We're hoping to buy our first caravan in the next couple of weeks - we're currently pretty clueless about everything to do with caravanning but are picking up information as quickly as we can:-)
Our budget is quite tight (prob between £2-3000) so I'm looking for recommendations for dealers in West Yorks/Leeds area who sell good quality older vans - can anyone help out with suggestions as to helpful, reputable dealers?
I hope you have better luck than me, I gave up! It seemed fraught with danger to me, I was clueless and everything within my price range (same as yours smelt of damp and fusty).
I lost my seasonal pitch as they would only hold it for a few days, so will be patient now and keep a look out for a decent private sale.
Looking around helped me in knowing exactly what my needs regarding layout are, so am that much further forward. lol.
We found our older van at the caravan company, they have places in Leicester, Northhampton. We would have paid around £500 less if we had purchased privately but knowing nothing about caravans we were nervous of buying a disaster and we had already viewed quite a few, some of those being in dealers closer to home!
The caravan company were excellent giving us alot of advice they did a through damp check in front of us explained how everything worked and were generally much pleasanter to deal with than a couple of dealers we had visited.
After we looked at hundreds of caravans both at dealers and privately that your perfect caravan is out there and its just finding it. Look at lots of Dealers to find a layout that suits you, then begin you search in earnest be prepared to travel a bit furthur from home than you normally would, we live 5 minutes walk from a major dealer and ended up buying many miles away.
Don't forget if you buy from a dealer you will need to include the costs of equipment in your budget which you will usually get included when buying privately.
I'm afraid you won't buy very much for your budget at a dealers, most of whom don't stock anything that cheap on their sales lots.
It mayn't be worth giving Pleasuretime at Castleford a call, they sometimes have some clean, older vans in, and don't charge the daft prices of some retailers.
Might be worth giving these a call http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk/. Not used them myself, but a colleague at work bought his van from them, and they also bought out neighbours van off her when husband died. They seem to have a good mixture of vans although whether there's anything that fits what you need?...
We bought our first caravan at Glossop Caravans even tho they are on the 'wrong' side of the Pennines!!! With careful choice bargains can be had even at a main dealer. We found that the 3 month warranty (not long but at the right time of year long enough) gave us a breathing space to check out the van and get some issues corrected. Try and go with an experienced caravanner to help spot the key issues and ask for a hard copy of the damp report. Have fun looking round.
------------- Alan F
KIA Niro PHEV
Bessacarr e562 Motor Home
Thanks all! I've driven past Albion Caravans no end of times but never really noticed it was there, so that's a good shout. Glossop Caravans seem to have a fair few in so they'll be a good place to have a look at a fair few at the same time.
I can see I'd probably get a better deal going privately, but to be honest, I know so little that the prospect is pretty unnerving and, although we could take a friend with us who is pretty experienced, it feels like a lot of responsibility to put on their shoulders, if you see what I mean.
I've also come across Horbury Caravans over the last couple of days - has anyone had any experience with them?
Damp meters - do dealers/private sellers really let you ram them into the woodwork, willy nilly (I'm not too sure what they look like but I figure they're the electronic gadgets with the spike on the end?!) - surely it's not good for the appearance of the caravan?!!!!
Not sur what they have in but in Leeds remember reads caravans a64 York road they have re opened selling used vans haven't been in I'm afraid as we aren't looking but they have around 15-20 for sale
white rose try caravan finder site theres every style caravan on there theres trade and private sales .the trade ones even have there own websites on .
you mentioned glossop caravans we are purchasing a new coachman amara 2011 from them.they were fantastic no pressure salesman (micheal) he knew we were going as i emailed enquiring about this caravan.after a phone call from him he asked us to go across. it was a very cold day in february when we got there we had a coffee then he took us to the van,hed put the heating on ect and he left us to have a thorough look around and to sit and discuss with ourselves if we wanted it .he came back quite a while later to see what we had decided .it was lovely been left alone to make a decision .excellent service .hoping to pick her up shortly
------------- Sandringham 22nd mar - 30th mar
thorpe park 27th apr - 1st july
thorpe park 1st sept 2015- 1st nov 2015
clumber park 29th dec -4th jan
In West Yorks try Horbury Caravans or Kenmore Caravans. You will probably get a better price at Horbury but Kenmore will have a bigger selection...
Good luck!
------------- The optimist sees the glass as half full. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. To the engineer the glass is twice as big as it needs to be...
What a dealer will sell you for £2-3k you will get off ebay for far less, probably save yerself £1000. Absolutely wrong time of yr to buy tho. I notice caravans on ebay that wouldn't have fetched £400 in October going for £800.
Thank you all again for your suggestions - will add them to my list for our next free day (well, perhaps not all, but as many as I can manage!). Will now go and check Glossops-related posts out on here.
PS Hello Tim - we're just down the road from you :-)
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: Caravan Dealer Recommendations West Yorks
