ok, after a few years of tenting it we are now thinking of getting a caravan. We do 2 to 3 weeks per year in France in the summer but would like to do maybe Oct half term in the UK and also weekends locally. I would like to do these on my own without my husband as he would be working so need to be able to manage it myself.
We are a family of 5 with 2 girls and 1 boy so the layout is quite important. Don't really want a child in a bunk above our bed.
OH has been watching the gypsy sites and thinks that if Hobbies and Fendts are good enough to live in then they must be good quality and would do for us. He wants a decent sized van.
Towing vehicle is a 3 lt 4x4 toyota landcruiser.
We have space beside our house for not much more than 23foot although with a small amount of landscape gardening we could accommodate slightly larger if necessary.
What else do we need to consider and any opinions/advice on any of the above? I'm thinking around 6 yrs old and hoping to get something under £5K - is this reasonable?
Quote: ...OH has been watching the gypsy sites and thinks that if Hobbies and Fendts are good enough to live in then they must be good quality and would do for us. He wants a decent sized van.
Hi Missizippi.
Not making any recommend here as when we upgraded from trailer-tent to van, we did tons of research and feel the layout of van is quite important for your needs. With your situation though, I'd perhaps immediately consider a fixed bunk layout and there are quite a range of triple bunk vans available.
Only thing I did want you to be aware of, is that most Hobbies on the roads (unless full UK spec) can only legally be towed in the UK with a commercial vehicle, i.e. Transit; this is due to their width and has nothing to do with the caravans laden weight etc.
Don't get caught out, it can be a mine-field in matching your choice of van to towcar.
Also bear in mind that lots of the upper bunks have quite low weight limtis on them and are only suitable for really small children....important to consider with a growing family.
We are in a similar position that we are going from a tent to a caravan. We did previously have a couple of caravans which were seasonally pitched so we never towed them.
There are just the two of us, and we had a good scout around some dealers at the weekend looking at layouts and getting ideas as to what would work for us. There are tons of choices....it didn't make it very easy!!
Have a good look around, I have a thread called caravan prices in this section, and several people have mentioned a shortage of caravans and higher than usual prices, so it might be worth a read.
There is a really useful article on the caravan club website called Getting started - it made me consider things I hadn't, so maybe have a read of that.
Good luck - exciting ain't it!!
------------- Gail
March - Bamburgh
Easter - Low Park Wood CC Kendal
May - Yellowcraigs CC North Berwick
June - Wharfedale CC Grassington
Some sites won't allow the vans on that are associated with travellers. You must have a vehicle that weighs over 3.5 tonnes in order to pull one of the large imported vans that are 2.5 metres wide rather than the normal 2.3 metres.
Insurance can also be tricky for some brands. Go around some dealers, have a look at layouts, take all the family and sit down, make up the beds etc and be sure the layout will work for you. Picture a wet day when you are all inside for instance!
Budget for some decent security devices too, if you are attracted to Hobby/Fendt etc then it will be a stipulation by the insurers that you have wheel clamps, hitchlocks, an alarm and maybe a tracker.
Quote: Originally posted by Missizippi on 15/9/2009
ok, after a few years of tenting it we are now thinking of getting a caravan. We do 2 to 3 weeks per year in France in the summer but would like to do maybe Oct half term in the UK and also weekends locally. I would like to do these on my own without my husband as he would be working so need to be able to manage it myself.
We are a family of 5 with 2 girls and 1 boy so the layout is quite important. Don't really want a child in a bunk above our bed.
OH has been watching the gypsy sites and thinks that if Hobbies and Fendts are good enough to live in then they must be good quality and would do for us. He wants a decent sized van.
Towing vehicle is a 3 lt 4x4 toyota landcruiser.
We have space beside our house for not much more than 23foot although with a small amount of landscape gardening we could accommodate slightly larger if necessary.
What else do we need to consider and any opinions/advice on any of the above? I'm thinking around 6 yrs old and hoping to get something under £5K - is this reasonable?
Missiszippi
Twin axle Hobby and Fendt vans that are over 2.3 metres wide CANNOT be LEGALLY towed on UK roads with any 4 wheel drive regardless of its towing capacity to tow within the law you will require a Transit , Sprinter type van with a
GVW of 3500 kg or more . If you were to tow an overwidth van on UK roads with a normal car/4 wheel drive you risk being uninsured in the event of an accident . So best look at another alternative
Thanks for all the replies! I had read on another post about the legalities of towing the larger vans but I presume that you can get Hobby or Fendt vans in 2.3m width then? maybe just harder to find?
Are there any other makes of caravan that people can recommend to be of good quality. (OH is a bit of a perfectionist)
Quote: Originally posted by Missizippi on 15/9/2009
Thanks for all the replies! I had read on another post about the legalities of towing the larger vans but I presume that you can get Hobby or Fendt vans in 2.3m width then? maybe just harder to find? Are there any other makes of caravan that people can recommend to be of good quality. (OH is a bit of a perfectionist)
I'm really not sure if you can. Hobby/ Fendt are made primarily for mainland Europe, where it is legal to tow 2.5m wide. I gather it's only here it is 2.3m.
Quote: Originally posted by Missizippi on 15/9/2009Thanks for all the replies! I had read on another post about the legalities of towing the larger vans but I presume that you can get Hobby or Fendt vans in 2.3m width then? maybe just harder to find?
Are there any other makes of caravan that people can recommend to be of good quality. (OH is a bit of a perfectionist)
I'm really not sure if you can. Hobby/ Fendt are made primarily for mainland Europe, where it is legal to tow 2.5m wide. I gather it's only here it is 2.3m.
There are a few UK spec Hobbys that come in 2.3m width, but they are a rarety. They're also sought after by the thieving fraternity too!
As for recommendations, difficult to suggest without budget etc. If OH is a perfectionist, I can tell you you'll find fault in any van you look at; you need to find the most suitable layout and spec for your needs.
As someone mentioned, some fixed bunks can be limited on weight, but (for example) the Adria 542DT has adult sized triple bunk arrangement and offers a fairly good spec.
Quote: Originally posted by Missizippi on 15/9/2009
OH has been watching the gypsy sites and thinks that if Hobbies and Fendts are good enough to live in then they must be good quality and would do for us. He wants a decent sized van.
I'm not intending to pour cold water on this idea, but, does your comment above mean that such a van is more at risk for theft. Would the insurance premium be higher? I suppose it's my experience in having to deal with the theft of our previous van earlier on in the year that makes me think of these things (all sorted now though) - our previous van was a Bailey. Just worth thinking about.
Budget for some decent security devices too, if you are attracted to Hobby/Fendt etc then it will be a stipulation by the insurers that you have wheel clamps, hitchlocks, an alarm and maybe a tracker.
realistically you should have as much security as possible anyway no matter what van you plum for
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Topic: Which Caravan?
