So me and the Mrs are looking for our first van - it definitely won't be bells and whistles and will be from the early 2000's looking at budget and the market.
Im aware of the risks this potentially brings with damp, structural issues etc but I'd rather put a little into a van before deciding we definitely want to invest a lot more further down the road.
Is there any old brands that would champion another - any layouts to stay away from? The Mrs fancies an L shaped layout - for me, I'm quite easy on the layout but was wondering if there was anything wrong with L shaped layouts vs the standard bench style seating?
Hi, we've got a 2005 coachman Pastiche. After many many years of caravanning with older vans we've found it's the best van we've ever had. Large shower and washroom decent kitchen area. Bench seats which you use as two singles or reasonably sized double. A lot of folks don't like making the beds every night and putting them away in the morning but we are used to it and doest cause us any problems. The older coachman seem to be fairly well built. We've had ours for a few years now and we paid peanuts for it. We've had a couple of minor problems but nothing major. My brother in law had the same model of van but his wife forced into buying a new Bailey because she like the bed making up a taking down. He did say the build quality of his Pastiche was far superior. Best of luck and please remember to check the towing capacity of your towcar before buying your caravan.
I think it's a wise move trying out buying an older/cheaper caravan before taking the plunge and committing a lot of money. That way you can find out what is the best layout for you. We are all different and what is perfect for one might be awful for someone else. It is definitely not "one size fits all".
We bought our current caravan back in 2017 and it suits us perfectly. It's not "flash" and it's certainly not new, having been built way back in 1992. It cost us just £1,100. We have had very few problems with it so far and I think some of those older vans were actually better built than some of the newer ones, judging by some of the horror stories I have read about on here. In my opinion there is no "best make", they all have their problems and their "Friday afternoon" examples. Even brand new caravans can have their problems, and not just the cheaper models.
If buying a used caravan check it thoroughly, particularly for damp, and preferably have an independent caravan engineer look it over for you. Don't rely on what you are told by the seller, particularly with a private sale. They are usually selling for a reason! It could just be that they are wanting a bigger one or a newer one, but it could be that they are having problems with it that they aren't about to tell you about.
Have a look on the caravan finder website. That gives an idea of layouts available, although it's only caravans that are actually for sale. However, it might give you ideas. We bought our first caravan for next to nothing as we weren't sure whether we would like it. (We were also pretty hard up!). Luckily we got a good one and kept it for 10 years. We eventually sold it for not a lot less!
------------- Freedom is a light caravan and an open road.
Hi ThokkiSam, I note you haven't been back on the site to tell us whether you've made any progress towards your first caravan purchase? Have you taken the plunge yet?
Very sensible idea, buying an oldie to start with. We did that many years ago; bought an Avondale Leda Cambrian 4 berth. I absolutely loved that caravan, it ticked all our boxes and we then swapped it for a more up to date Elddis Avante. I actually preferred the old Leda, and felt the build was more solid.
Good luck with finding a caravan that suits your purpose anyway.
------------- Life without dogs? I don't think so!
Expect a load of people coming on here to trumpet how their make/model of `van is the best on the planet but be prepared to ignore them.
Get out, tour a few large dealerships, have a good look in the `vans (age is pretty irrelevant) and see what layout you think works best for you. You`ll probably be wrong, but you have to start somewhere.
If you`re starting out, look at the private sales, you may get something from someone who is retiring from the pastime and get all the other bits you will need thrown in, but check any service records/damp checks and take someone who knows what they`re looking at with you.
Good luck, there are bargains out there in the minefield.
P.S We got our `ideal` layout in our seventh `van......
Quote: Originally posted by JuanHuNose on 28/5/2025
Expect a load of people coming on here to trumpet how their make/model of `van is the best on the planet but be prepared to ignore them.
Get out, tour a few large dealerships, have a good look in the `vans (age is pretty irrelevant) and see what layout you think works best for you. You`ll probably be wrong, but you have to start somewhere.
If you`re starting out, look at the private sales, you may get something from someone who is retiring from the pastime and get all the other bits you will need thrown in, but check any service records/damp checks and take someone who knows what they`re looking at with you.
Good luck, there are bargains out there in the minefield.
P.S We got our `ideal` layout in our seventh `van......
Nothing there I would disagree with, but I would add that there is one other way to consider. It's what we did to find the caravan we have now. Ask dealers if they have any "trade sales" available. In my experience they don't usually put these on display or advertise them, but they will usually show you if you ask them. They will be older models of course, and "sold without warranty", but you are still buying from a dealer which gives you greater protection than buying privately.
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Topic: Looking for First Van - Advice Needed
via mobile 19/5/2025 at 11:23am
