not confident towers so we went on the day and a half towing course run by the CC. Now we don't fear reversing the thing.
Take your time, look at loads and enjoy the search!
I'm in the process of early-stage research into a future caravan purchase myself, so just wanted to thank everyone who has posted, as I'm finding this all very helpful too.
Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to post some really helpful advice. Its now a case of raising funds and shopping around. I will no doubt have lots more questions as we progress along the learning curve!!
We did the same last November! Best thing we ever did :)
Undercover storage near to liverpool airport 250 a year. Cannot be beaten. Insurance i think off top of head is 160. Fab service engineer, highly recc from a friend who's used him for over 20 years, hes near runcorn bridge. Let me know if you need his details ill dig them out.
As for layouts..... Its a minefield! We settled on a 2002 with fixed buks for the kids, same age as yours, its got small dinner at the side, all this can be closed off with a door. Then our kingsize bed / settee area at the front, which is also where the door is.
I'm over the top with security and like the door near to where we sleep rather than where the kids sleep.... My sleepwalking 5 yr old cant wander off without me knowing then!
Good luck :)
------------- Fab time in France again.... Roll on next year!
Thanks for that smiledmb - I would be grateful if you could dig out the details for me if you get chance as recommendations are so valuable. I will keep a note of it now rather than trying to find this thread again later when I come to need it.
Will also check out the Pageant S5, thanks Basilbrush.
Edit to add: have just looked at a few of these on ebay and I LOVE them! Design spec would be ideal for us and the separate shower is an unexpected bonus.
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: Moving from tent to caravan - help!
