The branding isn't as important as you'd first think. At least not like buying a car. A good few of the main manufacturers belong to the Swift group anyway, so it might well have come from the same factory & just sold under a different name.
More importantly...
How many will it need to sleep...?
What car will you tow it with...?
How much do you want to spend...?
Welcome to the forum - great for getting to know the secrets behind good caravanning - I would have been totally lost if it had not been for all the help on here
I'd also think about the layout you would prefer ie. bunks, fixed bed, central kitchen or rear, same with bathroom, shower or not - look in your local advertiser and go and see whats around but look carefully for damp.
------------- If you hear - you forget, if you see - you remember but if you do - you understand.
I would agree with the others that the brand need not be that important. My advice to anyone thinking about buying their first van would be to visit as many dealerships as you can and look at different types of layouts to see what suits you best. Even if you intend to buy private I would still suggest the best way to view different types of vans is to visit the dealers first.
totally agree narrow your choice of layout down or you get very confused, then you can work from there to which model suits you make doesnt seem to matter its what suits your needs best, good luck
------------- wishing everyone,,,,what you would wish for yourselves x
Before you get into the detail of layouts and brands you would be wise to consider your car and what it can safely tow. Forget the 85% rule. A unit can be unsafe at much lower ratios.
We started with a new Corniche towed with a new LR Discovery and the unit was dangerously unstable. Over months we tried every remedy and advice from dealers and manufacturers and later a Conqueror and Wayfarer twin axles and a Disco TD5 but still found ourselves snaking and bouncing along motorways and backroads at any speed over 30mph.
Eventually after a near disasted on the M1 we sold the lot and later bought a folding camper which is towed smoothly with a VW Golf diesel Tiptronic.
We wish we had discovered fc's earlier as they are a fraction of the weight and height and have services like electrics, fridge, h/c water and 2 double+ bedrooms.
We bought a new caravan this year. I have to agree with the comments above. You need to decide on the layout you need. Its very easy to get carried away when you step into a huge caravan and the space feels great and the cushions are the right colour etc etc. We eventually decided that as there is only the two of us and we like to be able to spread out during the day that the best option was simply a two berth with nice long front seats and a rear bathroom. We also knew that our car would easily cope with this type of van. Its then a case of going round the dealers and looking at these layout caravans in all the different makes. You will soon notice that some fixtures look identical and the only real difference is the cushion covers. We knew as soon as we walked into ours that it was the one. It was just slightly different to all the others and had more of a modern feel to it. Have caravaned more than ever this year which is a good sign of how much we love our new van.
I would also buy the Practical caravan magazine, or Caravan magazine, you get them from your newsagents, as they show the layouts and also show second hand caravans etc, which they look round and report on. Also you will get a lot of advise from the magazines which you mightn't have thought off. That's what we did when we were starting out looking.
As others have suggested, the starting point is your towcar. You need to do a little research to establish your safe tow limits. Don't just accept salesperson's advice - check it out thoroughly. The caravanning clubs can offer a lot of towing information, as well as here on UKCS.
Then look at layouts of caravans which suit your needs, within your 'limits' both in terms of towing and cost. That will very much narrow down the choice from the vast array of caravans.
The branding is pretty much irrelevant, since there appear to be very many makes/models, but only a few stables that they come from! After a few rounds of viewing caravans, you will soon get a feel for the ones you like. You will find more second hand Baileys and Swift Group vans than any others, simply because they are the two biggest selling British brands, followed closely by Explorer Group brands. Many older van brands have disappeared, or been swallowed up into the bigger groups over time.
It might be worth noting that most makes have 3 (sometimes more) distinct levels within their ranges - entry-level, mid-range & luxury. Once you've started nosing around the vans, you will begin to see which is which.
Having just bought my first van and tip toeing throught themine field of picking the right one ..I would say to you
1. choose what layout you want go and view loads at a dealer and spend lots of time in the vans sit in them make the bads up play for as long as you have that way you will know if its right for you.
We had a fantom weekend in 2 hrs, made the beds up , pretended to goto the loo whilst people were in bed pretend showers ect mad yes but we know we have the right layout for us now..
2.Take your time dont jumo at the first van you like the look of chances are it will be £1000 cheaper down the road..
3. Check your chosen van for damp check every where I mean EVERYWHERE find one thing and you can start the barter if its not to bad.
4.Barter offer that stupid amount for the van they can only say no and if they dont you get a bargain
DONT worry about makes as long as you like it and its the right weight for your vehicle then you choose which ever caravan you want to and like...
Have fun doing it remeber its like choosing your holidays for the next 10 yrs ..
Good luck and let us know what you get...
There are loads of great British caravans out there, but don't rule out continental caravans in your search. Many are as well equipped as British vans but are often cheaper. I have a German-built Burstner at the moment which is excellent, but I am on the lookout for a fixed-bed caravan and have been looking at Adrias, Fendts & Hobbys among others. Keep an eye on the payload (Hobbys are hefty to tow, even the small ones). Having said that, the general feel of most of the continental vans I have looked at is roomy, modern and well-designed (a bit like an Ikea living room!) On the downside, the door is usually on the 'wrong' side, although this has never caused us any problems. Happy hunting!
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Topic: Newbie needs help, what caravan
