we have got about £1000 to spend what could we get & what to look out for, weight limit is 1200kg thats 85% of our tow car any advice greatly welcomed thanks p.s. what age
------------- better to have it and not need, than need and not have
Quote: Originally posted by ian bird on 18/9/2011
we have got about £1000 to spend what could we get & what to look out for, weight limit is 1200kg thats 85% of our tow car any advice greatly welcomed thanks p.s. what age
sorry there are me the wife and 3 kids 12,8&6
------------- better to have it and not need, than need and not have
Buy one off ebay anytime from now until the end of the yr. Probably 1990 or a bit newer. Main thing to look out for is damp. You will probably need to budget for a chassis service for around £70 & a couple of new tyres otherwise caravan may not be safe to tow. You will probably need to do a few other jobs on it so aim to spend somewhat less than £1000.
For the tow home from the seller you will have to use your own judgement as to the roadworthyness of the caravan. I'm assuming you have a reasonable knowledge of diy?
Click here and scroll down seven posts for some of the issues you must consider when buying.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
If you're only spending a grand, it'll be a private sale only.
What do you want out of a caravan? There are lots of good cheap vans out there, but lots of vans fit for the scrap yard too...
5 berth vans are like hens teeth really, and as such you'll pay a premium. We saw some stunning 2 berth vans for a grand, but tidy useble 4/5/6 berth vans start at about £2k in my (limited) experience.
I think you'll be looking at a 1988-1995 van for the money, although don't be put off to much by age, much better to buy a cherished older van, than a newer neglected one.
We started off looking for a £1k van earlier this year, to replace our trailer tent, but we decided we really wanted a fairly modern feel, full shower, proper cassette toilet etc. The vans we saw for under £2k we felt looked a bit dated, felt tired and by spending a bit more you can get something thats a decade newer. We got lucky and spent £2400 on this...
Its not that you can't buy a nice van for £1k, but we felt the vans at this sort of price offered no real advantage over our (excellent!) trailer tent!
Good luck with your search, let us know how you get on!
PS - I have a colleague with an ABI Marauder 450-CT in tidy condition, is a 1989 I think, floor is a bit spongy (fairly easy fix), and there is no damp. I'm sure he's after less than you want to spend. Send me a message if you like and I'll ping you his details!
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: what to look for we are new to caravans
