We are considering purchasing our first caravan, the family having outgrown our fabulous Dandy Dart - the kids now refuse to sleep next to each other.
We're really looking for a bit of advice as this is completely unchartered territory for us.
I've spent a wee while trying to research which caravan would be best suited to our needs but to be honest I'm getting a bit overwhelmed with the enormity of it all. Hence the best solution may be to ask for advice from caravanners themselves.
These would be our requirements.
1. Relatively small/light van - car is a 1.8 petrol Mazda 6 with 1300kg max towing weight, 75kg nose weight.
2. Separate sleeping area for the 2 kids, e.g. end bunks (they are quite young)
3. Fridge, microwave etc. are not important. We've managed very well with a two burner and a fridge box for a few years now.
4. Cheap! This would obviously be our first van and want to dip our toes in gently. If we get as much enjoyment out of the caravan as we have had from the Dandy over the years then, finances permitting, we'd upgrade next year.
5. Easy to find an awning to fit (am I daft, are these standard sizes)?
Firstly, welcome to the forum shahsman. Well to start off it sounds like you require a 4 berth caravan to suit your needs and the car really is insufficient for what you need. If it was a diesel model then it may have been more capable but even then it may be under weight and under powered for what you need. Most caravans come with fridges anyway that run on gas and electric but not microwaves which you would need electric hook up for anyway. You also haven't stated what your maximum budget is which could help in making a choice and year of caravan. Awnings come in various sizes which are measured in centimetres (cms) and if you have a handbook with the caravan it usually tells you what size awning you need.
I've just bought my first caravan too. Lots of searching around with weight in mind led me to my abi sprinter 400d. Not a massive van, but with the bunks at one end, screened by a curtain, I reckon it would be OK with two kids.
MTPLM being 1000kg, my 1.5d Megane is more than adequate. I've only done one tow with it, but top gear on a 12% incline was no problem.
I was helped in my choice by the dealer's ad, which quoted the weight of every caravan they had, something which a lot of sellers don't bother with, perhaps assuming we've all got Range Rovers et al. I lost count of the number of e-mails I had to send to private buyers asking for the weight of their item, why don't they include it, I wonder?
If I understand correctly you are looking for a pre-owned caravan to "test the water"
If that's the case an older caravan will usually be lighter than a modern equivalent. We bought our Elddis Wisp 450 CT new in 1993 and have towed all these years with 1.8 petrol cars (Toyota)with no problems. We have only just changed to a 2.2 Diesel and that's for general economy.
The layout is not popular in these days of fixed beds but to us it is ideal for a couple or as in your case with two children. The layout is full size front seats and 2 seat rear dinette. The rear dinette converts to a single bed and there is a single bunk above(which we have removed)
Not sure how old you want to go but I'm sure there will be newer versions available too.
A couple of examples
http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/elddis-wisp-450ct-in-great-condition/96041165#gallery-item-full-4
Like the other's have said you will need a 4 berth,If you look around depending on your budget you may get a van private sale/Ebay with lots thrown in to get you started.Have you got room to store a caravan or will you need to pay for storage?.Like alot of people on here we have gone from tent to a van and would never go back to tenting.By the way welcome to the forum you will get lots of good info on here even if you think it may be a silly question just ask .
A big THANKS to everyone who has offered some advice to our post. You've been vey helpful indeed and provided us with a much welcome steer. We can now focus on the vans suggested and take it from there. I'd still be ploughng through endless spec etc. otherwise.
And thanks also for the warm welcome to the forum, I'm sure I'll be back...
I would also have a look at 5 berths because you do get a little bit extra space even though strictly speaking you only need 4 beds. If you know you like camping holidays anyway I would personally buy for the longer term rather than having to go through the hassle of buying and selling again in a year. Happy hunting.
hi and welcome to the forum , this is an excellent place for advice . The best thing you do with regards to picking your van is either go trawling around the dealers with the kids or better still we are always found is go to a campsite for a night with ur tent and walk around the campsite looking at the vans and speak to people ! They are really friendly and tell them your window shopping for a van and most people will share their experience with you. But can I suggest that you really think about your layout 1st ie end kitchen cf end washroom and then focus on that
In my limited experience, although three months trawling might make me more thant that , I found the end bathroom vans to be generally heavier than other layouts, given I intend to use 'equipped sites', the bathroom is of a lower impotance than weight. A big bathroom certainly looks grand, but if it's of limited use, it's wasted space/weight.
Most 4 berths I looked at had the two seats at the rear, but mine has two bunks to the right of the door, giving a more usable space for our requirements. Each to their own, happy hunting.
If your 85% of kerbweight is 1176kg then you could also look at a 4 berth bailey ranger? We brought a 470/4 last year as our first van and towed this with a vauxhall Vectra. The max van weight is (I think from memory on our 2007 model) 1179kg. It has a front dinette that converts into a double bed and a side dinette that converts into a single bed with a fold out bunk bed above. They are fairly resonable to pick up 2nd hand and popular so lots available 2nd hand. They also have a large end bathroom which can be really useful. The only downside is the side dinette is only dividable from the main cabin by a curtain so you would probably want an awning to sit in when the kids go to bed early, which is what we did. It gave us a great insight into caravaning and as a result of loving it we have now upgraded our tow car and just put a deposit down on a bigger van!
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Topic: Newbie Advice
