At the moment we a campers,we bought our first tent last year.
We had a bad week in Devon with the rain and winds,then it took us a few hours to pack everything up and then when we got home still had more to do packing it all back in its place,washing our footprint etc.
I have convinced my hubby to buy a carry a van as i call it,so have now started to read up on here ,the do and don'ts,we are not in a position to buy one yet so are saving as hard as we can hopfully next year we will have one.
We have got a Suzuki grand Vitari so i think we have got a good car to pull most types of vans.
I am looking at vans on ebay but not sure if we should purchase our first from an auction site.( would you?)
So if you all don,t mind i will be following this site with interest getting my tips.
I would like to know how much more diesel does it cost to tow on average.
Hi we bought our van off of ebay! All the usual pitfalls to be aware of but there are some real bargains to be had, if you read the ads carefully you can make a fairly sound judgement before you go to view it. If theres loads of info in the listing and its a private sale, and you can speak to the seller even better.
If it says selling for a friend, or taken in part exchange it means they know nothing about the van and therefore could fail to tell you about the leaks, knackered water pumps and dodgy wiring!
Or do as we did and took the chance, and just bought it! but it did only cost us £157.00 but we did travel up from Dorset to collect it in Preston!
A year and a half later and its still going strong, not bad for a 26 year old van!
The winter is a good time to buy a 'van as most people are not looking to buy at that time. I would have bought off ebay if i had found one that i could go and look at beforehand. We eventually bought our 2nd 'van off autotrader.
The advise you'll be given is to invest in a damp meter. That is good advise. Some people will tell you that their 'van doesn't have damp when in fact it does. A bargain 'van could be riddled with damp which won't seem such a bargain.
Buy a cheapie 'van to begin with to help you work out what layout suits you. We started off with a real cheapie with no toilet because i didn't think we'd need one. But i quickly realised how handy one would be. And no hot running water, but then why have a caravan without when you have kids lol.
At the moment we a campers,we bought our first tent last year.
We had a bad week in Devon with the rain and winds,then it took us a few hours to pack everything up and then when we got home still had more to do packing it all back in its place,washing our footprint etc.
This is why we bought a caravan - I was quite a happy camper really but OH loathed the pack up and pack away business of it all and he planted the first seed of caravanning in my mind in Feb 2009 when he dragged me off to the NEC - it took us 16mths to finally take the plunge but it was the last tent hol at Whitsun this year that did it for me - a very wet week in Cornwall ending in a full day to get packed up and away from site. By the time we bought our lovely caravan we were absolutely sure that this was definitely for us.
Ours was an Ebay purchase but you can get MCEA approved mobile engineers (on MCEA website) to come and do a pre purchase inspection when you go to collect or view it - costs around £60-£100 for a full inspection including damp check - some will also do the CRIS check - worth it I reckon for the peace of mind.
sorry to hijack the thread but I love the new upholstery in your van, it's really made it lovely and modern , If I was in the Market for a 6 berth I would so buy it.
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
People in this forum will be only too pleased to give help, advice and guidance to you. Some of it will be helpful, some of it not, but all of it well intentioned though it won't always come across like that.
As a caravanner of some 28 years experience, I would say to you that there is a lot more to owning a caravan than first would appear.
What may first appear a bargain may well turn out, on closer inspection, to be a very expensive proposition. You have to think of all the ancilliary equipment needed ie a good battery - would suggest at least 85 amps, Aquaroll, grey waste container, awning, groundsheet. What I've detailed there could cost over a grand depending on the size of the caravan awningwise. Check out the tyres and see if what you're buying has a spare.
There's inurance to think about, servicing and the possibility that you may have to store it if you don't have room at home. None of these things are cheap and you have to be aware of them.
If you can take all this on board and cope with it then go ahead and enjoy. IMHO I wouldn't buy a caravan on ebay but that's only me.
Now that said, I am thinking about selling my outfit complete. The caravan is a 2004 Elddis Avante 482 - a lovely 2 berth with full width end bathroom and shower. It is absolutely ready to go with everything including a full size Bradcot Classic awning with easy pole system, a Pyramid Porch awning. The caravan is fitted with a Truma motor mover, Winterhoff Stabiliser has an Aquaroll with mains adaptor, Aquaroll Wastemaster, 85 amp battery.
I have owned the caravan from new and it has been serviced every year. There's documentation to support this. I also have all the receipts for any additional bits that have been bought. We are non smokers, there have been no pets and as a two berth children have not figured in its usage at any time.
The whole outfit HAS to be worth £7000.00 of anyone's money.
Very soon, there will be some pictures in my gallery of the outfit on site in Modbury, South Devon in April of this year, with the porch awning attached and in France just a few weeks ago with the full size awning attached. Don't take any notice of the dates on the pics, I forgot to correct it!
Hi stocky13, you may also like to consider a folding caravan, they have solid sides and are less prone to damp than conventional caravans,(roof covers the wall seams when erected and in folded position),and can be stored on the driveway, in areas that local authoritys do not allow caravans to be stored there. "Gobur caravans in Norfolk" Esterel caravans, campersandleisuer.co.uk, Ebay,some places to look, Best to buy end of season, buy a damp meter, check around caravan dealers to see what kind of layout will be best for you, ask all sorts of questions, make a list of all the things that you would like in your van, then do some serious looking for a van, that way you will know what it is you want, and will have better idea of the prices, hope this helps you, and good luck on your quest.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
Quote: Originally posted by Vic Wildish on 02/8/2010
People in this forum will be only too pleased to give help, advice and guidance to you. Some of it will be helpful, some of it not, but all of it well intentioned though it won't always come across like that.
As a caravanner of some 28 years experience, I would say to you that there is a lot more to owning a caravan than first would appear.
What may first appear a bargain may well turn out, on closer inspection, to be a very expensive proposition. You have to think of all the ancilliary equipment needed ie a good battery - would suggest at least 85 amps, Aquaroll, grey waste container, awning, groundsheet. What I've detailed there could cost over a grand depending on the size of the caravan awningwise. Check out the tyres and see if what you're buying has a spare. There's inurance to think about, servicing and the possibility that you may have to store it if you don't have room at home. None of these things are cheap and you have to be aware of them.
If you can take all this on board and cope with it then go ahead and enjoy. IMHO I wouldn't buy a caravan on ebay but that's only me.
Now that said, I am thinking about selling my outfit complete. The caravan is a 2004 Elddis Avante 482 - a lovely 2 berth with full width end bathroom and shower. It is absolutely ready to go with everything including a full size Bradcot Classic awning with easy pole system, a Pyramid Porch awning. The caravan is fitted with a Truma motor mover, Winterhoff Stabiliser has an Aquaroll with mains adaptor, Aquaroll Wastemaster, 85 amp battery.
I have owned the caravan from new and it has been serviced every year. There's documentation to support this. I also have all the receipts for any additional bits that have been bought. We are non smokers, there have been no pets and as a two berth children have not figured in its usage at any time.
The whole outfit HAS to be worth £7000.00 of anyone's money.
Very soon, there will be some pictures in my gallery of the outfit on site in Modbury, South Devon in April of this year, with the porch awning attached and in France just a few weeks ago with the full size awning attached. Don't take any notice of the dates on the pics, I forgot to correct it!
Let me know if you're interested.........
Vic
Ha Ha ! Yes don't buy off Ebay " BUT MINE" (Sorry just me) being ANNOYED !!
Quote: Originally posted by Vic Wildish on 02/8/2010
People in this forum will be only too pleased to give help, advice and guidance to you. Some of it will be helpful, some of it not, but all of it well intentioned though it won't always come across like that.
As a caravanner of some 28 years experience, I would say to you that there is a lot more to owning a caravan than first would appear.
What may first appear a bargain may well turn out, on closer inspection, to be a very expensive proposition. You have to think of all the ancilliary equipment needed ie a good battery - would suggest at least 85 amps, Aquaroll, grey waste container, awning, groundsheet. What I've detailed there could cost over a grand depending on the size of the caravan awningwise. Check out the tyres and see if what you're buying has a spare.
There's inurance to think about, servicing and the possibility that you may have to store it if you don't have room at home. None of these things are cheap and you have to be aware of them.
If you can take all this on board and cope with it then go ahead and enjoy. IMHO I wouldn't buy a caravan on ebay but that's only me.
Now that said, I am thinking about selling my outfit complete. The caravan is a 2004 Elddis Avante 482 - a lovely 2 berth with full width end bathroom and shower. It is absolutely ready to go with everything including a full size Bradcot Classic awning with easy pole system, a Pyramid Porch awning. The caravan is fitted with a Truma motor mover, Winterhoff Stabiliser has an Aquaroll with mains adaptor, Aquaroll Wastemaster, 85 amp battery.
I have owned the caravan from new and it has been serviced every year. There's documentation to support this. I also have all the receipts for any additional bits that have been bought. We are non smokers, there have been no pets and as a two berth children have not figured in its usage at any time.
The whole outfit HAS to be worth £7000.00 of anyone's money.
Very soon, there will be some pictures in my gallery of the outfit on site in Modbury, South Devon in April of this year, with the porch awning attached and in France just a few weeks ago with the full size awning attached. Don't take any notice of the dates on the pics, I forgot to correct it!
Let me know if you're interested.........
Vic
Ha Ha ! Yes don't buy off Ebay " BUT MINE" (Sorry just me) being ANNOYED !!
Don't understand your response SteveO and why are you shouting?
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: I`m so envious i want one.
