There could be some luck. A caravan we looked at that we think is well over priced they came down on their price. There is another caravan that the guy just needs to get rid off. He has not used it in 18 months he said it never leaked, shower etc works. Since I have no experience in caravans what do I need to look for. How do I know it has damp? and spongy floors. He said everything works since he last used it but that was 18 months ago. Obviously gas etc will need to be checked by someone who is qualified. I have a damp reader will that work. I know to look under all the cabinets, cushions etc. Since it has been sitting there for 18 months what else do I need to look at. I would rather not waste my money and pay for an experienced caravan service person to come with me so that he can tell me not to waste my money. Does such a service exist? look forward to all your help.
from the outside;
Make sure it sits nice & level (side to side) & not too low. Have a look underneath, the boards that make up the underside of the floor should be reasonably smooth (a few bits of flaking wood is OK, but not too much). Check the wooden & metal beams which make up the chassis all look ok & are pretty solid.
Check any plastic panels (usually front & back of caravan) & windows for any cracks.
Have a good look at all the exterior panels of the caravan, making sure there are no holes (obviously there will probably be a few scuffs & dents, but no massive gouges or any penetration of the outer skin).
Check all locker doors, windows & the main door all close properly, have their appropriate seals & aren't distorted.
Moving inside;
If the floor is spongy, you will feel it under foot. Have a little bounce here & there. It usually happens around the entrance.
Check all internal wall panels, they should be hard & not spongy at all (you should be able to press your fingernail into it & get resistance. It's only wood, you should know what it's supposed to feel like). Especially check the panels around the windows, the door, in the washroom & inside the cupboards.
Also, give the internal walls a little shove. they should be nice & rigid.
I don't know too much about using a damp meter. If you have any suspicions, I think you just stab it into the wall panel & take a reading.
Now, remember to check the integrity of the ceiling panels as well, especially around the roof-light. Also, check the washroom panels thoroughly.
Check carpets, check cupboards, check fixtures & fittings for general integrity.
To be perfectly honest, even a caravan with a few soft spots could well last you years & years without any work. A few soft spots isn't the end of the world, especially at your price range, in fact they are a good way of knocking the price down a bit.
Ask if it's possible to see it with gas & water connected? Maybe run the heater up, try all the taps, test the water heater.
Finally, check the tow hitch at the front. The actual hitch (which goes onto the tow-ball of the car) has a rubber bellows just behind it, this is the damper & also activates the caravan brakes whilst going along. Give it a good push inwards, towards the 'van, it should be quite stiff to push in, & have a "damped-effect".
That's about all I can think of now. One or two defects are to be expected in these old 'vans. I think it's slightly unfair to expect a caravan to exist for 20-30 years & not let a little water in or pick up a few battle scars or defects.
If they have been using it, & getting along fine with it, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to as well.
Good luck, I will add anything else as I think of it, but I don't think you'll go far wrong with that check list.
Need your advice. Went looking at this caravan the one I mentioned above. Thanks to Matt's blog was able to locate a few problems. Around the skylight the ceiling was spongy. There appeared on one side of the caravan black specs along where the roof and the side met this was found almost the entire side of the caravan. A friend said this does not mean that it is damp but could be mildew/mold and may need a good clean as it has not been used for 18 months. The floor seemed solid and the outside of the caravan is in really good condition. One of the windows seem to be a bit broken but no leak marks. Above the door there seemed to a bit soft. The guy said the shower does work but it seems one wall in the bathroom is soft. How do you know what is leak soft and what is damp? Can spongy bits be treated and fixed? The guy wants it shifted and said just make me an offer and you can have it. Other than that the cushions and oven hob and fridge all look in good condition. Would you run or make him a ridulous offer? I guess I would need to know what can be and what can not be fixed. Look forward to your help.
Check for a local Mobile Service guy and see if he would do a pre purchase inspection for you. My guy charges £150.00 for this service, and if you are unsure as to what to look for could be money well spent. It can also be used to reduce the price asked if faults are found !!
Doesn't sound that bad to me, depends what he considers a silly offer.
My dad paid £1100 for a caravan last summer which has half a wall gone soft in the washroom. It's never got any worse & the caravan's still got plenty of life left in it, with or without a repair.
It sounds to me like the rooflight needs either replacing or resealing, but you would need to check the black marks in the upper corners. These could just be mildew (were the panels soft in the corners???)
I think a lot of people on this forum don't understand just how small the amounts of money are here. With 'vans under a grand it's pointless employing an engineer at around £150 a time, & you'll never find a completely faultless 'van at this budget. These bits of advice, although good, are more for the newer 'vans, at about £5000+, & not much good for the crappies I'm afraid.
Like I said, even a 'van with a few soft spots could last you & your family a good 5-8 years. & if you're even slightly handy with a screwdriver & a mastic gun, you'll be able to keep it going (with the help of these vary pages) for a good while longer.
I only wish I could see it myself. It's so difficult doing things like this.
Do you think he would take £500 for it??? is that offer "silly" enough???
Thank you paid someone to look at it for me it is full damp. It would only be spares or repairs not for us. I know I am out of pocket but only by £50 and it could have been a costly purchase plus repairs etc it would have been a money pit. I know now what a "rot box" is. Still looking.
Thank you paid someone to look at it for me it is full damp. It would only be spares or repairs not for us. I know I am out of pocket but only by £50 and it could have been a costly purchase plus repairs etc it would have been a money pit. I know now what a "rot box" is. Still looking.
im sure the right caravan is out there somewhere you just might have to look at 30 bad ones until you find it!!
you cant be affording to pay £50 everytime you find one though, just buy yourself a damp meter and check everywhere advice
By now you must be coming better at checking caravans. I would not be paying for a person to check it. Use your own or a friends judgement for the next one. Hope you get there soon.
Each time you'll get to know a little more about them, just remember to take your time whilst looking.
Personally I think, especially with these older vans, a good trained eye (& hand) will do the job of a damp meter, as they can end up confusing things on older vans, if you don't know how to use them.
For instance, if you find a good one, but it has a section about a foot or two square which reads high on the meter, it's still a good one, just requires a small bit of work.
It's the ones with damp all over the place which need avoiding.
Keep my above checklist in mind, & try to be as thorough as you can. We've all ended up missing bits when we get a bit over-enthusiastic & carried away. A good checklist will keep you focused.
We ended up purchasing a little starter caravan just need to collect it now and exchange monies. It is in excellent condition on the inside and out the best we have seen and we have seen a few. Our checklist had all the checks for all the important things. It is a 1989 Marauder 4 berth. It is cold water only and comes with no acessories but because of the condition of it we were happy with that. We want to try it out for a year to see if we like it and get use out of it and then may look at upgrading for one with all the mod cons or we may just be happy with what we have.
Not sure what I will do with all this time I will have now when I no longer have to search and go to viewings.
What items will we need to start off with. It does not come with any acessories. We have an electric hook up for a tent is that the same. Will we need an awning, leisure battery, gas cylinder, porta potti. We were always looking to buy the water cylinder leads new and same with the porta potti. What size awning will we need? What would everyone recommend as the best for first time one we will be looking at used. What acessories will we need to sort out right away?
You will need to measure the awning rail (with a piece of string threaded through, then measure the string) to get the length of the awning required. Remember to take the string to floor level at either end.
Essentials are aquaroll of some sort with the hook up to the van, waste water container (probably a Wastemaster) for waste water, with the piping to run from your outlet to the container and your EHU hook up, which I think you already have from tenting. The wastemaster is a good investment as with bunge elastics, you can attach the cartridge from the potty to the top and empty it all in one fell swoop. Very useful as the cartridge from the toilet can be very heavy when full. Porta potty and chemicals (have a look on ebay or sale items on this forum) will be needed for the bathroom. You will also presumably need a gas bottle and regulator (propane is best as it doesn't freeze at lower tempertures). All the other stuff is down to personal taste - what you think is essential may not be to someone else (don't forget the corkscrew and wine glasses though, you'll be needing these after putting up the awning for the first time).
Best advice is to take the van for a couple of days somewhere very local to your home and set it up to live in... you will soon discover all the things you need and don't have far to go to get them! When we first bought a van, we set up at a site less than 3 miles from where we live and this was a great way to sort out all the little niggles...also other caravanners are usually only too willing to help/offer advice, they are generally a very friendly and helpful crowd.
Finally, take plenty of kitchen roll (we get through miles of the stuff when at the van, don't know why really) and make lists...lots and lots of lists. These lists will become endless (prepare yourself) and you will eventually find yourself looking for space in the van to store all the stuff you originally thought you couldn't live without.
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Topic: Caravan hunting why is it so difficult
