Hi all, have been a lurker on here for a couple of weeks and absolutely love the site. Have learned so much. We currently have a Montana 6 tent which we love to bits but are now considering buying a caravan. We are complete novices and wondered if you could give us some advice as to what caravan we should be looking for and where we might get a nice one. We are looking for a tourer to suit my husband and I as well as our two girls, aged 12 and 8. We stay near Edinburgh. Money is quite tight so we don't have a large budget. Any advice you good people could offer would be very much appreciated.
I can't advise where to get a caravan local to yourselves but as many people on here will tell you the best thing is to find your local dealers and go and sit in the vans. try all the layouts. Make sure all of you go so that you are all in the van and move about between seats and kitchen area etc. You will find that when you go into ceratin layouts you just don't like the feel. Good luck and happy Hunting
------------- "Money can't buy you happiness but it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes"
I wouldnt go to a dealer if you are not spending much, the sort of caravan they might want £2k for a private seller would let go for less £1k, especially at this time of yr, which is the best time to buy, because its end of season.
Most important thing when buying a caravan even a few yrs old is to check for damp, if you are after a 90s 'van some can be so damp they are virtually scrap, whereas some will be perfectly dry.
Ebay is ok, its no different from buying privately, if the 'van is no good, walk away, theres no legal comeback despite what the sellers may threaten in their listings.
------------- Sell my camper? I'd rather eat school semolina!
Thanks everyone for your advice. We are planning on having a seasonal pitch on a site that we use for camping and it's open all year round (except this year it closes in November for refurbishment). We have been told they have storage facilities that we can use while the site is closed for the few months of refurbishing. If we did need to tow, I have a Chevrolet Tacuma 1.6 and my neighbour has also volunteered to help if we need a tow as he has a tow bar fitted on his Hyundai Santa Fe.
We will take your advice and go to our local dealer (which is round the corner from, my house!) and have a look at what they have on offer.
Thank you all once again and I'll be back soon .....
Were in a simular position to you, We are trailer tent people to now. But intend to move on to a Van. Beware with Ebay as people over inflate the prices & they have been known to lie about age condition etc. I would recommend care. I was after what I was told was a 1997 Abby Tristar 4 berth. All the info sounded great at the time till I questioned the age, With the help of the GOOD PEOPLE on this site I made the seller admit the Van was actually a 90/91. Bit of a difference in my books.
Try www.caravanfinder. It is very good for seeing what different layouts are available, and gives you some ides on prices. Also try autotrader, as they have a section on caravans, and look around your local dealers to see caravans in the flesh.
Best of luck,
Jim.
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Topic: Advice on caravan purchase please
